Text 1

The United Nations predicts Earth will have to feed another 2.3 billion people by
2050, mostly concentrated in urban centres far from farmland. Conventional agriculture may
not be able to meet that demand, but luckily NASA has been working for decades to tackle
food production both on Earth and in space. Feeding astronauts during long-term space
exploration means stretching resources to grow plants in space—including minimizing water
use and energy consumption and eliminating soil.
NASA initially pioneered these techniques on the ground by building the country’s
first vertical farm. Inside a decommissioned hypobaric chamber left over from testing the
Mercury space capsule, technologists stacked rows of hydroponic trays like bookshelves
against the walls. Then systems for lighting, ventilation, and circulating water were added
using off-the-shelf parts. Various crops were planted on the stacked trays to test how well
they would grow in water and without the benefit of sunlight or open air. This innovative
approach to farming created a foundation for the industry of controlled environment
agriculture, or CEA.
CEA combines plant science and environmental control to optimize plant growth and
maximize efficiency, frequently incorporating vertical growth structures. Technology enables
the filtering of contaminants from crop water and delivers precise nutrient balances. Artificial
lighting provides only the necessary wavelengths at the right time, intensity, and duration,
while environmental controls maintain ideal temperature and humidity. This approach could
help feed burgeoning future generations, said Nate Storey, chief science officer at Plenty
Unlimited, one of several companies building on NASA’s plant-growth research.

Pierce, M. (2021). NASA Research Launches a New Generation of Indoor Farming. Taken on November 30, 2021 from
https://www.nasa.gov /directorates/spacetech/spinoff/NASA_Research_Launches_a_New_Generation_ of_Indoor_Farming.

1. It is stated in the passage that …

☐ The world will run out of food by 2050 according to the United Nations.
☐ NASA has maximized a farming method requiring a little water.
☐ NASA is taking over conventional agriculture to address future food demands.
☐ To improve plant development, plant science must be integrated with vertical growth
structures.
☐ NASA's innovative approach pioneered the establishment of a controlled
environment agriculture industry.

2. Regarding the role of NASA in producing food, we know that …

☐ the more farming techniques NASA uses, the less energy it requires
☐ the greater the space exploration is carried out, the greater number of astronauts
that must be fed
☐ the more people requiring food, the more maximum NASA's agricultural technology
will be
☐ the longer the space expedition is, the more NASA optimizes its farming resources
☐ the more maximum NASA farming technology becomes, the less traditional farming
will be required

3. From the first paragraph, it can be predicted that ….

 ☐ NASA will be more concerned with food production in space than with food
production on Earth
☐ The United Nations estimates that Earth will have to feed billions of people for a
decade
☐ the most crucial aspect of long-term space exploration will be astronaut nutrition
☐ conventional agriculture will succeed in feeding astronauts if it is combined with
NASA's techniques
☐ in the future, there will not be enough land for conventional agriculture
4. How is the second paragraph related to the first paragraph?
☐ Paragraph 2 exemplifies kinds of agricultural progress discussed in paragraph 1.
☐ The vertical farm described in paragraph 1 is explained in detail in paragraph 2.
☐ The second paragraph expands on the first paragraph's discussion of NASA's
agricultural method.
☐ The second paragraph explains further the issues raised in the first paragraph
regarding food demands in 2050.
☐ The success of the NASA farming practices mentioned in the first paragraph is
reiterated in the second paragraph.

Text 2
Supply chain weaknesses were brought to the forefront during the COVID-19
pandemic, especially for industries relying on electronics, as the flow of raw materials slowed
or sometimes stopped. On top of that, shifting consumer values and tougher environmental
regulations have resulted in more people buying hybrid vehicles. The batteries in these cars
require rare metals that, depending on their supplies, can have volatile and unpredictable
prices. However, there are other scarce elements and materials that may be used in smaller
amounts in hybrid models versus conventional gas vehicles, raising the question of how
these vehicles really compare with regard to supply chain vulnerabilities. Randolph Kirchain
and colleagues wanted to develop a comprehensive comparison of the elements and
compounds that go into all the parts in gas-powered, self-charging hybrid and plug-in
hybrid cars, calculating each of the three vehicles' materials cost vulnerability.
The researchers collected information on the compounds in the more than 350,000
parts used to build seven vehicles from the same manufacturer with different levels of
electrification, including four sedans and three sport utility vehicles (SUVs). Then, they
calculated the amount of the 76 chemical elements present, as well as a few other materials,
in each car type. To develop a monetary metric for vulnerability, the team considered the
weight of each component, along with its average price and price volatility between 1998
and 2015. The results showed that self-charging hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicles have
twice the raw material cost risks. The largest contributors to the increase in cost risks were
battery-related elements, such as cobalt, nickel, graphite and neodymium. The researchers
say that as manufacturers ramp up electric vehicle production to meet demand, reducing raw
material cost risks with long-term supplier contracts, substituting some materials or recycling
others will be a good idea.
5. The author would apparently agree that the relationship between environmental
regulations and the purchase of hybrid vehicles in paragraph 1 is similar to the
phenomenon of ....
 ☐ cars and traffic
☐ oil and gas stations
☐ people and vehicles
☐ gasoline and transportation
☐ modern life and electric cars
Text 3
Exercise is painful. As the cliché goes, “No pain, no gain.” When the body exerts itself,
pumping action out of muscles to tear them down and build their mass, it’s left with a
soreness. Doctors, coaches, and mothers all recommend heat for tense sore muscles—warm
baths, moist towels, hot-water bottles, or heated pads as thermotherapy techniques. But how
exactly does applying this heat help the pain and relax the muscles?
While exercising, the body requires more energy than it can produce through aerobic
respiration, or the intake of oxygen. To create enough energy for vigorous movement, the
body goes through another process: anaerobic respiration. This type of energy production
burns sugars without oxygen, producing lactic acid within exerted muscles. Overworked
muscles and a build-up of lactic acid are what cause the pain associated with exercising.
When heat is applied to a sore area of the body, blood vessels widen and blood flow
increases to transport excess lactic acid and other toxins away from tired muscles. These
muscles are also made more elastic by the heat, and nerve endings are stimulated to block
pain signals.

Hogeback, J. (n.d). Why Does Heat Relax Your Muscles? Taken on July 14, 2021 from
https://www.britannica.com/story/why-does-heat-relax-your-muscles.

6. What is the purpose of the underlined sentence in paragraph 1?

☐ Highlight the process of muscle building during exercise.
☐ Illustrate the cliché related to exercise and pain.
☐ Explain the sources of pain while exercising.
☐ Show the process of soreness on muscles.
☐ Define the cliché “No pain, no gain”.

Text 4
Manic depression is another psychiatric illness that mainly affects mood. A patient
suffering from this disease will alternate between periods of manic excitement and extreme
depression, with or without relatively normal periods in between. The changes in mood
suffered by a manic–depressive patient go far beyond the day-to-day mood changes
experienced by the general population. In the period of manic excitement, the mood
elevation can become so intense that it can result in extended insomnia, extreme irritability,
and heightened aggressiveness. In the period of depression, which may last for several
weeks or months, a patient experiences feelings of general fatigue, uselessness, and
hopelessness, and in serious cases, may contemplate suicide.

7. The topic of this passage is…

☐ Various psychiatric illnesses
☐ How depression affects the mood
☐ The intense period of manic excitement
☐ The mood changes of manic depression
☐ How insomnia happens
8. The passage indicates that most people…
☐ A. never undergo mood changes
☐ B. experience occasional shifts in mood
☐ C. switch wildly from highs to lows
☐ D. become highly depressed
☐ E. feel happy anytime
9. The passage implies that…
☐ A. Changes from excitement to depression occur frequently and often
☐ B. Only manic-depressive patients experience aggression
☐ C. The depressive phase of this disease can be more harmful than the manic phase
☐ D. Suicide is inevitable in cases of manic depression
☐ E. A different type of mental disease

Text 5
When another old cave is discovered in the south of France, it is not usually news.
Rather, it is an ordinary event. Such discoveries are so frequent these days that hardly
anybody pays heed to them.
However, when the Lascaux cave complex was discovered in 1940, the world was
amazed. Painted directly on its walls were hundreds of scenes showing how people lived
thousands of years ago. The scenes show people hunting animals, such as bison or wild cats.
Other images depict birds and, most noticeably, horses, which appear in more than 300 wall
images, by far outnumbering all other animals.
 Early artists drawing these animals accomplished a monumental and difficult
task. They did not limit themselves to the easily accessible walls but carried their painting
materials to spaces that required climbing steep walls or crawling into narrow passages in
the Lascaux complex. Unfortunately, the paintings have been exposed to the destructive
action of water and temperature changes, which easily wear the images away. Because the
Lascaux caves have many entrances, air movement has also damaged the images inside.
Although they are not out in the open air, where natural light would have destroyed
them long ago, many of the images have deteriorated and are barely recognizable. To
prevent further damage, the site was closed to tourists in 1963, 23 years after it was
discovered.

10. Which title best summarizes the main idea of the passage?
☐ Wild Animals in Art
☐ Hidden Prehistoric Paintings
☐ Exploring Caves Respectfully
☐ Determining the Age of French Caves
☐ The paintings
11. Based on the passage, what is probably true about the south of France?
☐ It is home to rare animals.
☐ It has a large number of caves.
☐ It is known for horse-racing events.
☐ It has attracted many famous artists.
☐ It has a small of live.
12. Why was painting inside the Lascaux complex a difficult task?
☐ It was completely dark inside.
☐ The caves were full of wild animals.
☐ Painting materials were hard to find.
☐ Many painting spaces were difficult to reach.
☐ The caves were beautiful.

Text 6

The Creators of Grammar

No student of a foreign language needs to be told that grammar is complex. By
changing word sequences and by adding a range of auxiliary verbs and suffixes, we are able
to communicate tiny variations in meaning. We can turn a statement into a question, state
whether an action has taken place or is soon to take place, and perform many other word
tricks to convey subtle differences in meaning. Nor is this complexity inherent to the English
language. All languages, even those of so-called 'primitive' tribes have clever grammatical
components. The Cherokee pronoun system, for example, can distinguish between 'you and
I', 'several other people and I' and 'you, another person and I'. In English, all these meanings
are summed up in the one, crude pronoun 'we'. Grammar is universal and plays a part in
every language, no matter how widespread it is. So, the question which has baffled many
linguists is - who created grammar?
At first, it would appear that this question is impossible to answer. To find out how
grammar is created, someone needs to be present at the time of a language's creation,
documenting its emergence. Many historical linguists are able to trace modern complex
languages back to earlier languages, but in order to answer the question of how complex
languages are actually formed, the researcher needs to observe how languages are
started from scratch. Amazingly, however, this is possible.
Some of the most recent languages evolved due to the Atlantic slave trade. At that
time, slaves from a number of different ethnicities were forced to work together under
colonizer's rule. Since they had no opportunity to learn each other's languages, they
developed a make-shift language called a pidgin. Pidgins are strings of words copied from
the language of the landowner. They have little in the way of grammar, and in many cases, it
is difficult for a listener to deduce when an event happened, and who did what to
whom. [A] Speakers need to use circumlocution in order to make their meaning
understood. [B] Interestingly, however, all it takes for a pidgin to become a complex
language is for a group of children to be exposed to it at the time when they learn their
mother tongue. [C] It included standardised word orders and grammatical markers that
existed in neither the pidgin language, nor the language of the colonizers. Slave children did
not simply copy the strings of words uttered by their elders; they adapted their words to
create a new, expressive language. [D] Complex grammar systems which emerge from
pidgins are termed creoles, and they are invented by children.
Further evidence of this can be seen in studying sign languages for the deaf. Sign
languages are not simply a series of gestures; they utilise the same grammatical machinery
that is found in spoken languages. Moreover, there are many different languages used
worldwide. The creation of one such language was documented quite recently in Nicaragua.
Previously, all deaf people were isolated from each other, but in 1979 a new government
introduced schools for the deaf. Although children were taught speech and lip reading in
the classroom, in the playgrounds they began to invent their own sign system, using the
gestures that they used at home. It was basically a pidgin. Each child used the signs
differently, and there was no consistent grammar. However, children who joined the school
later, when this inventive sign system was already around, developed a quite different sign
language. Although it was based on the signs of the older children, the younger children's
language was more fluid and compact, and it utilised a large range of grammatical devices to
clarify meaning. What is more, all the children used the signs in the same way. A new creole
was born.
Some linguists believe that many of the world's most established languages were
creoles at first. The English past tense –ed ending may have evolved from the verb 'do'. 'It
ended' may once have been 'It end-did'. Therefore, it would appear that even the most
widespread languages were partly created by children. Children appear to have innate
grammatical machinery in their brains, which springs to life when they are first trying to
make sense of the world around them. Their minds can serve to create logical, complex
structures, even when there is no grammar present for them to copy.

13. In paragraph 1, why does the writer include information about the Cherokee
language?
 ☐ To show how simple, traditional cultures can have complicated grammar
structures
☐ To show how English grammar differs from Cherokee grammar
☐ To prove that complex grammar structures were invented by the Cherokees.
☐ To demonstrate how difficult, it is to learn the Cherokee language
☐ To give more detail information
Text 7
Education is often viewed as school in a traditional, formal sense. Many people
believe that true learning can only take place in a formal classroom setting. Others feel
education occurs in many different form and environment. There may not be a definitive
answer to the question of, "What is education?" However, we start thinking about the
purpose of education. Is it to educate youth to be responsible citizen? Is it to developed
individual, as well as society, in order to ensure a society's economic success? Or is it to
simply focus on developing individual talents and intelligence? Perhaps it is the balance of all
three that defines education? While our answers may differ, we can perhaps agree that
education is basic human right. When that right is granted growth and development, the
society as a whole is more likely to improve in areas such as health, nutrition, general income
and living standards, and population fertility rates.
As global citizen it is our responsibility to critically think about the issue and attempt to
come up with solution to the problems plaquing education. In 1990 UNESCO launched EFA,
the movement to fight quality education for all children, youth, and adult by the year 2015.
The unfortunate reality is that for many countries, larger issues come before improving the
quality of education. How can we achieve the goal of EFA when numerous counties around
the world are faced with challenges that seems far too impossible to overcome? The answer
lies in attempting to bridge some of the haps that prevent developing nation to compete
with developed nations. One example is that of providing greater access to technology and
narrowing the ever-widening digital divide. In many ways the most basic access to
technology can serve as valuable education tool. Individual who are not afforded this access
area a disadvantage when trying to grasp opportunity to make life better for themselves,
their families, and their community.

14. The author's main concern in the first paragraph of the passage is that...
☐ there is no exact definition about education
☐ education is a fundamental individual's right
☐ everyone has right to get quality education
☐ education occurs in any place not just schools
☐ development can be gained through education
15. The situation the author shows is the passage above is the best described as
follows...
☐ quality education fundamentally ensures quality living in all sectors
☐ education is essentially everyone's right yet it still has its challenges
☐ there are problems in education in spite of its significant role
 ☐ as long as nations compete, education cannot progress
☐ absence of an exact definition causes problems in education
Text 8
Earthquake is any sudden shaking of the ground caused by the passage of seismic
waves through Earth’s rocks. Seismic waves are produced when some form of energy stored
in Earth’s crust is suddenly released, usually when masses of rock straining against one
another suddenly fracture and “slip.” Earthquakes occur most often along geologic faults,
narrow zones where rock masses move in relation to one another. The major fault lines of
the world are located at the fringes of the huge tectonic plates that make up Earth’s crust.
Little was understood about earthquakes until the emergence of seismology at the
beginning of the 20th century. Seismology, which involves the scientific study of all aspects
of earthquakes, has yielded answers to such long-standing questions as why and how
earthquakes occur. About 50,000 earthquakes large enough to be noticed without the aid of
instruments occur annually over the entire Earth. Of these, approximately 100 are of
sufficient size to produce substantial damage if their centres are near areas of habitation.
Very great earthquakes occur on average about once per year. Over the centuries they have
been responsible for millions of deaths and an incalculable amount of damage to property.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. (n.d.). Taken on July 26, 2021 from
https://www.britannica.com/topic/list-of-earthquakes-2009168.

16. The paragraph following the passage most likely discusses ….

☐ suggestions to emerge the seismology to detect the earthquake
☐ examples of the substantial damage that caused by the earthquake
☐ the development of seismology to identify the earthquake earlier
☐ factors that cause the earthquake and seismic wave
☐ the reason why we need the seismology

17. What is the author’s attitude towards the topic of the passage?
☐ Concerned
☐ Critical
☐ Informative
☐ Satisfied
☐ Optimistic
18. What will happen when seismic waves pass through Earth’s rocks?
☐ It will answer why and how earthquakes occur.
☐ It may cause an earthquake.
☐ It will store some form of energy in Earth’s crust.
☐ The masses of rock will slip.
☐ It may produce seismic waves.
Text 9
 As Philadelphia grew from a small town into a city in the first half of the eighteenth
century, it became an increasingly important marketing centre for a vast and growing
agricultural hinterland. Market days saw the crowded city even more crowded, as farmers
from within a radius of 24 or more kilometres brought their sheep, cows, pigs, vegetables,
cider, and other products for direct sale to the townspeople.
The High Street Market was continuously enlarged throughout the period until 1736,
when it reached from Front Street to Third. By 1745 New Market was opened on Second
Street between Pine and Cedar. The next year the Callowhill Market began operation. Along
with market days, the institution of twice-yearly fairs persisted in Philadelphia even after
similar trading days had been discontinued in other colonial cities. The fairs provided a
means of bringing handmade goods from outlying places to would-be buyers in the city.
Linens and stockings from Germantown, for example, were popular items.
Auctions were another popular form of occasional trade. Because of the competition,
retail merchants opposed these as well as the fairs. Although governmental attempts to
eradicate fairs and auctions were less than successful, the ordinary course of economic
development was on the merchants’ side, as increasing business specialization became the
order of the day. Export merchants became differentiated from their importing counterparts,
and specialty shops began to appear in addition to general stores selling a variety of goods.
One of the reasons Philadelphia’s merchants generally prospered was because the
surrounding area was undergoing tremendous economic and demographic growth. They did
their business, after all, in the capital city of the province. Not only did they cater to the
governor and his circle, but citizens from all over the colony came to the capital for
legislative sessions of the assembly and council and the meetings of the courts of justice.

19. What does the passage mainly discuss?

☐ Philadelphia’s agriculture importance
☐ Philadelphia’s development as a marketing centre
☐ The sale of imported goods in Philadelphia
☐ The administration of the city of Philadelphia
☐ Export merchants
20. It can be inferred from the passage that new markets opened in Philadelphia
because….
☐ they provided more modem facilities than older markets
☐ the High Street Market was forced to close
☐ existing markets were unable to serve the growing population
☐ farmers wanted markets that were closer to the farms
☐ one of the reasons Philadelphia’s merchants
21. The word “hinterland “ in line 3 is closest in meaning to ….
☐ tradition
☐ association
 ☐ produce
☐ region
☐ life
Text 10
Television was once the newest technology in our homes, and then came videos and
computers. Today’s children are growing up in a rapidly changing digital age that is far
different from their parents. A variety of technologies are all around us in our homes, offices,
and schools. When used wisely, technology and media can support learning children’s
relationships both with adults and their peers.
Based on some evidence by research, there has never been a more important time to
apply principles of development and learning when considering the use of cutting-edge
technologies and new media as the so-called interactive media. Interactive media refers to
digital and analogue materials, including software programs, applications (apps), some
children’s television programming, e-books, the Internet, and other forms of content
designed to facilitate active and creative use by young children and to encourage social
engagement with other children and adults.
When the integration of technology and interactive media in early childhood
programs is built upon solid developmental foundations, and early childhood professionals
are aware of both the challenges and the opportunities, educators are positioned to improve
program quality by intentionally leveraging the potential of technology and media for the
benefit of every child.
This statement provides guidance for early childhood educators about the use of
technology and interactive media in ways that can optimize opportunities for young
children’s development. In this statement, the definition of technology tools encompasses a
broad range of digital devices such as computers, tablets, multi-touch screens, interactive
whiteboards, mobile devices, cameras, audio recorders, electronic toys, games, e-book
readers, and older analogue devices still being used such as tape recorders, record and
cassette players, projectors, and microscopes.
By appropriately and intentionally using the technology of his day—broadcast
television—to connect with each individual child and with parents and families, it
demonstrated the positive potential of using technology and media in ways that are
grounded in principles of child development.

22. The author holds the assumption that ....

☐ any forms of content designed to facilitate creative children to learn will challenge
them
☐ interactive media are any kind of media that include hardware and artifacts of
education
☐ the integration of technology and interactive media in childhood programs leads to
improved program quality
☐ applying principles of development and learning of children is secondary in the use
of the interactive media
☐ technology and media can be used to facilitate learning and establish better
relationships with other children and adults
Text 11
The latest round in an ongoing debate over global-warming trends claims that
warming has indeed slowed down this century. An obvious slowing in the rise of global
temperatures was recorded at the beginning of the twenty-first century. This was referred to
as a "hiatus" or a "pause". This hiatus was first observed several years ago. Climate-change
sceptics have used this as evidence that global warming has stopped permanently. But in
June the previous year, a study in science claimed that the hiatus was just an artifact which
disappears when biases in temperature data are corrected.
Now a prominent group of researchers is countering that claim. They argue in Nature
Climate Change that even after correcting these biases the slowdown was real. "There is this
mismatch between what the climate models are producing and what the observations are
showing," says lead author John Fyfe. "We can't ignore it." Fyfe uses the term "slowdown"
rather than "hiatus". He also stresses that it does not in any way weaken global-warming
theory.
The study that questioned the existence of the slowdown corrected known biases in
the surface temperature record maintained by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA). The finding showed differences in temperature readings from ships
and buoys. This effectively increased the record about warming. The researchers also
extended the record to include 2014. This set a new record high for average temperatures.
Thomas Karl, director of National Centres for Environmental Information in Asheville,
calculated the rate of global warming between 1950 and 1999 as being 0.113°C per decade.
This was similar to the 0.116°C a decade calculated for 2000-14. This, Karl said, meant that an
assessment done by the influential Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in 2013
showing that warming had slowed was no longer valid.
(Adapted from www.nature.com)

23. The passage above mainly discusses about….

☐ the hiatus observation was first carried out several years ago
☐ the reason why global warming is slowing down in this century
☐ global warming is a verifiable issue in the space of a decade
☐ the contention about global warming and whether it is indeed slowing this period
☐ the view of study in science that the hiatus is an artifact which vanishes
24. The word “prominent” in paragraph 2 means….
☐ well-known
☐ promenade
☐ shrewd
☐ indolent
☐ magnificent
25. Why have some claimed that global warming a fabricated issue?
☐ Because there’s no valid data to prove that global warming is real.
☐ Since the existence of the slowdown corrected known biases in the surface
temperature record upheld by the US NOAA.
☐ As an assessment done on Climate Change presenting that warming had slowed was
no longer valid.
☐ For the researchers is countering that in Nature Climate Change even after
correcting these biases the slowdown was real.
☐ Because of the diversification in temperature readings from ships and buoys, the
study found.