PASSAGE 1 – Questions 1-10

A tour under Paris

The great avenues are quiet, the shops are closed. There’s the smell of fresh bread from a
bakery somewhere. It would be hard to say which time of the day in Paris I prefer but this is
probably it. Soon the streets will be full of people and traffic. As with most other cities, you
see the real Paris when the city wakes up.

There is, however, another part of Paris which is silent and free from people 24 hours a day.
Under the city are hundreds of kilometres of tunnels. There are sewers and old subways but
there are also spaces of all kinds: canals and catacombs, wine cellars which have been made
into nightclubs and galleries. During the 19th century, the Parisians needed more stone for
buildings above the ground so they dug tunnels beneath the city. After that, many farmers
grew mushrooms in them. During World War II, the French Resistance fighters also used
them. Since the 1970s, many groups of young people spend days and nights below the city
in these tunnels. It’s a place for parties, theatre performances, art galleries – anything goes
here!

Everywhere you go under Paris, there is history and legend. Historians and novelists often
refer to them in their books. For example, Victor Hugo mentions the tunnels in his famous
novel Les Misérables and in the story and musical The Phantom of the Opera there is a pond
beneath the old opera house. Most people think this is myth but in fact there is an
underground pond here with fish. A ‘normal’ tourist can visit parts of Paris beneath the
ground. For example, there are the catacombs beneath the Montparnasse district. Here you
can see the bones and skeletons of about six millions Parisians. The bodies came from
cemeteries above the ground two centuries ago when the city needed more space.

However, it’s illegal to enter other parts of the tunnels and police often search the area. It’s
also very dangerous because some of the tunnels might collapse. Nevertheless, there are
people who will take you to visit them. I have found two ‘unofficial’ tour guides –
Dominique and Yopie (not their real names). They take me through many tunnels and after
a couple of hours we arrive at a room which isn’t on any map. Yopie and some of his
friends built it. The room is comfortable and clean with a table and chairs and a bed. Yopie
tells me there are many other places like this. ‘Many people come down here to party, some
people to paint … We do what we want here.’

1. In paragraph 1, what time of the day does the author describe?

A. Early in the morning
B. Mid-day
C. In the evening
D. Late at night
2. According to the passage, what are under Paris?
A. Tunnels
B. Sewers and old subways
C. Canals, catacombs, and wine cellars
D. Night clubs and galleries

3. What does the word “Parisians” in paragraph 2 refer to?

A. People living in Paris
B. Builders working in Paris
C. Rich people in Paris
D. French people

4. Why were the tunnels built during the 19th century?

A. Because they wanted to make clubs and galleries
B. Because farmers wanted to grow mushrooms
C. Because they needed stones
D. Because they used them in war

5. According to the passage, when did young people start to use the tunnels?
A. Since the 19th century
B. Since the World War II
C. Since the French Resistance
D. Since the 1970s

6. Why does the author mention Victor Hugo?

A. To prove that the tunnels often appear in books
B. To give examples of best French novels
C. To prove that he wrote about the tunnels
D. To prove that the tunnels are under Paris

7. The word “myth” in paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to….

A. truth.
B. legend.
C. fact.
D. example.

8. Are tourist allowed to go underground?

A. Yes, they can go everywhere.
B. Yes, they can visit part of the tunnels.
C. No, never.
D. Yes, but it is illegal.

9. Why does the writer say it’s dangerous in the tunnels?

 A. There are criminals down there.
B. The tunnels might fall down on you.
C. You might get lost.
D. The police may arrest you.

10. Why is Dominique and Yopie’s room difficult to find?

A. It is not on the map.
B. It takes two hours to walk there.
C. They never show people where it is
D. There are many other places like it.

PASSAGE 2 – Questions 2-20

Drought, severe heat and water shortages are disrupting schools, killing animals and
ravaging rice crops in Southeast Asia. Thailand, Laos and Cambodia have recorded
temperatures up to 44.6oC (112.4oF), beating all time national highs, according to data from
the Weather Underground, a commercial weather service. Singapore too, has seen
abnormally high temperatures, while in Malaysia, lakes have dried up and vegetable output
has withered.

In Cambodia, schoolchildren have vastly diminished water supplies. “It’s very difficult to
get water for the latrines,” says Srey Norn, a 13 – year – old girl from Tboung Khmum
Province. “Because some wells have dried up… and I have many friends who don’t come to
school because it’s too hot.”

Hen Seha, Srey Norn’s teacher, is concerned. “I have seen an increase in absenteeism of 30
or 40%” he says. “I want to install a fan but our school doesn’t have any electricity.”

When there are no toilets, explained Iman Morooka, Chief of Communication at UNICEF
Cambodia, “Children either go in the bush …. or would return home, particularly girls, and
may not return back to the school afterwards.”

In Kampong Chhnang Province, a water source for schoolchildren has become stagnant and
disease – ridden. “Even if they filter this water before drinking it they will get diarrhea and
fever,” says Hun Heng, director of the local school support committee. “And if they use it
for bathing their skin will get irritated with red spots and dryness.”

The Cambodian government has responded by reducing school hours during the hottest
period of the day but teachers say there have been no extra funds to buy water.

Meanwhile, the Mekong River – Southeast Asia’s longest – has fallen to record lows. The
Vietnamese government has reported that the river is at its lowest level since 1926. When
levels are this low, water from the South China Sea intrudes inland causing a salinization of
the soil. Vietnamese media have reported “major crop losses in the region.”
Thailand, one of the world’s top rice producer, is also expecting poor yields because of the
heat and the fact that rainfall last year was less than half of what could be expected,
according to an analysis by the Economic Intelligence Centre.

If Vietnam and Thailand both fail to produce enough rice then local importers like the
Philippines and Indonesia will suffer shortages and increased prices. The Philippines
imported 1.9 million tons of rice last year, according to a U.S. Department of Agriculture
report, with Vietnam and Thailand accounting for 53% and 5%, respectively. And the
Indonesian government said last year that they expected to import one million tons of rice
from Vietnam and more from Thailand.

11. Where are Thailand, Laos and Cambodia?

A. Central Asia
B. South east Asia
C. North Asia
D. West Asia
12. Which of the following words does the word “diminished” in paragraph 2 have
closest meaning to?
A. declined
B. expanded
C. amplified
D. flattered
13. Why can’t Hen Seha install a fan?
A. Because he doesn’t have enough money.
B. Because the school think it wastes money.
C. Because there is no electricity in the region.
D. Because it is not very hot in his school.
14. Where would children go if there are no toilets at school?
A. to the bush
B. to the river
C. to their houses
D. to either the bush or their houses
15. According to Hun Heng – director of the local school support committee,
schoolchildren tend to get ___________ though the water was filtered.
A. sick
B. irritated
C. diarrhea and fever
D. red spots and dryness
16. What do teachers in Cambodia want?
A. They want to install fans in classroom.
B. They want the government invest money to buy water.
C. They want the government to reduce school hours.
 D. They want to stay at home during the hottest period of the day.
17. Which of the following words does the word “intrudes” have closest meaning to?
A. interfere
B. leave
C. erase
D. withdraw
18. The rainfall last year in Thailand was ____________ of what could be expected.
A. more than half
B. approximately half
C. lower than half
D. far less than half
19. What can be inferred about the Philippines?
A. It imports rice from Vietnam, Thailand and Indonesia.
B. It will import 1.9 million tons of rice by the end of this year.
C. It expects to import more rice from Thailand.
D. It cannot import enough rice from Vietnam and Thailand this year.
20. What is the writer’s purpose?
A. To give information about the water shortage in Southeast Asia.
B. To mention negative effects of the heat and water shortage.
C. To warn readers about the lowest level of the Mekong River.
D. To warn that the Philippines will cannot import enough rice.