TEST – 18
What is the current role of the United States? Is
it, as some say, a station in decline, one that is
falling behind in the competitive arena of
international trade? Or is it undergoing a process
of adaptation and renewal? A spate of books has been
published on the subject during the past few years,
and these have sparked a wide ranging public debate
over these concerns. One of the best known of these
books in Paul Kennedy's Rise and Fall of he Great
Powers in fact, Paul Kennedy is the most prominent
of the decline theorists. Examining the history of
great powers such as 16th century Spain and the
British Empire around 1900; he identifies a pattern
of "imperial over stretch". To maintain a position
of dominance, great powers over time find themselves
devoting an increasing share of their resources to
military security. This often leads to a neglect of
technological innovation, and, ultimately, to a
decline in economic strength.
1. The questions related with which the author
begins this passage
a) explain his full trust in the strength of the
United States
b) imply that the united States in an invincible
world power
c) clearly show that he is uncertain about the
present position of the United states in the world
d) demonstrate the author's confidence in the future
of his country
e) bear almost no relationship to the argument that
is then developed
2. In his work "Rise and Fall of Great Powers" Paul
Kennedy ............. .
a) points out that the British Empire collapsed
because it ignored new advances in technology
b) argues that the great powers in the past declined
because of the drain on resources for military
security
c) explains that the Spanish Empire in the 16th
century was solely concerned with its economic
strength
d) confines himself to a study of current
international issues that concern the United States
e) is of the opinion that the term "imperial over
stretch" has been misused among historians
3. In accordance with the passage, the question of
the current role of the United States .............
.
a) is of little interest but anyone but political
historians
b) should not be related to the concept of "imperial
over stretch"
c) has not viewed within any historical context
d) has triggered off a great deal of discussion
throughout society
e) has received its most plausible explanation in
Paul Kennedy's latest book
The main advantage of prefabrication are two fold:
it is quicker and it does away with uncertainty.
Speed in building is significant these days due to
the high cost of land: the-time during which such an
expensive commodity is out of use must be reduced to
a minimum. And partly or wholly prefabricated
methods of construction save time on the job because
parts are prepared in the factory beforehand.
Prefabrication does away with uncertainty because it
means that the whole building is made of standard
parts the behaviour of which is known and has been
tested.
4. Since land is very precious it is important
that..............
a) the building materials should also be expensive
b) costs do not continue to rise
c) people should not disagree as to the advantages
of prefabrication
d) building costs be reduced to a minimum
e) it does not remain out of use for long
5. The only one advantage of using prefabricated
parts is that............. .
a) this method is cheaper than standard methods
b) fewer skilled workmen are required
c) less land is needed
d) buildings can be constructed much faster
e) there is more scope for experiment
6. When a building is founded from standard parts
that hale been well-tested ............. .
a) One is still not sure how they will behave in a
particular situation
b) there is no scope for originality
c) new methods of construction are overlooked
d) one knows in advance that the result will be
satisfactory
e) the costs will naturally be excessively high
Computers can store vast amount of information in a
very small space and are used by the banks to keep
accounts, and control transactions. They are also
used by the police to keep personal, records,
fingerprints and other details. In the developing
field of robotics computers are now being used to
control manual operations done by machines, These
two are taking over work, previously done by humans,
in the manufacture of cars, in weaving and other
industries. Computers play an important role in
controlling artificial satellites,' decoding
information and communications generally. They are
used to predict the weather with increasing
accuracy.
7. One can understand from the passage
that............. .
a) computers have become an indispensable part of
our life
b) weather forecasts carried out by computers are
not reliable at all
c) despite great advances in computer techniques,
they are not proving as useful-as once hoped
d) robotics has long been a field of keen scientific
interest for man
e) computerized banking has led to an increase in
unemployment
8. The author implies that............. .
a) the police use computers to make sure that their
records are not leaked
b) industry is turning back to traditional methods
of production
c) the principal use of computers is in space
technology
d) computers are too complex for everyday use
e) the use of robots, directed by computers, is
becoming widespread in industry
9. The passage is not related to ............. .
a) how computers are produced
b) the application of computers in industry
c) the use of computers in communications and the
transfer of information
d) the conservation of information by technology
e) the role played by computers in crime detection
As the major cost of advanced education, if the
student is away from home, is board and lodging one
can argue that as far as possible the expansion of
public education beyond high school should be
arranged reasonably. Otherwise, in order to offer
equal-opportunities we should have to envisage using
public funds to provide years of free board and room
for a considerable fraction of our high school
graduates. But there are different types of
professional and vocational education which can be
given at only a few centres in even a very populous
state. It is literally impossible, for example, to
give adequate instruction in clinical medicine
except in cities of sufficient size to support large
hospitals. Similarly, advanced work in the arts,
sciences, and letters can be done only where
adequate libraries and laboratories are at hand. It
is clearly in the national interest to find all the
latent talent available for the lengthy training
that research centres at every point in the United
States where general education beyond the high
school is desired would be not merely uneconomical,
but impossible.
10. What is mainly mentioned in the passage?
.............,
a) How education beyond high school should be
arranged
b) How lodging and board should be provided
c) How to provide free board and lodging
d) Why university education has failed in the USA
e) How to provide first-rate education for all
students
11. In accordance with the author, all public
education beyond high school cannot be arranged
locally because ..............
a) hospital services cannot be secured.
b) there would not be enough housing.
c) certain types of education would be too costly to
maintain.
d) that would be against equal-opportunity
principle.
e) most localities would grow beyond control.
12. The author implies that............. .
a) researches centres should be established even in
the smallest
towns
b) there is no way a student can receive adequate
clinical education in a small hospital
c) a talented student will be satisfactorily
educated no matter where he is educated.
d) the only thing to do is to give up the ideal of
equal opportunity.
e) he finds it essential that all university
students should be given free board and lodging.
Looking ahead from the present position where food
production has kept ahead of population growth
globally, but has fallen per capita in 55 (mainly
African) countries^ it would seem that these trends
will carry on. About 30 countries most of which are
African can expect serious problems unless they
reduce population growth and give higher priority to
agriculture and conservation. Though a warmer,
wetter earth with high G02 levels is likely to be
capable of producing more food, the amounts will
still be inadequate for many poorer countries. In
many circumstances, the population projections are
greater than the entire local land resources can
support.
13. Among all the countries in the world it is those
hi Africa ............. .
a) which have taken the most drastic measures to
prevent population growth
b) that are most threatened by food shortages
c) that are most conscious of the need to preserve
the environment
d) which are environmentally most at a disadvantage
'
e) in which poverty has been greatly reduced through
agricultural development
14. It is discussed the passage that............. .
a) changes in world climate are giving rise to the
problems of food production
b) with the exception of African countries, the
global production of food is adequate and likely to
continue so
c) agricultural development will presently put an
end to global food shortages
d) the conservation of land resources is of minor
importance
e) every effort must be made to prevent the C02
level from rising
15. In accordance with the passage, it is
anticipated that............. .
a) food production will double in the future
b) the per capita income in Africa countries will
continue to rise
c) the present situation concerning population
growth and food production will soon improve
d) all the African countries will soon .solve all
their population problems
e) unless serious measures are taken, the poor
countries of the world will be faced with famine
Psychology is literally the study of the mind (or
soul) hut its area has broadened somewhat in the
last century as we have learned that one cannot
consider the mind as totally isolated from the body,
and it now covers the study of human personality and
behaviour. Psychologists also deal with the
behaviour and brain of animals whenever such studies
throw light on human behaviour. It is important to
realize that psychologists are first and foremost
trained as scientists rather than as medical experts
and do not necessarily take much interest in
abnormalities of the brain and mental process.
16. As can be concluded from the passage, psychology
............. .
a) has always been confined to the study of the mind
b) has in time developed as a branch of medicine
c) is not concerned with the mind alone, but also
with human personality and behaviour
d) primarily concentrates on the study of animal
behaviour
e) mostly deals with mental abnormalities
17. In the passages attention is shown to the fact
that..............
a) Psychologists give great importance to the study
of mental processes for medical purposes
b) psychologists are basically scientists
c) the human mind can be best understood through the
study of animal behaviour
d) the body and the. mind are separate entities in
the eyes of psychologists.
e) there have been no noticeable developments in
psychology since the last century.
18. It is implied in the passage that..............
a) the study of human behaviour alone is what
interests present-day psychologists
b) a close cooperation between psychologists and
medical experts is vital
c) as a branch of science, psychology is no longer
to be understood in its literal sense
d) the mind and the body function independently
e) in recent years psychologists have concentrated
mostly on the study of the mind
Aid to underdeveloped countries takes many forms and
it is given for several reasons. Underdeveloped
countries need aid to provide finance for
development projects, to provide foreign exchange
with which Imports for development purpose can be
bought, and to provide the trained human power and
technical knowledge they lack. The motives of donor
are not always humanitarian; "Aid" can take a
military form; it can be used to support an
incompetent or unjust government. Nor is aid always
beneficial to the recipient country. It may be
wasted on ill concerned of .prestige projects, or
cause the government simply to relax it own efforts.
19. In the passage, it is discussed that the reasons
behind the aid given to underdeveloped countries
............. .
a) are always of a military nature
b) are varied in purpose and in effect
c) invariably involved humanitarian principals
d) can be disregarded altogether
e) relate only to the technical needs of the
recipient country
20. One concludes from the passage that what is
generally referred to as "aid"............. .
a) is in fact, monetary support for development
projects only
b) usually leads to the overthrow of the government
of the recipient country
c) is actually one country's intervention in another
country's internal affairs
d) does not necessarily benefit the recipient
country
e) can really he regarded as a waste of resources
21. In accordance with the passage, unless they
receive aid, underdeveloped countries .............
.
a) often face military coups
b) will loose their world-wide prestige
c) will be at the mercy of donor countries
d) will have to rely on foreign technical advice for
many years to come
e) cannot provide money and human resources for
development
Senegal is heavily dependent on the export of crude
oil to finance industrial development. 90% of
Senegal's exports by value are crude oil. At current
production rates, known reserves are only sufficient
until the end of the century. Industrialization was
boosted after 1973-following the fourfold increase
in oil prices. In the early 1980s prices fell, and
Senegal lost important income. Oil production peaked
when it reached 112 million tones in 1974. .
22. It is said in the passage that the sharp rise in
oil prices in 1973 ..............
a) has less effect on Senegal's economy than might
have been expected
b) contributed greatly to industrial development in
Senegal
c) coincided with a considerable decrease in oil
production
d) provided Senegal with a high revenue oil into the
late 1980s
e) put a great deal of pressure on Senegal's oil
reserves
23. It is concluded from the passage that only a
fraction of Senegal's exports ............. .
a) are goods other than crude oil.
b) would be needed to support industrial development
c) were affected by the decrease in oil prices in
the 1980s.
d) were oil-related
e) have benefited from price increases.
24. In accordance with the passage as long as the
current rate of oil production is maintained
..............
a) world oil prices are not. expected to rise
significantly.
b) Senegal's industrial development plans will soon
be fully realised.
c) Senegal is likely to have no oil reserves left by
the year 2000
d) Senegal will continue to enjoy large revenues
e) the variety of goods exported from Senegal will
be more.
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