Reading Comprehension Question

& Answer Set

Answer Sheet
Shade in the option corresponding the your question.

1 A B C D E 26 A B C D E
2 A B C D E 27 A B C D E
3 A B C D E 28 A B C D E
4 A B C D E 29 A B C D E
5 A B C D E 30 A B C D E
6 A B C D E 31 A B C D E
7 A B C D E 32 A B C D E
8 A B C D E 33 A B C D E
9 A B C D E 34 A B C D E
10 A B C D E 35 A B C D E
11 A B C D E 36 A B C D E
12 A B C D E 37 A B C D E
13 A B C D E 38 A B C D E
14 A B C D E 39 A B C D E
15 A B C D E 40 A B C D E
16 A B C D E 41 A B C D E
17 A B C D E 42 A B C D E
18 A B C D E 43 A B C D E
19 A B C D E 44 A B C D E
20 A B C D E 45 A B C D E
21 A B C D E 46 A B C D E
22 A B C D E 47 A B C D E
23 A B C D E 48 A B C D E
24 A B C D E 49 A B C D E
25 A B C D E 50 A B C D E

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Question 1
The boy’s affairs were in an auspicious and comfortable state.
The word auspicious in this sentence means:
A: favourable B: hostile C: credible D: attractive E: arbitrary F: None of
these

Question 2
Please read the following sentence.
Once Oliver turned the volume low and closed the door, reading the assignment was easier.

If we change the start of the sentence to:

Reading the assignment was easier…….
What will the ending be?
A: after turning the volume low.
B: after closing the door.
C: once Oliver turned the volume low and closed the door.
D: once he turned the volume low and closed the door.
E: None of these.

Question 3
The clever girl thought it advisable to change the subject.
The word advisable in this sentence means:
A: admissible B: foolish C: elegant D: prudent E: None of these

Question 4
When one hears the word “archaeology”, it often conjures up images of exotic locales like the Great Wall of
China, or the Pyramids of Egypt. However, in actuality, archaeology is not limited to only far-off places, but it
surrounds our everyday lives and can be found in almost all places. We use archaeology to understand how
humans of the past interacted with each other and the environment in which they lived. Past humans formed a
unique relationship with their surroundings and related to the local fauna and flora in very specific ways. By
learning about the past, we can understand more about ourselves and our own lives and the relationships we
form with our present day environment.
Which of the following transmits the theme of this paragraph?
A: Looking to local fauna and flora helps us to understand archaeology.
B: Archaeology can also help us to infer present interactions between humans and nature.
C: Archaeology can only help us to understand how people interacted with nature in the past.
D: Archaeology is the study of environments.
E: Archaeology is barely related to nature.

Question 5
Which of the options will best replace the underlined words in the sentence to make it correct?

He gotten it unexpected, so he shouted for joy.

A: got it unexpected. B: got it unexpectedly C: gotten it unexpectedly. D: get it unexpected. E:

None of these.

Read the following paragraph to answer the next two questions (Questions 6&7).
Many scientific studies have investigated possible health symptoms of mobile phone radiation. The Australian
Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA) which said in a statement that: On the basis of
current understanding of the relationship between brain cancer and use of mobile phones, including the recently
published data from the INTERPHONE study, ARPANSA concludes that currently available data do not warrant
any general recommendation to limit use of mobile phones in the adult population, and recommends that, due
to the lack of any data relating to children and long term use of mobile phones, parents encourage their children
to limit their exposure by reducing call time, by making calls where reception is good, by using hands-free
devices or speaker options, or by texting.

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Question 6
Children should limit their exposure to mobile phones because
A: There is no data available relating to health symptoms of mobile radiation in children.
B: Long term use of mobile phones produces brain cancer.
C: Parents encourage children to limit their call time.
D: It is risky to use mobile phones without hands-free devices.
E: None of these.

Question 7
“…currently available data do not warrant any general recommendation to limit use of mobile phones
in the adult population”. We can infer from this that:
A: adult users of mobile phones are more prone to brain cancer.
B: adults should not limit their use of mobile phones for fear of brain cancer.
C: it is not recommended to use mobile phones for a long term.
D: the writer lacks of complete information regarding mobile phone radiation.
E: all of these.

Read the following paragraphs to answer the next two questions (Questions 8 & 9).

The name Kakadu comes from the mispronunciation of Gaagudju, which is the name of an Aboriginal
language formerly spoken in the northern part of the park. Kakadu is ecologically and biologically diverse.
Kakadu National Park is renowned for the richness of its Aboriginal cultural sites. There are more than 5,000
recorded art sites illustrating Aboriginal culture over thousands of years.
The cultural and natural values of Kakadu National Park were recognised internationally when the park was
placed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. This is an international register of properties that are recognised
as having outstanding cultural or natural values of international significance. Kakadu was listed in three stages:
stage 1 in 1981, stage 2 in 1987, and the entire park in 1992.
Approximately half of the land in Kakadu is aboriginal land under the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory)
Act 1976, and most of the remaining land is currently under claim by Aboriginal people. The areas of the park
that are owned by Aboriginal people are leased by the traditional owners to the Director of National Parks to be
managed as a national park. The remaining area is commonwealth land vested under the Director of National
Parks. All of Kakadu is declared a national park under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation
Act 1999.
The Aboriginal traditional owners of the park are descendants of various clan groups from the Kakadu area and
have longstanding affiliations with this country. Their lifestyle has changed in recent years, but their traditional
customs and beliefs remain very important. About 500 Aboriginal people live in the park, many of them are
traditional owners. All of Kakadu is jointly managed by Aboriginal traditional owners and the Australian
Government’s Department of the Environment and Water Resources through a division known as Parks
Australia. Park Management is directed by the Kakadu Board of Management.

Question 8
The word “commonwealth”, as used in the above passage, means:
A: something with no owner.
B: something to be possessed by anyone.
C: something to be possessed by all.
D: something to be possessed by wealthy people.
E: None of these.

Question 9
Kakadu has outstanding cultural and natural values mainly because
A: people living there preserve their ancestral traditions and beliefs.
B: Aboriginal people own the park.
C: the park was listed in the World Heritage List by UNESCO.
D: the park is managed mostly by Aboriginal traditional owners.
E: people living in the park have longstanding affiliations with the country.

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Question 10
The sentence below does not have any punctuation. Choose the sentence with the correct punctuation.

Oh my mistake Dad would say with a twinkle that’s not the sunrise that’s my daughter

A: Oh my mistake, Dad would say with a twinkle, that’s not the sunrise that’s my daughter.
B: “Oh my mistake”, Dad would say with a twinkle, that’s not the sunrise that’s my daughter”
C: “Oh my mistake”, Dad would say with a twinkle. “That’s not the sunrise that’s my daughter”.
D: “Oh my mistake”, Dad would say with a twinkle, “that’s not the sunrise, that’s my daughter”.
E: “Oh my mistake”. Dad would say with a twinkle. “That’s not the sunrise, that’s my daughter”.

Question 11
What does the below sentence suggest?
Don’t cry over spilled milk.
A: when someone spills milk, it is not expensive to get more.
B: do not make a mistake get worse.
C: do not be upset about making a mistake since you cannot change that now.
D: the mistakes we make will never be changed.
E: try to fix all your mistakes.

Read the following paragraphs to answer the next four questions (Questions 12 - 15).

Soon we got to work. We had to rescue a large croc that was making local residents nervous. We spent
hours searching the river system for it.
Then we came bad news. The animal had been shot dead.
We felt certain that the croc would have a mate nearby and we wanted to save her from the shooters if we
could. After spotting a mound of leaves up on a bank –the female’s nest site- we decided to set a trap.
Made of heavy trawler mesh, the trap would allow the croc easy access to a piece of food. For a while our
female croc eluded us. Then, as we approached the trap one morning, we saw that the weight bag had been
triggered. Sure enough, it was our girl. When she saw us, she uttered a low growl, almost like a roar.
Quickly we cut the weight bag loose. Steve tied a rope around the croc’s top jaw and secured the rope to a
tree. He began removing the trap, tail end first, but the animal’s thrashing impeded him.
Steve said to me matter-of-factly, “You’ll have to jump on her head.”
Could I actually bring myself to climb on top of this giant dinosaur? To hold her down, Steve jumped onto the
animal. I thought, It’s now or never. So I climbed on next to Steve and tried to work my fingers around the
croc’s massive jaws. She was about three metres long and must have weighed nearly 200 kilograms.
When she was finally free from the trap, Steve and I began dragging her towards the river to load her into the
boat. But sensing freedom, the croc started to wriggle from our grasp.
Steve said, “Let me have her.” He threw his arms around her neck and a leg over her back and rode the croc
straight to the river. With a bang the two of them landed in the boat.
I hurried down and started the motor. All the way to the release site, the croc thrashed. Thankfully, our trip
was brief.
At a remote tributary with a sandbar for sunning and high ground for nesting, we eased the female out. She
seemed surprised and looked around; then she walked towards the water. Cumbersome on land, the
crocodile became beautifully fluid when she entered the river.
Emotions ran high as we watched her disappear. This croc was safe now, free to make a new life.
And so were we.
From “The Crocodile Hunter” by Steve and Terri Irwin.

Question 12
The narrator is telling the story from
A: an island.
B: a zoo
C: a wharf
D: a river
E: None of the above

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Question 13
The mood of the two naturalists in this passage is best described as
A: concerned B: adventurous C: rash D: overbold E: edgy

Question 14
The passage suggests that the local residents
A: are waiting for the female croc in their residences.
B: are helping the naturalists to find the female croc.
C: do not care about the croc anymore.
D: shot the male croc and reassured people in town.
E: are hunting the female croc.

Question 15
The word “cumbersome”, used to describe the female croc, means:
A: comfortable B: relaxed C: awful D: bulky E: elegant

Read the following paragraphs to answer the next four questions (Questions 16 - 19).

No-one misses a visit to meet the Western Lowland Gorillas at Melbourne Zoo. These fascinating creatures,
which are from the same family as humans, Orang-utans and chimpanzees, share many features with us –
they even giggle when amused!
Gorillas are native to Angola, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, the Congo, Equatorial Guinea and
Gabon. Gorillas are classed as ‘critically endangered’ by the International Union for Conservation of Nature
and Natural Resources (on the IUCN ‘red list’), with numbers in the wild falling. These critically endangered
animals are vulnerable to habitat loss from mining, logging and the illegal bush meat trade. It is not known
how many remain in the wild, but it is known that their numbers are decreasing.
The Western Lowland Gorilla lives in troops of up to 20 gorillas. Female gorillas usually form relationships
based on relatedness, but the majority of their interactions with other females in the group are aggressive.
Female gorillas tend to squabble over access to the silverback and it is his job to keep the peace within the
group. The leader of the group will usually be a single, dominant male known as a silverback. In large groups
there may be more than one male, but these males are usually younger, non-dominant males, who may
eventually move off and live solitary lives, or form bachelor groups with other adolescent males. Males may
also kidnap female gorillas from other groups to begin a new troop.
Males exhibit aggressive behaviour by vocalising. The silverback stands on his hind legs and throws leaves
and twigs into the air. He then beats his chest with his hands and runs back and forth tearing up the
vegetation. He ends the display by beating the ground with the palms of his hands. This intimidating behaviour
is used to threaten outsiders and often gives the impression that the gorilla is fiercer than he actually is.

Question 16
Being known as “silverback”, means dominant male in the troop
A: is distinct from the rest of the males.
B: has silver hair on his back.
C: was the only male born with a silverback.
D: is the leader of the group.
E: None of these.

Question 17
A juvenile male can form his own troop by
A: squabbling over troop domain.
B: moving off and live with other adolescent males.
C: separating himself just outside from the troop and capture females.
D: displaying aggressive behaviour.
E: All of the above.

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Question 18
In classifying gorillas as “critically endangered”, conservationists used
A: the exact records of all wild gorillas living in their habitat.
B: the fact that the quantity of gorillas in the wild is decreasing.
C: the IUCN red list.
D: A and B together.
E: B and C together.

Question 19
The overall theme in this passage is
A: gorillas’ behaviour and characteristics.
B: gorillas’ mating and feeding.
C: because of loss of their habitat, wild gorillas are endangered.
D: the fascinating social structure and behaviour of gorillas.
E: gorillas scientific classification.

Read the following paragraph to answer the next four questions (Questions 20 - 23).

Mrs. Bennet was prevented replying by the entrance of the footman with a note for Miss Bennet; it came from
Netherfield, and the servant waited for an answer. Mrs. Bennet's eyes sparkled with pleasure, and she was
eagerly calling out, while her daughter read, "Well, Jane, who is it from? What is it about? What does he say?
Well, Jane, make haste and tell us; make haste, my love." "It is from Miss Bingley," said Jane, and then read it
aloud.
"MY DEAR FRIEND,— "If you are not so compassionate as to dine to-day with Louisa and me, we shall be in
danger of hating each other for the rest of our lives, for a whole day's tete-a-tete between two women can never
end without a quarrel. Come as soon as you can on receipt of this. My brother and the gentlemen are to dine
with the officers.—Yours ever, "CAROLINE BINGLEY"
"With the officers!" cried Lydia. "I wonder my aunt did not tell us of that."
"Dining out," said Mrs. Bennet, "that is very unlucky." "Can I have the carriage?" said Jane.
"No, my dear, you had better go on horseback, because it seems likely to rain; and then you must stay all night."
"That would be a good scheme," said Elizabeth, "if you were sure that they would not offer to send her home."
"Oh! but the gentlemen will have Mr. Bingley's chaise to go to Meryton, and the Hursts have no horses to theirs."
"I had much rather go in the coach."
"But, my dear, your father cannot spare the horses, I am sure. They are wanted in the farm, Mr. Bennet, are
they not?" "They are wanted in the farm much oftener than I can get them."
"But if you have got them to-day," said Elizabeth, "my mother's purpose will be answered."
She did at last extort from her father an acknowledgment that the horses were engaged. Jane was therefore
obliged to go on horseback, and her mother attended her to the door with many cheerful prognostics of a bad
day. Her hopes were answered; Jane had not been gone long before it rained hard. Her sisters were uneasy
for her, but her mother was delighted. The rain continued the whole evening without intermission; Jane certainly
could not come back.
"This was a lucky idea of mine, indeed!" said Mrs. Bennet more than once, as if the credit of making it rain were
all her own. Till the next morning, however, she was not aware of all the felicity of her contrivance. Breakfast
was scarcely over when a servant from Netherfield brought the following note for Elizabeth: "MY DEAREST
LIZZY,—"I find myself very unwell this morning, which, I suppose, is to be imputed to my getting wet through
yesterday. My kind friends will not hear of my returning till I am better. They insist also on my seeing Mr. Jones—
therefore do not be alarmed if you should hear of his having been to me—and, excepting a sore throat and
headache, there is not much the matter with me.—Yours, etc." "Well, my dear," said Mr. Bennet, when Elizabeth
had read the note aloud, "if your daughter should have a dangerous fit of illness—if she should die, it would be
a comfort to know that it was all in pursuit of Mr. Bingley, and under your orders."

From Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austin.

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Question 20
Mrs. Bennet thinks that the invitation of Miss Bingley’s brother to dine with the officers is very unlucky
because
A: she wants Jane to talk to Miss Bingley’s brother.
B: Miss Bingley’s brother is not going to be home for dinner.
C: Jane is not going to go out to dine.
D: A and B together.
E: B and C together.

Question 21
Jane will have to attend to Miss Bingley’s invitation on horseback for all the following reasons
EXCEPT:
A: Jane’s mother wants her to stay all night at Miss Bingley’s residence.
B: Jane’s father does not have extra horses for the coach.
C: Jane prefers to go on horseback.
D: Mrs. Bennet is planning to make the Bingleys ask Jane to stay in their residence because of the rain.
E: Most horses are wanted in the farm.

Question 22
Jane finally stayed at Miss Bingley’s residence because
A: she was previously invited.
B: she got wet and ill.
C: she wanted to stay.
D: it rained all day.
E: her mother forced her to stay.

Question 23
From what occurs, it can be inferred that Jane’s sister, Elizabeth,
A: feels jealous of her sister’s invitation.
B: is also attracted to Miss Bingley’s brother.
C: is concerned about her sister’s well-being.
D: wants Jane to stay at Miss Bingley’s residence longer.
E: C and D together.

Read the following paragraph to answer the next two questions (Questions 24 & 25).

A SEAGULL having bolted down too large a fish, burst its deep gullet-bag and lay down on the shore to die.
A Kite saw him and exclaimed: "You richly deserve your fate; for a bird of the air has no business to seek its
food from the sea."

Question 24
The Kite believes that the seagull “deserves his fate” because:
A: he ate a fish that was too big for his body to handle.
B: he ate the wrong type of fish.
C: he took from the sea which he is unfamiliar with being a bird of the air.
D: he should know that large fish are dangerous.
E: he shouldn’t be taking from another habitat.

Question 25
An appropriate moral for this story would be:
A: every man should be content to mind his own business.
B: birds should not eat fish.
C: one should not be greedy.
D: bids should only eat prey that live in the air.
E: everyone’s business is in their own home.

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Question 26
The following sentence does not have any punctuation. Choose the option with the correct punctuation.

She may have the brain of a genius he sighed but what good is it to her or anybody else

A: She may have the brain of a genius he sighed but what good is it to her or anybody else
B: “She may have the brain of a genius he sighed. But what good is it to her or anybody else.
C: “She may have the brain of a genius he sighed. But what good is it to her or anybody else”
D: “She may have the brain of a genius, he sighed. But what good is it, to her or anybody else”
E: "She may have the brain of a genius," he sighed. "But what good is it, to her or anybody else?"

Question 27
Choose the correct option which will replace the underlined word in the sentence to make it correct.
Work on your spelling conciensiously.
A: conscienciously
B: conscientiously
C: consciensiously
D: consientiously
E: Leave it as it is.

Read the following paragraphs to answer the next five questions (Questions 28 - 32).

Evening came at last, the hour when the desire for sleep caused our eyelids to be heavy. Night there is not,
properly speaking, in this place, any more than there is in summer in the arctic regions. Hans, however, is
immovable at the rudder. When he snatches a moment of rest I really cannot say. I take advantage of his
vigilance to take some little repose.
But two hours after I was awakened from a heavy sleep by an awful shock. The raft appeared to have struck
upon a sunken rock. It was lifted right out of the water by some wondrous and mysterious power, and then
started off twenty fathoms distant.
"Eh, what is it?" cried my uncle starting up. "Are we shipwrecked, or what?"
Hans raised his hand and pointed to where, about two hundred yards off, a large black mass was moving up
and down.
I looked with awe. My worst fears were realized.
"It is a colossal monster!" I cried, clasping my hands.
"Yes," cried the agitated Professor, "and there yonder is a huge sea lizard of terrible size and shape."
"And farther on behold a prodigious crocodile. Look at his hideous jaws, and that row of monstrous teeth. Ha!
he has gone."
"A whale! a whale!" shouted the Professor, "I can see her enormous fins. See, see, how she blows air and
water!"
Two liquid columns rose to a vast height above the level of the sea, into which they fell with a terrific crash,
waking up the echoes of that awful place. We stood still—surprised, stupefied, terror-stricken at the sight of this
group of fearful marine monsters, more hideous in the reality than in my dream. They were of supernatural
dimensions; the very smallest of the whole party could with ease have crushed our raft and ourselves with a
single bite. Hans, seizing the rudder which had flown out of his hand, puts it hard aweather in order to escape
from such dangerous vicinity; but no sooner does he do so, than he finds he is flying from Scylla to Charybdis.
To leeward is a turtle about forty feet wide, and a serpent quite as long, with an enormous and hideous head
peering from out the waters. Look which way we will, it is impossible for us to fly. The fearful reptiles advanced
upon us; they turned and twisted about the raft with awful rapidity. They formed around our devoted vessel a
series of concentric circles. I took up my rifle in desperation. But what effect can a rifle ball produce upon the
armor scales with which the bodies of these horrid monsters are covered?
We remain still and dumb from utter horror. They advance upon us, nearer and nearer. Our fate appears certain,
fearful and terrible. On one side the mighty crocodile, on the other the great sea serpent. The rest of the fearful
crowd of marine prodigies have plunged beneath the briny waves and disappeared!
I am about to fire at any risk and try the effect of a shot. Hans, the guide, however, interfered by a sign to check
me. The two hideous and ravenous monsters passed within fifty fathoms of the raft, and then made a rush at

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one another—their fury and rage preventing them from seeing us. The combat commenced. We distinctly made
out every action of the two hideous monsters. But to my excited imagination the other animals appeared about
to take part in the fierce and deadly struggle—the monster, the whale, the lizard, and the turtle. I distinctly saw
them every moment. I pointed them out to the Icelander. But he only shook his head.
"Tva," he said. "What—two only does he say. Surely he is mistaken," I cried in a tone of wonder. "He is quite
right," replied my uncle coolly and philosophically, examining the terrible duel with his telescope and speaking
as if he were in a lecture room. "How can that be?" "Yes, it is so. The first of these hideous monsters has the
snout of a porpoise, the head of a lizard, the teeth of a crocodile; and it is this that has deceived us. It is the
most fearful of all antediluvian reptiles, the world—renowned Ichthyosaurus or great fish lizard."
"And the other?" "The other is a monstrous serpent, concealed under the hard vaulted shell of the turtle, the
terrible enemy of its fearful rival, the Plesiosaurus, or sea crocodile." Hans was quite right. The two monsters
only, disturbed the surface of the sea!
At last have mortal eyes gazed upon two reptiles of the great primitive ocean! I see the flaming red eyes of the
Ichthyosaurus, each as big, or bigger than a man's head. It has by some authors truly been called the whale of
the saurian race, for it is as big and quick in its motions as our king of the seas. This one measures not less
than a hundred feet in length, and I can form some idea of his girth when I see him lift his prodigious tail out of
the waters. His jaw is of awful size and strength, and according to the best-informed naturalists, it does not
contain less than a hundred and eighty-two teeth. The other was the mighty Plesiosaurus, a serpent with a
cylindrical trunk, with a short stumpy tail, with fins like a bank of oars in a Roman galley. Its whole body covered
by a carapace or shell, and its neck, as flexible as that of a swan, rose more than thirty feet above the waves,
a tower of animated flesh!
These animals attacked one another with inconceivable fury. Such a combat was never seen before by mortal
eyes, and to us who did see it, it appeared more like the phantasmagoric creation of a dream than anything
else. They raised mountains of water, which dashed in spray over the raft, already tossed to and fro by the
waves. Twenty times we seemed on the point of being upset and hurled headlong into the waves. Hideous
hisses appeared to shake the gloomy granite roof of that mighty cavern—hisses which carried terror to our
hearts. The awful combatants held each other in a tight embrace. I could not make out one from the other. Still
the combat could not last forever; and woe unto us, whichsoever became the victor.
From “A Journey to the Centre of the Earth” by Jules Verne.

Question 28
The previous passage is part of a science fiction story. The most important clue to this would be:
A: the raft lifted out of the water by some wondrous and mysterious power.
B: the emergence of reptiles.
C: the reference to a Professor with a telescope.
D: the characters’ feelings of inferiority and dread.
E: the references to antediluvian monsters with supernatural dimensions.

Question 29
The narrator at first visualized four distinct creatures because
A: they were turning and twisting about the raft rapidly.
B: they were four at first and then two disappeared.
C: the weather did not help to see them clearly.
D: the creatures had parts with the appearance of four distinct animals.
E: he did not use the telescope to look at them closer.

Question 30
The passage hints that Hans
A: does not speak English.
B: is deaf.
C: is too afraid of talking.
D: cannot find words to describe monsters.
E: None of these.

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Question 31
The mood of the men changed suddenly when
A: the narrator was awakened.
B: the raft hit something under water.
C: the professor screamed of fear.
D: they saw the size of the monsters.
E: the creatures started to fight.

Question 32
Of the monster’s features, the most causing the narrator’s dread was:
A: the shape of their bodies.
B: the snout of a porpoise.
C: their supernatural dimensions.
D: the flaming red eyes.
E: the head of a lizard.

Question 33
Please read the following sentence:
I am leaving home today. However, I will be back soon.
If we change the above into a single sentence and begin:
I will be back soon….
What will the best ending be?
A: however, I am leaving home today.
B: but I am leaving home today.
C: so, I have to leave home today.
D: even though I am leaving home today.
E: None of these.

Question 34
People are very resilient and want to carry on their lives just as they did before.
The word resilient in this sentence means
A: resentful B: reluctant C: satisfied D: tough E: None of these

Read the following paragraphs to answer the next two questions (Questions 35 & 36).

Melbourne researchers have helped discover the importance that five genes play in either protecting or
making people more susceptible to severe malaria, which could be used to identify new treatments or
vaccines.
The genes were identified in the largest study of its kind to explore the human genetics of malaria, taking in
data from nearly 12-thousand cases of severe malaria across 12 locations in Africa, Asia and Papua New
Guinea where access to health resources can be difficult.
Researchers analysed 27 malaria resistance genes, concluding that five of them significantly determined
human susceptibility to severe malaria.
Dr Sarah Dunstan of the University of Melbourne's Nossal Institute of Global Health, who led the Vietnamese
part of the study, says the results show the role of common human genetic disorders in severe malaria are
more complex than previously thought.
She says the findings - to be published in the medical journal Nature Genetics - will contribute to a better
understanding of the mechanisms and processes at work when progressing to severe malaria disease.

Question 35:
Researchers carried out an investigation across 12 locations in Africa, Asia and Papua New Guinea
because
A: there are no doctors in those locations.
B: People there need new treatments or vaccines.
C: people in those locations are prone to malaria.
D: A and B together.
E: B and C together.

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Question 36
In Dr Dunstan’s view the findings have provided researchers with important information because
A: they can cure severe malaria today.
B: they can better understand the mechanisms and processes of severe malaria disease.
C: they can alter the five genes that determine human susceptibility to severe malaria.
D: they can understand the human genetic disorders in severe malaria.
E: they can progress to severe malaria disease.

Read the following paragraphs to answer the next five questions (Questions 37 - 41).

Sumo wrestling dates back to the 5th century as Shinto ritual performed at shrines in prayer for plentiful
harvests. From the 7th century to the 12th, it was performed annually before royalty; and during the medieval
period, when the shoguns ruled Japan, it was used by the country’s samurai and soldiers to force an
opponent to the ground. In the more peaceful 1600s, the samurai began organizing tournaments at which
victorious wrestlers were given ceremonial aprons and even warrior status. Professional sumo slowly became
common, with rules a well-defined system of ranking with yokozuna at the top.
Today there are six bashos, or grand sumo tournaments, held yearly in Japan and more than 900 professional
rikishi. The sport retains its ancient rituals, though now, millions of dollars are at stake and its elite are
pursued by the paparazzi.
Bashos in Japan last 15 days. The rikishi winning the most bouts wins the tournament. The Vancouver
exhibition is a two-day, knockout event. All 52 wrestlers fight on each day, and each loss eliminates a
participant from the day’s competition; the first day’s champion confronts the second’s for the grand prize.
Most competitors enter the sport at 16, joining one of the many heya, or sumo stables. Beginners rise at 4:30
a.m. but do not eat until past noon. Practice is gruelling. They hit thick poles with open hands –sometimes
smacking them with their heads to toughen themselves –stomp their feet hundreds of times and wrestle for
long periods without breaks. Their coaches sometimes strike them with bamboo poles to make them work
harder, and they must learn up to 70 officially recognized techniques, from arm bars to leg throws to old-
fashioned shoves. They are also required to accomplish excruciating full leg splits to increase flexibility, with
others learning on them, forcing them to the floor as they try not to cry out of pain. When the highly ranked
veterans arrive, they, too, may inflict punishment on their inferiors to push them to greater heights. No one I
allowed to curse or complain.
The recruits must bathe their superiors, cook their meals and attend to their every need. They eat only when
others have finished and are required to consume enormous amounts of food, mostly high-calorie Japanese
stew and litres of beer. All eat twice a day and then rest to build bulk.
Despite the rigorous of training and the frightening scenes of aggression –skulls meeting with stunning force,
400-pound men being thrown into front-row seats- sumo wrestlers have polite, almost childlike demeanours.
This contradiction is part of what it is to live by the sumo code. The sport, protected by the spirit of ancient
codes and a core of values, somehow reigns supreme.
In fact, sumo may very well show us what sports are intended to be: rituals that test our physical and mental
abilities and our values.

Question 37
A sumo wrestler’s nationality is:
A: Canadian
B: Korean
C: Japanese
D: Chinese
E: Any of these.

Question 38
The following are historical facts about sumo wrestling EXCEPT:
A: it was never used in wars.
B: it was used by the country’s samurai and soldiers.
C: it was a way to pray for plentiful harvests.
D: they were performed before royalty every year.
E: rules of the wrestling were developed.

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Question 39
The highest rank a professional sumo wrestler can obtain is:
A: rikishi
B: basho
C: samurai
D: shogun
E: yokozuna

Question 40
Today, different from the ancient sumo tournaments, when a sumo wrestler wins:
A: receives a ceremonial apron.
B: receives a grand prize.
C: receives or keeps a professional rank.
D: A and B together.
E: B and C together.

Question 41
Sumo apprentices take on all the following tasks EXCEPT:
A: they hit thick poles with open hands.
B: they are pushed from cliffs.
C: they learn the official recognized techniques.
D: they are hit with bamboo poles.
E: they rise at 4:30 a.m.

Question 42
The skies of his future began to darken.
What does this sentence suggest?
A: It is going to rain.
B: his future is vague.
C: something negative will probably happen to him.
D: he is watching the dark clouds.
E: None of these.

Question 43
The sentence below does not have any punctuation. Choose the option with the correct punctuation.
are we flying to australia to celebrate labor day there in may
A: are we flying to Australia to celebrate labor day there in may?
B: Are we flying to Australia to celebrate labor day there in May
C: Are we flying to Australia to celebrate Labor Day there in May?
D: are we flying to Australia to celebrate Labor day there in May?
E: are we flying to Australia to celebrate labor Day there in May?

Question 44
Choose the option which best corrects the errors in the sentence.
The driver try to swerf out the way but was for nought
A: The driver tries to swerve out of way but was for naught.
B: The driver tried to swerf out of way but was for nought.
C: The driver tried to swerve out of way but was for naught.
D: The driver tried to swerf out of the way but it was for nought.
E: The driver tried to swerve out of the way but it was for naught.

Question 45
A mass uprising was entirely conceivable.
The word conceivable in this sentence means:
A: plausible B: logical C: advisable D: remarkable E: None of these

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Question 46
The sentence below does not have any punctuation. Choose the option with the correct punctuation.
ah I dare say he will replied the lady with a smile won’t he come with us
A: Ah, I dare say he will, replied the lady with a smile, won’t he come with us.
B: Ah! I dare say he will, replied the lady with a smile, won’t he come with us?
C: “Ah! I dare say he will”, replied the lady with a smile, “won’t he come with us?”
D: “Ah! I dare say he will, replied the lady with a smile, won’t he come with us?”
E: “Ah! I dare say he will” replied the lady with a smile, won’t he come with us.”

Read the following paragraphs to answer the next two questions (Questions 47 & 48).

While I don't really "do business" in Saigon other than hiring local talent, I run my businesses from Saigon.
Thus, the very best reason for being here is lifestyle optimization. Every single aspect of my life is optimized.
From housing (you can easily get set up here in a serviced apartment in less than an hour - and that
apartment will likely have internet that is 30MBPS down) - and on to the value of services - my entire
household is managed for a very affordable fee, and on to the food - where I have a protein smoothie
delivered 10 minutes after I wake up - to the prevalence of the motorbike culture, which makes getting around
in the central business area a 10 minute ordeal and finally, and on to - getting to the gym - where there is a
high-quality western gym where I can take care of myself.

~ Jon Myers

Question 47
Lifestyle in Saigon is optimized for all the following reasons EXCEPT:
A: transport and getting around.
B: access to food.
C: cost of managing the household.
D: housing and access to the internet.
E: running a business.

Question 48
Why does Jon live in Saigon?
A: To operate a physically located business in the area.
B: Lives a lifestyle that is more optimized than his own country.
C: To get access to low-cost labour.
D: A and B together.
E: B and C together.

Question 49
The investigator made an abstruse inquiry.
The word abstruse in the above sentence means:
A: demanding B: enormous C: obscure D: clever E: flagrant

Question 50
Please read the following sentence.
When John opened the door, he was expecting to receive good news…
If we change the start of the sentence to:
John was expecting to receive good news…
What will the ending be?
A: when he opened the door.
B: while opening the door.
C: after she opened the door.
D: when the door was opened.
E: None of these.

END OF PRACTICE EXAM

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Oliver Twist Retrieved: 21/9/2014

http://www.planetpublish.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Oliver_Twist_T.pdf
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