COMPREHENSION FOR CENTRAL SELECTION
1. There will be 20 minutes for first comprehension and 30 minutes for second comprehension.
2. For each question there are four possible answers given.
SAMPLE QUESTIO OF 2010
1A
Tigers in Indonesia
Tigers have begun attacking and killing humans in remote parts of the Indonesian island of
Sumatra. Eight people were killed in the first two months of this year alone. Local people
are afraid, but they are also angry. They think they know what has caused the problem.
In the last twenty years, almost half of Indonesia’s forest has been lost. As rich Western
countries want more and more timber for their industries, the forest has been cut down and
the wood sold abroad. This is earning money for Indonesia’s government, but it is also
destroying the place where tigers live. There is not enough food left for the tigers, so they
are starting to kill and eat humans.
Sanrit Thale is a tiger catcher. He goes into the forest each day with his colleagues to
track and catch tigers. Last month they caught one tiger, which they called Salma. She
was two metres long and is now in a local zoo. The attacks haven’t stopped though.
Near where Salma was caught, there is an illegal logging site. The people who work there
do not have permission to cut down trees, but they still do it. Most of the workers are poor
people who just want to earn enough to feed their families. The World Wildlife Fund
(WWF) says illegal logging is to blame for the attacks as it is destroying the tigers’ habitat.
Local women say they lock their doors at 6pm and lie awake at night, listening for tigers.
They are afraid, but they do not agree with the WWF. They do not think that illegal loggers
are to blame for the problem.
The District Chief agrees with the local women. He says the cause of the problem is an
industrial logging scheme which operates in the area. The loggers have permits to work,
but their operation is huge. They cut down many more trees than all the illegal loggers,
who work mostly on a small scale. He asked why an industrial logging scheme was
allowed to operate in the tigers’ dwindling habitat. One reason, of course, is that the
government gets money for the logging permits it sells.
There are only a few hundred tigers left in Sumatra, but there is still not enough space for
them. The catchers are just trying to keep tigers and humans apart. This will be difficult
as long as the world wants timber and palm oil and as long as Indonesia’s government
wants the money from the logging companies.Questions:
1) How many people have been killed, on average, in January and February?
a) One person per week.
b) Two people per week.
c) One person per month.
d) Eight per month.
e) None of the above.
2) Why have so many trees been cut down in Indonesia?
a) For firewood for local people.
b) For export to other countries.
c) To create space for people to live in.
d) To make it harder for tigers to survive.
e) None of the above.
3) Why are tigers attacking humans?
a) They are angry because their habitats have been destroyed.
b) They are afraid of humans.
c) They are hungry.
d) Humans are good prey.
e) None of the above.
4) Salma is:
a) the only tiger who was killing people.
b) the tiger catcher.
c) already dead.
d) Sanrit’s colleague.
e) None of the above.
5) Who does the WWF think is responsible for the attacks?
a) Loggers who do not have permits.
b) The industrial logging scheme.
c) Legal loggers.
d) The District Chief.
e) None of the above.
6) Most local people:
a) agree with the WWF.
b) have the same opinion as the District Chief.
c) blame the illegal loggers.
d) don’t know who has caused the problem.
e) None of the above.7) Indonesia’s forest is being cut down by:
a) illegal loggers only.
b) legal loggers only.
c) both legal and illegal loggers.
d) by the government.
e) None of the above.
8) Why did the government allow the logging company to work in the forest?
a) They wanted them to cut down the forest.
b) Because the District Chief asked them to.
c) The logging company paid the government.
d) They wanted the tigers’ habitat to dwindle.
e) None of the above.
9) Which of these statements is true?
a) The catchers have caught a few hundred tigers.
b) Fewer than a thousand tigers live in Sumatra.
c) There is enough space on Sumatra for a few hundred more tigers.
d) There is enough space for the tigers in the jungle.
e) None of the above.
10) The tiger catchers are trying to:
a) catch all the tigers.
b) kill the tigers which attack people.
c) move people from the area.
d) collect tigers for the local zoo.
e) None of the above.RECRUIT SELECTION INTAKE 2010
READING COMPREHENSION TEST 1A – ANSWER 1. A 2.B 3. C 4 E 5. A 6. B 7. C 8. C 9. B 10. E
2A
A Dangerous Disease
The world’s scientists, meeting in Mexico, have warned about a deadly virus. It could
destroy wheat harvests in poor countries. This would lead to food shortages and then to
possible strikes and riots over large areas of Asia and Africa.
Ug99 got its name because it was first seen in Uganda in 1999. It is a new variety of an old
disease called ‘stem rust’ which has appeared several times in history. Ug99 has already
spread from Africa to Iran. It is particularly frightening because the effects on crops can be
seen almost immediately. Clouds of invisible spores, carrying the virus, travel for miles,
before falling to the ground. It affects the leaves of the plants it touches.
The main worry is that Ug99 will continue travelling east to Pakistan, India and
Bangladesh. These countries produce 15% of the world’s wheat, feeding over a billion
people. Before they can get a solution, scientists will need to overcome personal or
nationalistic differences. In the past, these have stopped them sharing data.
They need to develop resistant wheat strains and distribute the new seeds around the
world. They thought the fungus had disappeared, when disease-resistant seeds were first
developed and planted in the 1960s. However, Ug99 has evolved and now 80-90% of all
wheat grown in developing countries is vulnerable to the new fungus.
Experts fear that it could damage nearly all of the world’s wheat. Sooner or later it will be
found everywhere. If crops are not protected it could lead to a major global disaster. There
would be widespread food shortages which will translate into unrest, including riots. To
countries with already weak governments this could well prove the last straw.
Where the spores land, a healthy wheat crop turns black very quickly. In spite of the
farmers’ best efforts, the fields look as if they have been burned. Up to 80% losses were
recently recorded in Uganda and Kenya. Luckily, neither country depends on wheat as a
main, staple crop. It is now in Iran, where it is a staple crop, but where there is a drought.
This has affected the spread of the virus and the harvest is safely in for this year. Iranian
farmers must have blessed an event which normally they would have felt very differently
about. Wind models suggest the disease will next move into Pakistan, Afghanistan and
India.
Farmers in wealthy countries have money to buy the necessary fungicides and have the
know-how to protect their crops. The cost of the fungicide alone is a major problem for
small farmers in Asia and their governments don’t help. The fungicide must also be applied
several times. This means a lot of work. Many small farmers do not have the labour to do
this and reading difficult instructions is beyond them. Widespread protection is necessary
to save the crops. If even one farmer in the area fails to protect his crop the problem will
come back the following year.
The original fungus has been developed by scientists in several countries who thought
they could use starvation as a weapon. After the Second World War, US scientists
developed a strain rather like Ug99. They planned to release it from the air to destroy
enemy food supplies. In those days, the US army had stocks of more than 30,000kg of
the ‘weapon’. Scientists believe that Iraq, Japan and Russia followed their example. Ug99
is resistant to the three major anti-rust genes used to protect nearly all the world’s wheat. Questions
1) Which of the following is correct about the virus?
a) The virus is deadly for humans.
b) It makes people become very angry.
c) Mexico is the centre for the virus.
d) It will affect all central Asia and Africa.
e) None of the above.
2) Which is correct?
a) ‘Stem rust’ started in Uganda.
b) Ug99 started in Africa.
c) Ug99 is an old disease.
d) We have always had this problem.
e) None of the above.
3) Which is correct?
a) The farmer can see the spores landing on his crops.
b) Ug99 travels in the rain clouds.
c) Crops die very quickly when affected.
d) The ground is infected.
e) None of the above.
4) We know that:
a) travellers carry the virus.
b) it will definitely affect Pakistan etc.
c) approximately 15% of all our food will be affected.
d) the scientists usually don’t work together.
e) None of the above.
5) Which is true? The fungus:
a) died out in the 1960s.
b) was distributed in new seeds.
c) last appeared in the 1960s.
d) has been in seeds since the 1960s.
e) None of the above.6) Which is correct?
a) Only countries with weak governments will have riots.
b) Riots will affect many countries.
c) Riots will cause food shortages.
d) The words ‘food shortages’ translate as ‘unrest, including riots’.
e) None of the above.
7) The situation in Uganda and Kenya was not a disaster because:
a) about 20% of the wheat was spared.
b) wheat is not especially important for them.
c) the farmers made a huge effort and saved the wheat.
d) burning the crops eradicated the virus.
e) None of the above.
8) The words ‘an event’ refer to:
a) a drought.
b) Ug99.
c) burning the crops.
d) the harvest.
e) None of the above.
9) Which statement is untrue? All farmers:
a) have to spread the fungicide as thoroughly as possible.
b) have to spray the crop more than once.
c) need educating before they can use the fungicides.
d) have to follow the rules or the protection is useless.
e) None of the above.
10) Which statement is true?
a) The US tested Ug99 as a weapon.
b) Other countries still have stockpiles of the fungus.
c) The disease came from a scientific experiment.
d) The fungus was seen as a possible weapon.
e) None of the above.
ANSWERS 1. E 2.B 3.C 4.D 5.C 6.B 7.B 8.A 9.C D 10.D
Measuring Mount Everest
Everyone knows that Mount Everest, in the Himalayas, is the highest point above sea
level in the world but how high is it?
In 1953, on the Coronation Day of Queen Elizabeth II in the UK, two men, Edmund
Hillary and Tenzing Norgay, became the first men to reach the summit of the mountain.
Newspapers at that time reported that the men had climbed 29,002 ft. This was the agreed
height of the mountain in 1953. The mountain had remained at this height since it was first
measured in the 1850s by the British Surveyor-General in India, Sir Andrew Waugh. It was
this man who gave the mountain the name Mount Everest. It was named after Sir George
Everest who had been the British Surveyor-General in India before Sir Andrew Waugh.
Sir George Everest and Sir Andrew Waugh worked together on a project called the
Great Arc. The Great Arc Project had been started by Colonel William Lambton in 1802. He
was a surveyor and mathematician. His aim was to measure the length of India, from Madras
in the South to the Himalayas in the North, so that the position of important places in India
could be established. The work was carried out using a chain made up of 40 bars. Each bar
was two and a half feet long. The men also used a machine called a theodolite. This was
used to map vertical and horizontal lines. In the 1800s, at the time of the project, there were
only two such machines in the world. The one used on the project in India was as big as a
tractor and weighed half a tonne. It took sixteen men at a time to carry the machine from
Madras to the Himalayas. It was in 1841, using this basic equipment, Sir George Everest
officially recorded the location of Mount Everest and called it Peak XV. In 1852, Sir Andrew
Waugh calculated the height of Peak XV to be 29,002 ft and it became recognised as the
highest mountain in the world. Before this time, a mountain peak called Chimborazo in South
America was considered to be the highest mountain.
In 1954 an Indian survey team re-measured the mountain. This team went nearer the
mountain and with more modern equipment, Everest was declared to be 29,028 ft.
For 45 years this became the agreed height of Mount Everest but an American
expedition placed a Global Positioning System on the summit of the mountain and declared
that the mountain was actually 29,035ft. Up to now, this has remained the agreed height.
Yet again, the mountain is on the move. The Chinese are now claiming that due to
global warming the mountain is now four feet smaller than it was when it was measured by the
Americans.
No matter how big it really is, Mount Everest’s height will always change. Although
global warming may be shrinking the mountain, the movement of the earth is forcing the
Himalayas upwards and it is calculated to grow by about a centimetre every year. 3
1. The mountain was named by
a. Queen Elizabeth II.
b. Edmund Hillary.
c. Sir Andrew Waugh.
d. Sir George Everest.
2. The mountain was named after
a. Queen Elizabeth II.
b. a British Surveyor-General.
c. Colonel Lambton.
d. Sir Andrew Waugh.
3. What did Colonel Lambton want to do?
a. Find places in India.
b. Measure Mount Everest.
c. Measure India from North to South.
d. Measure India from South to North.
4. How long was the measuring chain?
a. 40 ft long.
b. 100 ft long.
c. 2 ½ ft long.
d. 80 ft long.
5. A theodolite was
a. difficult to transport.
b. a tractor.
c. in use all over the world.
d. easy to move.
6. Peak XV was
a. near Mount Everest.
b. in the Himalayas.
c. in South America.
d. another name for Chimborazo.
7. Chimborazo is
a. higher than Mount Everest.
b. smaller than Mount Everest.
c. the same height as Mount Everest.
d. near Mount Everest.
8. In which year was Mount Everest declared to be 29,002 ft?
a. 1852.
b. 1999.
c. 1945.
d. 2003.
9. How high do the Chinese claim Mount Everest is now?
a. 29,002 ft.
b. 29,035 ft.
c. 29,031 ft.
d. 29,004 ft.
10. Mount Everest may be getting smaller because
a. of the movement of the earth.
b. of the Global Positioning System.
c. it was measured by the Chinese.
d. of global warming.
ANSWERS
1. C 2. B 3. D 4. B 5. A 6. B 7. B 8. A 9. C 10 D
Governments, and private agencies around the world, are increasingly looking at biometrics, which
is the measurement of the unique biology of a person. Biometrics, information about your body
which is unique to you as an individual, is seen as a way to tackle crime and terrorism. Biometric
data will probably be included on all passports in the future, particularly fingerprints.
In the UK, we are interested in biometrics for ID cards too. The UK wants to introduce identity
cards with biometric data, as do about 50 other countries. To be secure, government ministers
were told that the database for IDs needed iris scans from eyes, ten fingerprints and a photograph.
However, due largely to cost, the plan to introduce iris scans has been dropped. As iris scans are
probably the most accurate read out, making the cards almost foolproof, this decision is causing
concern.
Recent developments (2007) in the use of biometrics on passports, have come from universities in
the UK, Austria and the US, which can analyse the scent that every person leaves behind. They
have discovered that people leave a unique aroma ‘fingerprint’. These findings will lead to new
forensic techniques, the modern equivalent of using sniffer dogs to track criminals. The findings are
being considered for use with forensic evidence such as DNA and fingerprints. As already stated,
body odour could be used in biometric passports. These would be very sophisticated and costly,
compared to the ordinary passport, but genetic information will make forgery difficult. Many
countries want them as part of their war against terrorism.
The US military and the UK police have been examining the technique’s potential in terrorist or
criminal investigations. Looking at the technique from a different angle, a European project to
improve airline safety has been trialling the use of an ‘electronic nose’ to detect dangerous
explosives and chemicals in passengers’ luggage.
Prof Richard Brereton, from Bristol University’s Centre for Chemo metrics, said: ‘We know that
certain animals can tell things about each other by scent. There is evidence they can scent distress
and disease. Humans have lost this ability to sniff out each other’s scent so accurately but we can
use technology to do it for us. There appears to be evidence of an individual ‘fingerprint’.
A scent is made up of traces of chemicals that evaporate off the body in what scientists call the
‘thermal plume’, left behind in sweat and other bodily fluids. Researchers have found a way to
collect and analyse samples using an ‘electronic nose’ that breaks the scent down into its
component chemicals. Scientists found they could identify individuals by looking at the differing
combinations of 44 chemical compounds secreted by the body.
They examined body odour samples of 200 adults from Carinthia, a village in the Alps. The village
was chosen because no-one from outside had settled there for many generations, so the residents
shared the same genes. Despite this, each individual had a unique scent signature. ‘Scent allows
us to learn about an individual’s habits over time, gender, if they smoke, what they ate and drank
recently and whether they are stressed’, Prof Brereton said.
Scientists hope scent technology will also be useful in criminal cases although offenders will start
using strong deodorant and perfume to cover their tracks. Dr Silvia Valussi, of the Forensic
Science Service, said: ‘You can tell a lot about a person’s lifestyle from the chemical markers in
sweat. Getting the technology to a level where it is always accurate is the challenge’.
1. Governments are interested in biometrics because
a. they want to know how the individual works.
b. they are measuring the people in their countries.
c. passports need to be made more secure.
d. we need better fingerprinting techniques. DO NOT WRITE ON THIS BOOK
2. The UK identity cards will
a. be the same as fifty other countries already have.
b. contain iris scans and fingerprints.
c. not be as secure as they could be.
d. be cheap.
3. The phrase ‘this decision’ in paragraph 2 refers to
a. the decision not to include eye scans on cards.
b. the plan to introduce identity cards.
c. how ministers intend to make the plans foolproof.
d. the decision to include ten fingerprints on the card.
4. Which statement is true?
a. Aroma fingerprints will replace tracker dogs.
b. Dogs will be specially trained for the task.
c. If people wear gloves they can’t be tracked by this process.
d. Our body odour leaves a trail scientists can follow.
5. Which statement is true, according to the passage?
Biometric passports
a. are already in use in many countries.
b. contain body odour information.
c. are hard to falsify.
d. are used by terrorists in the war.
6. The European project is different because
a. it’s trying a different technique.
b. it looks at luggage not people.
c. it looks at airplanes not passengers.
d. it uses electronics.
7. The article suggests
a. people used to be able to smell as well as dogs.
b. all animals use scent to tell each other things.
c. all animals have a highly developed sense of smell.
d. animals can help people who are ill.
8. Which statement is true?
a. A person must be hot for the scent to work.
b. There are 44 separate tests necessary.
c. The chemicals are left behind on everything we touch.
d. Samples have to be completely free from contamination.
9. Carinthia was chosen because
a. it was a small village.
b. it was high in the mountains where the air was clean.
c. it was easy to isolate the people.
d. the villagers were very similar genetically.
10. Which statement is not true, according to the passage?
Professor Brereton’s tests can tell
a. if I went to bed late.
b. what I ate for breakfast.
c. if I drink a lot of beer.
d. if I am very nervous
Answers: 1.c, 2.a 3.a 4.a 5.c 6.b 7.b 8.b 9.d 10.d
Earthquakes
Everyone knows about the Indian Ocean Tsunami that took place on 26th December, 2004. The
giant waves were caused by an earthquake under the Indian Ocean. Approximately 275,000
people were killed in fourteen countries, across two continents. The last two people to be killed
were in South Africa and were swept out to sea more than twelve hours after the earthquake.
Where do earthquakes come from? Imagine a football. Imagine that the outside of a football is the
outside of the earth. A football is made up of pieces of leather put together to form a ball. The
earth is made up of twelve plates which come together to form the earth’s outer layer. Unlike a
football, where the pieces of leather are stitched together and cannot move, the edges of the
twelve plates continuously move against each other. This outer layer of the earth is called the
crust. Below the sea, the earth’s crust, which is called the lithosphere by scientists, is between
three to six miles thick. Under land, the earth’s crust is between twenty and forty-four miles thick.
This is the part we live on. Earthquakes happen along the edges where the twelve plates meet.
These edges are called fault lines and the point where an earthquake starts is called the epicentre.
The combined annual force of earthquakes is equal to 100,000 times the power of the atomic
bombs that man has created. The magnitude of an earthquake is measured on the Richter Scale.
It is measured at the epicentre. Starting at 1, each whole number on the Scale is ten times more
powerful than the previous number.
The earthquake, which caused the Indian Ocean Tsunami in 2004, measured 9.31 on the Richter
Scale. On May 22
nd
, 1960 the most intense earthquake ever recorded occurred. This was the
Great Chilean Earthquake which measured 9.5 on the Richter Scale. The epicentre was in
southern Chile and caused tsunamis which affected Hawaii, Japan, the Philippines and the
Aleutian Islands in Alaska.
There are about a million earthquakes every year. A large earthquake occurs about every two
weeks. Most of these take place under the sea and the vast majority of these do little harm. The
shock of an earthquake can sometimes be felt hundreds of kilometres away. In 1985, water
splashed in swimming pools in Houston, USA, after an earthquake 1,609 km away in Mexico.
China has the worst record for earthquake deaths. In 1556, an earthquake killed 830,000 people
in Shanxi province. In 1976, an earthquake in Tangshan province, which measured 8.2 on the
Richter Scale, killed 750,000 people.
In a very bad earthquake the ground can roll like waves on the ocean. An earthquake usually lasts
for less than one minute. The earthquake in Lisbon, Portugal, in 1755, lasted for ten minutes, and
the shock waves were felt as far away as North Africa.
The 1964 earthquake in Alaska lasted for seven minutes. This shaking caused huge cracks to
open in the ground. These cracks were up to 90 cm wide and 12 m deep. Many buildings tilted
and slid down into the cracks.
The earthquake off the coast of Peru in 1979 caused an avalanche of snow and rock on land. The
avalanche started high on the Nevados Huaascaren Mountain and moved 4,000m down the
mountain. It buried the town of Yungay under 10m of rock and killed at least 18,000 people.
There is no evidence that earthquakes are becoming more frequent. Larger numbers of
earthquakes, especially small earthquakes, are being recorded because of advances in the
science of measuring and recording earthquakes. In fact, about 8,000 very minor earthquakes are
recorded each day.
Governments, and private agencies around the world, are increasingly looking at biometrics, which
is the measurement of the unique biology of a person. Biometrics, information about your body
which is unique to you as an individual, is seen as a way to tackle crime and terrorism. Biometric
data will probably be included on all passports in the future, particularly fingerprints.
In the UK, we are interested in biometrics for ID cards too. The UK wants to introduce identity
cards with biometric data, as do about 50 other countries. To be secure, government ministers
were told that the database for IDs needed iris scans from eyes, ten fingerprints and a photograph.
However, due largely to cost, the plan to introduce iris scans has been dropped. As iris scans are
probably the most accurate read out, making the cards almost foolproof, this decision is causing
concern.
Recent developments (2007) in the use of biometrics on passports, have come from universities in
the UK, Austria and the US, which can analyse the scent that every person leaves behind. They
have discovered that people leave a unique aroma ‘fingerprint’. These findings will lead to new
forensic techniques, the modern equivalent of using sniffer dogs to track criminals. The findings are
being considered for use with forensic evidence such as DNA and fingerprints. As already stated,
body odour could be used in biometric passports. These would be very sophisticated and costly,
compared to the ordinary passport, but genetic information will make forgery difficult. Many
countries want them as part of their war against terrorism.
The US military and the UK police have been examining the technique’s potential in terrorist or
criminal investigations. Looking at the technique from a different angle, a European project to
improve airline safety has been trialling the use of an ‘electronic nose’ to detect dangerous
explosives and chemicals in passengers’ luggage.
Prof Richard Brereton, from Bristol University’s Centre for Chemo metrics, said: ‘We know that
certain animals can tell things about each other by scent. There is evidence they can scent distress
and disease. Humans have lost this ability to sniff out each other’s scent so accurately but we can
use technology to do it for us. There appears to be evidence of an individual ‘fingerprint’.
A scent is made up of traces of chemicals that evaporate off the body in what scientists call the
‘thermal plume’, left behind in sweat and other bodily fluids. Researchers have found a way to
collect and analyse samples using an ‘electronic nose’ that breaks the scent down into its
component chemicals. Scientists found they could identify individuals by looking at the differing
combinations of 44 chemical compounds secreted by the body.
They examined body odour samples of 200 adults from Carinthia, a village in the Alps. The village
was chosen because no-one from outside had settled there for many generations, so the residents
shared the same genes. Despite this, each individual had a unique scent signature. ‘Scent allows
us to learn about an individual’s habits over time, gender, if they smoke, what they ate and drank
recently and whether they are stressed’, Prof Brereton said.
Scientists hope scent technology will also be useful in criminal cases although offenders will start
using strong deodorant and perfume to cover their tracks. Dr Silvia Valussi, of the Forensic
Science Service, said: ‘You can tell a lot about a person’s lifestyle from the chemical markers in
sweat. Getting the technology to a level where it is always accurate is the challenge’.
1. On 26th December, 2004
a. a tsunami created an earthquake in the Indian Ocean.
b. there was an earthquake in South Africa.
c. about 275,000 people were killed immediately by an earthquake.
d. an earthquake created a tsunami.
2. The outside of a football can be compared to the outside of the Earth because
a. it has fault lines.
b. it has a crust.
c. it is made of separate pieces.
d. it is made of leather.
3. The lithosphere
a. is the same depth all over the world.
b. is thicker under the sea.
c. is thicker under the land.
d. is thicker than the earth’s crust.
4. On the Richter scale, an earthquake
a. of 8.5 is less powerful than one of 7.5.
b. of 8.5 will kill more people than one of 7.5.
c. of 7.5 is ten times less powerful than one of 8.5.
d. is measured in the same way as an atomic bomb.
5. The earthquake under the Indian Ocean on December 26th, 2004 was
a. bigger than the Great Chilean Earthquake.
b. 0.19 stronger than the Great Chilean Earthquake.
c. was not quite as strong as the Great Chilean Earthquake.
d. the same intensity as the Great Chilean Earthquake.
6. Earthquakes under the sea
a. are rare.
b. never cause harm.
c. are common.
d. are more dangerous than those on land.
7. Annually there are about
a. a million large earthquakes.
b. 26 large earthquakes.
c. a million earthquakes under the sea.
d. 52 small earthquakes.
8. Earthquakes
a. usually last for 7-10 minutes.
b. always last about one minute.
c. rarely last for more than one minute.
d. never last for more than 7 minutes.
DO NOT WRITE ON THIS BOOK
4
DO NOT WRITE ON THIS BOOK
9. In 1979 the epicentre of the earthquake that started the avalanche was
a. under the sea.
b. in the Nevados Huaascaren Mountain.
c. in the town of Yungay.
d. under the snow.
10. More earthquakes are being recorded because
a. the number of small earthquakes has increased.
b. 8,000 earthquakes happen each day.
c. scientists have invented improved methods of identifying earthquakes.
d. more people are interested.
Answers: 1.d 2.c 3.b 4.c 5.b 6.b 7.a 8.b 9.b 10.b
ESSAYS FOR THE CENTRAL SELECTION
Way of writing essays:
Introduction Paragraph
What is an introduction paragraph?
The introduction paragraph is the first paragraph of your essay.
What does it do?
It introduces the main idea of your essay. A good opening paragraph captures the interest of your reader and tells why your topic is important.
It introduces the main idea of your essay. A good opening paragraph captures the interest of your reader and tells why your topic is important.
How do I write one?
1. Write the thesis statement. The main idea of the essay is stated in a single sentence called the thesis statement. You must limit your entire essay to the topic you have introduced in your thesis statement.
2. Provide some background information about your topic. You can use interesting facts, quotations, or definitions of important terms you will use later in the essay.
2. Provide some background information about your topic. You can use interesting facts, quotations, or definitions of important terms you will use later in the essay.
Example:
Hockey has been a part of life in Canada for over 120 years. It has evolved into an extremely popular sport watched and played by millions of Canadians. The game has gone through several changes since hockey was first played in Canada.
Supporting Paragraphs
What are supporting paragraphs?
Supporting paragraphs make up the main body of your essay.
Supporting paragraphs make up the main body of your essay.
What do they do?
They develop the main idea of your essay.
They develop the main idea of your essay.
How do I write them?
1. List the points that develop the main idea of your essay.
2. Place each supporting point in its own paragraph.
3. Develop each supporting point with facts, details, and examples.
2. Place each supporting point in its own paragraph.
3. Develop each supporting point with facts, details, and examples.
To connect your supporting paragraphs, you should use special transition words. Transition words link your paragraphs together and make your essay easier to read. Use them at the beginning and end of your paragraphs.
Examples of transition words that can help you to link your paragraphs together:
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Like all good paragraphs, each supporting paragraph should have a topic sentence, supporting sentences, and a summary sentence.
Summary Paragraph
What is a summary paragraph?
The summary paragraph comes at the end of your essay after you have finished developing your ideas. The summary paragraph is often called a "conclusion."
What does it do?
It summarizes or restates the main idea of the essay. You want to leave the reader with a sense that your essay is complete.
It summarizes or restates the main idea of the essay. You want to leave the reader with a sense that your essay is complete.
How do I write one?
1. Restate the strongest points of your essay that support your main idea.
2. Conclude your essay by restating the main idea in different words.
3. Give your personal opinion or suggest a plan for action.
Example:
1. Restate the strongest points of your essay that support your main idea.
2. Conclude your essay by restating the main idea in different words.
3. Give your personal opinion or suggest a plan for action.
Example:
Overall, the changes that occurred in hockey have helped to improve the game. Hockey is faster and more exciting as a result of changes in the past 120 years. For these reasons, modern hockey is a better game than hockey in the 1890s.
The written test of an essay on a specific title. Examples of titles previously used are:
1. “The day of the landslide”
2. “The best day of my life”
3. “I thought he was my friend, but……”
4. The best gift I have ever gotten
5. Memorable moments of my life……….
7. Role model of my life…………
8. The person who inspires me a lot ……………
9. The day you became so nervous…………
10. The day you met your best friend…………………
11. The day I lost my purse……….
12. The day I met my best friend by accidently……….
13. The day I become so sick…………
14. The day I became the first in my class……..
15. The day I saw real ghost…………..
The day I witnessed an accident
We are facing some incidents in our lives every day. We don’t care for minor incidents which last only for an hour or days but we don’t forget some incidents which remain forever. We tackle several incidents during our lives. I also have many incidents in my life but I would like to explain an accident which is one the most unforgettable moments of my life which was happened when I was class five.
There was a market near from my village which used to happen twice a month. Sometimes, I used to go to the market with my family or with my friends. There used to be no schools on the market days. One day, when I was class five I was going to the market with my two other school friends. It used to take about two hours to get the market. To get market, we had to cross a huge cliff on the middle of the way. It was a rainy season. We were with the umbrellas because it was raining heavily y. When we were about to reach the huge cliff we saw a huge stone was rolling down. Then, we further saw a whole top of the cliff was sliding down towards the path. We were frightened a lot. Seeing all these, we decided to not to go to the market. We returned back to our houses. We were safe due to our luck. If we were middle of the cliff we couldn’t save our life. God spared our lives.
In conclusion, it was the most frightening moment of my life till this date. I think that landslide was happened due to heavy rain. So, if we have to go to somewhere in the rainy season, we have to be careful about it because there can be floods and landslides everywhere.
THE DAY I WITNESSED A ROBBERY
When I was in high school I worked in a women clothing store at a mall. We had 1 girl assigned to the fitting room and I was in the department right next to it. At that time you had to check your bags with the attendant and they gave you a number and put the same number on your bags. One woman came asked for her bag but didn't have her number to say which was hers and the attendant wouldn't give it to her until she went back into the fitting room and retrieved the number. The customer got very irritated and stabbed the attendant.. She had puncture wounds on her leg, arm and the side of her chest. Mall security was called as well as the police and parametics. They couldn't find the weapon used until later when they got the girl to the station and did a search. It was a nail file and she hid it in her hair. They never closed the store and we were all ordered to go back to our work areas and be quiet about the incident.
Since I was in high school and didn't really NEED the job my parents made me quit that night. Actually I'd already given my notice that I was quitting but that night when my dad picked me up from work and heard about what happened from the guard for the store he went to my supervisor and informed her I would NOT be returning the next day.
My first day at school
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My mother accompanied me to school on the first day. Other parents accompanied their children as well. We all waited in front of the school office.
Soon a teacher came and led us to some classrooms. There we were put into four separate classes. This was when some children began to cry as the parents were not allowed into the classrooms. I did not cry because I had been to kindergarten before. Actually my mother went home soon after for she knew I would be all right.
It was an enjoyable time for me as I got to know my new classmates. The teacher was very busy writing down our particulars so we had plenty of time to ourselves.
Meantime some children continued to sob while their parents looked in anxiously through the windows.
Soon recess came. Some of us headed for the tuck-shop while the rest headed for their parents. I bought a drink with the money my mother gave me. Getting to know my new friends had made me thirsty.
After recess we went back to out classroom and my new friends and I managed tocoax two boys to stop crying. In fact, soon we were laughing and playing together. Once in a while the teacher had to tell us to keep quiet as we were making too much noise.
Still some parents looked in anxiously through the windows.
Finally the bell rang for us to go home. Some of us were very relieved to be reunited with our parents. I too was glad to see my mother waiting for me at the school gate. I had made many friends. It had been a wonderful first day at school.
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Candidates are required to write approximately 400 words in 30 minutes, although
Emphasis is on quality rather than quantity of writing.
Marks are awarded for mechanics (grammar), range (vocabulary, use of tenses etc) and
impression (overall impact/quality of writing).
1. You are to write an essay of not more than 450 words in 30 minutes.
2. Your work will be marked on the correct use of grammar, spelling,
Punctuation, paragraphs and the logical and lexical construction of the story.
LISTENING
SAMPLE OF LISTENING TEST
Example 1 - The Motor car
We’ve known since 1993 that cars damage the environment. They cost a lot if
we take into account what I will call social costs, e.g. congestion, accidents,
loss of land and natural habitats, use of valuable oil resources and so on, as
well as air and noise pollution. However, cars are still our favourite mode of
transport. They are flexible and far more convenient than other forms of
transport such as buses and trains. It is therefore unrealistic to expect people
voluntarily to give up private cars in favour of these other options.
Example 2 - Australia
Australia occupies a huge area and has a vast number of different
environments within its boundaries. For example, there are dense rainforest
in the north where the climate is tropical and there is a high rainfall. The inland
areas are mostly desert or dry grassland areas where few people live and
there are more sheep than anywhere in the world. Most of the people live in
the southeast, about 75%, which has a mild climate and rainfall all the year
round. Australia exports wool, meat and dairy products. It also produces lots
of minerals, eg. coal, iron and gold and is self-sufficient in oil.
Procedure for Dictation:
• Read out once straight through
• Then read out in short phrases
• One minute pause
• Then read out again straight through
• One minute to check work
• End of test
One mark will be deducted for each word spelled incorrectly, any additional
words included which were not included in the dictation or incorrect use of
grammar (eg word order, capitalisation, punctuation).
Olympic Sports – Canoeing
Olympic canoeing events are divided into two types, depending on the type of
paddle that is used. In some events, a paddle with a blade on both ends is
used. The canoeist alternately paddles one blade on the left side and the
other on the right. In the other type of canoeing, there is only one blade. The
competitor sits in a half kneeling position, propelling himself forward by
switching the blade from side to side.
The contests begin with qualifying heats. The three winners of each heat
advance to the semi finals. The rest have a second chance to get into the
semi finals by taking part in yet another round.
Paragliding is the recreational and competitive adventure sport of flying paragliders: lightweight, free-flying, foot-launched glider aircraft with no rigid primary structure.[1] The pilot sits in a harness suspended below a hollow fabric wing whose shape is formed by its suspension lines, the pressure of air entering vents in the front of the wing and the aerodynamic forces of the air flowing over the outside.
Despite not using an engine, paraglider flights can last many hours and cover many hundreds of kilometres, though flights of 1–2 hours and covering some tens of kilometres are more the norm. By skillful exploitation of sources of lift the pilot may gain height, often climbing to altitudes of a few thousand meters.
Paragliders are unique among soaring aircraft in being easily portable. The complete equipment packs into a rucksack and can be carried easily on the pilot's back,[2] in a car, or on public transport. In comparison with other air sports this substantially simplifies travel to a suitable takeoff spot, the selection of a landing place and return travel.
Skiing is a way of traveling over snow, using skis strapped to the feet. In modern times it has been mostly an athletic activity. Skis are used in conjunction with boots that connect to the ski with use of a binding. Commonly, ski poles or "stocks" are used to improve balance and timing as well as for propulsion.[1][2]
Skiing can be grouped into two general categories: Nordic and Alpine. Nordic skiing, the older of the two disciplines, originated in Scandinavia and uses free-heel bindings that attach at the toes of the skier's boots but not at the heels. Types of Nordic skiing include cross-country, ski jumping and Telemark. Alpine skiing (more often called "downhill skiing"), originated in the European Alps, and is characterized by fixed-heel bindings that attach at both the toe and the heel of the skier's boot.
Surfing is a surface water sport in which the participant, referred to as a "surfer", rides a surfboard on the crest and face of a wave, which is carrying the surfer towards the shore. Waves suitable for surfing are found primarily in the ocean, but are also sometimes found in lakes and rivers, and also in manmade wave pools.
Many variations of the sport may exist in certain areas and the definitions of what constitutes a suitable wave, and craft has expanded over the years.Bodysurfing involves riding the wave without a board, and is considered by some to be the purest form of surfing. Other variations that have existed for centuries include paipo boarding, stand up paddle surfing, and the use of boats or canoes to ride waves. More modern craft that are used includebodyboards, inflatable mats (surfmatting), and foils. As documented in various surfing documentaries (including "Fair Bits") other objects have occasionally been used instead of surfboards, including water skiis, wakeboards, desks, guitars, and doors. When more than one person uses the same craft to ride a wave together, it is known as "tandem" surfing.
PICTURE DESCRIBING
BARB TEST
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