SECTION 2: STUDY SKILLS (50 minutes)

Directions: In this section, you will read several passages. Each passage is followed by several questions based on its content. You are to choose ONE best answer, A., B., C. or D., to each question. Answer all the questions following each passage on the basis of what is stated or implied in that passage and write the letter of the answer you have chosen in the corresponding space in your ANSWER BOOKLET.

Questions 1～6

Most people picture sharks as huge, powerful, frightening predators, ready at any moment to use their sharp teeth to attack unwary swimmers without provocation. There are numerous fallacies, however, in this conception of sharks. First, there are about 350 species of shark, and not all of them are large. They range in size from the dwarf shark, which can be only 6 inches (0.5 feet) long and can be held in the palm of the hand, to the whale shark, which can be more than 55 feet long.

A second fallacy concerns the number and type of teeth, which can vary tremendously among the different species of shark. A shark can have from one to seven sets of teeth at same time, and some types of shark can have several hundred teeth in each jaw. It is true that the fierce and predatory species do possess extremely sharp and brutal teeth used to rip their prey apart; many other types of shark, however, have teeth more adapted to grabbing and holding than to cutting and slashing.

Finally, not all sharks are predatory animals ready to strike out at humans on the least whim. In fact, only 12 of the 350 species of shark have been known to attack humans, and shark needs to be provoked in order to attack. The types of shard that have the worst record with humans are the tiger shark, the bull shark, and the great white shark. However, for most species of shark, even some of the largest types, there are no known instances of attacks on humans.

1.The author's main purpose in the passage is to.

   A. categorize the different kinds of sharks throughout the world

   B. warn humans of the dangers posed by sharks

   C. describe the characteristics of shark teeth

   D. clear up misconceptions about sharks

2. The longest shark is probably the.

   A. whale shark                           B. great white shark

   C. bull shark                             D. tiger shark

3. Which of the following is NOT true about a shark's teeth?

   A. All sharks have teeth.

   B. A shark can have six rows of teeth.

   C. A shark can have hundreds of teeth.

   D. All sharks have extremely sharp teeth.

4. A “jaw” (paragraph 3) is

   A. a part of the shark's tail                    B. a part of the stomach

   C. a backbone                              D. a bone in the mouth

5. The passage indicates that a shark attacks a person.

   A. for no reason                            B. every time it sees one

   C. only if it is bothered                      D. only at night

6. It can be inferred from the passage that a person should probably be the least afraid of.

   A. a dwarf shark                            B. a tiger shark

   C. a bull shark                              D. a great white shark

Questions 7～11

Quite different from storm surges are the giant sea waves called tsunamis, which derive their name from the Japanese expression for “high water in a harbor”. These waves are also referred to by the general public as tidal waves, although they have relatively little to do with tides. Scientists often refer to them as seismic sea waves, far more appropriate in that they do result from undersea seismic activity.

Tsunamis are caused when the sea bottom suddenly moves, during an underwater earthquake or volcano for example, and the water above the moving earth is suddenly displaced. This sudden shift of water sets off a series of waves. These waves can travel great distances at speeds close to 700 kilometers per hour. In the open ocean, tsunamis have little noticeable amplitude, often no more than one or two meters. It is when they hit the shallow waters near the coast that they increase in height, possibly up to 40 meters.

Tsunamis often occur in the Pacific because the pacific is an area of heavy seismic activity. Two areas of the Pacific well accustomed to the threat of tsunamis are Japan and Hawaii. Because the seismic activity that causes tsunamis in Japan often occurs on the ocean bottom quite close to the islands, the tsunamis that hit Japan often come with little warning and can therefore prove disastrous. Most of the tsunamis that hit the Hawaiian Islands, however, originate thousands of miles away near the coast of Alaska, so these tsunamis have a much greater distance to travel and the inbabitants of hawaii generally have time for warning of their imminent arrival.

Tsunamis are certainly not limited to Japan and Hawaii. In 1755, Europe experienced a calamitous tsunami, when movement along the fault lines near the Azores caused a massive tsunami to sweep onto the Portuguese coast and flood the heavily populated area around Lisbon. The greatest tsunami on record on the other side of the world in 1883 when the krakatoa volcano underwent a massive explosion, sending waves more than 30 meters high onto nearby Indonesian islands; the tsunami from this volcano actually traveled around the world and was witnessed as far away as the English Channel.

7. The paragraph preceding this passage most probably discusses.

   A. tidal waves                              B. tides

   C. storm surges                             D. underwater earthquakes

8. According to the passage, all of the following are true about tidal waves EXCEPT that.

   A. they are the same as tsunamis

   B. they are caused by sudden changes in high and low tides

   C. this terminology is not used by the scientific community

   D. they refer to the same phenomenon as seismic sea waves

9. It can be inferred from the passage that tsunamis.

   A. cause severe damage in the middle of the ocean

   B. generally reach heights greater than 40 meters

   C. are far more dangerous on the coast than in the open ocean

   D. are often identified by ships on the ocean

10. A. main difference between tsunamis in Japan and in Hawaii is that tsunamis in Japan are more likely to. 

    A. arrive without warning                   B. come from greater distances

    C. be less of a problem                     D. originate in Alaska

11. The passage suggests that the tsunami resulting from the Krakatoa volcano.

    A. caused volcanic explosions in the English Channel

    B. was far more destructive close to the source than far away

    C. was unobserved outside of the Indonesian islands

    D. resulted in little damage.

Questions 12～16

12. This passage consists of advice on fire safety primarily for.

    A. people using a new kind of equipment

    B. workers in an engineering factory

    C. university teachers

    D. students at college

13. When a person discovers a fire, what is the first thing he should do?

    A. Attempt to put it out himself.

    B. Telephone the switchboard operator.

    C. Start the alarm bells ringing.

    D. Contact the fire brigade.

14. People in the block where the fire bell has rung must gather for a check of names.

   A. in another block                        B. in the administration office

   C. in one of the playing fields                D. in the sports hall

15. Imagine you are in the administration office, when a fire breaks out in the sports hall. What

should you do, according to the fire instructions?

   A. Look for the fire-fighting equipment.

   B. Go quickly to the assembly area.

   C. Go to the reception desk.

   D. Carry on with the work you are doing.

16. According to the instructions, what is a teacher supposed to do first in case of a fire?

   A. To check the names of your students from a list.

   B. To lead your students out of the building.

   C. To get detailed instructions from your Head of Department.

   D. To patrol the stairways and landings.

Questions 17～21

 “It's not what you know but who you know that counts.” People who get on in life may be successful not because they deserve it, but because of influential friends or the right background. We say “Ah yes, he must have gone to the right school”. or “She must come from a good family.” We may suspect that some people in positions of authority are there because they belong to the right group or party. To get something done—a signature on a document. or a quick decision—it helps to know someone “on the inside”. At least, this is the widespread belief.

It is a comforting belief too. If your boss strikes you as incompetent, it is tempting to believe that he only got the job because his father pulled some strings. If someone else gets the job which you should have had, well, the “old boy network” must be operating. And yet, if we can get what we want by “having a word” with so-and-so, or by getting so-and-so to put in a good word for us, which of us would not take advantage of the opportunity?

Often it is quite harmless. For instance, when Miguel went with Julia to visit Michelle in hospital, he bumped into someone he knew, a doctor who had been at medical school with his father. As a result of this chance meeting, Miguel was able to find out a great deal about Michelle's condition. Julia was not only grateful to him for making use of his connection, but delighted that she was able to learn so much by this means which she of his connection, but delighted that she was able to learn so much by this means which she might never have found out otherwise.

At the other extreme it can be very destructive. I once met a brilliant young engineer who worked in a chemical plant. Because of her knowledge and experience, she should have been promoted to Production Manager. Instead, the job went to a man who was totally unsuited for the post. Everyone knew that he only got it because he was politically acceptable to his superiors. This injustice demoralized the young engineer and many of her colleagues. It also meant that the factory was much less efficient than it could have been.

All the same, we should not be pessimistic. More and more, the modem world depends on having people who are in the job because they are good enough, not just because heir face fits. There is a story of a factory owner who sent for an engineer to see to a machine which would not go. He examined it, then took out a hammer and tapped it, once. The machine started up immediately. When he presented his bill, the owner protested, “This can't be fight! 100 pounds just for tapping a machine with a hammer?” The engineer wrote out a new bill: “For tapping a machine, 1 pound; for knowing where to tap it, 99 pounds.”

Maybe it is what you know that really counts, after all.

17. It is believed that people have succeeded in life because_________.

   A. they are influential                      B. they feel superior to others

   C. they are from rich families                D. they have some special advantage

18. Which of the following is the best definition of the expression “old boy network” (para. 2)?

   A. People who were at school together help each other to get good jobs.

   B. Older people help younger people, especially if they are the children of friends.

   C. People of the same family background help each other to get ton in life.

   D. The best jobs often go to people who have the right political connections.

19. Miguel took advantage of the fact that he knew the doctor in order to get more information

about Michelle's condition. According to the writer, Miguel's action is.

   A. an example of how badly everybody behaves in using such opportunities

   B. an example of how some people have an unfair advantage over others

   C. an example of the way we can use such opportunities without hurting anyone else

   D. a good example of how to get something done by knowing someone “on the inside”.

20. The engineer at the chemical plant was not promoted because.

   A. it is very difficult for a woman to get a promotion to a managerial position

   B. her bosses did not think she had the right qualifications for the job

   C. the man who got the promotion was more experienced than she was

   D. her bosses did not approve of her political opinions

21. The engineer who repaired the machine was right to charge 100 pounds because

   A. he was the only person who could find out what was wring with it

   B. he was charging for his knowledge and expertise

   C. the factory owner could not have repaired it himself

   D. he hit the machine to get it stared again

Questions 22～26

In the immediate post-war years, the city of Birmingham scheduled some 50,00 small working class cottages as slums due for demolition. Today that process is nearly complete. Yet it is clear that, quite apart from any question of race, an environmental problem remains. The expectation built into the planning policies of 1945 was that in the foreseeable future the city would be a better place to live in. But now that slum clearance has run its course, there seems to be universal agreement that the total environment where the slums once stood is more depressing than ever.