Sentence completion Practice exercise 1

Answer questions 1-5 which are based on the reading passage below.

The Halifax Explosion Reading Passage

Before the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima in 1945, the largest-ever
non-natural explosion had taken place in 1917 in the eastern Canadian port city
of Halifax. With the outbreak of World War I, Halifax was effectively transformed
into a boomtown. Convoys gathered weekly in Bedford Basin (the north-western
end of Halifax Harbour) in order to traverse the Atlantic, and Halifax Harbour
became heavy with vessels of one variety or another. This spike in boat traffic
was not dealt with efficiently, and collisions became almost normal.
On December 1st, 1917, the French vessel Mont Blanc left New York in order
to join a convoy in Halifax after being loaded with 226,797 kilograms of TNT (an
explosive), 223,188 kilograms of benzol (a type of gasoline), 1,602,519
kilograms of wet picric acid (an explosive), and 544,311 kilograms of dry picric
acid (another explosive). On December 6th, the Mont Blanc was ushered into
Halifax’s harbour after the U-boat nets had been raised.
At the same time, the cargoless Norwegian ship, Imo, left Bedford Basin en
route to New York in order to pick up relief items for transport to war-torn
Belgium. Imo was behind schedule and attempting to remedy that. She passed
a boat on the wrong side before sending a tugboat retreating to port. By the
time she reached the Narrows, she was in the wrong channel and going too fast.
The Mont Blanc sounded her whistle, but the Imo sounded back twice,
refusing to alter course. At the last moment, the Mont Blanc veered, and
the Imo reversed, but it was too late. From the gash formed in the French
boat’s hull seeped a noxious spiral of oily, orange-dappled smoke. Mont
Blanc’s crew rowed to shore on the Dartmouth side, but no one could decipher
their warnings. Their fiery vessel then casually drifted toward the Halifax side
where it came to rest against one of the piers.
This spectacle drew thousands of onlookers. People crowded docks and windows
filled with curious faces. As many as 1,600 died instantly when the boat
exploded. Around 9,000 were injured, 6,000 seriously so. Approximately 12,000
buildings were severely damaged; virtually every building in town was damaged
to some extent; 1,630 were rendered nonexistent. Around 6,000 people were
made homeless, and 25,000 people (half the population) were left without
suitable housing.

The Halifax Explosion, as it became known, was the largest manmade

detonation to date, approximately one-fifth the ferocity of the bomb later
dropped on Hiroshima. It sent up a column of smoke reckoned to be 7,000
metres in height. It was felt more than 480 kilometres away. It flung a ship gun
barrel some 5.5 kilometres, and part of an anchor, which weighed 517
kilograms, around 3 kilometres. The blast absolutely flattened a district known
as Richmond. It also caused a tsunami that saw a wave 18 metres above the
high-water mark depositing the Imo onto the shore of the Dartmouth side. The
pressure wave of air that was produced snapped trees, bent iron rails, and
grounded ships. That evening, a blizzard commenced, and it would continue
until the next day, leaving 40 centimetres of snow in its wake. Consequently,
many of those trapped within collapsed structures died of exposure. Historians
put the death toll of the Halifax Explosion at approximately 2,000.
Adapted from a passage in ‘A Sort of Homecoming – In Search of
Canada’ by Troy Parfitt

Questions 1-5
Complete the sentences using NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the
passage for each answer

1. During World War One, Halifax Harbour was unable to handle the increased
shipping traffic properly, and there were numerous __________.
2. The Imo was not in the correct _________and travelling too fast.
3. ___________of people were watching the burning ship when it exploded.
4. The Halifax Explosion had about ____________of the power of the Hiroshima
bomb.
5. Freezing weather brought by a blizzard caused the death of some survivors
who were __________under collapsed buildings.

Check answer for this exercise

Sentence completion Practice exercise 2

Answer Questions 1-7 which are based on the reading passage
below.

Alaskans’ vitamin D production slows

to a halt Reading Passage
Interested people are needed to participate in a one-year study to
assess the effects of long dark winters on the vitamin D and calcium
levels of Fairbanks residents.

So began a recruitment poster Meredith Tallas created 25 years ago. Now living
in Oakland, California, Tallas was a University of Alaska Fairbanks student in
1983 who wanted to study how levels of a vitamin related to sun exposure
fluctuated in people living so far from the equator. “The most obvious vitamin to
study in Alaska is vitamin D, because of the low light in winter,” Tallas said
recently over the phone from her office in Berkeley.

Forty-seven people responded to Tallas’ 1983 request, and her master’s project
was underway. By looking at the blood work of those Fairbanks residents every
month and analyzing their diets, she charted their levels of vitamin D, which our
skin magically produces after exposure to a certain amount of sunshine. We also
get vitamin D from foods, such as vitamin-D enriched milk and margarine, and
fish (salmon are a good source). Vitamin D is important for the prevention of
bone diseases, diabetes, and other maladies.
If you live at a latitude farther north than about 42 degrees (Boston, Detroit, or
Eugene, Oregon), the sun is too low on the horizon from November through
February for your skin to produce vitamin D, according to the National Institutes
of Health. Tallas also saw another potential Alaska limitation on the natural
pathway to vitamin D production.

“Most outdoor activity requires covering all but the face and hands
approximately seven months of the year,” she wrote in her thesis. “During the
summer months residents keep much of their bodies clothed because of the
persistent and annoying mosquitoes and biting flies and because of this, an
Alaskan summer suntan becomes one of the face and hands.”

But even over bundled people like Alaskans show signs of enhanced vitamin D
production from the sun. Tallas found the highest levels of vitamin D in the
Fairbanks volunteers’ blood in July, and the lowest levels in March. Tallas
attributed the July high occurring about a month after summer solstice to the
time needed for the body’s processing of sunlight and the conversion to vitamin
D.

In Tallas’ study, volunteers showed low levels of vitamin D in the winter months,
but most got sufficient doses of vitamin D from sources other than the sun.
Tallas also found that males had an average of 16 percent more vitamin D in
their blood throughout the study, which she attributed in part to men being
outside more.

In charting an average for people’s time outside (you can’t convert sunlight to
vitamin D through windows), she found December was the low point of sunlight
exposure when the sun struck the skin of her volunteers for less than 20
minutes per day. People spent an average of more than two hours exposed to
Alaska sunlight in June and July. They seemed to hunker down in October when
time outside in the sun dropped to about half an hour after almost two hours of
daily sun exposure in September.
Vitamin D levels in the volunteers’ blood dropped in August, September,
October, November, December, January, February, and March, but Tallas saw an
occasional leap in midwinter. “When someone had gone to Hawaii, we could
see, very exactly, a significant spike in their vitamin D levels,” Tallas said. “The
only surprise was how it came a month or two after.”

In her thesis, Tallas wrote that a midwinter trip to somewhere close to the
equator would be a good thing for boosting Alaskans’ vitamin D levels.
“Presuming that an individual’s lowest circulating vitamin D level is found in
March or April, such trips could potentially have a very significant effect in
improving late winter vitamin D status,” she wrote in her thesis. “Unfortunately
a majority of Alaskan residents do not take such trips often.” An easy alternative
for Alaskans not travelling southward during the winter is eating foods rich in
vitamin D or taking vitamin D supplements, Tallas said.

Questions 1 - 7
Complete the sentences below
Write ONE WORD ONLY from the passage for each answer.

1 Tallas invited Fairbank residents to her _____ through an advertisement.

2 Tallas examined the food intake as well as ______ samples of the subjects to
record their vitamin D levels.
3 As you move up _________, there is insufficient availability of sunlight.
4 To avoid insect bites, Alaskans remain almost entirely ______.

5 Spending more time _____ led to higher vitamin D levels in male volunteers.
6 At its lowest, Alaskans are exposed to the sun for only a few _________ every
day.
7 A _____ to sunny regions during winters can surge the vitamin D levels of
Alaskans.

Check answer for this exercise

Sentence completion Practice exercise
3
Answer questions 1-8 which are based on the reading passage
below.

How Geese Migrate Reading Passage

Weighing over twenty pounds, the Canada Goose is the largest in the world.
Generally, most geese weigh around 5 to 14 pounds. Females are smaller in size
than their male counterparts. A full-grown Canada goose has a wingspan of 50
to 75 inches.

The Canada goose is the most widely distributed in North America. The breeding
grounds of the geese cover the stretch from eastern Labrador to Western
Alaska, and it is the only goose in North America to breed south of 49°N. The
geese are known to occupy a wide range of habitats in temperate to low arctic
areas including The Tundra which is not so rich in geographical features, The
Boreal forest, The Parklands, The Prairies, meadows, and the higher mountains.

For most goose populations, nesting areas in the Arctic are secure; however, the
development of gas and oil industries poses a danger to these groups. During
migration, the geese head for warmer places where food is readily available.
Canada geese migrate in the V- formation and are always in large groups.
Scientists believe that geese travel in V-formation because of what is called the
‘drafting effect.’ It aids the birds to preserve their energy as they cover long
distances. The same paths are followed by the migrating birds each year. The
name given to these paths is ‘flyways’ or ‘routes’. The four flyways that the
Canada Geese use are: the Atlantic Flyway which is along the eastern coast of
North America, the Mississippi Flyway, the Central Flyway which spans the
Rocky Mountains, and the Pacific Flyway which is the route along the west of the
Rocky Mountains.
Canada geese follow seasonal patterns of migration. The autumn migration is
seen from September to the starting of November. The early migrant geese are
likely to migrate faster as they spend less time at the designated rest stops.
Some geese are known to return year after year to the same nesting grounds
and lay their eggs with their partners. The chicks are raised in the same way
every year. We know this from the records of many geese that have been
tagged by scientists on the East Coast. However, It has been noticed that a few
migratory populations of the Canada Goose are not flying as far south in the
winter months as they used to. This Northward range shift is probably because
of the availability of waste grain in the fall and winter months. Agricultural fields
offer food that is available in abundance and is also of superior quality for the
geese compared to natural crops. Changing weather patterns and hunting
pressure are the other reasons.

Every autumn, the snow geese move from their chief breeding area in central
Canada to Squaw Creek National Wildlife Refuge where they make a stopover
before moving to their destination in the Gulf of Mexico. They breed during the
Arctic summers and then migrate to Mexico to spend the winter. During the
summer, the young geese grow rapidly and become ready to fly. By the end of
August, the birds make their journey to Mexico with the young ones on their first
migration. They travel back to Canada in late spring along with their young
ones. Some birds make the entire journey without stopping for rest, making it a
journey of 70 straight hours of flying. Most of the geese are not inclined to make
a stop on their return journey north as they are eagerly waiting to mate.

The Squaw Creek National Park is an essential stopover for the geese on the
Central Flyway migratory route. The area was a private hunting area, but now
the wildlife here is protected by law.

Questions 1 - 8
Complete the sentences below.
Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each
answer.

1 The geese live in various types of ________.

2 Extraction of ______ and ______ in the Arctic can be a threat to goose
population.
3 Migrating geese can save energy due to the _______ created by flying in V-
formation.
4 Some groups of Canada goose do not migrate to the far south anymore
because they can get plentiful _______ on farmlands.
5 After _______ in central Canada, Snow geese migrate to Mexico for the winters.
6 The return journey to Canada takes place by the end of ________.
7 Some geese do not take _______ as they fly back to the north.
8 _________ is not allowed in the Squaw Creek National Park.

Diagram Labelling Practice exercise1

School Experiments Reading Passage
It is essential when conducting this experiment to wear safety goggles. This
experiment is divided into four distinct sections. The first, the reaction stage, is
when a glass beaker is placed on top of a tripod, and 20cm of dilute sulphuric
acid poured into it. The acid is then heated. When it is almost boiling, a small
quantity of copper oxide powder is added to the beaker. The mixture is then
stirred with a glass spatula until the copper oxide has dissolved. This process is
then repeated until 1g of powder has been added to the sulphuric acid. The heat
is then removed from the beaker and the solution allowed to cool. The second
stage is the filtration stage and, as the name suggests, is where a filter and
conical flask are used to remove any copper oxide that has not reacted. A clear
copper sulphate solution will be left in the glass dish. The third stage is where
heat is applied to the copper sulphate solution in order to concentrate the
solution: the concentration stage. The final crystallization stage happens when
the solution begins to cool, and pure copper sulphate crystals start to form.

Questions 1 – 6
The diagram below shows how copper sulphate can be made using simple
laboratory equipment.

Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER from the

passage for each answer.

Label the diagram.

Diagram labelling Practice exercise 2

The platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus)
Reading Passage
The platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) is one of the most unusual, unlikely
and evolutionary distinct animals alive. According to the BBC, the first time a
platypus was brought from Australia to Britain, people believed that a
hoodwinker had sewn two animals together and that they were the victims of a
hoax. Platypuses are best described as a hotchpotch of more recognizable
species such as the duck, beaver or otter. The physical structure, habitat and
reproduction system of the platypus makes it an interesting and unique
mammal.

Weighing around three pounds, the platypus measures 15 inches (38 cm) from
its head to lower back. The tail adds about 5 inches (13 cm). However, the
creatures inhabiting colder regions are bigger. The physiology of the platypus is
adapted for survival on land as well as in water. The shape of its bill gives it the
name duck-billed platypus. This flexible body part is smooth like suede and has
receptors for navigation and detection of movements of freely-swimming food,
such as shrimp. The eyes and ears located in the grooves behind the bill are
covered by folds of skin and a watertight seal that closes the nostrils when it is
underwater. Platypuses have thick waterproof fur which allows them to stay
warm underwater. Although most of its fur is dark brown, a patch near the eyes
and on the underside is of a lighter shade. When on land, the webbing on their
feet retracts, making their claws more pronounced and hence, these animals
walk awkwardly on their knuckles to protect the web.

Yet another peculiar fact about these animals is that they are one of the very
few mammals which are poisonous. Male platypuses have a horny spur on the
ankles of their hind feet. It is connected to a venom gland in the upper leg. It
releases a poison capable of causing excruciating pain to humans and is also
capable of killing other small animals. Fat is stored in the tail.

These mammals inhabit only one small area of the world. Platypuses make their
homes in freshwater bodies that flow throughout the eastern and south-eastern
coasts of Australia and the island of Tasmania. Though these creatures exist
only on one side of one continent, platypuses can be found in various climate
extremes such as in lowlands, plateaus, cold mountains and tropical rainforests.
Although platypuses spend a lot of time in the water, they waddle onto the
riverbanks to claw through the mud using their nails and feet to make burrows
which are tunnels with chambers or rooms. They can also reside under debris,
rock ledges or roots.

Platypuses are nocturnal and hence are most actively hunting during the night
which can last for about 10 to 12 hours. Hunting for food takes place under the
water. As they swim, they try to detect food such as insects, larvae, worms or
shellfish along the muddy bottom of the water body. They scoop the prey in
their bills, store it in cheek pouches and swim to the surface. Because they do
not have teeth but grinding plates, they use the gravel and dirt that they
scooped up to fragment their food into digestible portions.

The platypus is listed as a species of ‘least concern’ by the International Union

for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). However, being a carnivore, its role as that of
controlling the population of species in the lower level of the food chain cannot
be ignored. The biggest threats include natural predators such as snakes, water
rats and goannas, and some introduced animals such as foxes, dogs and cats.
Human activities such as land clearing and dams are the biggest threat to the
loss of habitat. However, platypuses have been able to evade most of the
human intrusion of their natural environment.

Questions 1-6
Label the diagram below.

Write ONE WORD ONLY from the passage for each answer.
Check answer for this exercise-2

Diagram Labelling Practice exercise 3

How Does Night Vision Work Reading
Passage
Night vision technology has transformed from old-fashioned bulky devices to
compact sophisticated equipment that can intensify any light source up to
50,000 times. A device for night vision was first developed in the 1930s by the
German military, and later by the Americans. Today, it has become an essential
device in the kit of soldiers, permitting them to find out their targets in reduced
visibility or complete darkness and move around in comparative safety as there
are fewer chances of a surprise attack. ‘It improves their mobility, their
survivability and their lethality’, says Lt. Col. Timothy Fuller.
So, what makes night vision possible? Light is an electromagnetic wave, and the
entire range of light that exists is termed as the electromagnetic spectrum. The
light visible to humans is only a part of this spectrum, while infrared light and
ultraviolet light are invisible to naked eyes. The night vision devices work on two
different technologies. The first is image enhancement using the tiny amount of
light available which is collected and amplified to the extent that we can easily
see the image. Thermal imaging, on the other hand, functions by capturing the
higher areas of the infrared spectrum, which is radiated by objects as heat
instead of light.

Even on dark nights, the stars and the moon emit near-infrared light. In a device
that works on image enhancement technique, this faint light is captured to
amplify it to a visible level. As the light consisting of photons enters the front
lens of the image intensifier tube, it hits a photocathode which converts the
photons into electrons. These electrons multiply as they pass through a thin
microchannel plate. At the end of the tube, the electrons strike a phosphor
screen which converts them back into photons and creates an image, usually
green, on the screen. Since more photons are emerging than those which
entered the tube, the image is much brighter than the original scene. Rich Urich,
director of operations at Night Vision Equipment Company in Prescott Valley
Arizona, says, ‘The reason it is green is because when you put the unit down,
you want your eyes to remain dilated so you can see in dim light.’

Thermal imaging devices record the temperature difference between an object

and its surroundings using a sensor called a microbolometer. An image of the
object is created, which is then sent to the display where the user can see it.
However, it is not only in warfare that this technology finds use. Night vision
equipment is used extensively by law enforcement departments to detect
criminals in the dark. They are also used on borders to keep a check on illegal
crossings. The technology is also used to find leaks and repair insulation in
homes.
Questions 1-5
Label the diagram below.

Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer.

The chicken egg

Chicken egg consists of six main parts: albumin, yolk, shell, germinal
disc, chalaza and air cell. In further paragraphs we will learn all the
important information you need to know about these parts.

One of the main parts of the egg is yolk - the yellow, inner part of the
egg where the embryo will form. The yolk contains the food that will
nourish the embryo as it grows. Yolk is a major source of vitamins,
minerals, almost half of the protein, and all of the fat and cholesterol.
The yolk contains less water and more protein than the white part of the
egg, some fat, and most of the vitamins and minerals of the egg. The
yolk is also a source of lecithin, an effective emulsifier. Yolk color ranges
from just a hint of yellow to a magnificent deep orange, according to the
feed and breed of the hen. Yolk is anchored by chalaza - a spiral, rope-
like strand that anchors the yolk in the thick egg white. There are two
chalazae anchoring each yolk; one on the top and one on the bottom.

Another very important part of the egg is the albumin, which is the
inner thick white part of the egg. This part of the egg is a excellent
source of riboflavin and protein. In high-quality eggs, the inner thick
albumen stands higher and spreads less than thin white. In low-quality
eggs, it appears thin white.

Now let's talk about the outer part of the egg - the shell It is a hard,
protective coating of the egg. It is semi-permeable; it lets gas exchange
occur, but keeps other substances from entering the egg. The shell is
made of calcium carbonate and is covered with as many as 17,000 tiny
pores.

Air cell is an air space that forms when the contents of the egg cool
and contract after the egg is laid. The air cell usually rests between the
outer and inner membranes at the eggs larger end. As the egg ages,
moisture and carbon dioxide leave through the pores of the shell, air
enters to replace them and the air cell becomes larger.

And last but not least, let's look at the germinal disc. It's a small,
circular, white spot (2-3 mm across) on the surface of the yolk; it is
where the sperm enters the egg. The nucleus of the egg is in the
blastodisc. The embryo develops from this disk, and gradually sends
blood vessels into the yolk to use it for nutrition as the embryo develops.

Complete the diagram below.

Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for

each answer. Do not write articles.
1. Hide hint

You can read in the first sentence of the fourth paragraph:

"Now let's talk about the outer part of the egg - the shell It is a
hard, protective coating of the egg. So the first part of the
diagram should be labeled shell.

2. Hide hint

In the last paragraph we can read about the germinal disc,

which is descibed as "a small, circular, white spot (2-3 mm
across) on the surface of the yolk". And it means that germinal
disc is the correct answer for the question 2.

3. Hide hint
 In the end of the second we can read that "Yolk is anchored
by chalaza - a spiral, rope-like strand that anchors the yolk in
the thick egg white. There are two chalazae anchoring each
yolk; one on the top and one on the bottom. This description
makes it clear that chalaza is the right answer to the question
3.

4. Hide hint

The first question of the third paragraph says: "Another very

important part of the egg is the albumin, which is the inner
thick white part of the egg. So albumin is the answer to the 4
question.

5. Hide hint

It second paragraph we can read about yolk. "One of the main

parts of the egg is yolk - the yellow, inner part of the egg
where the embryo will form..." It means that you should
answer yolk in the 5 question.

6. Hide hint

Fifth paragraph tells us about the air cell. "Air cell is an air
space that forms when the contents of the egg cool and
contract after the egg is laid. The air cell usually rests between
 the outer and inner membranes at the eggs larger end". This
clearly indicates that air cell is the right answer to the question
6.

Answer for Practice Exercise

You will find the answers for practice exercises 1, 2, and 3 right here.

School Experiments Reading Answers

(Note: The text in italics is from the reading passage and shows the
location from where the answer is taken or inferred. The text in regular
font explains the answer in detail.)
1. Filtration
Explanation : The second stage is the filtration stage and, …..

2. Crystallization
Explanation : The final crystallization stage happens when the solution
begins to cool, and pure copper sulphate crystals start to form.Answers 1
and 2 can be understood from the mentioned information that defines
stages. The two stages( out of four) are mentioned in the diagram. As it is a
list, similar information is required. The guiding words for you are: first,
second, third and final.
3. Copper oxide powder
Explanation : When it is almost boiling, a small quantity of copper oxide
powder is added to the beaker.
The process of heating is mentioned in the diagram, and the arrow at
Question 3 indicates the addition of an element.
4. Remove copper oxide / filter copper oxide
Explanation : The second stage is the filtration stage and, as the name
suggests, is where a filter and conical flask are used to remove any copper
oxide that has not reacted.
The dimensions of the flask and the shaded portion in the flask indicate the
residue in the filter.
5. Copper sulphate solution
Explanation : A clear copper sulphate solution will be left in the glass dish.
The third stage is where heat is applied to the copper sulphate solution in
order to concentrate the solution; the concentration stage.
The shape of the dish, the heat are indicators of what is obtained next.
6. Copper sulphate crystals
Explanation : The final crystallization stage happens when the solution
begins to cool, and pure copper sulphate crystals start to form.
The keyword ‘final’ guides you to the answer and the shape of the contents
also lead you to the word ‘crystals’.

The Platypus (ornithorhynchus

anatinus) Reading Answers
(Note: The text in italics is from the reading passage and shows the
location from where the answer is taken or inferred. The text in the
regular font explains the answer in detail.)

1. Food
Explanation: Paragraph 2 - The shape of its bill gives it the name duck-
billed platypus. This flexible body part is smooth like suede and has
receptors for navigation and detection of movements of freely-swimming
food, such as shrimp.
2. Nostrils
Explanation: Paragraph 2 - The eyes and ears located in the grooves
behind the bill are covered by folds of skin and a watertight seal that closes
the nostrils when it is underwater.
3. Webbing
Explanation: Paragraph 2 - When on land, the webbing on their feet
retracts, making their claws more pronounced …
4. Spur
Explanation: Paragraph 3 - Male platypuses have a horny spur on the
ankles of their hind feet. It is connected to a venom gland in the upper leg. It
releases a poison …
5. Fat
Explanation: Paragraph 3 - Fat is stored in the tail.

6. Fur
Explanation: Paragraph 2 - Platypuses have thick waterproof fur which
allows them to stay warm underwater.

How does night vision work Reading

Answers
(Note: The text in italics is from the reading passage and shows the
location from where the answer is taken or inferred. The text in the
regular font explains the answer in detail.)
1. Image intensifier
Explanation: Paragraph 3 - As the light consisting of photons enters the
front lens of the image intensifier tube, ...

2. photocathode
Explanation: Paragraph 3 - ... it hits a photocathode which converts the
photons into electrons.
3. Microchannel plate
Explanation: Paragraph 3 - These electrons multiply as they pass through
a thin microchannel plate.

4. Phosphor screen
Explanation: Paragraph 3 - At the end of the tube, the electrons strike a
phosphor screen which converts them back into photons ...

5. Green
Explanation: Paragraph 3 - ... and creates an image, usually green, on the
screen. Since more photons are emerging than those which entered the
tube, the image is much brighter than the original scene.

Summary Completion Practice Exercise

1
Evolution Of Museums Reading
Passage
Part A

The very first museums of the world were private collections of

objects by wealthy people and institutions. The objects in these
museums were displayed in Cabinets of Curiosities, also called
Cabinets of Wonder or Wonder Rooms. The word “cabinet” was then
used to describe a room and not a piece of furniture. The oldest
recorded example of such was the Ennigaldi Nanna’s museum that
was located in Mesopotamia. It was founded in 530 BC.

Before the 18th century, only elite or respectable members of

society, by the standards of that era, could visit museums with
permission from the owner and the staff. The first museums to be
opened for the general public were the British Museum in London in
1759 and the Uffizi Gallery in Florence in 1765. However, even
though they were no longer exclusive places, only people from the
middle and upper class were privileged with a written permission
request. Also, the visitations were often limited to a few hours. The
first public museum in its true sense was the Louvre in Paris which
was opened in 1793 to people of any status and age, emerging as
an agent of nationalistic fervor.

In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, societies began

to regard museums as centers of the production of new knowledge.
Historical museums shifted focus to display scientific discoveries
and artistic developments with collections that could be useful for
research also. Over the twentieth century, as cities increased in size,
wealth, and population, more museums developed. These were
shaped by the public response to education and entertainment.
Greater funding was directed towards the development of modern
museums. Study programs dedicated to the field of art and culture
were created to promote the growth of museums, and activities
such as the collection and preservation of artifacts such as paintings
or sculptures had consequently become more organized. Even
wealthy industrialists such as Henry Ford and Henry Mercer
contributed their collections leading to the development of more
privately run museums.

Part B

A breeze of change was once again felt in the early 21st century.
Museums were no longer anchored to the national ideal and today’s
new museums attract intellectuals as well as tourists and students.
Attitudes toward museums have become more favorable as people
no longer view them as boring, cold places that drag you to the
past.

One of the main factors that have contributed to this is technology.

Modern museums have embraced technology with considerable use
of multimedia, digital displays, touch screens as well as other
interactive technologies. Some museums, such as the Metropolitan
Museum of Art in New York, use technology that allows visitors to
see the objects, hear or read about the collection on their
smartphones by scanning the artwork. Other national museums
have also followed suit by embracing mobile interactivity. The
Smithsonian Institution, which is the world’s largest museum and
research complex containing 19 museums and galleries, provides
cell phone tours, interactive games like Pheon, which is a
multimedia scavenger hunt game, multilingual slideshows, and even
augmented reality apps such as one from the postal museum
showing Owney, the mascot of the Railway Mail Service.

Additionally, there are some museums such as the National Museum

of African Art that have the Artists in Dialogue 2 app, which allows
for visual calls and responses that cut across physical and political
borders. The app facilitates a guided tour of the museum with the
curator virtually, and also allows the user to experiment with the
artistic technique in a virtual art-development game. The user can
even communicate with active groups of the museum on social
media.

So far, technology has provided modern-day museums with the

opportunity to share images and works of art with more people than
ever before. However, the conclusion is that technology is
enhancing and not replacing the brick and mortar museums since
technology cannot replace a live experience for the viewer such as
live interaction with the experts, emotional reactions, and the
physicality of artworks.

Questions 1 - 5
Complete the summary below.
Write ONE WORD ONLY from Part A of the passage for each answer.

The earliest museums displayed personal 1______ belonging to rich

people, and until the eighteenth century, only the elite class could
visit these places. In the latter half of the century, the British
Museum and the Uffizi Gallery opened their doors for the 2 _______,
but not without restrictions. Finally, in 1793, the Louvre in Paris
allowed access irrespective of class and 3 _______ and became a key
factor in promoting nationalistic emotions.

By the early twentieth century, museums had started gaining

recognition as centers of knowledge. The 4 ______ had moved from
history to art and science. During this century, with urbanization and
more funds coming in, museums were modified to provide learning
as well as 5 _______.

Questions 6 - 9
Complete the summary based on Part B of the passage using the list of
words, A- G, below.

Museums of 21st century

Modern museums have become 6 ________ places to visit with the

adoption of various interactive technologies. In the Metropolitan
Museum of Art in New York, visitors can get 7________ about any
artwork by scanning it through their smartphones. The National
Museum of African Art provides the opportunity for a virtual 8
________ with the curator, artists, and social media groups through
an app. Thus, the latest technology is 9 _______ the existing
museums by giving an enriched experience to the visitors.

A - dull
B - communication
C - information
D - tour
E - interesting
F - complementing
G - replacing

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Summary Completion Practice Exercise

2

The Origin Of The Earth And The

Universe - Different
Theories Reading Passage
When we talk of evolution, we generally refer to the biological
evolution of living beings. However, evolution also refers to the
processes by which galaxies, stars, planets, and the universe come
into existence and change. Though these processes are quite
different, the common fact is the change over time. But for centuries
scientists held the belief that the universe always remained the
same.
In 1929, Edwin Hubble, an American astronomer, made an
interesting observation that distant galaxies and stars are moving
away from the Earth in all directions. This led to Hubble’s hypothesis
that the universe is not static but is expanding. He also discovered
that the speeds with which galaxies are racing away from each
other increase with the increasing distances between them and this
has been proved now by various repeated measurements.

Certain deductions can be made from Hubble’s hypothesis of an

expanding universe. One of them is that in a previous era the
universe was more condensed. This suggests that all the matter and
energy in the universe were earlier condensed in a tiny and
extremely hot mass. A massive explosion, called the Big Bang,
occurred around 13.8 billion years ago and it sent energy and
matter expanding in every direction at a very high speed.

As the universe continued to expand, matter gathered into clouds

that started to condense and then rotate, forming the predecessors
of the galaxies. Due to the changes in pressure inside galaxies,
including our own Milky Way, dust and gas formed distinct clouds.
Further, some of these clouds collapsed due to the gravitational
attraction as there was enough mass, and the correct forces were at
play. When the cloud material mass was adequately compressed,
nuclear reactions took place leading to the birth of a star. Our sun,
for example, formed in the center of a flattened spinning disk of
matter.

After the formation of the sun, the remaining dust and gas present
in this disk collided and clumped into grains which further combined
to form very small planets called planetesimals. Some of these were
several hundred kilometers in diameter. These planetesimals then
coalesced into nine planets with many satellites. The rocky planets
like Earth were formed near the sun, while gaseous planets were
located in distant orbits.

According to another theory, which is propounded by some religions

as well as scientists, the universe was created by God. This theory
also termed ‘theistic evolution, claims that God is the driving force
behind the physical and biological evolution that created the solar
system and life on Earth. The proponents of this creationist theory
have various viewpoints. Some feel that the Earth and universe are
comparatively young - around 6,000 to 10,000 years old. These
people also believe that the existing form of Earth is due to
‘catastrophism’ which included a worldwide flood, and there was
miraculous creation of humans and all living things as they are
today.

There are other advocates of creationist theory who accept the fact
that the Earth, the stars, and the planets could have been in
existence a million years ago. However, they argue that the
presence of living organisms, especially humans, is due to the
intervention of supernatural powers as creation shows ‘intelligent
design.’ Even though such theories abound, there is no valid
scientific information that suggests that Earth came into being only
a few thousand years ago.

It is not surprising that there are so many theories trying to explain

the origins of the Earth and the universe, as the vastness of space
has always fascinated mankind. However, one has to ask, will
researchers ever be able to prove what led to the creation of the
universe and our wonderful planet or will we have to satisfy
ourselves with various theories and conjectures? Only time will tell.

Questions 1 - 7
Complete the summary below.
Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each
answer.

The belief regarding the permanence of the universe was

contradicted when in 1929, Edwin Hubble discovered that the
various celestial bodies are receding from 1 _______ in every
direction and the speeds of recession are directly related to
growing 2 _______. It gave the theory of a 3 _________ universe. It can
be inferred from Hubble’s hypothesis that initially, the universe was
extremely hot and highly 4________ and a huge explosion resulted in
its continuing expansion. Gradually, the matter combined to form
clouds that started rotating, resulting in galaxies. In the presence of
the right forces, physical and chemical interactions took place within
the galaxies. Consequently, stars and other celestial bodies evolved
from the gas and 5 ______.

On the other hand, according to ‘theistic evolution’ theory, God has

created the universe. Though the supporters of this view are divided
over the age of the Earth, and a group believes that the Earth
evolved in its present form due to 6 _______, they all agree that all
life forms especially humans are the creation of God due to their 7
________.

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Summary Completion Practice Exercise

3
An Era of Abundance Reading Passage
Our Knowledge of the complex pathways underlying digestive
processes is rapidly expanding, although there is still a great deal
we do not fully understand. On the one hand, digestion, like any
other major human biological system, is astonishing in its intricacy
and cleverness. Our bodies manage to extract the complex
resources needed to survive, despite sharply varying conditions,
while at the same time, filtering out a multiplicity of toxins.

On the other hand, our bodies evolved in a very different era. Our
digestive processes, in particular, are optimized for a situation that
is dramatically dissimilar to the one we find ourselves in. For most of
our biological heritage, there was a high likelihood that the next
foraging or hunting season (and for a brief, relatively recent period,
the next planting season) might be catastrophically lean. So, it
made sense for our bodies to hold on to every possible calorie.
Today, this biological strategy is extremely counterproductive. Our
outdated metabolic programming underlies our contemporary
epidemic of obesity and fuels pathological processes of
degenerative diseases such as coronary artery disease, and type ll
diabetes.

Up until recently (on an evolutionary timescale), it was not in the

interest of the species for old people like myself (I was born in 1948)
to use up the limited resources of the clan. Evolution favored a short
lifespan-life expectancy was 37 years only two centuries ago-so
these restricted reserves could be devoted to the young, those
caring for them, and laborers strong enough to perform intense
physical work. We now live in an era of great material abundance.
Most work requires mental effort rather than physical exertion. A
century ago, 30 percent of the U.S. workforce worked on farms, with
another 30 percent deployed in factories. Both of these figures are
now under 3 percent. The significant majority of today's job
categories, ranging from airline flight attendants to web designers,
simply didn't exist a century ago.

Our species has already augmented the “natural” order of our life
cycle through our technology: drugs, supplements, replacement
parts for virtually all bodily systems, and many other interventions.
We already have devices to replace our hips, knees, shoulders,
elbows, wrists, jaws, teeth, skin, arteries, veins, heart valves, arms,
legs, feet, fingers, and toes. Systems to replace more complex
organs (for example, our hearts) are beginning to work. As we're
learning the principles of operation of the human body and the
brain, we will soon be in a position to design vastly superior systems
that will be more enjoyable, last longer, and perform better, without
susceptibility to breakdown, disease, and aging.

In a famous scene from the movie, The Graduate, Benjamin's

mentor gives him career advice in a single word: "plastics." Today,
that word might be "software," or "biotechnology”. but in another
couple of decades, the word is likely to be "nanobots." Nanobots-
blood-cell-sized robots will provide the means to radically redesign
our digestive systems, and incidentally, just about everything else.

Questions 1-8
Complete the summary below.

Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the passage for

each answer

In the past it was essential to hoard our calories for as long as

possible because our food source was mainly restricted
to 1 __________or 2 __________which brought in irregular supplies.
However, these reserves were intended for the young or 3. _________
Because they had the power and energy to work hard. Nowadays,
the focus has moved away from jobs on 4. __________and
in 5. ___________to jobs that were not available 6. ____________.
Through technology, it has now become possible to replace body 7.
____________and as techniques improve we will be able to develop
better 8. __________to improve the quality of life.

Check answer for this exercise

Answer for practice exercises

You will discover the answers for practice exercises 1,2 and 3 here.

Evolution of Musems Reading Answers

(Note: The text in italics is from the reading passage and
shows the location from where the answer is taken or
inferred. The text in the regular font explains the answer in
detail.)

1. Collection/objects
Explanation: The very first museums of the world were
private collections of objects by wealthy people and institutions.

2. Public
Explanation: The first museums to be opened for the
general public were the British Museum in London in 1759 and the Uffizi
Gallery in Florence in 1765.
3. Age
Explanation: The first public museum in its true sense was the Louvre in
Paris which was opened in 1793 to people of any status and age, emerging
as an agent of nationalistic fervor.

4. Focus
Explanation: In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries,
societies began to regard museums as centers of production of new
knowledge. Historical museums shifted focus to display of scientific
discoveries and artistic developments

5. Entertainment
Explanation: Over the twentieth century, as cities increased in size,
wealth, and population, more museums developed. These were shaped by
the public response to education and entertainment. Greater funding was
directed towards the development of modern museums.

6. E - Interesting
Explanation: Attitudes toward museums have become more favorable as
people no longer view them as boring, cold places.

7. C - Information
Explanation: the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, use technology
that allows visitors to see the objects, hear or read about the collection on
their smartphones by scanning the artwork.

8. B - Communication
Explanation: the National Museum of African Art has the Artists in
Dialogue 2 app, which allows for visual calls and responses that cut across
physical and political borders. The app facilitates a guided tour of the
museum with the curator virtually, ... the user can even communicate with
active groups of the museum on social media.

9. F - Complementing
Explanation: …technology is enhancing and not replacing the brick
and mortar museums ...

The Origin Of The Earth And The

Universe - Different Theories Reading
Answers
(Note: The text in italics is from the reading passage and
shows the location from where the answer is taken or
inferred. The text in the regular font explains the answer in
detail.)

1. (the) Earth
Explanation: In 1929, Edwin Hubble, an American astronomer, made an
interesting observation that distant galaxies and stars are moving away from
the Earth in all directions.

2. distances
Explanation: ... speeds with which galaxies are racing away from each
other increase with the increasing distances between them ...

3. expanding
Explanation: This led to Hubble’s hypothesis that the universe is not
static but is expanding.
Paragraph 3 - Certain deductions can be made from Hubble’s hypothesis
of an expanding universe.
4. condensed
Explanation: Paragraph 3 - ... the universe, in a previous era, was
more condensed. This suggests that all the matter and energy in the
universe were earlier condensed in a minute extremely hot mass.

5. (remaining) dust
Explanation: Paragraph 4 - Due to the changes in pressure inside
galaxies, ... dust and gas formed distinct clouds. Further, some of these
clouds collapsed due to the gravitational attraction as there was enough
mass, and the correct forces were at play. When the cloud material mass
was adequately compressed, nuclear reactions resulted and led to the birth
of a star.
Paragraph 5 - After the formation of the sun, the remaining dust and
gas ... combined to form very small planets called planetesimals. ... These
planetesimals then coalesced into nine planets with many satellites.

6. catastrophism
Explanation: Paragraph 6 - The proponents of the creationist theory
have various viewpoints ... These people also believe that the existing form
of Earth is due to ‘catastrophism’...

7. intelligent design
Explanation: Paragraph 7 - However, they argue that the presence of
living organisms, especially humans, is due to the intervention of
supernatural power as creation shows ‘intelligent design.’
An Era of Abundance Reading Answers
1. Foraging

2. Hunting

Explanation: Paragraph 2- For most of our biological heritage,

there was a high likelihood
that the next foraging or hunting season (and for a brief relatively
recent period, the next planting season) might be catastrophically
lean. So, it made sense for our bodies to hold on
to every possible calorie.

3. Labourers

Explanation: Paragraph 3- Evolution favored a short lifespan -life

expectancy years only two centuries ago- so these restricted
reserves could be devoted to the young, those caring for them, and
laborers strong enough to perform intense physical work.

4. Farms

5. Factories

6. A century ago

Explanation: Paragraph 4 - A century ago, 30 percent of the U.S.

worked on farms, with another 30 percent deployed in factories.
Both of these figures are now under 3 percent. The significant
majority of today's job categories, ranging from airline flight
attendants to web designers, simply didn't exist a century ago.
7. Parts/organs

8. Systems
Explanation: Paragraph 5 - Our species has already augmented
the “natural” order of our life cycle through our technology: drugs,
supplements, replacement parts for virtually all bodily systems, …
systems to replace more complex organs … As we’re learning the
principles of operation of the human body and the brain, we will
soon be in a position to design vastly superior systems that will be
more enjoyable, last longer, and perform better, without
susceptibility to breakdown, disease, and aging.