Kamis, 15 Maret 2018

Task 2 : Reading Comprehension Part 2


Question 1-10 refer to the following passage.
This rapid transcontinental settlement and these new urban industrial circumstances of the last half of the 19“’ century were accompanied by the development of a national literature of great abundance and variety. Line New themes, new forms, new subjects, new regions, new authors, new audiences all emerged in the literature of this half century. As a result, at the onset of World War I, the spirit and substance of American literature had evolved remarkably, just as its center of production had shifted from Boston to New York In the late 1880s and the sources of its energy to Chicago and the Midwest. No longer was it produced, at least in its popular forms, in the main by solemn, typically moralistic men from New England and the Old South; no longer were polite, well-dressed, grammatically correct, middle-class young people the only central characters in its narratives no longer were these narratives to be set in exotic places and remote times; no longer, indeed, were fiction, poetry, drama, and formal history the chief acceptable forms of literary expression; no longer, finally, was literature read primarily by young, middle class women. In sum, American literature in these years fulfilled in considerable measure the condition Walt Whitman called for inl867 in describing Leaves of Grass: It treats, he said of his own major work, each state and region as peers “and expands from them, and includes the world … connecting an American citizen with the citizens of all nations.” At the same time, these years saw the emergence of what has been designated “the literature of argument,” powerful works in sociology, philosophy, psychology, many of them impelled by the spirit of exposure and reform. Just as America learned to play a role in this half century as an autonomous international political, economic, and military power, so did its literature establish itself as a producer of major works.

1. The main idea of this passage is …
(A) that the new American literature was less provincial than the old
(B) that World War I caused a dramatic change in America
(C) that centers of culture shifted from East to West
(D) that most people were wary of the new literature
Answer : (A) that the new American literature was less provincial
2. It can be inferred from lines 1-3 that the previous passage probably discussed …
(A) the Importance of tradition to writers
(B) new developments in industrialization and population shifts
(C) the fashions and values of 19th century America
(D) the limitations of American literature to this time
Answer : (B) new developments In Industrialization and population shifts
3. The word “evolved” is closest in meaning to…
(A) became famous
(B) turned back
(C) diminished
(D) changed
Answer : (D) changed
4. The word “it” refers to…
(A) the population
(B) the energy
(C) American literature
(D) the manufacturing
Answer : (C) American literature Keyword: the spirit and substance of American literature
5. The word “exotic” is closest in meaning to…
(A) urban
(B) unusual
(C) well-known
(D) old-fashioned
Answer : (B) unusual Keyword Pembahasan
6. The author uses the word “indeed” for what purpose?
(A) to emphasize the contrast he is making
(B) for variety in a lengthy paragraph
(C) to wind down his argument
(D) to show a favorable attitude to these forms of literature
Answer : (A) to emphasize the contrast he is making
7. The phrase “these years” in line 17 refers to …
(A) 1850-1900
(B) the 1900s
(C) the early 1800s
(D) the present
Answer : (A) 1850-1900
8. It can be inferred from the passage that Walt Whitman…
(A) disliked urban life
(B) was disapproving of the new literature
(C) wrote Leaves of Grass
(D) was an international diplomat
Answer : (C) wrote Leaves of Grass
9. All of the following can be inferred from the passage about the new literature EXCEPT…
(A) it was not highly regarded Internationally
(B) it introduced new american themes, characters, and settings
(C) itbrokewithmanyliterarytraditionsofthepast
(D) it spoke to the issue of reform and change
Answer : (A) ft was not highly regarded internationally
10. This passage would probably be read in which of the following academic courses?
(A) European history
(B) American literature
(C) Current events
(D) International affairs
Answer : (B) American literature

Question 11-15

Robert Moog was an American inventor who developed the Moog Synthesizer. It was one of the first synthesizers to gain widespread use as a musical instrument. Moog’s synthesizers were an important pa Line of musical innovation in rock and jazz music in the 1960s and 1970s. Robert Arthur Moog was born in Queens, a borough of New York City 75 years ago. He became fascinated with electronics as a teenager, particularly an early electronic music instrument called the theremin. Moog studied physic and electrical engineering at Queens College and Columbia University, both in New York City and later received a Ph.D. in engineering physic Cornel University in Ithaca, New York. In 1954, while still an undergraduate student, Moog formed his own company to sell theremins and theremin kits.

Soon after, Moog began working on a keyboard instrument that could replicate the sound of any musical instrument electronically. Working with American composer Herbert Deutsch, Moog introduced the prototype Moog Synthesizer at a convention in 1964. The device represented a significant advance over previous electronic synthesizer because of its use of new semiconductor technology, which made it smaller and considerably cheaper than earlier machines. The Moog, as it was known, was soon in demand by musician all over the world.

In 1964, Moog began a collaboration with American composer and organist Walter Carlos (now Wendy Carlos), who released the bestselling electronic music album Switched-On Bach in 1968. Rock groups such as the Beatles and Yes and jazz musicians such as Herbie Hancock and Chick Corea began incorporating Moog Synthesizer into their recordings, a trend that increased when the company introduced the compact and portable Minimoog in 1970. A Moog Synthesizer was also prominently featured on the soundtrack to the movie A Clockwork Orange in 1971. Encyclopedia of World Biography, 2008

11. The word “prominently” in paragraph 3 can easily be replaced by …
(A) significantly
(B) perfectly
(C) accurately
(D) excellently
Answer : (A) significantly
12. The passage describes theremin as a/an …
(A) prototype of Moog Synthesizer
(B) initial electronic music instrument
(C) musical instrument to replicate the sound
(D) instrument of electronic tool
Answer : (B) initial electronic music instrument
13. The pronoun “it” paragraph 2 refers to…
(A) electronic synthesizer
(B) a keyboard instrument
(C) prototype of Moog Synthesizer
(D) new semiconductor technology
Answer : (C) prototype of Moog Synthesizer
14. According to the passage, all of the following are true about The Moog, EXCEPT…
(A) it was invented by Robert Moog
(B) it was first introduced in 1964
(C) it initiated new technology which was smaller and cheaper than previous
(D) it was the first synthesizer in the world
Answer : (D) it was the first synthesizer in the world
15. The paragraph following the passage most likely discusses…
(A) collaboration between The Moog and other musicians
(B) the description of compact and portable Mini Moog
(C) the improvement of Moog Synthesizer
(D) trend in the music industry about synthesizer
Answer : (C) the improvement of Moog Synthesizer

Question 16-25
There are two basic types of glaciers, those that flow outward in all directions with little regard for any underlying terrain and those that are confined by terrain to a particular path.
The first category of glaciers includes those massive blankets that cover whole continents, appropriately called ice sheets. There must be over 50,000 square kilometers of land covered with ice for the glacier to qualify as an ice sheet. When portions of an ice sheet spread out over the ocean, they form ice shelves.
About 20,000 years ago the Cordilleran Ice Sheet covered nearly all the mountains in southern Alaska, western Canada, and the western United States. It was about 3 kilometers deep at its thickest point in northern Alberta. Now there are only two sheets left on Earth, those covering Greenland and Antarctica.
Any domelike body of ice that also flows out in all directions but covers less than 50,000 square kilometers is called an ice cap. Although ice caps are rare nowadays, there are a number in northeastern Canada, on Baffin Island, and on the Queen Elizabeth Islands.
The second category of glaciers includes those of a variety of shapes and sizes generally called mountain or alpine glaciers. Mountain glaciers are typically identified by the landform that controls their flow. One form of mountain glacier that resembles an ice cap in that it flows outward in several directions is called an ice field. The difference between an ice field and an ice cap is subtle. Essentially, the flow of an ice field is somewhat controlled by surrounding terrain and thus does not have the domelike shape of a cap. There are several ice fields in the Wrangell. St. Elias, and Chugach mountains of Alaska and northern British Columbia.
Less spectacular than large ice fields are the most common types of mountain glaciers: the cirque and valley glaciers. Cirque glaciers are found in depressions in the surface of the land and have a characteristic circular shape. The ice of valley glaciers, bound by terrain, flows down valleys, curves around their corners, and falls over cliffs.

16. What does the passage mainly discuss?
(A)  Where major glaciers are located
(B)  How glaciers shape the land
(C)  How glaciers are formed
(D)  The different kinds of glaciers
Answer : (D) The different kinds of glaciers
17. The word “massive” in line 3 is closest in meaning to
(A)  huge
(B)  strange
(C)  cold
(D)  recent
Answer : (A) huge
18. It can be inferred that ice sheets are so named for which of the following reasons?
(A)  They are confined to mountain valleys.
(B)  They cover large areas of land.
(C)  They are thicker in some areas than in others.
(D)  They have a characteristic circular shape.
Answer : (B) They cover large areas of land.
19. According to the passage, ice shelves can be found
(A)  covering an entire continent
(B)  buried within the mountains
(C)  spreading into the ocean
(D)  filling deep valleys
Answer : (C) spreading into the ocean
20. According to the passage, where was the Cordilleran Ice Sheet thickest?
(A)  Alaska
(B)  Greenland
(C)  Alberta
(D)  Antarctica
Answer : (C) Alberta
21. The word “rare” in line 12 is closest in meaning to
(A)  small
(B)  unusual
(C)  valuable
(D)  widespread
Answer : (B) unusual
22. According to the passage (paragraph 5), ice fields resemble ice caps in which of the following ways?
(A)  Their shape
(B)  Their flow
(C)  Their texture
(D)  Their location
Answer : (B) Their flow
23. The word “it” in line 16 refers to
(A)  glacier
(B)  cap
(C)  difference
(D)  terrain
Answer : (A) glacier
24. The word “subtle” in line 17 is closest in meaning to
(A)  slight
(B)  common
(C)  important
(D)  measurable
Answer : (A) slight
25. All of the following are alpine glaciers EXCEPT
(A)  cirque glaciers
(B)  ice caps
(C)  valley glaciers
(D)  ice fields
Answer : (B) ice caps




Kamis, 08 Maret 2018

Task 1 : Reading Comprehension Part 1


Questions 1-10 refer to the following passage.

The first two decades of this century were dominated by the microbe hunters. These hunters had tracked down one after another of the microbes responsible for the most dreaded scourges of many centuries: tuberculosis, cholera, diphtheria. But there, remained some terrible diseases for which no microbe could be incriminated: scurvy, pellagra, rickets, beriberi. Then it was discovered that these diseases were caused by the lack of vitamins, a trace substance in the diet. The diseases could be prevented or cured by consuming foods that contained the vitamins. And so in the decades of the 1920’s and 1930’s, nutrition became a science and the vitamin hunters replaced the microbe hunters.
In the 1940’s and 1950’s, biochemists strived to learn why each of the vitamins was essential for health. They discovered that key enzymes in metabolism depend on one or another of the vitamins as coenzymes to perform the chemistry that provides cells with energy for growth and function. Now, these enzyme hunters occupied center stage.
You are aware that the enzyme hunters have been replaced by a new breed of hunters who are tracking genes-the blueprints for each of the enzymes-and are discovering the defective genes that cause inherited diseases-diabetes, cystic fibrosis. These gene hunters, or genetic engineers, use recombinant DNA technology to identify and clone genes and introduce them into bacterial cells and plants to create factories for the massive production of hormones and vaccines for medicine and for better crops for agriculture. Biotechnology has become a multibillion-dollar industry.
In view of the inexorable progress in science, we can expect that the gene hunters will be replaced in the spotlight. When and by whom? Which kind of hunter will dominate the scene in the last decade of our waning century and in the early decades of the next? I wonder whether the hunters who will occupy the spotlight will be neurobiologists who apply the techniques of the enzyme and gene hunters to the functions of the brain: What to call them? The head hunters. I will return to them later.
1. What is the main topic of the passage?
(A)  The microbe hunters
(B)  The potential of genetic engineering
(C)  The progress of modem medical research
(D)  The discovery of enzymes
Answer : (C)  The progress of modem medical research
2. The word “which” in line 4 refers to
(A)  diseases
(B)  microbe
(C)  cholera
(D)  diphtheria
Answer : (A)  diseases
3. The word “incriminated” in line 4 is closest in meaning to
(A)  investigated
(B)  blamed
(C)  eliminated
(D)  produced
Answer : (B)  blamed
4. Which of the following can be cured by a change in diet?
(A)  Tuberculosis
(B)  Cholera
(C)  Cystic fibrosis
(D)  Pellagra
Answer : (D)  Pellagra
5. The word “strived” in line 9 is closest in meaning to
(A)  failed
(B)  tried
(C)  experimented
(D)  studied
Answer : (B)  tried
6. How do vitamins influence health?
(A)  They are necessary for some enzymes to function.
(B)  They protect the body from microbes.
(C)  They keep food from spoiling.
(D)  They are broken down by cells to produce energy.
Answer : (A)  They are necessary for some enzymes to function.
7. In the third paragraph, the author compares cells that have been genetically altered by biotechnicians to
(A)  gardens
(B)  factories
(C)  hunters
(D)  spotlights
Answer : (B)  factories
8. The word “them” in line 16 refers to
(A)  cells and plants
(B)  hormones
(C)  genes
(D)  gene hunters or genetic engineers
Answer : (C)  genes
9. The phrase “occupy the spotlight” in line 22 is closest in meaning to
(A)  receive the most attention
(B)  go the furthest
(C)  conquer territory
(D)  lighten the load
Answer : (A)  receive the most attention
10. The author implies that the most important medical research topic of the future will be
(A)  the functions of the brain
(B)  inherited diseases
(C)  the operation of vitamins
(D)  the structure of genes
Answer : (A)  the functions of the brain
Question 11-20
In the mid-nineteenth century, the United States had tremendous natural resources that could be exploited in order to develop heavy industry. Most of the raw materials that are valuable in the manufacture of machinery, transportation facilities, and consumer goods lay ready to be worked into wealth. Iron, coal, and oil-the basic ingredients of industrial growth-were plentiful and needed only the application of technical expertise, organizational skill, and labor.
One crucial development in this movement toward industrialization was the growth of the railroads. The railway network expanded rapidly until the railroad map of the United States looked like a spider’s web, with the steel filaments connecting all important sources of raw materials, their places of manufacture, and their centers of distribution. The railroads contributed to the industrial growth not only by connecting these major centers, but also by themselves consuming enormous amounts of fuel, iron, and coal.
Many factors influenced emerging modes of production. For example, machine tools, the tools used to make goods, were steadily improved in the latter part of the nineteenth century-always with an eye to speedier production and lower unit costs. The products of the factories were rapidly absorbed by the growing cities that sheltered the workers and the distributors. The increased urban population was nourished by the increased farm production that, in turn, was made more productive by the use of the new farm machinery. American agricultural production kept up with the urban demand and still had surpluses for sale to the industrial centers of Europe.
The labor that ran the factories and built the railways was recruited in part from American farm areas where people were being displaced by farm machinery, in part from Asia, and in part from Europe. Europe now began to send tides of immigrants from eastern and southern Europe-most of whom were originally poor farmers but who settled in American industrial cities. The money to finance this tremendous expansion of the American economy still came from European financiers for the most part, but the Americans were approaching the day when their expansion could be financed in their own “money market.”
13. What does the passage mainly discuss?
(A)  The history of railroads in the United States
(B)  The major United States industrial centers
(C)  Factors that affected industrialization in the United States
(D)  The role of agriculture in the nineteenth century
Answer : (C)  Factors that affected industrialization in the United States
14. The word “ingredients” in line 4 is closest in meaning to
(A)  minerals
(B)  products
(C)  methods
(D)  components
Answer : (D)  components
15.Why does the author mention “a spider’s web” in line 8?
(A)  To emphasize the railroad’s consumption of oil and coal
(B)  To describe the complex structure of the railway system
(C)  To explain the problems brought on by railway expansion
(D)  To describe the difficulties involved in the distribution of raw materials
Answer : (B)  To describe the complex structure of the railway system
16. The word “themselves” in line 10 refers to
(A)  sources
(B)  centers
(C)  railroads
(D)  places
Answer : (C)  railroads
17. According to the passage, all of the following were true of railroads in the United States in the nineteenth century EXCEPT that
(A)  they connected important industrial cities
(B)  they were necessary to the industrialization process
(C)  they were expanded in a short time
(D)  they used relatively small quantities of natural resources
Answer : (D)  they used relatively small quantities of natural resources
18. According to the passage, what was one effect of the improvement of machine tools?
(A)  Lower manufacturing costs
(B)  Better distribution of goods
(C)  More efficient transportation of natural resources
(D)  A reduction in industrial jobs
Answer : (A)  Lower manufacturing costs
19. According to the passage, who were the biggest consumers of manufactured products?
(A)  Railway workers
(B)  Farmers
(C)  City dwellers
(D)  Europeans
Answer : (C)  City dwellers
20. The word “nourished” in line 16 is closest in meaning to
(A)  protected
(B)  fed
(C)  housed
(D)  paid
Answer : (B)  fed
Question 21-25

Awarded the Nobel prize for physics in 1918, German physics Max Planck is best remembered as the originator of the quantum theory. His work helped user in a new era in theoretical physics and revolutionized the scientific community’s understanding of atomic and sub-atomic processes.
Planck intriduced an idea that led to the quantum theory, which became the foundation of twentieth century physics. In December 1900, Plnck worked out an equation that described the distribution of radiation accurately over the range of low to high frequencies. He had developed a theory which depended on a model of matter that seemed very strange at the time. The model required the emission of electromagnetic radiation in small chunks or particles. These particles were later called quantums. The energy associated with each quatum is measured by multiplying the frequency of the radiation, v, by a universal constant, h. Thus, energy, or E, equals hv. The constant, h, is known as Planck’s constant. It is now recognized as one of the fundamental constant of the world.
Planck announced his finding in 1900, but it was years before teh full consequences of his revolutionary quantum theory were recognized. Throughout his life, Planck made significant contributions to optics, thermodynamics and stastistical mechanics, physical chemistry, and other fields. In 1930, He was elected president of the Kaiser Wilhelm society, which was renamed the Max II. Though deeply opposed to the fascist regime of Adolf Hitler, Planck remained in Germany throughout teh war. He died in Gottingen on October 4, 1947.

21.    In which of the following fields did Max Planck NOT make a significant contribution?
(A) Optics
(B) Thermodynamics
(C) Stastistical mechanics
(D) Biology
22.    The word “revolutionary” as used in line 13, means…
(A) Dangerous
(B) Extremist
(C) Momentous
(D) Militarist
23.    It can inferred from the passage that Planck’s work led to the development of which of the following?
(A) The rocket
(B) The atomic bomb
(C) The internal combustion engine
(D) The computer
24.    The particles of electromagnetic radiation given off by matter are known as…
(A) Quantums
(B) Atoms
(C) Electrons
(D) Valences
25.  The word “universal”, as used in line 10 most nearly means…
(A) Planetary
(B) Cosmic
(C) Worldwide
(D) Always present


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