Reading Comprehension MCQ Test With Answers + PDF Exercise 13

(Please note: The following questions are related to a specific reading passage, available solely before the first question. Remember, referring back to the reading text while answering the questions may be helpful to ensure accuracy.)

When Queen Victoria died in 1901, the world was entering a new and exciting period of change. For instance, in that year, for the first time, wireless signals crossed the Atlantic and, in the following year, an airship flew from Europe to America. The motor car had already come into use and was making life much easier. Telephones were also becoming fairly common. Politically and economically, people were looking forward to a time of peace, wealth, and progress. In fact, nothing seemed to stand in the way of such a future.

It is obvious from the passage that the twentieth century _____.

At the beginning of the twentieth century, people _____.

From the passage, one can conclude that at the turn of the new century, _____.

There can be few stories more depressing in the entire history of man’s exploitation of nature than the widespread destruction of whales. Whales have not only suffered untold cruelty but now face total extermination. Entire populations have already been wiped out, and the only reason why no species has yet been completely eradicated is due to the vastness and inaccessibility of the oceans. Hence, a few have always managed to escape, but how much longer can this continue?

The author points out that of all the animals in nature, it is probably the whales that _____.

According to the passage, if whales have so far survived, it is because _____.

In the passage, the author expresses his doubts about whether _____.

It is to be expected that, by the year 2050, people’s eating habits will have changed beyond recognition. With a worldwide growth in population, very many new mechanical and scientific methods will come into being, to step up food production. There may well be an end to food as we know it today. In fact, meals, as we know them, may become a thing of the past. Food constituents and vitamins may be taken in the form of capsules, tablets and pills. The thought of these highly artificial food constituents replacing present-day foods may not be very relishing, but they may be the answer to food shortage and world famine.

It is suggested in the passage that, at a not-too-distant date, _____.

The author points out that artificial food _____.

The main point emphasized in the passage is that _____.

There is nothing that man fears more than the touch of the unknown. He wants to see what is reaching towards him and to be able to recognise or at least classify it. Man always tends to avoid physical contact with anything strange. In the dark, the fear of an unexpected touch can lead to panic. Even clothes provide insufficient security: they can easily be torn, exposing the naked, smooth, defenceless flesh of the victim. All the distances that men create around themselves are dictated by this fear. They shut themselves in houses that no one may enter, and only there do they feel some measure of security. The fear of burglars is not only the fear of being robbed but also the fear of something touching you in the darkness.

According to the passage, what frightens people most is _____.

Because people are frightened of the unknown, _____.

This passage is concerned with _____.

Public libraries, maintained by local authorities, are well-developed and progressive, and they allow people everywhere to borrow books without charge. The books in the lending section are always kept on open shelves, and library staff are very helpful in obtaining books on request from other libraries through the exchange system. Most libraries report an increase in borrowing over the past few years, so television does not seem to be deterring people from reading as was initially feared.

It is explained in the passage that any book which is not available in one library _____.

As pointed out in the passage, people nowadays _____.

The passage gives us the impression that public libraries ____.

Fahrenheit is a system of measuring temperature, indicating how hot or cold something is, which is familiar to many people in Britain. The freezing point on the Fahrenheit scale is 32 degrees. Thus, a cold winter’s day in Britain might register a temperature of 38°F (approximately 3°C), while a hot summer’s day could reach 90°F (approximately 32°C). The Fahrenheit scale was invented by the German scientist Gabriel Fahrenheit in 1710. Today in Britain, most people over twenty-five are familiar with the Fahrenheit scale, but the Celsius system is increasingly being adopted. Weather forecasts on television and in newspapers typically display temperatures in both Fahrenheit and Celsius.

It is explained in the passage that the term "Fahrenheit" _____.

It is implied in the passage that in the long run, the Celsius system _____.

The passage deals with _____.

The Falklands are a group of small islands in the South Atlantic, close to Argentina, with a population of 1,200 British citizens. They have been a British territory since 1892. Disputes about who owns the islands date back to the eighteenth century. Argentina has long claimed that these islands, which they call the Malvinas, belong to them. They occupied the islands in April 1982, and the Falklands War lasted until July 1982 when British forces reclaimed them. The Falklands War had an enormous impact on Britain and remains controversial. Some people view it as a restoration of Britain’s old imperial power.

It is pointed out in the passage that both Britain and Argentina _____.

According to the passage, the Falklands War _____.

One may conclude from the passage that, even today, Britain’s holding over the Falkland Islands _____.