TEXT A

My infatuation with the study of animate nature grew rapidly into a full-fledged love affair.
I found that even the human beings with whom the study brought me into contact could
be fascinating too. My first mentor was a middle-aged Scotsman who gained his
livelihood delivering ice, but who was in fact an ardent amateur mammologist. At a tender
age he had developed mange, or leprosy, or some other such infantile disease, and had
lost all his hair, never to recover it - a tragedy which may have had a bearing on the fact
that, when I knew him, he had already devoted fifteen years of his life to a study of the
relationship between summer molt and incipient narcissism in pocket gophers. This man
had become so intimate with gophers that he could charm them with sibilant whistles
until they would emerge from their underground retreats and passively allow him to
examine the hair on their backs.
Nor were the professional biologists with whom I later came into contact one whit less
interesting. When I was eighteen I spent a summer doing field work in the company of
another mammologist, seventy years of age, who was replete with degrees and whose
towering stature in the world of science had been earned largely by an exhaustive study
of uterine scars in shrews. This man, a revered professor at a large American university,
knew more about the uteri of shrews than any other man has ever known. Furthermore,
he could talk about his subject with real enthusiasm. Death will find me long before I tire
of contemplating an evening spent in his company during which he enthralled a mixed
audience consisting of a fur trader, a Cree Indian matron, and an Anglican missionary,
with an hour-long monologue on sexual aberrations in female pygmy shrews. (The trader
misconstrued the tenor of the discourse; but the missionary, inured by years of humorless
dissertations, soon put him right.)
My early years as a naturalist were free and fascinating, but as I entered manhood and
found that my avocation must now become my vocation, the walls began to close in. The
happy days of the universal scholar who was able to take a keen interest in all phases
of natural history were at an end, and I was forced to recognize the unpalatable necessity
of specializing, if I was to succeed as a professional biologist. Nevertheless, as I began
my academic training at the university, I found it difficult to choose the narrow path.

Excerpt from Never Cry Wolf by Farley Mowat

1. What is the author’s present situation?

A. He is a biologist.
B. He is an intern.
C. He is a researcher.
D. He is a university student.
2. Which of the following explains the type of text used in the excerpt?
A. It informs the readers about the different types of scientists.
B. It narrates a realistic event.
C. It presents an argument on career decision making.
D. It raises a problem on how to advance one’s profession.

3. What might be the next action the author has to make?

A. Choosing a specialization in his vocation
B. Having second thoughts if he will continue his degree
C. Informing his family about his change of plans
D. Seeking advice from his friends on what’s best for him

4. What does the author want to impart to his readers?

A. Grown-ups at some point in life must make a crucial decision.

B. Passion can drive the person to work hard.
C. Small sacrifices must be made along the way as one reaches his goals.
D. People’s preference in life such likes and dislikes change as they mature.

5. Which detail will best support the possible decision that the author has to
make in the future?

A. His passion in general science

B. His peers whom he considered mentors
C. His blissful childhood
D. His scholarship
TEXT B

Margie even wrote about it that night in her diary. On the page headed May 17, 2157,
she wrote, "Today, Tommy found a real book!"

It was a very old book. Margie's grandfather once said that when he was a little boy
his grandfather told him that there was a time when all stories were printed on paper.

They turned the pages, which were yellow and crinkly, and it was awfully funny to read
words that stood still instead of moving the way they were supposed to--on a screen,
you know. And then, when they turned back to the page before, it had the same words
on it that it had had when they read it the first time.

"Gee," said Tommy, "what a waste. When you're through with the book, you just throw
it away, I guess. Our television screen must have had a million books on it and it's
good for plenty more. I wouldn't throw it away."

"Same with mine," said Margie. She was eleven and hadn't seen as many telebooks
as Tommy had. He was thirteen. She said, "Where did you find it?"

"In my house." He pointed without looking, because he was busy reading. "In the attic."
"What's it about?" "School."

Margie was scornful. "School? What's there to write about school? I hate school."

[…]
The screen was lit up, and it said: "Today's arithmetic lesson is on the addition of
proper fractions. Please insert yesterday's homework in the proper slot."

Excerpt from The Fun They Had by Isaac Asimov

6. What present reality does the author want to share to his readers?
A. Old generations are wiser and happier than the present one.
B. Schooling begins at home.
C. Technology continues to evolve and affects people’s lives.
D. What once indispensable may become useless like books.

7. What might be the reason for Margie’s negative attitude towards schooling?
A. Teachers have been replaced by machines.
B. Television screen has resulted in boredom.
C. Traditional books will be used again in schooling.
D. Students are given homework.
8. Margie was scornful. What is the meaning of the underlined word?
A. annoyed and clueless
B. doubtful and worried
C. strong dislike and disrespect
D. surprised and confused

9. What might one conclude about the education system described in the story?
A. Children learn through robots and machines.
B. Home becomes the primary source of information.
C. Schools are controlled by the government.
D. Parents decide for the future of their children.
TEXT C

[…]

Life feels like a massive rehearsal for every person you have to talk to, for every
situation you have to attend, which just falls apart into wild swings of arrogance and
timidity.
2 Growing up didn’t help with the awkwardness. There were just so many
opportunities lost because I just could not get what was before me — how I should
react to it or deal with it.

But growing up helped with coping. Even when an interaction is just a pile of your
actions shattering into “Huh?” or “What?” or that other person’s stare of
bewilderment with matching eyebrows raised, the best way to deal with it is to not
dwell on it too much.
4 You are doing fine even when you are all over the place, because the mistakes you
earn and the memories of embarrassments past help in some way to try again and
get it right with the right person.

[…] And what growing up taught me most is that people come and go; what matters
is the memories you had with them when they stayed. You are the constant in this
coming and going, so what will always matter is that you become a better person
than yourself, and that you find meaning in all this clumsy struggling. You just have
to build value, either through becoming more well-adjusted or just becoming more
skilled—or just keeping yourself going through the day.

Excerpt from The Awkward Years by Ace Alba

10. In which paragraph expresses the main idea that encounter and engagement
with people seems like a trial and error experience?
A. paragraph 1
B. paragraph 2
C. paragraph 4
D. paragraph 5

11. Which statement best summarizes the passage?

A. Entering adulthood is a time when people charge mistake as learning and deal
with all sorts of uneasiness in one’s life.
B. Growing up is the most difficult phase when it seems that things don’t happen
according to your plan.
C. No one stays for good except the shared memories.
D. The only way to survive the awkward moment in life is by staying true to yourself.
12. How did the author develop her main idea?
A. cause-effect
B. descriptive
C. problem-solution
D. persuasive

13. Which of the following words best replace the meaning of the word, constant,
in the last paragraph?
A. cause
B. endpoint
C. key
D. permanent
 Tariff- tax imposed by a government on goods and services imported from other countries.
Duty - is either a form of taxation or the responsibilities that are held by an individual.
Trade war is an economic conflict resulting from extreme protectionism in which states
raise or create tariffs or other trade barriers against each other.

14. All of the following ideas are explained in the text except ….
A. the amount of tariff imposed by US
B. the kind of products from US that will be taxed by China
C. the products from China that will get increased tariff
D. the price increase in the tariff
15. Which product will most likely receive a huge impact based on the new tariff?
A. Car parts
B. Soybeans
C. Telecommunication equipment
D. Clothing and footwear

16. What might be the reason why the graph indicated the goods and its
corresponding tariff brought upon by US?
A. To compare the products affected by the trade war
B. To describe how trade war happens
C. To explain the consequences of trade war
D. To identify the best and worst products for investment
TEXT E
For those grads who do get jobs, the work will often be low-paying, with little in
the way of long-term prospects. Some will soon go on to better jobs, but many will stay
in these “day jobs” for years, waiting for their big break, waiting to be discovered – or
simply waiting to find out what exactly it is that they truly love.
2-“Do what you love” is an important message, but it’s unwise to build a career on
the notion that we should all be paid for our passions. The advice captures only part of
the story. It tells us how excellent work might be accomplished – by loving it – but it
doesn’t tell us why the work should be done. What is the point of all the effort? What is
being worked toward?
The answer lies in working with a deeper sense of purpose or vocation. …Without
a higher purpose where all this love and ambition can be directed, we don’t have a very
useful guidepost for meaningful success. We simply have a call to discover what it is
that we love, and then to do it.
4 Sure, there are many people doing what they genuinely love. But how many of
us love just one thing? It’s romantic to imagine that each person is destined for a
particular career path, one capable of being discovered with sufficient soul-searching.
But most people have multifaceted interests and abilities and could probably be
successful and happy in several fields.
Then there are those who love things that will never pay very well. As someone
who has tried living as a starving artist, I can attest that there’s nothing romantic or noble
about being impoverished in pursuit of doing what you love. When you’re working two or
three jobs, and you can’t pay your bills, it doesn’t matter how much you love any of them.
You just get worn out.
6 Maybe there’s another way to encourage new college graduates to think about
their careers. Maybe all those commencement speakers would send more young people
into the world likelier to be happy in their jobs if the speakers talked about love as a
consequence of meaningful work instead of as the motivation for it.
Does the doctor love going into the hospital to see a patient in the middle of the
night? Does the firefighter love entering a burning building? Does the teacher love trying
to control a classroom full of disrespectful children? Not likely. But the work is performed
with a sense of purpose that “love” doesn’t capture.
8 We don’t all have to become first responders or social workers. And we can’t all
find jobs with such obvious benefits to society. When diplomas are being handed out,
though, it might be worthwhile for graduates – and the rest of us – if the popular “do what
you love” message were balanced with a more timeless message to find work that, even
in some small way, truly matters.

Excerpt from Dear Grads, Don’t Do What You Love by McCoy

17. What is the overall main idea of the passage?
A. Finding meaning in work will result in loving one’s work.
B. Passion is the key to a successful career.
C. Each person has unique abilities and so as the reasons in choosing their jobs.
D. Being happy and successful in life is possible when one puts all his heart and
effort in his job.

18. This is more than understanding how work should be done, but having the
right motivation for doing so. Which paragraph can this particular detail be added?
A. Paragraph 2
B. Paragraph 4
C. Paragraph 6
D. Paragraph 8

19. What is the purpose of this particular essay?

A. To entertain the readers that success in workplace is built on passion and
perseverance.
B. To criticize the workers who do not love their jobs
C. To warn the audience about the effects of too much work
D. To persuade people to work with a purpose

20. To whom this text is most likely addressed?

A. To the newly graduates
B. To aspiring managers
C. To first time job seekers
D. To permanent employees seeking change
TEXT F
I was hungry …
And you formed humanities groups to discuss my hunger.
I was imprisoned …
And you crept off quietly to your church to pray for my release.
I was naked …
And in your mind you debated the morality of my appearance.
I was sick …
And you knelt and thanked God for your health.
I was lonely …
And you preached to me of the spiritual shelter of God.
I was lonely …
And you left me alone to pray.
You seem so holy, so close to God …
But I am still hungry … and lonely … and cold …

The poem above is a muted cry of the poor, those who have become victims to economic
systems that prejudice the weak, to corruption in society in both the public and private
sector, to hypocrisy of religion and help organizations who care more for their funding and
sustainability than the urgent needs of those they were supposed to care for, and to a value
system that mirrors the hierarchy of money and power. It is not about a rice shortage, it is
about the greater shortage of compassion, humaneness and our sense of fairness.

For 35 years, I spent some time and resources to address this picture of grave inequality. I
did not do so following the methodologies that others before me had used, simply because
they were mostly ineffective, if not violent. There have been good examples, but those
examples could not be replicated enough to reach the millions of families wallowing in
poverty. Either the methodology was exception-oriented like helping the best or most
deserving of the poor and therefore not for the ordinary or the weak, or a bureaucracy
emerges from what was originally a passion-mission group. I acknowledge that most start
with a purity of intention, even those who enter government, but end up eaten by a system
that makes practitioners eventually ask, “What’s in it for me?” because they could not
sustain their original purpose, “What is it that I can do for them?

Because solving the problem of poverty in the Philippines is like mission impossible, any
and all attempts to alleviate and reduce it substantially truly seemed inconsequential. Many
times, I got lazy, or tired, or just despaired that 35 years of effort would not amount to much.
Once or twice, I even thought of going the political route, radical as they were. But even
removing a president from office does not stop another corrupt one from coming in. Worse,
even honest people are not necessarily committed to dismantling poverty as a primordial
obligation, only as a necessary effort but not the flagship focus of governance.

Excerpt from Do We Really Care by Jose Monteliba

21. All of the following are techniques used by the author in creating bias in the
text except ….
A. use of first person point of view
B. use of emotionally charged language
C. lack of solid evidence
D. lack of negative words

22. What might be the best reason of the author when he started his essay with a
poem?

A. To add realistic situation is his opinion

B. To balance creative and objective writing
C. To provide strong support with the author’s claim
D. To stir emotion through imagery and making connection

23. How did the author develop his main points?

A. citing reference in history

B. giving concrete examples
C. omitting important facts
D. use of loaded words

24. Which of the following statement identifies the correct topic sentence in its
corresponding paragraph?
A. It is not about a rice shortage, it is about the greater shortage of compassion,
humaneness and our sense of fairness. ~1st par
B. I did not do so following the methodologies that others before me had used, simply
because they were mostly ineffective, if not violent. ~ 2nd par
C. Once or twice, I even thought of going the political route, radical as they were. ~ 3rd
par
D. What is it that I can do for them? ~ 3rd par

25. All of the following are the main ideas expressed in the passage except….
A. Poverty results from unjust economic system.
B. Though solutions were made, these became unsuccessful.
C. People’s intention change as the system begins to influence their decisions.
D. The privileged people always get the best in all aspects of life.