Short Advanced Reading Comprehension Test 28 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.)

From the beginning of human history, every society has had some way of preparing young people for adult life. Many communities have regarded education as training for work. In many traditional societies, children still help the older members of the family in their work and so grow up to do the same jobs as their parents. Elsewhere young boys used to be sent away for several years as apprentices to a craftsman to learn his trade. In the modern world, however, the main aim of education is to stimulate the child's mind and enable him to develop his personality and abilities to their limits.

The passage gives the idea that; in the past, education _____.

The writer emphasizes that, throughout history, in some way or another, _____.

One can conclude from the given passage that modern education _____.

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 had crossed the Atlantic and, in the following year, an airship flew from Europe to America. Already the motor car had come into use and was making life much easier. Telephones, also, were becoming fairly common. Politically and economically, people looked 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 more depressing stories 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. Already entire populations have been wiped out, and the only reason why no species has yet been finished off is due to the vastness and inaccessibility of the oceans. Hence, a few have always managed to escape, but how much longer can this go on?

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, many new mechanical and scientific methods will come into being to increase 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 as capsules, tablets, and pills. The thought of these highly artificial food constituents replacing present-day foods may not be very appetizing, 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 a man fears more than the touch of the unknown. He wants to know what is reaching him and to be able to recognize or at least classify it. A 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 give insufficient security: it is easy to tear them and pierce through to the naked, smooth, defenceless flesh of the victim. All the distances that the 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 _____.

England is famous for its gardens, and most people like gardening. This is possibly one reason why so many people prefer to live in houses rather than in flats. Particularly in suburban areas, it is possible to pass row after row of ordinary small houses, each one with its neatly kept patch of grass surrounded by a great variety of flowers and shrubs. Enthusiasts of gardening get a great amount of helpful advice from the television and magazines.

The passage stresses that as many English people are fond of gardening, _____.

The passage emphasizes that people interested in gardening _____.

The passage is regarded with _____.

Public libraries, maintained by the local authorities, are well developed and progressive, and everywhere permit people to borrow books without charge. The books in the lending section are always kept on open shelves, and library staffs are very helpful in getting books on request from other libraries through the exchange system. Most libraries report an increase in borrowing over the last few years, so television does not seem to be stopping people from reading, as it was feared that it would.

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

As stressed in the passage, people nowadays _____.

The passage gives us the impression that public libraries _____.

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 British territory ever since 1892. Disputes about who owns the islands go back to the eighteenth century. Argentina has long alleged that these islands, which they call the Malvinas, belong to them. They invaded the islands in April 1982 and the Falkland War lasted until July 1982 when British forces won them back. The Falkland War had a massive impact on Britain and is still controversial. Some people see it as a restoration of Britain's old imperial power.

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

According to the passage, the Falklands War _____.

One may infer from the passage that even today, Britain's hold over the Falkland Islands _____.