l its eccentricities, the sea cucumber has subsisted on its diet of mud. It is adaptable enough to live attached to rocks by its tube feet, under rocks in shallow water, or on the surface of mud flats. Common in cool water on both Atlantic and Pacific shores, it has the ability to suck up mud or sand and digest whatever nutrients are present.ª¥Sea cucumbers come in a variety of colors, ranging from black to reddishª²brown to sandª²color and nearly white. One form even has vivid purple tentacles. Usually the creatures are cucumberª²shaped¡ªhence their name¡ªand because they are typically rock inhabitants, this shape, combined with flexibility, enables them to squeeze into crevices where they are safe from predators and ocean currents.ª¥Although they have voracious appetites, eating day and night, sea cucumbers have the capacity to become quiescent and live at a low metabolic rate¡ªfeeding sparingly or not at all for long periods, so that the marine organisms that provid their food have a chance to multiply. If it were not for this faculty, they would devour all the food available in a short time and would probably starve themselves out of existence.ª¥But the most spectacular thing about the sea cucumber is the way it defends itself. Its major enemies are fish and crabs, when attacked, it squirts all its internal organs into water. It also casts off attached structures such as tentacles. The sea cucumber will eviscerate and regenerate itself if it is attacked or even touched; it will do the same if the surrounding water temperature is too high or if the water becomes too polluted.ª¤

20.  According to the passage, why is the shape of sea cucumbers important?ª¤

A. It helps them to digest their food.ª¤

B. It helps them to protect themselves from danger.ª¤

C. It makes it easier for them to move through the mud.ª¤

D. It makes them attractive to fish. ª¤

21.  The fourth paragraph of the passage primarily discusses ª©____ªª.ª¤

A. the reproduction of sea cucumbersª¤

B. the food sources of sea cucumbersª¤

C. the eating habits of sea cucumbersª¤

D. threats to sea cucumbers¡¯ existence ª¤



22.  What can be inferred about the defence mechanisms of the sea cucumber?ª¤

A. They are very sensitive to surrounding stimuli.ª¤

B. They are almost useless.ª¤

C. They require group cooperation.ª¤

D. They are similar to those of most sea creatures. ª¤

23.  Which of the following would NOT cause a sea cucumber to release its

internal    organs into the water?ª¤

A. A touch.  B. Food.ª¤

C. Unusually warm water.  D. Pollution.  ª¤





TEXT C



   Human beings have used tools for a very long time. In some parts of the world you can still find tools that people used more than two million years ago. They made these tools by hitting one stone against another. In this way, they broke off pieces from one of the stones. These chips of stone were usually sharp on one side. People used them for cutting meat and skin from dead animals, and also for making other tools out of wood. Human beings needed to use tools because they did not have sharp teeth like other meatª²eating animals, such as lions and tigers. Tools helped people to get food more easily. ª¥Working with tools also helped to develop human intelligence. The human brain grew bigger, and human beings began to invent more and more tools and machines. The stone chip was one of the first tools that people used, and perhaps it is the most important. Some scientists say that it was the key to success of mankind.ª¥Since 1960 a new kind of tool has appeared. This is the silicon chip¡ªa little chip of silicon crystal. It is smaller than a fingerª²nail, but it can store more than a million ¡°bits¡± of information. It is an electronic brain.Every year these chips get cleverer, but their size gets smaller, and their cost gets less. They are used in watches, calculators and intelligent machines that we can use in many ways.ª¥In the future we will not need to work with tools in the old way. Machines will do everything for us. They will even talk and play games with us. People will have plenty of spare time. But what will they do with it?ª¥Human beings used stone chips for more than two million years, but human life changed very little in that time. We have used silicon chips for only a few years, but life is changing faster every day. What will life be like twenty years from now? What will the world be like two million years from now?ª¤

24.  The stone chip is thought to be the most important tool because it ______.ª¤

A. was one of the first toolsª¤

B. developed human capabilitiesª¤

C. led to the invention of machinesª¤

D. was crucial to the development of mankind ª¤

25.  At the end of the passage the author seems to suggest that life in future is ª©______.ª¤

A. disastrous  B. unpredictableª¤

C. exciting  D. colorful ª¤





TEXT D



   California is a land of variety and contrast. Almost every type of physical land feature, sort of arctic ice fields and tropical jungles can be found within its borders. Sharply contrasting types of land often lie very close to one another.ª¥People living in Bakersfield, for instance, can visit the Pacific Ocean and the coastal plain, the fertile San Joaquin Valley, the arid Mojave Desert, and the high Sierra Nevada, all within a radius of about 100 miles. In other areas it is possible to go snow skiing in the morning and surfing in the evening of the same day, without having to travel long distance.ª¥Contrast abounds in California. The highest point in the United States (outside Alaska ) is in California, and so is the lowest point (including Alaska). Mount Whitney, 14,494 feet above sea level, is separated from Death Valley, 282 feet below sea level, by a distance of only 100 miles. The two areas have a difference in altitude of almost three miles.ª¥California has deep, clear mountain lakes like Lake Tahoe, the deepest in the country, but it also has shallow, salty desert lakes. It has Lake Tulainyo, 12,020 feet above sea level, and the lowest lake in the country, the Salton Sea, 236 feet below sea level. Some of its lakes, like Owens Lake in Death Valley, are not lakes at all: they are driedª²up lake beds.ª¥In addition to mountains, lakes, valleys, deserts, and plateaus, California has its Pacific coastline, stretching longer than the coastlines of Oregon and Washington combined.ª¤

26.  Which of the following is the lowest point in the United States?ª¤

A. Lake Tulainyo.ª¤B. Mojave desert.ª¤

C. Death Valley.ª¤D. The Salton Sea. ª¤

27.  Where is the highest point in the United States located?ª¤

A. Lake Tahoe.ª¤B. Sierra Nevada.ª¤

C. Mount Whitney.ª¤D. Alaska. ª¤

28.  How far away is Death Valley from Mount Whitney?ª¤

A. About 3 miles.ª¤B. Only 100 miles.ª¤

C. 282 feet.ª¤D. 14,494 feet. ª¤

29.  Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage as being within a radius of about 100 miles of Bakersfield?ª¤

A. The Pacific Ocean.ª¤

B. San Joaquin Valley.ª¤

C. Mojave Desert.ª¤

D. Oregon and Washington. ª¤

30.  Which statement best demonstrates that California is a land of variety and contrast?ª¤

A. The highest lake in California is Lake Tulainyo.ª¤

B.  It is possible to go surfing and snow skiing in some parts of California without having to travel long distance. ª¤

C.  Sierra Nevada, San Joaquin Valley, Mojave Desert and the Pacific Ocean

all lie within a radius of about 100 miles. ª¤

D. Owens Lake, in Death Valley, is not really a lake at all. ª¤


SKIMMING AND SCANNING £Û5 MIN.£Ý



In this section there are five passages followed by ten questions or unfinished statements. Skim or scan them as required and then mark your answers on your ANSWER SHEET.



TEXT E

First read the following question.ª¤

31.  The purpose of the passage is to ª©_____ªª.

A. describe ways of eliminating mosquito larvaeª¤

B. demonstrate the great differences among kinds of mosquitoesª¤

C. show reasons for the high survival rate of mosquitoesª¤

D. give a general description of mosquito development ª¤



Now read Text E quickly and mark your answer on your ANSWER SHEET.

Each variety of mosquito has its favored kind of water accumulation for breeding, and almost every imaginable type of still water has been used by at least one kind of mosquito to lay its eggs. After the eggs hatch, the larvae continue to be closely associated with water¡¯s surface at the tail ends of their bodies. Because the larvae develop this way, they are never found in the open water of lakes where they would merely serve as fish food, or in places where they would be damaged by wave action or water currents.ª¤

TEXT F

First read the following questions.ª¤

32.  The main idea of the passage is ª©_____ªª.ª¤

A. how to play tennisª¤

B. how to win a tennis matchª¤

C. the general introduction of the gameª¤

D. what is a game in tennis ª¤

33.  The author drives his point home by ª©_____ªª.ª¤

A. giving the detailsª¤

B. explaining step by stepª¤

C. offering strong proofsª¤

D. making vivid descriptions ª¤



Now read Text F quickly and mark your answers on your ANSWER SHEET.

Let¡¯s talk about tennis between just two players. You know that the two players hit a ball across the net. One side must hit the ball so that the other player cannot hit it back over the net. The ball must stay within the lines. If the first player can¡¯t do this, the opponent gets a point.ª¥The players always stop when one wins a point. To start play again, one player will serve. He or she throws the ball into the air and hits it. The ball must cross the net without hitting it. The other player must hit the ball back across the net before it hits the ground twice. If the ball doesn¡¯t hit the net or the ground twice, the players keep hitting it over the net. This goes on until someone misses.ª¥A player needs four points to win a game. If both players have three points, then one must get two more points together to win. When one player wins six games, it is called a set. If each side wins five games, then one must win two more games together to win the set. If each player wins six games, they play one more game of seven points. A match usually has three or five sets.ª¤ª¤ª¤


TEXT G



First read the following question.ª¤

34.  While at London airports, you have to present your passport at ª©_____ªª.ª¤

A. the carouselª¤

B. the Immigration Hallª¤

C. the customsª¤

D. the Arrivals Hall ª¤



Now read Text G quickly and mark your answer on your ANSWER SHEET.

Arriving at London airports

Just follow these simple steps for a troubleª²free arrival.ª¤

Follow the ARRIVALS sign if you are ending your journey in