Reading 1

Read the following text to answer questions

London: A British couple booked themselves into a clinic to quit smoking after the vet said it was the only way to save their beloved sick parrot. 

Kevin Barclay and Sharon Wood gave up a 50-cigarette-a-day habit to save their Amazon orange -winged parrot J.J, said the vet, Glen Cousquer of the South Beech Veterinary Surgery in Essex, southeastern England.

“One of the key things that we need to get right with parrots generally is air quality,” he told Reuters. “This particular bird presented with very severe respiratory problems. The owners were instructed to do everything they could to improve the bird’s environment.”

“I think I must have shaken the owners up quite badly, because the next time I saw them they actually had booked themselves into one of these anti-smoking clinics and were determined to stop. They’ve gone for five weeks,” he said.

J.J, he said, “is doing really well. It is certainly going to improve his life expectancy.” It may help the owners, too.

1. This text mainly talks about ....

         a.             the British couple who booked themselves into a clinic to quit smoking

b.            Kevin and Sharon who gave up smoking to save their parrot

c.             the British couple who quit smoking to create a healthy environment

d.            Kevin, Sharon, and their parrot who wanted to have a clean environment

e.             the couple’s beloved parrot which was seriously ill

         2.  “This particular bird presented with very severe respiratory problems.” (Paragraph 3)  

                 The underlined phrase means ... from.

a.             got

b.            retained

c.             affected

d.            suffered

e.             offered

Two new species of dinosaurs, one a quick-moving meat-eater and the other a giant -plant-eater, have been discovered in Antarctica. The 70 million-year-old fossil of the carnivore would have rested for milleniums at the bottom of the Antarctic Sea, while the remains of the 30-meter-long plant-eater were found on the top of a mountain.

The little carnivore – about 1.8 meters tall – was found on James Ross Island, off the coast of the Antarctic Peninsula.

Not yet named, the animal probably floated out to the sea after it died and settled to the bottom of what was then a shallow area of the Weddell Sea. 

Its bones and teeth suggest it may represent a population of two-legged carnivores that survived in the Antarctic long after other predators took over elsewhere on the globe. “For whatever reason, they were still hanging out on the Antarctic continent,” Case said in a statement.

A second team led by William Hammer of Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois, found the 200 million-year-old plant-eater’s fossils on a mountaintop 13,000 feet (3,900 meters) high near the Beardmore Glacier. Now known as Mt. Kirk Patrick, the area was once a soft riverbed.

         3.      The article informs us about ....

a.             two species of dinosaurs

b.            the newest discovery in Antarctica

c.             the two kinds of new dinosaurs

d.            the discovery of two species of dinosaurs in Antarctica

e.             a team of researchers was funded by the National Science Foundation

          4. The main idea of the first paragraph is ....

a.             The two species of dinosaurs are carnivores and herbivores

b.            The two species were funded by the National Science Foundation

c.             The two species are a quick moving meat-eater and a giant plant-eater

d.            The two species of dinosaurs were floating at the bottom of the Weddell Sea

e.             Two new species of dinosaurs have been discovered in Antarctica

          5.     The following information is about the giant plant-eater dinosaur, EXCEPT ....

a.             It is 30 metres long

b.            It is 200 million years old

c.             It is 1.8 metres tall

d.            It is found on the top of a mountain

e.       It is found by William Hammer

        6.   “Its bones and teeth suggest it may represent a population of two-legged carnivores that 

             survived in the Antarctic ...” (Paragraph 4)

     The underlined word means ....

a.             show

b.            explain

c.             inform

d.            portray

e.             symbolize

In recent years, the Detroit area has experienced important changes in its industry mix. Not by chance – by design. The Detroit Regional Chamber, local governments and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation have been successful in attracting new business to the area. The region is attractive to many companies because of the kinds of firms – potential customers – already doing business here. A significant change has been a shift from manufacturing employment to service sector employment, including business services, health care and engineering establishments. The service sector now makes up 33% of the area’s employment. In 2001, manufacturing companies employed 20% of the area’s workers, compared with 27% just 15 years ago.

Business services are the region’s largest employer and one of the fastest growing. Companies for computer and data processing services, engineering and architectural services, tourism, and entertainment businesses, and training and education organizations are also expanding. Health services are the third-largest sector and employ about 181,000 people. Individual doctor’s offices and clinics, hospitals, and nursing and personal-care facilities are numerous and ready to provide top-notch care.

           7.    What does the text tell us?

a.             Potential customers.

b.            Nursing and personal-care.

c.             Expanding of training and tourism.

d.            Health care and engineering establishment.

         e.       Business and industry trends in Detroit area.

           8.   The main idea of paragraph 2 is that ....

a.             Health services are the largest sector

b.            Top-notch care is provided by hospitals

c.             Hospitals are the fastest growing business

d.            The business services are the fastest growing

e.             Detroit is attractive to so many companies

           9.    All of these statements are true, EXCEPT ....

a.             Detroit area has experienced important changes in its industry mix by chance.

b.            A significant change includes business services, health care and engineering establishments.

c.             Manufacturing companies employed 20% of the area workers in 2001.

d.            Tourism and entertainment businesses are also expanding.

e.        Health services are the third largest sector.

        10. “Not by chance – by design.” (Paragraph 1).        The underlined word can be replaced by .....

a.             luck

b.            intention

c.             effort

d.            strive

e.        hope

       11.     Which of the following sectors has made the most significant change in the Detroit area?

a.             Services

b.            Education

c.             Engineering

d.            Manufacturing

e.       Entertainment