Critical Reading – Intermediate – Code 8

Faculty of Foreign Languages - English studies MID-TERM TEST

St’s name: …………………………………….
Time allowed: 60’
ID No: …………………………………….
Date: November 16, 2023
PART I. MULTIPLE CHOICE (4pts)
Read the following passage and choose the best answer.
SCHOOLING AND EDUCATION
It is commonly believed in the United States that school is where people go to get an education. Nevertheless, it
has been said that today children interrupt their education to go to school. The distinction between schooling and
education implied by this remark is important.
Education is much more open-ended and all-inclusive than schooling. Education knows no bounds. It can take
place anywhere, whether in the shower or on the job, whether in a kitchen or on a tractor. It includes both the
formal learning that takes place in schools and the whole universe of informal learning. The agents of education
can range from a revered grandparent to the people debating politics on the radio, from a child to a distinguished
scientist. Whereas schooling has a certain predictability, education quite often produces surprises. A chance
conversation with a stranger may lead a person to discover how little is known of other religions. People are
engaged in education from infancy on.
Education is, then, a very broad, inclusive term. It is a lifelong process, a process that starts long before the start
of school, and one that should be an integral part of one's entire life.
Schooling, on the other hand, is a specific, formalized process, whose general pattern varies little from one
setting to the next. Throughout a country, children arrive at school at approximately the same time, take assigned
seats, are taught by an adult, use similar textbooks, take exams and so on.
The slices of reality that are to be learned, whether they are the alphabet or an understanding of the working of
government, have usually limited by the boundaries of the subject being taught. For example, high school
students know that they are not likely to find out in their classes the truth about political problems in their
communities or what the newest filmmakers are experimenting with. There are definite conditions surrounding
the formalized process of schooling.

1. What does the author probably mean by using the expression "children interrupt their education to go to
school"?
A. Going to several different schools is educationally beneficial.
B. School vacations interrupt the continuity of the school year
C. Summer school makes the school year too long.
D. All of life is an education.
2. The word "bounds" in paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to
A. rules
B. experiences
C. limits
D. exceptions
3. The phrase "agents of education" in paragraph 2 can be replaced by
A. learners and educators
B. educators and scientists

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C. scientists and educators
D. politicians and learners
4. The word "chance" in paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to
A. lengthy
B. unusual
C. unplanned
D. lively
5. The word "integral" in paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to
A. an equitable
B. a profitable
C. a pleasant
D. an essential
6. The word "they" in paragraph 3 refers to .
A. slices of reality
B. similar textbooks
C. boundaries
D. seats
7. The phrase "For example" in paragraph 3 introduces a sentence that gives examples of
A. similar textbooks
B. the result of schooling
C. the working of a government
D. the boundaries of classroom subjects
8. Which of the following is NOT true about the passage?
A. Schooling is a part of education.
B. Schooling is a formalized process.
C. Education is a process of informal learning.
D. One can be educated from birth to death.
9. The passage supports which of the following conclusions?
A. Without formal education, people would remain ignorant.
B. Education systems need to be radically reformed.
C. Going to school is only part of how people become educated.
D. Education involves many years of professional training.
10. The passage is organized by
A. listing and discussing several educational problem
B. contrasting the meaning of two related words
C. narrating a story about excellent teachers
D. giving examples of different kinds of schools

PART II. TRUE/FALSE/NOT GIVEN STATEMENTS (2pts)

Read the passage and decide whether the following statements are True (T), False (F) or NOT GIVEN
(NG).
WHY WE NEED TO PROTECT POLAR BEARS

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Polar bears are being increasingly threatened by the effects of climate change, but their disappearance could have
far-reaching consequences. They are uniquely adapted to the extreme conditions of the Arctic Circle, where
temperatures can reach -40°C. One reason for this is that they have up to 11 centimetres of fat underneath their
skin. Humans with comparative levels of adipose tissue would be considered obese and would be likely to suffer
from diabetes and heart disease. Yet the polar bear experiences no such consequences.
A 2014 study by Shi Ping Liu and colleagues sheds light on this mystery. They compared the genetic structure of
polar bears with that of their closest relatives from a warmer climate, the brown bears. This allowed them to
determine the genes that have allowed polar bears to survive in one of the toughest environments on Earth. Liu
and his colleagues found the polar bears had a gene known as APoB, which reduces levels of low-density
lipoproteins (LDLs) – a form of ‘bad’ cholesterol. In humans, mutations of this gene are associated with
increased risk of heart disease. Polar bears may therefore be an important study model to understand heart disease
in humans.
The genome of the polar bear may also provide the solution for another condition, one that particularly affects
our older generation: osteoporosis. This is a disease where bones show reduced density, usually caused by
insufficient exercise, reduced calcium intake or food starvation. Bone tissue is constantly being remodelled,
meaning that bone is added or removed, depending on nutrient availability and the stress that the bone is under.
Female polar bears, however, undergo extreme conditions during every pregnancy. Once autumn comes around,
these females will dig maternity dens in the snow and will remain there throughout the winter, both before and
after the birth of their cubs. This process results in about six months of fasting, where the female bears have to
keep themselves and their cubs alive, depleting their own calcium and calorie reserves. Despite this, their bones
remain strong and dense.
Physiologists Alanda Lennox and Allen Goodship found an explanation for this paradox in 2008. They
discovered that pregnant bears were able to increase the density of their bones before they started to build their
dens. In addition, six months later, when they finally emerged from the den with their cubs, there was no
evidence of significant loss of bone density. Hibernating brown bears do not have this capacity and must
therefore resort to major bone reformation in the following spring. If the mechanism of bone remodelling in polar
bears can be understood, many bedridden humans, and even astronauts, could potentially benefit.
The medical benefits of the polar bear for humanity certainly have their importance in our conservation efforts,
but these should not be the only factors taken into consideration. We tend to want to protect animals we think are
intelligent and possess emotions, such as elephants and primates. Bears, on the other hand, seem to be perceived
as stupid and in many cases violent. And yet anecdotal evidence from the field challenges those assumptions,
suggesting for example that polar bears have good problem-solving abilities. A male bear called GoGo in Tennoji
Zoo, Osaka, has even been observed making use of a tool to manipulate his environment. The bear used a tree
branch on multiple occasions to dislodge a piece of meat hung out of his reach. Problem-solving ability has also
been witnessed in wild polar bears, although not as obviously as with GoGo. A calculated move by a male bear
involved running and jumping onto barrels in an attempt to get to a photographer standing on a platform four
metres high.
In other studies, such as one by Alison Ames in 2008, polar bears showed deliberate and focused manipulation.
For example, Ames observed bears putting objects in piles and then knocking them over in what appeared to be a
game. The study demonstrates that bears are capable of agile and thought-out behaviours. These examples
suggest bears have greater creativity and problem-solving abilities than previously thought.
As for emotions, while the evidence is once again anecdotal, many bears have been seen to hit out at ice and
snow – seemingly out of frustration – when they have just missed out on a kill. Moreover, polar bears can form
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unusual relationships with other species, including playing with the dogs used to pull sleds in the Arctic.
Remarkably, one hand-raised polar bear called Agee has formed a close relationship with her owner Mark Dumas
to the point where they even swim together. This is even more astonishing since polar bears are known to
actively hunt humans in the wild.
If climate change were to lead to their extinction, this would mean not only the loss of potential breakthroughs in
human medicine, but more importantly, the disappearance of an intelligent, majestic animal.

11. The study done by Liu and his colleagues compared different groups of polar bears.
12. Liu and colleagues were the first researchers to compare polar bears and brown bears genetically.
13. Polar bears are able to control their levels of ‘bad’ cholesterol by genetic means.
14. Female polar bears are able to survive for about six months without food.
15. It was found that the bones of female polar bears were very weak when they came out of their dens in
spring.

PART III. GAP FILLING (2pts)

Read the following passage.
THE HISTORY OF SALT
We practically take salt for granted since it is so straightforward and common. One of the most fundamental
compounds on earth, salt is made up of two ions, sodium, and chloride, according to chemical theory.
Furthermore, it is one of the most abundant: it has been calculated that the salt reserves beneath the state of
Kansas alone could provide all of the world's demands for the next 250,000 years.
However, salt is also a crucial component. Without it, life would be impossible since the human body needs the
mineral to operate correctly. The concentration of sodium ions in the blood is directly connected to the
maintenance of normal body fluid levels. We are all aware of the various applications for this element in cooking,
but we may not be aware of its 14,000 commercial uses for it. Salt plays an important role in our everyday lives,
from the production of pulp and paper to the set of colors in fabrics, from the production of soaps and detergents
to the safety of our roads in the winter.
Throughout history, salt has played a significant and enduring role. It has played a significant role in the
development of social, political, religious, and economic systems since the birth of civilization. It has inspired
mythology, superstition, and even acts of violence all throughout the globe. It has even been used as money.
Salt has always been a vital component of economies since it is a valuable and transportable resource. In fact, the
natural surface salt deposits observed there led scholar M.R. Bloch to hypothesize that civilization first emerged
around the margins of the desert. Bloch also suggested that the first conflict, which took place near the ancient
city of Assault on the Jordan River, may have been fought over the city's valuable deposits of the mineral.
One of the earliest taxes recorded was enforced by the Chinese monarch Hsia Yu in 2200 BC. He assessed salt.
Small salt cakes imprinted with the Grand Khan were used as currency in Tibet, according to Marco Polo, and the
Danakil Plains nomads of Ethiopia still use them today. Greek slave dealers often exchanged it for slaves, giving
origin to the phrase "not worth his salt" when referring to someone. A solarium, the Latin word for "salary," was
the currency used to pay Roman legionnaires.
This mineral was valued equally to books and gold by merchants in Timbuktu, the center of learning and the
entrance to the Sahara Desert, in the 12th century. In order to pay for his acquisition of the Kingdom of Naples,
Charles of Anjou imposed the "gabelle," a salt tax, on France in 1259. The French Revolution was sparked by
outrage about the gabelle. Although the tax was abolished by the revolutionaries soon after Louis XVI, the
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gabelle was reinstated by the Republic of France at the beginning of the 19th century, and it was only officially
abolished in 1946.
The Erie Canal, which opened in 1825 and linked the Great Lakes to New York's Hudson River, was dubbed "the
ditch that salt built." Half of the cost of building the canal was covered by salt tax income. A thriving illicit
market for white crystal resulted from the British monarchy's use of hefty salt taxes to fund its own existence.
The Earl of Dundonald reported in 1785 that 10,000 people were detained for salt smuggling in England each
year. Mahatma Gandhi also conducted a 200-mile march to the Arabian Ocean in 1930 as part of a protest against
British rule to gather untaxed salt for India's underprivileged.
Greek worshipers consecrated salt in ancient rites, giving it a significant role in both religion and society. It is
also traditional to toss salt over your shoulder before entering your home after burial because, according to
Buddhist tradition, doing so frightens away any bad spirits that could be clinging to your back. It is also used to
cleanse a region in the Shinto faith. A handful is tossed into the middle of the ring before the sumo wrestlers
enter for the bout, which is really a complex Shinto ritual, to ward off evil spirits.
The Pueblo people of the American Southwest revere the Salt Mother. Other aboriginal groups had stringent
limitations on who might consume salt. According to Hopi folklore, the furious Warrior Twins punished
humanity by locating lucrative salt mines far from civilization, requiring hard effort and courage to extract the
valuable mineral. The Dalai Lama was buried sitting up on a bed of salt in 1933. Today, a gift of salt is still
considered a powerful sign of good luck and a nod to Mahatma Gandhi's independence of India.
During times of conflict, when human bodies and national economies are taxed to their maximum, the impacts of
salt deprivation are accentuated. Thousands of Napoleon's men perished during the French retreat from Moscow
as a consequence of poor wound healing and illness resistance caused by salt deprivation.

Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer.
Salt is such a (16) …………………….that people would not be able to live without it. As well as its uses in
cooking, this basic mineral has thousands of businesses (17) …………………….ranging from making paper to
the manufacture of soap. Being a prize and (18) …………………………., it has played a major part in the
economies of many countries. As such, salt has not only led to war but has also been used to raise (19)
……………………by governments in many parts of the world. There are also many instances of its place in
religion and culture, being used as a means to get rid of evil (20) ……………………..

PART IV. QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS (2pts)

Read the passage below and answer the questions that follow.
WHAT DO WHALES FEEL?
Some of the senses that we and other terrestrial mammals take for granted are either reduced or absent in
cetaceans or fail to function well in water. For example, it appears from their brain structure that toothed species
are unable to smell. Baleen species, on the other hand, appear to have some related brain structures but it is not
known whether these are functional. It has been speculated that, as the blowholes evolved and migrated to the top
of the head, the neural pathways serving sense of smell may have been nearly all sacrificed. Similarly, although
at least some cetaceans have taste buds, the nerves serving these have degenerated or are rudimentary.
The sense of touch has sometimes been described as weak too, but this view is prob- ably mistaken. Trainers of
captive dolphins and small whales often remark on their animals’ responsiveness to being touched or rubbed, and
both captive and free- ranging cetacean individuals of all species (particularly adults and calves, or members of
the same subgroup) appear to make frequent contact. This contact may help to maintain order within a group, and
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stroking or touching are part of the courtship ritual in most species. The area around the blowhole is also
particularly sensitive and captive animals often object strongly to being touched there.
The sense of vision is developed to different degrees in different species. Baleen species studied at close quarters
underwater – specifically a grey whale calf in cap- tivity for a year, and free-ranging right whales and humpback
whales studied and filmed off Argentina and Hawaii – have obviously tracked objects with vision underwater,
and they can apparently see moderately well both in water and in air. However, the posi- tion of the eyes so
restricts the field of vision in baleen whales that they probably do not have stereoscopic vision.
On the other hand, the position of the eyes in most dolphins and porpoises suggests that they have stereoscopic
vision forward and downward. Eye position in freshwater dolphins, which often swim on their side or upside
down while feeding, suggests that what vision they have is stereoscopic forward and upward. By comparison, the
bot- tlenose dolphin has extremely keen vision in water. Judging from the way it watches and tracks airborne
flying fish, it can apparently see fairly well through the air–water interface as well. And although preliminary
experimental evidence suggests that their in-air vision is poor, the accuracy with which dolphins leap high to take
small fish out of a trainer’s hand provides anecdotal evidence to the contrary.
Such variation can no doubt be explained with reference to the habitats in which indi- vidual species have
developed. For example, vision is obviously more useful to species inhabiting clear open waters than to those
living in turbid rivers and flooded plains. The South American boutu and Chinese beiji, for instance, appear to
have very limited vision, and the Indian susus are blind, their eyes reduced to slits that probably allow them to
sense only the direction and intensity of light.
Although the senses of taste and smell appear to have deteriorated, and vision in water appears to be uncertain,
such weaknesses are more than compensated for by cetaceans’ well-developed acoustic sense. Most species are
highly vocal, although they vary in the range of sounds they produce, and many forage for food using echolo-
cation1. Large baleen whales primarily use the lower frequencies and are often limited in their repertoire. Notable
exceptions are the nearly song-like choruses of bowhead whales in summer and the complex, haunting utterances
of the humpback whales. Toothed species in general employ more of the frequency spectrum, and produce a
wider variety of sounds, than baleen species (though the sperm whale apparently pro- duces a monotonous series
of high-energy clicks and little else). Some of the more complicated sounds are clearly communicative, although
what role they may play in the social life and ‘culture’ of cetaceans has been more the subject of wild specula-
tion than of solid science.
Answer the questions below using NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the passage for each answer.
21. Which of the senses is described here as being involved in mating?
22. Which species swims upside down while eating?
23. What can bottlenose dolphins follow from under the water?
24. Which type of habitat is related to good visual ability?
25. Which of the senses is best developed in cetaceans?

THIS IS THE END OF THE TEST!

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