Soal Hots Reading
Section 1
Opera refers to a dramatic art form, originating in Europe, in which the emotional content is conveyed to the audience as much through music, both vocal and instrumental, as it is through the lyrics. By contrast, in musical theater an actor’s dramatic performance is primary, and the music plays a lesser role. The drama in opera is presented using the primary elements of theater such as scenery, costumes, and acting. However, the words of the opera, or libretto, are sung rather than spoken. The singers are accompanied by a musical ensemble ranging from a small instrumental ensemble to a full symphonic orchestra.
1. It is pointed out in the reading that opera —-.
A) has developed under the influence of musical theatre
B) is a drama sung with the accompaniment of an orchestra
C) is not a high-budget production
D) is often performed in Europe
E) is the most complex of all the performing arts
2. We can understand from the reading that —-.
A) people are captivated more by opera than musical theatre
B) drama in opera is more important than the music
C) orchestras in operas can vary considerably in size
D) musical theatre relies above all on music
E) there is an argument over whether the music is important or the words in opera
3. It is stated in the reading that —-.
A) acting and costumes are secondary to music in musical theatre
B) many people find musical theatre more captivating than opera
C) music in musical theatre is not as important as it is in opera
D) an opera requires a huge orchestra as well as a large choir
E) opera doesn’t have any properties in common with musical theatre
Section 2
Dolphins are regarded as the friendliest creatures in the sea and stories of them helping drowning sailors have been common since Roman times. The more we learn about dolphins, the more we realize that their society is more complex than people previously imagined. They look after other dolphins when they are ill, care for pregnant mothers and protect the weakest in the community, as we do. Some scientists have suggested that dolphins have a language but it is much more probable that they communicate with each other without needing words. Could any of these mammals be more intelligent than man? Certainly the most common argument in favor of man’s superiority over them that we can kill them more easily than they can kill us is the least satisfactory. On the contrary, the more we discover about these remarkable creatures, the less we appear superior when we destroy them.
4. It is clear from the passage that dolphins —-.
A) don’t want to be with us as much as we want to be with them
B) are proven to be less intelligent than once thought
C) have a reputation for being friendly to humans
D) are the most powerful creatures that live in the oceans
E) are capable of learning a language and communicating with humans
5. The fact that the writer of the passage thinks that we can kill dolphins more easily than they can kill us —-.
A) means that they are better adapted to their environment than we are
B) shows that dolphins have a very sophisticated form of communication
C) proves that dolphins are not the most intelligent species at sea
D) does not mean that we are superior to them
E) proves that Dolphins have linguistic skills far beyond what we previously thought
6. One can infer from the reading that —-.
A) dolphins are quite abundant in some areas of the world
B) communication is the most fascinating aspect of the dolphins
C) dolphins have skills that no other living creatures have such as the ability to think
D) it is not usual for dolphins to communicate with each other
E) dolphins have some social traits that are similar to those of humans
Section 3
Naval architects never claim that a ship is unsinkable, but the sinking of the passenger-and-car ferry Estonia in the Baltic surely should have never have happened. It was well designed and carefully maintained. It carried the proper number of lifeboats. It had been thoroughly inspected the day of its fatal voyage. Yet hours later, the Estonia rolled over and sank in a cold, stormy night. It went down so quickly that most of those on board, caught in their dark, flooding cabins, had no chance to save themselves: Of those who managed to scramble overboard, only 139 survived. The rest died of hypothermia before the rescuers could pluck them from the cold sea. The final death toll amounted to 912 souls. However, there were an unpleasant number of questions about why the Estonia sank and why so many survivors were men in the prime of life, while most of the dead were women, children and the elderly.
7. One can understand from the reading that —-.
A) the lifesaving equipment did not work well and lifeboats could not be lowered
B) design faults and incompetent crew contributed to the sinking of the Estonia ferry
C) 139 people managed to leave the vessel but died in freezing water
D) naval architects claimed that Estonia was unsinkable
E) most victims were trapped inside the boat as they were in their cabins
8. It is clear from the passage that the survivors of the accident —-.
A) helped one another to overcome the tragedy that had affected them all
B) were mostly young men but women, children and the elderly stood little chance
C) helped save hundreds of lives
D) are still suffering from severe post-traumatic stress disorder
E) told the investigators nothing about the accident
9. According to the passage, when Estonia sank, —-.
A) there were only 139 passengers on board
B) few of the passengers were asleep
C) there were enough lifeboats for the number of people on board
D) faster reaction by the crew could have increased Estonia’s chances of survival
E) all the passengers had already moved out into the open decks
Section 4
Erosion of America’s farmland by wind and water has been a problem since settlers first put the prairies and grasslands under the plow in the nineteenth century. By the 1930s, more than 282 million acres of farmland were damaged by erosion. After 40 years of conservation efforts, soil erosion has accelerated due to new demands placed on the land by heavy crop production. In the years ahead, soil erosion and the pollution problems it causes are likely to replace petroleum scarcity as the nation’s most critical natural resource problem.
10. As we understand from the reading, today, soil erosion in America —-.
A) causes humans to place new demands on the land
B) is worse than it was in the nineteenth century
C) happens so slowly that it is hardly noticed
D) is the most critical problem that the nation faces
E) is worse in areas which have a lot of petroleum production
11. The author points out in the passage that erosion in America —-.
A) has damaged 282 million acres ever since settlers first put the prairies and grasslands under the plough
B) has been so severe that it has forced people to abandon their settlements
C) occurs only in areas with no vegetation
D) can become a more serious problem in the future
E) was on the decline before the 1930s
12. It is pointed out in the reading that in America —-.
A) petroleum is causing heavy soil erosion and pollution problems
B) heavy crop production is necessary to meet the demands and to prevent a disaster
C) soil erosion has been hastened due to the overuse of farming lands
D) water is undoubtedly the largest cause of erosion
E) there are many ways to reduce erosion
Section 5
Many consider World War I to have been the first modern war, a total war where the civilian populations were deliberately endangered as a direct tactic of war, which has continued in all subsequent wars. While civilians have always died in wars, World War I made civilian casualties accepted and commonplace, from, for example, aerial bombardment. All aspects of the societies fighting were affected by the conflict, often causing profound social change, even if the countries were not in the war zone.
13. It is stated in the reading that World War I —-.
A) caused a major depression in countries that were against killing civilians
B) introduced the killing of civilians as a method of warfare
C) is the bloodiest war in history
D) marked the end of the most peaceful period in modern history
E) was not the first war to be fought on a worldly scale
14. It is pointed out in the passage that —-.
A) the war’s economic impact was felt sharply in countries that were
close to the war zone
B) the aftermath of World War I brought more attempts to protect civilians in war
C) unlike all subsequent wars, World War I was worldwide
D) more civilians than soldiers were killed in World War I
E) the impact of World War I was felt even by the countries which were not close to the war fronts
15. We can understand from the passage that —-.
A) very few countries had designed or built aircraft specifically for war functions before World War I
B) World War I was not the first war in which civilians died
C) many consider World War I the defining moment of modern life
D) the aerial bombardment of civilians was, widely criticized
E) deaths in World War I usually resulted from mistake, accident, or being too close to a military target
Section 6
In the 1920s, new technology allowed filmmakers to attach to each film a soundtrack of speech, music and sound effects synchronized with the action on the screen. These sound films were initially distinguished by calling them talking pictures, or talkies. The next major step in the development of cinema was the introduction of color. While the addition of sound to film revolutionized the medium, quickly driving out silent movies, color was adopted more gradually. The public was relatively indifferent to color photography as opposed to black-and-white. But as color processes improved and became as affordable as black-and-white film, more and more movies were filmed in color after the end of World War II, as the industry in America came to view color an essential to attracting audiences in its competition with television, which remained a black-and-white medium until the mid-60s. By the end of the 1960s, color had become the norm for filmmakers.
16. We can understand from the passage that the introduction of sound films —-.
A) occurred at the time of the introduction of colour films
B) was not easy because it was not affordable
C) made colour movies a possibility on a commercial basis
D) was an important milestone in the film industry
E) was delayed until after the end of World War II
17. It is stated in the reading that —-.
A) the 1920s marked the end to the era of sound films
B) the transition to colour films was not as rapid as the transition to sound films
C) colour movies did not appear until the mid- 60s
D) television didn’t become popular until the mid-60s
E) colour TVs were expensive initially
18. One can understand from the passage that —-.
A) black-and-white films are still a wonderful source of entertainment
B) the film industry fell into a serious crisis after the end of World War II
C) the’ arrival of sound films ended the popularity of silent movies
D) the introduction of colour to movies didn’t help the movie industry in its competition with television
E) the public was indifferent to sound films
Section 7
Although there is a great deal of variation within each gender, on the average, men and women discuss a surprisingly different range of topics. According to some studies, women and men ranging in age from seventeen to eighty described the range of topics each discussed with friends of the same sex. Certain topics were common to both men and women; work, movies, and television proved to be frequent topics for both groups. The differences between men and women were more striking than the similarities. Female friends spent much more time discussing personal and domestic subjects, relationship problems, family, health and reproductive matters, weight, food and clothing. Men, on the other hand, were more likely to discuss music, current events, sports and business. Women were more likely to gossip about close friends and family. By contrast, men spent more time gossiping about sports figures and media personalities. These differences can lead to frustration when men and women try to converse with one another.
19. It is stated in the passage that women —-.
A) are unwilling to discuss personal subjects
B) are more interested in discussing relationship problems than are men
C) never talk about other men and women
D) don’t like gossiping about anything
E) discuss more important issues than men
20. According to the passage, men —-.
A) need to learn to communicate better
B) like talking about movies and television as much as women do
C) are not likely to gossip on anything
D) have no common topics with women
E) get frustrated more whenever they try to converse with women
Opera refers to a dramatic art form, originating in Europe, in which the emotional content is conveyed to the audience as much through music, both vocal and instrumental, as it is through the lyrics. By contrast, in musical theater an actor’s dramatic performance is primary, and the music plays a lesser role. The drama in opera is presented using the primary elements of theater such as scenery, costumes, and acting. However, the words of the opera, or libretto, are sung rather than spoken. The singers are accompanied by a musical ensemble ranging from a small instrumental ensemble to a full symphonic orchestra.
1. It is pointed out in the reading that opera —-.
A) has developed under the influence of musical theatre
B) is a drama sung with the accompaniment of an orchestra
C) is not a high-budget production
D) is often performed in Europe
E) is the most complex of all the performing arts
2. We can understand from the reading that —-.
A) people are captivated more by opera than musical theatre
B) drama in opera is more important than the music
C) orchestras in operas can vary considerably in size
D) musical theatre relies above all on music
E) there is an argument over whether the music is important or the words in opera
3. It is stated in the reading that —-.
A) acting and costumes are secondary to music in musical theatre
B) many people find musical theatre more captivating than opera
C) music in musical theatre is not as important as it is in opera
D) an opera requires a huge orchestra as well as a large choir
E) opera doesn’t have any properties in common with musical theatre
Section 2
Dolphins are regarded as the friendliest creatures in the sea and stories of them helping drowning sailors have been common since Roman times. The more we learn about dolphins, the more we realize that their society is more complex than people previously imagined. They look after other dolphins when they are ill, care for pregnant mothers and protect the weakest in the community, as we do. Some scientists have suggested that dolphins have a language but it is much more probable that they communicate with each other without needing words. Could any of these mammals be more intelligent than man? Certainly the most common argument in favor of man’s superiority over them that we can kill them more easily than they can kill us is the least satisfactory. On the contrary, the more we discover about these remarkable creatures, the less we appear superior when we destroy them.
4. It is clear from the passage that dolphins —-.
A) don’t want to be with us as much as we want to be with them
B) are proven to be less intelligent than once thought
C) have a reputation for being friendly to humans
D) are the most powerful creatures that live in the oceans
E) are capable of learning a language and communicating with humans
5. The fact that the writer of the passage thinks that we can kill dolphins more easily than they can kill us —-.
A) means that they are better adapted to their environment than we are
B) shows that dolphins have a very sophisticated form of communication
C) proves that dolphins are not the most intelligent species at sea
D) does not mean that we are superior to them
E) proves that Dolphins have linguistic skills far beyond what we previously thought
6. One can infer from the reading that —-.
A) dolphins are quite abundant in some areas of the world
B) communication is the most fascinating aspect of the dolphins
C) dolphins have skills that no other living creatures have such as the ability to think
D) it is not usual for dolphins to communicate with each other
E) dolphins have some social traits that are similar to those of humans
Section 3
Naval architects never claim that a ship is unsinkable, but the sinking of the passenger-and-car ferry Estonia in the Baltic surely should have never have happened. It was well designed and carefully maintained. It carried the proper number of lifeboats. It had been thoroughly inspected the day of its fatal voyage. Yet hours later, the Estonia rolled over and sank in a cold, stormy night. It went down so quickly that most of those on board, caught in their dark, flooding cabins, had no chance to save themselves: Of those who managed to scramble overboard, only 139 survived. The rest died of hypothermia before the rescuers could pluck them from the cold sea. The final death toll amounted to 912 souls. However, there were an unpleasant number of questions about why the Estonia sank and why so many survivors were men in the prime of life, while most of the dead were women, children and the elderly.
7. One can understand from the reading that —-.
A) the lifesaving equipment did not work well and lifeboats could not be lowered
B) design faults and incompetent crew contributed to the sinking of the Estonia ferry
C) 139 people managed to leave the vessel but died in freezing water
D) naval architects claimed that Estonia was unsinkable
E) most victims were trapped inside the boat as they were in their cabins
8. It is clear from the passage that the survivors of the accident —-.
A) helped one another to overcome the tragedy that had affected them all
B) were mostly young men but women, children and the elderly stood little chance
C) helped save hundreds of lives
D) are still suffering from severe post-traumatic stress disorder
E) told the investigators nothing about the accident
9. According to the passage, when Estonia sank, —-.
A) there were only 139 passengers on board
B) few of the passengers were asleep
C) there were enough lifeboats for the number of people on board
D) faster reaction by the crew could have increased Estonia’s chances of survival
E) all the passengers had already moved out into the open decks
Section 4
Erosion of America’s farmland by wind and water has been a problem since settlers first put the prairies and grasslands under the plow in the nineteenth century. By the 1930s, more than 282 million acres of farmland were damaged by erosion. After 40 years of conservation efforts, soil erosion has accelerated due to new demands placed on the land by heavy crop production. In the years ahead, soil erosion and the pollution problems it causes are likely to replace petroleum scarcity as the nation’s most critical natural resource problem.
10. As we understand from the reading, today, soil erosion in America —-.
A) causes humans to place new demands on the land
B) is worse than it was in the nineteenth century
C) happens so slowly that it is hardly noticed
D) is the most critical problem that the nation faces
E) is worse in areas which have a lot of petroleum production
11. The author points out in the passage that erosion in America —-.
A) has damaged 282 million acres ever since settlers first put the prairies and grasslands under the plough
B) has been so severe that it has forced people to abandon their settlements
C) occurs only in areas with no vegetation
D) can become a more serious problem in the future
E) was on the decline before the 1930s
12. It is pointed out in the reading that in America —-.
A) petroleum is causing heavy soil erosion and pollution problems
B) heavy crop production is necessary to meet the demands and to prevent a disaster
C) soil erosion has been hastened due to the overuse of farming lands
D) water is undoubtedly the largest cause of erosion
E) there are many ways to reduce erosion
Section 5
Many consider World War I to have been the first modern war, a total war where the civilian populations were deliberately endangered as a direct tactic of war, which has continued in all subsequent wars. While civilians have always died in wars, World War I made civilian casualties accepted and commonplace, from, for example, aerial bombardment. All aspects of the societies fighting were affected by the conflict, often causing profound social change, even if the countries were not in the war zone.
13. It is stated in the reading that World War I —-.
A) caused a major depression in countries that were against killing civilians
B) introduced the killing of civilians as a method of warfare
C) is the bloodiest war in history
D) marked the end of the most peaceful period in modern history
E) was not the first war to be fought on a worldly scale
14. It is pointed out in the passage that —-.
A) the war’s economic impact was felt sharply in countries that were
close to the war zone
B) the aftermath of World War I brought more attempts to protect civilians in war
C) unlike all subsequent wars, World War I was worldwide
D) more civilians than soldiers were killed in World War I
E) the impact of World War I was felt even by the countries which were not close to the war fronts
15. We can understand from the passage that —-.
A) very few countries had designed or built aircraft specifically for war functions before World War I
B) World War I was not the first war in which civilians died
C) many consider World War I the defining moment of modern life
D) the aerial bombardment of civilians was, widely criticized
E) deaths in World War I usually resulted from mistake, accident, or being too close to a military target
Section 6
In the 1920s, new technology allowed filmmakers to attach to each film a soundtrack of speech, music and sound effects synchronized with the action on the screen. These sound films were initially distinguished by calling them talking pictures, or talkies. The next major step in the development of cinema was the introduction of color. While the addition of sound to film revolutionized the medium, quickly driving out silent movies, color was adopted more gradually. The public was relatively indifferent to color photography as opposed to black-and-white. But as color processes improved and became as affordable as black-and-white film, more and more movies were filmed in color after the end of World War II, as the industry in America came to view color an essential to attracting audiences in its competition with television, which remained a black-and-white medium until the mid-60s. By the end of the 1960s, color had become the norm for filmmakers.
16. We can understand from the passage that the introduction of sound films —-.
A) occurred at the time of the introduction of colour films
B) was not easy because it was not affordable
C) made colour movies a possibility on a commercial basis
D) was an important milestone in the film industry
E) was delayed until after the end of World War II
17. It is stated in the reading that —-.
A) the 1920s marked the end to the era of sound films
B) the transition to colour films was not as rapid as the transition to sound films
C) colour movies did not appear until the mid- 60s
D) television didn’t become popular until the mid-60s
E) colour TVs were expensive initially
18. One can understand from the passage that —-.
A) black-and-white films are still a wonderful source of entertainment
B) the film industry fell into a serious crisis after the end of World War II
C) the’ arrival of sound films ended the popularity of silent movies
D) the introduction of colour to movies didn’t help the movie industry in its competition with television
E) the public was indifferent to sound films
Section 7
Although there is a great deal of variation within each gender, on the average, men and women discuss a surprisingly different range of topics. According to some studies, women and men ranging in age from seventeen to eighty described the range of topics each discussed with friends of the same sex. Certain topics were common to both men and women; work, movies, and television proved to be frequent topics for both groups. The differences between men and women were more striking than the similarities. Female friends spent much more time discussing personal and domestic subjects, relationship problems, family, health and reproductive matters, weight, food and clothing. Men, on the other hand, were more likely to discuss music, current events, sports and business. Women were more likely to gossip about close friends and family. By contrast, men spent more time gossiping about sports figures and media personalities. These differences can lead to frustration when men and women try to converse with one another.
19. It is stated in the passage that women —-.
A) are unwilling to discuss personal subjects
B) are more interested in discussing relationship problems than are men
C) never talk about other men and women
D) don’t like gossiping about anything
E) discuss more important issues than men
20. According to the passage, men —-.
A) need to learn to communicate better
B) like talking about movies and television as much as women do
C) are not likely to gossip on anything
D) have no common topics with women
E) get frustrated more whenever they try to converse with women
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