EDU READING COMPREHENSION TEST SET 02
Text A (6 Questions)
George Clooney is an American actor, film director, producer and screenwriter. Clooney was
born on May 6, 1961 in Kentucky. Clooney was raised a strict Roman Catholic along with his
sister and grew up very conscious of social issues. Clooney served as an altar boy in
elementary school and achieved good grades throughout his schooling. Childless, Clooney
has been in a number of romantic relationships, including one relatively short marriage which
ended in 1993. Clooney’s main place of residence is in Los Angeles; he also owns a rural
property on Italy’s Lake Como. In 2007, Clooney survived an impact with a car while riding
his motorcycle in New Jersey. The smooth, sophisticated and gracious Clooney is 182
centimetres tall and is described by many female fans as ‘James Bond material’.
Clooney has received three Golden Globe Awards for his work as an actor and two
Academy Awards—one for acting and the other for producing. Clooney began his acting
career as an extra in 1978. After some years in relative obscurity, Clooney gained wide
recognition in his role as Dr Douglas Ross in the long-running medical drama ER (1994-
1999), for which he received two Emmy Award nominations. After leaving ER, Clooney
starred in several commercially successful films, including The Perfect Storm (2000),
Ocean’s Eleven (2001), Solaris (2002), The Good German (2006), Michael Clayton (2007)
and The American (2010). Ocean’s Eleven is Clooney’s most successful film to date,
spawning two sequels (2004 and 2007) which were also box office successes. Ocean’s
Eleven is largely credited with catapulting Clooney to superstar status. In more recent times,
Clooney has featured in television advertisements for Nespresso, a Swiss coffee machine
company. Despite Clooney’s professional success, he remains a down-to-earth individual
with a self-deprecating nature. Apart from his work in film, Clooney is also noted for his
political activism and has served as one of the United Nations Messengers of Peace since
January 2008. Clooney's humanitarian work is ongoing and has included raising funds for
9/11 victims, the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami appeal and the 2010 Haiti earthquake recovery
effort.
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1. According to the text:
A. Clooney has received two Emmy Awards
B. in 2007, Clooney made two successful films despite being the victim of a motorcycle
accident on home soil
C. Clooney’s fourth successful feature film was The Good German
D. Clooney presents as a ‘larger than life’ figure
E. Clooney was academically successful in his youth and served as an altar server
throughout his schooling
2. This text may have been extracted from a/an:
A. entertainment magazine
B. online encyclopaedia
C. periodical
D. A & B
E. all of the above
3. Which of the following statements is untrue based on the text?
A. Clooney is a philanthropist
B. Clooney has no children
C. three Ocean’s Eleven films have been made in total
D. Clooney’s first acting role involved playing the part of a doctor in the successful medical
drama, ER
E. Clooney is one of two children
4. Clooney:
A. has in recent times featured in television advertising campaigns conducted by the Italian
coffee machine company, Nespresso
B. although principally successful as an actor, has also received an award for directing
C. has never divorced
D. is considered suave by many of his female fans
E. none of the above
5. Which of the following statements about the text is true?
A. the text is biographical
B. the text has been written for the general public
C. the text is prosaic
D. A & B
E. all of the above
6. A word closely connected to the word obscurity is:
A. unpopular B. disenfranchised C. unknown D. isolated E. non-conformist
Text B (8 Questions)
Ignorance and the Law
Ignorance of the law is no excuse for breaking it. Laws are devised to ensure that commonly
understood moral principles along with the fundamentals of common sense, which the
majority of people appreciate, are adhered to in society. Therefore, claiming to be ignorant of
the law, even if one is not privy to its technical intricacies, is to be patently deceptive. This
said, there are circumstances in which excuses can be made for breaking the law on the
grounds of ignorance. Exceptions can be made based on a lack of cognitive and ethical
development, either due to immaturity or disability.
To begin, laws are essentially constructed upon – and by their very nature enforce – a basic,
commonly accessible platform of logic along with a set of moral values that is naturally
universal; as a result, declaring ignorance of societal laws is tantamount to denying an
understanding of the fundamental principles that are intrinsic to human consciousness. For
example, the law that makes it illegal to kill a person enshrines an already commonly
understood moral principle that murder is wrong. Even if a person does not understand the
legal term homicide or is unaware of the penalties for killing an individual in a particular
jurisdiction, for instance, he or she naturally understands that killing someone is an
unacceptable act. Likewise, logic dictates that actions causing other people injury, whether
they be physical, emotional or financial in terms of their impact, cannot be agreeable, as one
only has to imagine how it would feel like to be on the receiving end of such deeds. Who
would truly wish for someone to accost them, vilify them or swindle them? Even acts that do
not cause direct harm to individuals, such as littering or destroying public property, are
discernibly negative; the litterer knows that he or she is impacting the environment and the
vandal is fully aware that his or her actions are at the very least inconveniencing the public.
For all this, however, there are circumstances in which excuses can be made for breaking
the law due to a state of ignorance.
Further, exceptions pertaining to the legal principle that ignorance is no excuse for breaking
the law can be made based on either a lack of maturity or mental disability. Persons under
the age of seven years are frequently deficient in a moral sense in that they commonly
cannot distinguish between right and wrong. Many younger children have not yet developed
the cognitive capacity to make logical connections between actions and consequences, so
cannot always be expected to grasp the significance of rules and regulations designed to
curb unacceptable behaviour. The same can be said of older individuals, even adults, who
possess a mental disability. In cases where laws are broken by immature or mentally
disabled persons, those legally responsible for them – parents, guardians, carers and the
like – should be held accountable.
All in all, ignorance is no excuse for flouting the law. Laws simply enforce widely understood
principles of morality and basics of common sense, and thus it is ludicrous for a wrongdoer
to seek absolution from them on the basis of ignorance. Exceptions can only be made in
cases in which, due to developmental immaturity or mental disability, individuals are unable
to comprehend the significance of certain illegal acts.
Paul Hollingworth
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7. This text is an example of a/an:
A. expository essay B. argumentative essay C. rebuttal D. critique E. editorial
8. Which of the following is not used as a connective in this text?
A. In cases B. To begin C. All in all D. This said E. Further
9. The first sentence of the second paragraph constitutes:
A. a rebuttal B. an elaboration C. a contention D. a topic sentence E. a link
10. The word tantamount could best be replaced with:
A. equivalent B. consequential C. effective D. pretentious E. disparate
11. Which of the following statements about the text is incorrect?
A. the text is subjective in nature
B. the text is written in third person throughout and the register is formal
C. the author has not employed anecdotes in his discussion
D. the tone of the text is authoritative and the language used by the author is sophisticated
E. the author has adopted an extreme view in his text
12. Which of the following language features is absent from the text?
A. jargon B. rhetorical question C. expert opinion D. facts E. reason and logic
13. How many arguments are employed by the writer to support his point of view?
A. one B. two C. three D. four E. none of these
14. Which of these word combinations, taken from the text, do not constitute synonyms?
A. patently, discernibly
B. grounds, basis
C. ethical, moral
D. breaking, flouting
E. enforce, curb
Text C (9 Questions)
Extracted from The Silver Chair by C.S. Lewis (1953)
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15. When the boy says ‘It’s Them, I suppose – as usual’ he is referring to:
A. the teachers
B. the older boys
C. Carter and Spivvins
D. the older girls
E. none of these
16. The exclamation ‘Oh, Lor!’ contains a/an:
A. epitaph B. contraction C. abbreviation D. epithet E. C & D
17. Dashes are used on multiple occasions within dialogue to indicate:
A. pausing
B. interrupted speech
C. stuttering
D. pausing and interrupted speech
E. pausing, interrupted speech and stuttering
18. The reader can conclude that:
A. third person is used throughout the text
B. the story is set in Britain
C. Jill and Eustace are friends
D. the school is rigorous in its treatment of the students
E. none of these
19. When Scrubb refers to himself as ‘a little tick’, he is indicating that he was once:
A. a kowtower B. a teetotaller C. a ganger D. a ragamuffin E. an urchin
20. Jill flies into a temper because, as far as she is concerned, Eustace’s manner is:
A. thoughtless B. insensitive C. condescending D. patronizing E. all of these
21. Which of the following expressions does not relate to fawning?
A. sucking up
B. dancing attendance
C. barging in
D. currying favour
E. none of these
22. Which of the following statements about the text is untrue?
A. the characters meet on a damp, dull autumn day
B. the text is contemporary
C. the text is indented
D. the text is extracted from a novel
E. the school is shown to be an exception to the rule
23. When Eustace comes around the corner of the gym whistling, the writer uses what
device to contrast his behaviour with that of Jill?
A. metonymy B. synecdoche C. hyperbole D. juxtaposition E. oxymoron
Text D (8 Questions)
Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia. There is no cure for the
disease, which worsens as it progresses, and eventually leads to death. It was first
described by German psychiatrist and neuropathologist, Alois Alzheimer, in 1906 and was
named after him. Most often, AD is diagnosed in people over 65 years of age, although the
less prevalent early-onset AD can occur much earlier. In 2006, there were 26.6 million
people worldwide with AD. AD is predicted to affect 1 in 85 people globally by 2050.
AD is classified as a neurodegenerative disorder and involves shrinkage of the brain and its
various components. Because AD cannot be cured and is degenerative, the sufferer
increasingly relies on others for assistance. The role of the main caregiver is often taken by
the spouse or a close relative. AD is known for placing a great burden on caregivers; the
pressures can be wide-ranging, involving social, psychological, physical and economic
elements of the caregiver's life. In developed countries, AD is one of the most costly
diseases to society.
Fig.1 – A normal aged brain (left) compared with a brain of a person suffering from AD
Although AD develops differently for every individual, there are many common symptoms.
Early symptoms are often mistakenly thought to be 'age-related' concerns or manifestations
of stress. In the early stages, by far the most common symptom is difficulty in remembering
recent events, known as short-term memory loss. When AD is suspected, the diagnosis is
usually confirmed with tests that evaluate behaviour and thinking abilities, often followed by
a brain scan if available; however, examination of brain tissue is required for a definitive
diagnosis. As the disease advances, symptoms multiply considerably and typically include
confusion, irritability, aggression, mood swings, difficulty comprehending and articulating,
and long-term memory loss. As the person declines he or she often withdraws from family
and society. Gradually, bodily functions are lost, ultimately leading to death. Since the
disease is different for each individual, predicting how it will affect the person is difficult. AD
develops for an unknown and variable amount of time before becoming fully apparent, and it
can progress undiagnosed for years. On average, the life expectancy following diagnosis is
approximately seven years. Fewer than 3% of individuals live more than 14 years after
diagnosis.
The cause and progression of AD are not well understood. Research indicates that the
disease is associated with the development of plaques (protein deposits) and tangles in the
brain. Current treatments only help with the symptoms of the disease. There are no available
treatments that stop or reverse the progression of the disease. As of 2012, more than 1,000
clinical trials have been or are being conducted to test various compounds in AD. Mental
stimulation, exercise and a balanced diet have been suggested as ways to delay cognitive
symptoms in healthy older individuals, but there is no conclusive evidence that such
measures are effective.
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24. Figure 1 can be classified as a:
A. table B. histogram C. flow chart D. diagram E. multi-panel illustration
25. Which of the following statements is inaccurate based on the text?
A. the mean life expectancy for those diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease is around seven
years
B. Alzheimer’s Disease is of the most costly diseases to society in developing countries
C. by the middle of the twenty-first century, over one percent of the world’s population will be
affected by Alzheimer’s Disease
D. Alzheimer’s Disease can affect middle-aged people as well as the elderly
E. Alzheimer’s Disease is a fatal illness
26. Which of the following is not typically a symptom of advanced-stage Alzheimer’s?
A. short-term memory loss
B. long-term memory loss
C. sudden and extreme changes in mood
D. language difficulties
E. none of these
27. Which of the following is absent from the text?
A. acronym B. caption C. footnote D. statistical data E. allusion
28. This text could have been extracted from:
A. an online encyclopaedia
B. a medical guide
C. a prospectus
D. A & B
E. A, B & C
29. Which of the following statements is true based on the information in the text?
A. patients of Alzheimer’s Disease tend to be affected in a similar way
B. there is no proven way to slow the progression of Alzheimer’s Disease
C. a brain scan will confirm the presence of Alzheimer’s Disease
D. the presence of Alzheimer’s Disease is usually quite apparent following its onset
E. a sufferer of Alzheimer’s Disease cannot find relief
30. This text:
A. is multimodal
B. is replete with direct quotation
C. is written in an instructional mode
D. discusses dementia in detail
E. is free of jargon
31. The penultimate occurrence relating to the progression of Alzheimer’s Disease is:
A. withdrawal from family and society
B. confusion
C. manifestations of stress
D. short-term memory loss
E. the loss of bodily functions
Text E (5 Questions)
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32. This text is extracted from a:
A. stage play B. film score C. screenplay D. technical manual E. study guide
33. Which of the following words would not be considered jargon within the context of the
above text?
A. dissolve B. frame C. spotlight D. cuts E. close-up
34. Jerome’s quip of ‘Well, I certainly don’t’ in response to Vincent’s question is an example
of:
A. parody
B. sardonic humour
C. farce
D. hypocrisy
E. macabre humour
35. Who is the intended audience of this text?
A. actors B. film technicians C. students D. A & B E. all of these
36. Jerome is not:
A. in possession of a superior genetic profile
B. apathetic with respect to Vincent and German’s discussion
C. an invalid
D. devoid of humour
E. being objectified by Vincent and German
Text F (4 Questions)
The Cask of Amontillado’s first-person narrator, a man of the Italian gentry whom we later
discover is named Montresor, announces immediately that a local man and peer named
Fortunato has injured him repeatedly with his words and has recently insulted him in the
presence of others. Montresor can stand no more; he vows revenge upon Fortunato. The
remainder of the story deals with Montresor's methods of entrapping Fortunato and effecting
his revenge upon the unfortunate man. Foremost is the fact that Montresor never lets
Fortunato know of his hatred. Accordingly, one evening during carnival season, a time when
much frivolity and celebration is taking place, Montresor sets his fiendish, mad plan into
motion with full confidence that he will never be discovered. Feigning friendship, he leads a
drunk and boastful Fortunato to his doom within the catacombs of his palazzo, eventually
striking him unconscious with a rock and walling him up in a recess while his victim is still
breathing. At the end of the story, we, the readers, begrudgingly accept that Montresor has
in all probability gotten away with a gruesome murder.
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37. This passage is an example of a:
A. foreword B. synopsis C. blurb D. character analysis E. review
38. A word close in meaning to frivolity is:
A. levity B. extravagance C. opulence D. austerity E. chivalry
39. The irony in The Cask of Amontillado stems from:
A. the fact that Montresor, a member of the Italian upper class, commits such a brutal
murder
B. the fact that Montresor sets his diabolical plan of revenge in motion during a time of
festivities
C. the fact that the antagonist’s name is based on a quality that is diametrically opposed to
the outcome of the story
D. B & C
E. all of the above
40. Which of the following statements is true based on the text?
A. Fortunato is killed with a rock
B. Montresor will never be punished for his crime
C. Fortunato discovers Montresor’s true feelings for him just before he dies
D. Fortunato is not of the same class as Montresor
E. Fortunato is buried underground
Text G (10 Questions)
Thirty-Five Years of Separation by Vincent White
Arthur Stonnington was a brilliant scientist who had spent the last ten years of his life
perfecting a nuclear-powered time machine. He had been conducting his research largely in
secret, within the bowels of an isolated castle in a remote part of the Scottish highlands. His
trusted manservant, Zachariah, had assisted with menial tasks such as moving equipment
and cleaning up messes. It was now 2038, and Stonnington was approaching his autumn
years. “Finally,” he breathed as he laid eyes on the finished product. “Finally the day has
come.” The scientific genius was preparing to test his invention for the very first time.
“Master,” began Zachariah in a raspy voice, “can you not take me with you?”
“I told you,” answered Stonnington. “You are to remain behind and monitor the instruments.
If the red light on the main panel flashes, you must push the abort button beneath it
immediately. Do you understand?”
“Yes master,” replied Zachariah, his voice hinting at his disappointment.
“Good.”
Stonnington stepped up to the threshold of the capsule, which was about four times the size
of a phone booth, at which time the automated door slid open soundlessly. The short, stout,
middle-aged man then merely nodded at his underling before stepping inside the well-lit
control room.
Some minutes later, the destination had been entered into the time machine’s highly
sophisticated computer system – London, March the twelfth, 2003. All was in readiness.
Taking a deep breath, Stonnington pushed the green button on the console in front of him. If
all went according to plan, he would not only be reunited with his long-lost love but prevent
her from being murdered in cold blood. Stonnington’s heart was beating like a drum. There
was a strange, barely audible sound like that of crackling electricity. Moments later,
Stonnington felt like he was in a plummeting lift. He felt nauseous, his head spun…and then
he blacked out. When he came to, he was lying face down on the shiny nanosurface of the
time machine’s floor. Stonnington slowly rose to his feet, his head feeling like lead.
“Instruments,” he said quietly, and checked the console. A smile crept onto his face as he
realised that he had indeed arrived at his destination. Barely able to contain his excitement,
Stonnington disengaged the locking system and stepped toward the door. It slid open as
silently as ever to reveal a dark, barren landscape that looked as if it had been blasted by a
thousand warheads. Immediately, acrid, foul-smelling gases hit Stonnington’s face, causing
his eyes to stream and his chest to heave. Spluttering as though infected by a strain of
whooping cough, the besieged scientist quickly moved away from the door, causing it to
promptly slide shut. Wincing in pain, Stonnington immediately activated the time machine’s
filtration unit which expelled the noxious gases, but his heart sank as he realised that his
biggest fear had come true – he hadn’t travelled back along his own timeline but along an
alternate timeline. This was 2003, but in an alternate universe!
Stonnington knew that the situation he was in was of the kind that would cause the red light
on the main panel back in the laboratory to flash. He couldn’t be sure exactly how long he
would need to wait, but he was certain that his trusted manservant had already pressed the
button that would send him back home. Back in 2038, however, Zachariah was in a different
frame of mind. The red light was indeed flashing, but all the individual in front of it did was
stare at it blankly. “Zachariah is free of you now,” he said softly as his visage became more
animated. A grin emerged as he turned away from the instruments. He could not believe his
good fortune; his master had treated him like an object and now justice was finally being
done. As the scientist waited and waited, he grew more and more worried. He had treated
his face and hands with a special solution and was feeling better, but this was of little
consolation. Beads of sweat formed on his brow as he realized that the acidic atmosphere of
the planet was beginning to erode the time machine’s exterior. He would need to get out of
there soon, or his life would be forfeit. “Come on, you fool,” uttered Stonnington in
desperation. More time passed, and the genius began to lose hope as he felt increasingly
trapped and helpless. The integrity of the capsule was now near to collapse.
Suddenly, there was a loud hissing sound as the sulphuric gases swirling around the time
machine ate through the final layer of the capsule’s synthetic roof. Deadly poison quickly
filled the control room from above, engulfing the hapless traveller in seconds. There was a
loud wail as the acid burned and gnawed away, and then nothing. Within a relatively short
period of time, the body of Stonnington had disintegrated, and the remainder of the capsule
was soon to follow.
As the red light in the laboratory stopped its flashing, Zachariah sped through the castle
gates in his master’s hovercar, intent on starting a new life. In the years that followed, he set
up his own cleaning business in Glasgow, fell in love with a well-to-do woman in her forties,
became a father to twins, and travelled to many far-off places by water shuttle. A missing
person’s case was opened in relation to Arthur Stonnington, who of course was never found.
Zachariah remained a suspect until his own demise in 2071.
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41. This text is an example of a/an:
A. memoir B. novella C. short story D. synopsis E. autobiography
42. In terms of genre, this text could be classified as:
A. fantasy B. science fiction C. romance D. crime E. none of these
43. In the third paragraph, the author’s intent is to:
A. provide a thrilling climax
B. orient the reader
C. provide a resolution
D. build tension
E. establish a problem
44. The relationship between Stonnington and Zachariah is:
A. fractious
B. hierarchical
C. collegial
D. A & B
E. all of the above
45. Stonnington’s grievous error is that he:
A. travels along an alternative timeline
B. leaves his servant behind to monitor the instruments
C. travels back in time in a nuclear-powered machine
D. disengages the capsule’s locking system
E. places his absolute trust in his assistant
46. Based on the text, which of the following statements is untrue or cannot be verified?
A. in the alternate 2003, mankind has been obliterated by a thermonuclear war
B. the story is set in Europe
C. the journey back to 2003 is the time machine’s maiden voyage
D. Zachariah lives out his days as a person of interest
E. Zachariah did not assist Stonnington in the construction of the time machine
47. Stonnington’s motivation for travelling back in time is to:
A. prevent his long-lost love from being killed
B. be reunited with his former partner
C. bring his beloved’s killer to justice
D. A & B
E. A, B & C
48. The clause ‘within the bowels of an isolated castle in a remote part of the Scottish
highlands’ utilises:
A. juxtaposition B. onomatopoeia C. personification D. pun E. synecdoche
49. ‘Spluttering as though infected by a strain of whooping cough’ contains a/an:
A. metaphor B. simile C. oxymoron D. analogy E. ironic expression
50. Another word for forfeit, as used in this text, is:
A. lost B. wasted C. meaningless D. incomplete E. unbalanced
END OF ACTIVITIES