Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D to indicate the correct word for each of the blanks. Fill in the appropriate word in question 35

           Nearly 200 of the 1500 native plant species in Hawaii are at risk of going extinct in the near future because they have been  (33)_______ to such low numbers. Approximately 90 percent ofHawaii's plants are found nowhere else in the world but they are  (34)_______  by alien invasive species such as feral goats, pigs, rodents and  (35)_______ plants.

          The Hawaii Rare Plant Restoration Group is striving to (36)_______  the extinction of the 182 rare Hawaiian plants with fewer than 50 individuals remaining in the  (37)_______ . Since 1990,  (38)_______ a result of their "Plant Extinction Prevention Program", sixteen species have been brought into  (39)_______ and three species have been reintroduced. Invasive weeds have been removed in key areas and fencing put up in order to  (40)_______  plants in the wild.

            In the future the Hawaii Rare Plant Restoration Program aims  (41)_______  collecting genetic material from the remaining  plants  in  the  wild  for storage  as a safety net for the future. They also aim to manage wild populations and where possible reintroduce species into (42)_______  .

A. native

B. national

C. international

D. non-native

VIII/ Read the following passage on commuting, and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions from 61 to 70.

After two decades of growing student enrollments and economic prosperity , business schools in the United States have started to face harder times. Only Harvard’s MBA School has shown a substantial increase in enrollments in recent years. Both Princeton and Stanford have seen decreases in their enrollments. Since 1990, the number of people receiving Masters in Business Administration (MBA) degrees, has dropped about 3 percent to 75,000, and the trend of lower enrollment rates is expected to continue.

There are two factors causing this decrease in students seeking an MBA degree. The first one is that many graduates of four-year colleges are finding that an MBA degree does not guarantee a plush job on Wall Street or in other financial districts of major American cities . Many of the entry-level management jobs are for students graduating with Master of Arts degrees in English and the humanities as well as those holding MBA degrees. Students have asked the question, “ Is an MBA degree really what I need to be best prepared for getting a good job?” The second major factor has been the cutting of American payrolls and the lower number of entry-level jobs being offered. Business needs are changing , and MBA schools are struggling to meet the new demands.

As used in the second paragraph, the word “seeking” could best be replaced by which of the following? 

A. pursuing

B.avoiding

C.seizing

D. examining

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions.

        The handling and delivery of mail has always been a serious business, underpinned by the trust of the public in requiring timeliness, safety, and confidentiality. After early beginnings using horseback and stagecoach, and although cars and trucks later replaced stagecoaches and wagons, the Railway Mail Service still stands as one of America’s most resourceful and exciting postal innovations. This service began in 1832, but grew slowly until the Civil War. Then from 1862, by sorting the mail on board moving trains, the Post Office Department was able to decentralize its operations as railroads began to crisscross the nation on a regular basis, and speed up mail delivery. This service lasted until 1974. During peak decades of service, railway mail clerks handled 93% of all non-local mail and by 1905 the service had over 12,000 employees.

Railway Post Office trains used a system of mail cranes to exchange mail at stations without stopping. As a train approached the crane, a clerk prepared the catcher arm which would then snatch the incoming mailbag in the blink of an eye. The clerk then booted out the outgoing mailbag. Experienced clerks were considered the elite of the Postal Service’s employees, and spoke with pride of making the switch at night with nothing but the curves and feel of the track to warn them of an upcoming catch. They also worked under the greatest pressure and their jobs were considered to be exhausting and dangerous. In addition to regular demands of their jobs they could find themselves the victims of train wrecks and robberies.

       As successful as it was, “mail-on-the-fly” still had its share of glitches. If they hoisted the train’s catcher arm too soon, they risked hitting switch targets, telegraph poles or semaphores, which would rip the catcher arm off the train. Too late, and they would miss an exchange.

Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

A. The clerk booted out the outgoing mailbag before snatching the incoming bag.

B. Clerks couldn’t often see what they were doing.

C. The Railway Mail clerk’s job was considered elite because it was safe and exciting.

D. Despite their success, railway mail clerks only handled a small proportion of all non-local mail.

Mark the letter A,B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the sentence that is closest in meaning to each of the following questions

He started to study at 2 o’clock. He is still studying now

A. He has been studying since 2 o’clock

B. He has been studying for 2 hours

C. He was studying since 2 o’clock

D. He usually studies for 2 hours

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D to indicate the correct word for each of the blanks. Fill in the appropriate word in question 42

           Nearly 200 of the 1500 native plant species in Hawaii are at risk of going extinct in the near future because they have been  (33)_______ to such low numbers. Approximately 90 percent ofHawaii's plants are found nowhere else in the world but they are  (34)_______  by alien invasive species such as feral goats, pigs, rodents and  (35)_______ plants.

          The Hawaii Rare Plant Restoration Group is striving to (36)_______  the extinction of the 182 rare Hawaiian plants with fewer than 50 individuals remaining in the  (37)_______ . Since 1990,  (38)_______ a result of their "Plant Extinction Prevention Program", sixteen species have been brought into  (39)_______ and three species have been reintroduced. Invasive weeds have been removed in key areas and fencing put up in order to  (40)_______  plants in the wild.

            In the future the Hawaii Rare Plant Restoration Program aims  (41)_______  collecting genetic material from the remaining  plants  in  the  wild  for storage  as a safety net for the future. They also aim to manage wild populations and where possible reintroduce species into (42)_______  .

A. shelters

B. reserves

C. gardens

D. halls

Read the following passage on commuting, and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions from 51 to 60.

Many folk cures which have been around for centuries may be more therapeutic than previously suspected. A case in point is that of penicillin Alexander Fleming did not just randomly choose cheese molds to study when he discovered this very important bacteria-killing substance. Moldy cheese was frequently given to patients as a remedy for illness at one time Fleming just isolated what it was about the cheese which cured the patients.

In parts of South America, a powder obtained from grinding sugar cane is used for healing infections in wounds and ulcers. This usage may date back to pre-Colombian times. Experiments carried out on several hundred patients indicate that ordinary sugar in high concentrations is lethal to bacteria. Its suction effect eliminates dead cells and it generates a glasslike layer which protects the wound and ensures healing.

Another example of folk medicine which scientists are investigating is that of Arab fishermen who rub their wounds with a venomous catfish to quicken healing. This catfish excretes a gellike slime which scientist found to contain antibiotics coagulant that helps close injured blood vessels, anti-inflammatory agents, and a chemical that directs production of a glue-like material that aids healing.

It is hoped that by documenting these folk remedies and experimenting to see if results are indeed beneficial, an analysis of the substance be made, and synthetic substances be developed for human consumption.

 According to the passage, why is it important to study folk medicine?

A. To perpetuate superstitions

B. To advance modern medical practices 

C. To experiment with synthetic substances 

D. To document cultural heritages.

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions from 43 to 50.

The technology of the North American colonies did not differ strikingly from that of Europe, but in one respect, the colonists enjoyed a great advantage. Especially by comparison with Britain, Americans had a wonderfully plentiful supply of wood.

The first colonists did not, as many people imagine, find an entire continent covered by a climax forest. Even along the Atlantic seaboard, the forest was broken at many points. Nevertheless, all sorts of fine trees abounded, and through the early colonial period, those who pushed westward encountered new forests. By the end of the colonial era, the price of wood had risen slightly in eastern cities, but wood was still extremely abundant.

The availability of wood brought advantages that have seldom been appreciated. Wood was a foundation of the economy. Houses and all manner of buildings were made of wood to a degree unknown in Britain. Secondly, wood was used as fuel for heating and cooking. Thirdly, it was used as the source of important industrial compounds, such as potash, an industrial alkali; charcoal, a component of gunpowder; and tannic acid, used for tanning leather.

The supply of wood conferred advantages but had some negative aspects as well. Iron at that time was produced by heating iron ore with charcoal. Because Britain was so stripped of trees, she was unable to exploit her rich iron mines. But the American colonies had both iron ore and wood; iron production was encouraged and became successful. However, when Britain developed coke smelting, the Colonies did not follow suit because they had plenty of wood and besides, charcoal iron was stronger than coke iron. Coke smelting led to technologic innovations and was linked to the emergence of the Industrial Revolution. In the early nineteenth century, the former colonies lagged behind Britain in industrial development because their supply of wood led them to cling to charcoal iron

What does the passage mainly discuss?

A. The advantages of using wood in the colonies

B. The effects of an abundance of wood on the colonies

C. The roots of the Industrial Revolution

D. The difference between charcoal iron and coke iron

Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate sentence that sentence that best combines each pair of sentences in the following questions

We should quickly find the solution to the problem. Otherwise, its impact on those concerned will increase

A. If we can solve this problem soon, we’ll lower the impact on all of our concerns

B. By the time we solve this problem, the impact on those concerned will have been lowered

C. If all those concerned lower their impact, the problem will be better solved

D. The sooner we find the solution to the problem, the lower the impact it has on those concerned

Mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the underlinedpart that needs correction in each of the following questions from 21 to 23.

According to geological discoveries. 4.6-billion-vears life span of our planet is divided into four time intervals called eras.

A. geological discoveries

B. 4.6-billion-vears

C. is

D. into