Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct word or phrase that best fits each of the numbered blanks from 23 to 27.

Is there life on Mars? Many people have (23) ______ about this question. Some writers of science-fiction think of people from Mars as little green creatures. Others imagine 'Martians' as monsters with many eyes.

In studying this planet, astronomers have found that life may be possible on Mars. The first (24) _____ of this is that Mars has seasons, just like Earth. In other words, Earth's seasons, such as spring or summer, occur on Mars too. Because these seasons exist, it may be possible for (25) ____  and other higher life forms to be found on Mars.

         Astronomers also think that perhaps a small (26) ______ of water vapor could be found on Mars. In 1887, an Italian astronomer, Giovanni Schiaparelli, discovered markings on Mars' surface. These markings looked like canals. This finding led astronomers to believe that since water exists on Mars, life forms could exist as well.

However, there are others who feel that life on Mars is not possible. This is because there is little or no trace of oxygen on the planet. In 1965, the Mariner IV capsule managed to take photographs of the planet. It discovered that the only forms of life found are vegetation like fungi and mosses. (27) ______ people remain fascinated by the idea that there could one day be life on Mars.

Question 24

A. indication

B. print

C. mark

D. trace

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct word or phrase that best fits each of the numbered blanks from 23 to 27.

Is there life on Mars? Many people have (23) ______ about this question. Some writers of science-fiction think of people from Mars as little green creatures. Others imagine 'Martians' as monsters with many eyes.

In studying this planet, astronomers have found that life may be possible on Mars. The first (24) _____ of this is that Mars has seasons, just like Earth. In other words, Earth's seasons, such as spring or summer, occur on Mars too. Because these seasons exist, it may be possible for (25) ____  and other higher life forms to be found on Mars.

         Astronomers also think that perhaps a small (26) ______ of water vapor could be found on Mars. In 1887, an Italian astronomer, Giovanni Schiaparelli, discovered markings on Mars' surface. These markings looked like canals. This finding led astronomers to believe that since water exists on Mars, life forms could exist as well.

However, there are others who feel that life on Mars is not possible. This is because there is little or no trace of oxygen on the planet. In 1965, the Mariner IV capsule managed to take photographs of the planet. It discovered that the only forms of life found are vegetation like fungi and mosses. (27) ______ people remain fascinated by the idea that there could one day be life on Mars.

Question 26

A. quantity

B. amount

C. portion

D. mass

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct word or phrase that best fits each of the numbered blanks from 23 to 27.

Is there life on Mars? Many people have (23) ______ about this question. Some writers of science-fiction think of people from Mars as little green creatures. Others imagine 'Martians' as monsters with many eyes.

In studying this planet, astronomers have found that life may be possible on Mars. The first (24) _____ of this is that Mars has seasons, just like Earth. In other words, Earth's seasons, such as spring or summer, occur on Mars too. Because these seasons exist, it may be possible for (25) ____  and other higher life forms to be found on Mars.

         Astronomers also think that perhaps a small (26) ______ of water vapor could be found on Mars. In 1887, an Italian astronomer, Giovanni Schiaparelli, discovered markings on Mars' surface. These markings looked like canals. This finding led astronomers to believe that since water exists on Mars, life forms could exist as well.

However, there are others who feel that life on Mars is not possible. This is because there is little or no trace of oxygen on the planet. In 1965, the Mariner IV capsule managed to take photographs of the planet. It discovered that the only forms of life found are vegetation like fungi and mosses. (27) ______ people remain fascinated by the idea that there could one day be life on Mars.

Question 23

A. puzzled

B. asked

C. wondered

D. confused

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct word or phrase that best fits each of the numbered blanks from 23 to 27.

Is there life on Mars? Many people have (23) ______ about this question. Some writers of science-fiction think of people from Mars as little green creatures. Others imagine 'Martians' as monsters with many eyes.

In studying this planet, astronomers have found that life may be possible on Mars. The first (24) _____ of this is that Mars has seasons, just like Earth. In other words, Earth's seasons, such as spring or summer, occur on Mars too. Because these seasons exist, it may be possible for (25) ____  and other higher life forms to be found on Mars.

         Astronomers also think that perhaps a small (26) ______ of water vapor could be found on Mars. In 1887, an Italian astronomer, Giovanni Schiaparelli, discovered markings on Mars' surface. These markings looked like canals. This finding led astronomers to believe that since water exists on Mars, life forms could exist as well.

However, there are others who feel that life on Mars is not possible. This is because there is little or no trace of oxygen on the planet. In 1965, the Mariner IV capsule managed to take photographs of the planet. It discovered that the only forms of life found are vegetation like fungi and mosses. (27) ______ people remain fascinated by the idea that there could one day be life on Mars.

Question 27

A. According

B. Nevertheless

C. Thus

D. Consequently

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct word or phrase that best fits each of the numbered blanks from 23 to 27.

Is there life on Mars? Many people have (23) ______ about this question. Some writers of science-fiction think of people from Mars as little green creatures. Others imagine 'Martians' as monsters with many eyes.

In studying this planet, astronomers have found that life may be possible on Mars. The first (24) _____ of this is that Mars has seasons, just like Earth. In other words, Earth's seasons, such as spring or summer, occur on Mars too. Because these seasons exist, it may be possible for (25) ____  and other higher life forms to be found on Mars.

         Astronomers also think that perhaps a small (26) ______ of water vapor could be found on Mars. In 1887, an Italian astronomer, Giovanni Schiaparelli, discovered markings on Mars' surface. These markings looked like canals. This finding led astronomers to believe that since water exists on Mars, life forms could exist as well.

However, there are others who feel that life on Mars is not possible. This is because there is little or no trace of oxygen on the planet. In 1965, the Mariner IV capsule managed to take photographs of the planet. It discovered that the only forms of life found are vegetation like fungi and mosses. (27) ______ people remain fascinated by the idea that there could one day be life on Mars.

Question 25

A. vegetables

B. vegetation

C. vegetarian

D. veterinary

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.

Most people think that lions only come from Africa. This is understandable because in fact most lions do come from there but this has not always been the case. If we went back ten thousand years, we would find that there were lions roaming vast sections of the globe. However now, unfortunately only a very small section of the lion's former habitat remains.

Asiatic lions are sub-species of African lions. It is almost a hundred thousand years since the Asiatic lions split off and developed as a sub-species. At one time the Asiatic lion was living as far west as Greece and they were found from there, but in a band that spreads east through various countries of the Middle East, all the way to India. In museums now, you can see Greek coins that have clear images of the Asiatic lion on them. Most of them are dated at around 500 B.C. However, Europe saw its last Asiatic lions roaming free two thousand years ago. Over the next nineteen hundred years the numbers of Asiatic lions in the other areas declined steadily, but it was only in the nineteenth century that they disappeared from everywhere but in India.

The Gir Wildlife Sanctuary in India was established especially to protect the Asiatic lion. There are now around three hundred Asiatic lions in India and almost all of them are in this sanctuary. However, despite living in a sanctuary, which makes them safe from hunters, they still face a number of problems that threaten their survival. One of these is the ever-present danger of disease. This is what killed more than a third of Africa’s Serengeti lions in 1994, and people are fearful that something similar could happen in the Gir Sanctuary and kill off many of the Asiatic lions there.

India's lions are particular vulnerable because they have a limited gene pool. The reason for this is interesting is because all of them are descended from a few dozen lions that were saved by a prince who took a particular interest in them. He was very healthy, and he managed to protect them; otherwise they would probably have died out completely.

When you see the Asiatic lion in India, what you sense is enormous vitality. They are very impressive animals and you would never guess that they have this vulnerability when you look at them.

According to the passage, many people believe that lions come from _____.

A. Africa

B. Europe 

C. Middle East 

D. India 

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

Understanding India's Caste System

It has been said that life is what we make of it. In other words, if we work hard and focus on our goals, we can have great careers and enjoy high status is society. However, these opportunities don’t exist for everyone. In some places, the family you are born into will decide almost everything about your life. India’s caste system is an example of this.   

The caste system is a major part of the Hindu religion that has existed for thousands of years. It is a way of organizing and grouping people based on the occupation of the family. Castes will determine whom people can socialize with and their place in society. Originally, a person’s caste was supposed to be determined by their personality, but over time it has been linked to their job and family.

There are four classes, also known as varnas, in India’s caste system. The highest one is Brahmin. People in this class have jobs in education and religion. These are seen as extremely important functions for the society as they deal with the knowledge. The second highest level is the Kshatriya, or ruling class. People from this group can be soldiers, landowners, or have jobs in politics. The class beneath this is the Vaishya. These people often work in the commercial sector as merchants. The fourth class level is the Shudra. Shudras typically work as unskilled labourers doing factory or farm work, or they may also be employed as artists. 

There is another group, the Harijan, that is at the bottom and considered to be outside of the caste system. For many years, they were known as Untouchables, people from this caste held the most undesirable jobs in society, such as cleaning up garbage. Furthermore, they weren’t allowed to pray at public temples or drink water from the same wells as other classes. If someone from another caste came into contact with an Untouchable, they were considered dirty and would be expected to bathe vigorously to clean themselves. 

Although the caste system still exists in India, the government is taking steps to improve the living conditions and decrease unemployment rates for the Shudras and Harijan. This includes providing better health care, offering literacy programmes, and making sure that people from higher social classes do not exploit them. It seems unlikely that the caste system will disappear any time soon, but the overall conditions for those at the bottom do seem to be improving

All of the following are true about the Harijan EXCEPT that ________.

A. they used to be known as Untouchables 

B. they had to do undesirable jobs in society  

C. any contact between someone from another caste with an Untouchable was considered unacceptable   

D. anyone from another caste coming to contact with an Untouchable is not allowed to pray at temples

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

Understanding India's Caste System

It has been said that life is what we make of it. In other words, if we work hard and focus on our goals, we can have great careers and enjoy high status is society. However, these opportunities don‟t exist for everyone. In some places, the family you are born into will decide almost everything about your life. India‟s caste system is an example of this.

The caste system is a major part of the Hindu religion that has existed for thousands of years. It is a way of organizing and grouping people based on the occupation of the family. Castes will determine whom people can socialize with and their place in society. Originally, a person‟s caste was supposed to be determined by their personality, but over time it has been linked to their job and family.

There are four classes, also known as varnas, in India‟s caste system. The highest one is Brahmin. People in this class have jobs in education and religion. These are seen as extremely important functions for the society as they deal with the knowledge. The second highest level is the Kshatriya, or ruling class. People from this group can be soldiers, landowners, or have jobs in politics. The class beneath this is the Vaishya. These people often work in the commercial sector as merchants. The fourth class level is the Shudra. Shudras typically work as unskilled labourers doing factory or farm work, or they may also be employed as artists.

There is another group, the Harijan, that is at the bottom and considered to be outside of the caste system. For many years, they were known as Untouchables, people from this caste held the most undesirable jobs in society, such as cleaning up garbage. Furthermore, they weren‟t allowed to pray at public temples or drink water from the same wells as other classes. If someone from another caste came into contact with an Untouchable, they were considered dirty and would be expected to bathe vigorously to clean themselves.

Although the caste system still exists in India, the government is taking steps to improve the living conditions and decrease unemployment rates for the Shudras and Harijan. This includes providing better health care, offering literacy programmes, and making sure that people from higher social classes do not exploit them. It seems unlikely that the caste system will disappear any time soon, but the overall conditions for those at the bottom do seem to be improving.

Question:All of the following are true about the Harijan EXCEPT that ________.

A. they used to be known as Untouchables

B. they had to do undesirable jobs in society

C. any contact between someone from another caste with an Untouchable was considered unacceptable

D. anyone from another caste coming to contact with an Untouchable is not allowed to pray at temples