Reading practice

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<b>Directions: In this section of the test, you will read FOUR different passages, each followed by 10 </b>

questions about it. For questions 1-40, choose the best answer A, B, C or D, to each question. Answer all questions following a passage on the basis of what is stated or implied in that passage.

You have 30 minutes to answer 20 questions.

<b>PASSAGE 1 – 10 QUESTIONS </b>

It takes a long time to raise a family of owlets, so the great horned owl begins early in the year. In January and February, or as late as March in the North, the male calls to the female with a resonant hoot. The female is larger than the male. She sometimes reaches a body length of twenty- two to twenty-

<b>four inches, with a wingspread up to fifty inches. To impress her, the male does a strange courtship dance. He bobs. He bows. He ruffles his feathers and hops around with an important air. He flutters </b>

from limb to limb and makes flying sorties into the air. Sometimes he returns with an offering of food.

<b>They share the repast, after which she joins the dance, hopping and bobbing about as though keeping </b>

time to the beat of an inner drum.

Owls are poor home builders. They prefer to nest in a large hollow in a tree or even to occupy the

<b>deserted nest of a hawk or crow. These structures are large and rough, built of sticks and bark and lined </b>

with leaves and feathers. Sometimes owls nest on a rocky ledge, or even on the bare ground.

The mother lays two or three round, dull white eggs. Then she stoically settles herself on the nest and spreads her feather skirts about her to protect her precious charges from snow and cold. It is five weeks before the first downy white owlet pecks its way out of the shell. As the young birds feather out, they look like wise old men with their wide eyes and quizzical expressions. They clamor for food and keep the parents busy supplying mice, squirrels, rabbits, crayfish, and beetles. Later in the season baby crows are taken. Migrating songsters, waterfowl, and game birds all fall prey to the hungry family.

<b>It is nearly ten weeks before fledglings leave the nest to search for their own food. The parent </b>

birds weary of family life by November and drive the young owls away to establish hunting ranges of their own.

QN=1 What is the main topic of this essay? A. Unusual nests of the great homed owls. B. Young great homed owls fly the nest

QN=2 In the first paragraph, the word “courtship dance” is closest in meaning to ______.

B. show how aggressive the female owl is

C. explain how hard the male owl should try to attract it D. explain why this type of owl need a big nest

QN=4 In the first paragraph, the word “they” refers to ________.

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A. the male and female owls

QN=7 During the first five weeks after laying eggs, _______. A. the mother owl uses her body to protect them. B. the eggs change colors several times.

C. the father owl protects the nest at all cost

D. both parent owls have to get food for their offspring

QN=8 According the last paragraph, the young owls eat everything, EXCEPT ______.

d. About the first six months of the year.

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<b>PASSAGE 2 – 10 QUESTIONS </b>

The British parliament is said to be the ‘Mother of Parliaments’ because it has been a model for many modern parliamentary systems around the world. Although some form of parliament has existed in the UK since the thirteenth century, its modern form did not appear until the beginning of the eighteenth century. This means that while Britain may be the ‘Mother of Parliaments’, it cannot claim to have the

<b>oldest. The oldest parliament is Iceland’s, known as ‘The Althing’, which dates back to the tenth </b>

century.

The UK parliament is made up of two ‘houses’. The House of Commons consists of elected Members of Parliament (MPs), while the House of Lords is represented by unelected members who have either inherited their titles or been nominated by the government. Historically, the House of Lords was more powerful, but over the centuries, some of that power has been handed to the Commons, whose members debate issues and propose new laws. The government tends to be made up of members of the Commons and this is where the government has to respond to the elected representatives.

<b>There are 650 MPs in total and they are chosen to represent different areas of the country, known as </b>

constituencies. Anyone can stand for election, but most MPs belong to the two biggest political parties, the Labour Party and the Conservative Party. These parties are well established in British politics, but some smaller parties, such as the Liberal Democrats and the Green Party, are now also influential. Each

<b>party has a manifesto, or list of promises of what they will do if they get elected. Voters therefore vote </b>

to elect a person (the MP) and the policies they represent in their manifesto. The political party with the most MPs across the country normally forms the government.

<b>Key elements in the voting process have remained unchanged in recent years. Only adults over the age </b>

of 18 are allowed to vote in elections and voters usually go to a polling station to vote for their MP. What has changed is the way the media cover elections. During an election campaign, there is 24-hour news coverage and political parties send targeted messages via social media. Parties are constantly trying to guess what voters want and change these messages daily. As a result, people often have doubts about the best way to cast their vote. Voter turnout has also varied a lot over the years, with between 60 and 80 percent of people voting. Turnout has been particularly low since the beginning of this century, although it has increased slightly in recent years.

QN=1 _{What is this passage mainly about?}

b. The oldest electoral system in the world. c. The electoral system of Britain.

QN=2 _{Why is the British Parliament called the ‘Mother of Parliaments’?}a. Because it is the oldest parliament.

b. Because it is a prime example for parliaments of other countries.

QN=3

Which of the following is a feature of House of Lords? a. It is responsible for making responses to the public.

d. It is now not as powerful as it was.

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QN=4 _{In the first paragraph, the word “The Althing” refers to}

QN=5 _{In the third paragraph, the word “they” refers to}

QN=6 Which of the following is a feature of parties in Britain?

b. The Labour Party is the smallest party. c. There are now four influential parties. d. There are some more new parties.

QN=7 In the third paragraph, the word “manifesto” refers to

b. The number of voters for each party.

d. The different areas of a county.

QN=8 In the fourth paragraph, the word “key” is closest in meanings to

d. Parties are now using social media to convey their messages.

QN=10 The author mentions “Parties are constantly trying to guess what voters want and change these messages daily” to _________

a. highlight the effectiveness of using social media during an election campaign. b. explain why voters are uncertain about which party they should vote for. c. propose a reason why the turnout has gone down recently.

d. exemplify how parties are trying to draw up their manifesto.

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