Short Advanced Reading Comprehension Test 16 With MCQs and Answers

(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.)

It isn't known when and where it all began, but throughout the ages and in the most diverse of all societies, precious stones have held an almost mystical power and significance. They shone round the necks and embellished the fingers of the ancient Egyptians; they gleamed from the turbans of great Mogul emperors and they were centrally the myth of the Holy Grail. From the earliest times, precious stones have gained a value far beyond and rational assessment of their worth. Some of the best-known gems were deemed so valuable that they financed large armies; others led men to torture and murder, or literally changed the destinies of whole countries.

Precious stones are of much value for man as _____.

Precious stones are concluded to _____.

The passage concerns _____.

British cinema increasingly became a bargain-basement imitation of Hollywood. Instead of five large companies dominating production, distribution and exhibition, as in the US, it had two: Rank and ABPS Producers were so busy fighting their own corner, and so mesmerized by the success of Hollywood that they didn't have the strength to argue that keeping the industry fragmented and flexible learning from Hollywood's example without simply imitating its outward forms, might be a better way catering for a market the size of Britain than heading up the road of monopoly.

The author expresses that the filmmakers in Britain _____.

The author indicates that producers should keep the film industry alive by _____.

Which of the following is not expressed in the passage?

When it was formed millions of years ago, the earth was a liquid. It is still having the process of cooling and many miles below the hard crust is still hot. However, in some places, the heat is closer to the crust. These places are associated with volcanic activity or hot sulphur springs. Drilling deep into the earth's crust we can reach rocks that are much warmer than those at the surface. Pumping water down into contact with these rocks and extracting the steam so produced is a source of energy that can be used to produce electricity. It is called geothermal energy.

It is expressed in the passage that under the hard surface of the earth, there _____.

In accordance with the passage, geothermal energy _____.

We can conclude from the passage that the earth's crust _____.

The Japanese have a special method for making decisions. They call it the consensus system. This is how it works. When a firm is thinking of taking a certain action, it encourages workers at all levels to discuss the proposal and give their opinions. The purpose is to reach a consensus (general agreement). As soon as everyone agrees on the right course of action, the decision is taken. Due to this method, a group of workers, rather than one person, is responsible for company policies. One advantage of this is that decisions come from a mixture of experience from the top to the bottom of an enterprise, another advantage is that junior staff frequently suggest ideas for change. A disadvantage, perhaps, is that decision-making cannot be fast.

In view of the explanation shown in the passage, the consensus system _____.

It is expressed in the passage that, with the Japanese style of decision-making in industry, _____.

In accordance with the passage, the most striking feature of the Japanese consensus system is that _____.

Rabies is a very frightening disease because once symptoms have developed, it is always fatal. The disease is carried by a virus and it affects many species of animals, particularly dogs, foxes and bats. In Britain, no indigenous case of human rabies has been reported since 1902, but it is widespread among animals in most parts of the world. Unfortunately, in the last 30 years, the disease has been spreading across Europe from the East, especially in foxes, and has now reached Northern France. For this reason, strict animal quarantine laws are in force in Britain, and it is rightly regarded as a serious offence to attempt to evade them.

As it is expressed in the passage, what makes rabies so dangerous a disease is that _____.

The passage expresses that the British government has already taken strict measures to _____.

It is obviously stated in the passage that, for nearly a century, _____.

When we turn to the problem of fishing, we see that through a UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, the world's countries have indicated that they recognize the risks of over-fishing, Nations can now declare 200-mile exclusive economic areas and exclusive fishing areas and control the catch at a level that is reasonable. Developing nations seem to be beginning to benefit from the new fisheries regime which offers the promise of allowing them to manage fishing resources for optimum, that is long-term, benefits.

We can conclude from the passage that the statutory measures taken by the UN, regarding fishing, _____.

One major benefit arising out of the 200-mile exclusive fishing zone is, as we conclude from the passage, to _____.

It is expressed in the passage that in the management of fisheries, _____.

The general policy in Johor has traditionally favoured foreign investment, Leaders of all political parties have been virtually unanimous in their belief that foreign investment in Johor would contribute to speeding that country's economic development, a major priority of both the ruling coalition and opposition parties. Of special interest to the government were those industries that exported a significant share of their total production. Since Johor had a relatively small population, there was a limit to the amount of goods that could be produced for the local market. Also, the government did not want to encourage foreign companies to compete with local industry although new industries might alleviate the already high unemployment rate.

The passage is connected with _____.

It can be understood that the aim of the government is to _____.

The word "alleviate" could best be substituted by which of the following?

One of the most significant problems in teaching handwriting is presented by the left-handed child. The traditional policy has been to attempt to .induce all children to write with their right hands. Parents and teachers alike have an antipathy to the child's using her left hand. On the other hand, psychologists have shown beyond a doubt that some persons are naturally left-handed and that it is much more difficult for them to do any skilful act with the right hand than with the left hand. In addition, some believe that to compel a left-handed child to write with his right hand may make him nervous and may cause stammering. There seem to be some cases in which this is true, although, in the vast majority of children who change over, no ill effects are observed. Furthermore, left-handedness sometimes seems to cause mirror writing - writing from right to left - and reversals in reading as reading "was" for "saw".

The passage is connected with ..............

The author points out that _____.

The common policy in teaching handwriting has _____.