Reading Smart I: Test 9

 Part I. Grammar＆Vocabulary (40％)

(   ) 1. Lightning is a natural _____ that can happen even when there is no storm.

(A) concept              (B) scenery               (C) phenomenon       (D) illustration

(   ) 2. The manager has noticed a(n) _____ change in Jenny’s attitude over the last few weeks.

(A) fluent                  (B) protective            (C) definite               (D) universal

(   ) 3. Many orphanages were grateful for the generous _____ they received.

(A) demons              (B) donations            (C) performances      (D) commercials

(   ) 4. The Ontario government has finally _____ smoking in all the restaurants in the province.

(A) quenched            (B) declined              (C) vomited              (D) banned

(   ) 5. _____ pieces of evidence were missing, making the case extremely difficult for the attorney to defend.

(A) Virtual                (B) Vital                    (C) Moral                 (D) Mortal

(   ) 6. Many, if not all of us at the company, are _____ having shorter workweeks.

(A) in return for        (B) in keeping with   (C) in response to      (D) in support of

(   ) 7. _____ needing rain, the crops in the fields are in danger of dying.

(A) Effortlessly         (B) Desperately         (C) Primitively         (D) Splendidly

(   ) 8. The woman founded a _____ to help severely wounded soldiers returning from the war.

(A) funeral                (B) license                 (C) charity                (D) divorce

(   ) 9. The historian had a difficult time _____ the words in the ancient handwritten manuscript.

(A) making out         (B) carrying on         (C) building up         (D) filing for

(   ) 10. Hopefully, these discussions might be able to open the door _____ a perfect solution.

(A) within                 (B) by                       (C) through              (D) to

 

Part II. Fill-in-the-Blank (40%)

(A) researcher     (B) means           (C) university     (D) petition         (E) roughly

(F) shelters         (G) volunteer      (H) abandoned   (I) protests          (J) Internet

(   ) 11. The city plans on building and funding more _____ for its homeless people.

(   ) 12. In the past, our only _____ of communication was through letters written by hand.

(   ) 13. It was an evenly matched competition, with every participant scoring _____ the same marks.

(   ) 14. The _____ found high levels of toxins in the fish from the polluted river.

(   ) 15. The proposed tax reforms sparked widespread _____ in that country.

(   ) 16. Jessica was going around asking people to sign her _____ against animal testing.

(   ) 17. Each _____ was clothed in the organization's uniform of a pink T-shirt and jeans.

(   ) 18. Tom has sent off nearly 20 job applications since he graduated from _____.

(   ) 19. The _____ has become the fastest medium with which to spread news nowadays.

(   ) 20. Someone had _____ the old car on the side of the road.

 

Part III. Reading Comprehension (20%)

Honeybees are essential to the survival of every creature on Earth. They collect nectar to make honey by traveling from flower to flower, more than two million of which are needed for just a half Kilogram of the sweet, sticky substance, At the same time, they transfer pollen in a similar fashion. This process enables the plants to be pollinated and reproduce. If it weren't for honeybees, which account for 80 percent of the world's pollination, around one-third of everything people eat would disappear. This includes crops used to feed cows and chickens, and thus without bees, there would be no beef, poultry, dairy, or eggs.

This fragile balance is currently at risk, for bees are leaving their hives and disappearing. This is called Colony Collapse Disorder and has led to the loss of 45 percent of the hives in the US and 33.8 percent in the UK. Climate factors and malnutrition are to blame for this. However, the biggest threats are pesticides, especially neonicotinoids, since they remain in pollen and nectar. Bees exposed to them become confused and lose their way, Plus, those that do make it back to the hive return with 57 percent less pollen than unexposed bees. Worst of all, their immune systems are weakened, which makes them vulnerable to other threats like parasites. Bees without a doubt need a pesticide-free world just as much as people do.

(   ) 21. Which of the following statements is NOT true, according to the article?

(A) Honeybees are an extremely important part of the ecosystem.

(B) Honeybees collect nectar by traveling from flower to flower.

(C) Honeybees help in the reproduction process of plants.

(D) Honeybees are responsible for one-third of the world's pollination.

(   ) 22. Which of the following is NOT listed in the article as a threat to bees?

(A) Climate factors (B) Loss of habitat    (C) Lack of nutrition    (D) Pesticides

(   ) 23. How many hives in the US have been destroyed by Colony Collapse Disorder?

(A) A tenth              (B) One-third            (C) Nearly half       (D) Three-quarters

(   ) 24. What does the author think is the worst effect of neonicotinoids on bees?

(A) They make the bees more aggressive and likely to fight other bees.

(B) They make the bees confused and unable to find their way.

(C) They make the bees carry less nectar back to their colony.

(D) They make the bees more prone to getting diseases and other threats.