VSTEP READING

PASSAGE 3 – Questions 21-30

Art communicates to us primarily through our eyes. We look at art, and we try to find some meaning in the
experience. If we are to begin to think about art more seriously, we might do well to become more aware of the
process of seeing itself.
Science tells us that seeing is a mode of perception, or the recognition and interpretation of sensory data-in other
words, how information comes in our senses, and what we make of it. In visual perception our eyes take in
information in the form of light patterns; the brain processes these patterns to give them meaning. The mechanics of
perception work much the same way for everyone, yet in a given situation we do not all see the same things.
We can take great pleasure in merely looking at art, just as we take pleasure in the view of a distant mountain range
or watching the sun set over the ocean. But art, unlike nature, is a human creation. It is one of the many ways we
express ourselves and attempt to communicate. A work of art is the product of human intelligence, and we can meet
it with our own intelligence on equal footing. This is where study comes in.
The understanding of process - the how - often contributes quite a lot to our appreciation of art. If you understand
why painting in watercolor may be different from painting in oil, why clay responds differently to the artist's hands
than does wood or glass - you will have a richer appreciation of the artist's expression.
Knowing the place of a work of art in history - what went before and came after - can also deepen your
understanding. Artists learn to make art by studying the achievements of the past and observing the efforts of their
contemporaries. They adapt ideas to serve their own needs and then bequeath those ideas to future generations of
artists. For example, Matisse assumed that his audience would know that Venus was the ancient Roman goddess of
love. But he also hoped that they would be familiar with one Venus in particular, a famous Greek statue known as the
Venus de Milo.
An artist may create a specific work for any of a thousand reasons. An awareness of the why may give some insight
as well. Looking at Van Gogh's The Starry Night, it might help you know that Van Gogh was intrigued by the belief
that people journeyed to a star after their death, and that there they continued their lives. "Just as we take the train to
get to Tarascon or Rouen," he wrote in a letter, "we take death to reach a star." This knowledge might help you
understand why Van Gogh felt so strongly about the night sky, and what his painting might have meant to him.
But no matter how much you study, Van Gogh's painting will never mean for you exactly what it meant for him, nor
should it. Great works of art hold many meanings. The greatest of them seem to speak anew to each generation and
to each attentive observer. The most important thing is that they mean something for you, that your own experiences,
thoughts, and emotions find a place in them.
21. According to paragraph 2, the process of visual perception ………..
A.is not the same for all people B. begins with patterns of light
C. is not very scientific D. requires other senses to function
22. What did Matisse reinterpret?
A. A goddess from mythology B. A painting by another artist
C. An ancient sculpture D.A man in history
23. The word “them” in the last paragraph refers to ……….
A. each attentive observer B. thoughts and emotions
C. a lifetime of experiences D. great works of art
24. The word “bequeath” in the passage is closest in meaning to ……………
A. make out B. pass on C. look over D. take in
25. The author mentions all of the following ways to enhance the appreciation of art EXCEPT
A. understanding the artistic process B. becoming familiar with the history
C. experiencing the art by copying D. knowing about the life of the artist
26. What is the main topic of this passage?
A. Visual perception of sensory material
B. The historical context for artistic expression
C. Studying Van Gogh's The Starry Night
D. The appreciation of works of art
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27. Which of the sentences below best expresses the information in the highlighted statement
in the passage?
A. We see images differently because of the mode of perception.
B. Although we see images differently, the mode of perception is similar.
C. Since the mode of perception is similar, we see images in the same way.
D. When the mode of perception is the same, we see the same images
28. Why might Van Gogh have painted The Starry Night?
A. To symbolize the journey of life after death
B. To create a dramatic contrast with the sky
C. To place a strong image in the foreground
D. To include nature from his early experience
29. The word “intrigued” in the passage is closest in meaning to ………..
A. very pleased B. very confused C. very interested D. very surprised
30. What can be inferred from the last paragraph?
A. Greatest artworks are impossible to understand.
B. The author shows negative feelings toward contemporary art.
C. People need knowledge to understand art.
D. What we see in art is determined by our emotions, experiences, and thoughts.

PASSAGE 4 – Questions 31-40

Antibiotics block the life cycle of bacteria that invade the human body. The first of these antibiotics, penicillin, works
by blocking the molecules that construct the cell walls of particular bacteria. The bacteria, with incomplete cell
walls, are not able to reproduce.
When penicillin was introduced during World War II, it was truly a "miracle drug." Until that time, anyone who was
cut or wounded stood a great risk of infection. Once penicillin became available, the situation changed. Wounded
soldiers, children with ear infections, and many others began to benefit from the ability to block the growth of
bacteria.
While humanity may have won that particular battle against bacteria, the war is far from over. The reason is that in
any bacterial population, there are bound to be a few bacteria that, for one reason or another, are not affected
by a particular antibiotic. For example, they may have a slightly differently shaped enzyme that builds cell walls,
so that penicillin will not fit onto that particular shape of the enzyme. These bacteria will not be affected by that
particular drug.
For that small group, the antibiotic is a real godsend. It doesn't affect them, but it does wipe out all of their
competition. They are thus free to multiply, and, over time, all of the bacteria will have whatever properties that made
those individuals resistant.
Traditionally, medical scientists have dealt with this phenomenon by developing a large number of antibiotics, each
of which intervenes in the bacterial life cycle in a slightly different way. Consequently, if you happen to have a
bacterium that is resistant to one antibiotic, probably it will succumb to the action of another. You may, in fact, have
had the experience of going to a doctor with an infection, being given an antibiotic, and then finding that it didn't
work. In all
likelihood, all your doctor had to do then was prescribe a different antibiotic and everything was fine.
The problem is that as time has passed, more and more bacteria have become resistant to antibiotics. In fact,
currently, there is one strain of bacteria- Staphylococcus-that is resistant to every commercially available antibiotic
except one, and in 1996, a bacterium with lowered resistance to that last antibiotic appeared in Japan.
The appearance of drug-resistant bacteria is not particularly surprising; in fact, it probably should have been
anticipated. Nevertheless, in the late 1980s, there was a general sense of complacency among scientists on the
antibiotic question. Little profit was to be made by developing the one-hundred-and-first antibiotic. Drug companies
concentrated their efforts on other areas. Therefore, a gap developed between the production of new antibiotics and
the
development of resistance among bacteria.
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By the early 1990s, this gap was recognized and highlighted in several national news magazines. More companies
returned to develop new kinds of antibiotics, and currently, a number are undergoing clinical trials. By early in the
twenty-first century, some of these new drugs will start to come on the market, and the problem will be "solved," at
least for the moment.
Additional research will focus on the processes by which cells repair the constant damage to DNA, but the computer
design of new drugs, the development of new antibiotics, and techniques to combat bacteria should remain a top
priority.
31. How do antibiotics treat infections?
A. They interfere with the reproductive cycle of bacteria.
B. They construct cell walls to resist bacteria.
C. They inject enzymes that explode in affected cells.
D. They increase the mitosis of healthy cells
32. The word “them” in paragraph 4 refers to ……….
A. whatever properties B. resistant bacteria
C. their competition D. those individuals
33. The word “anticipated” in the passage is closest in meaning to …….
A. predicted B. concealed C. investigated D. disregarded
34. Which of the following best expresses the main idea of this passage?
A. The "miracle drug" penicillin B. Drug-resistant bacteria
C. Staphylococcus infections D. Gene therapy treatments
35. According to paragraph 4, why do some bacteria benefit from antibiotics?
A. The antibiotic eliminates competing bacteria, allowing resistant bacteria to reproduce.
B. The resistant bacteria compete with the antibiotic, and the bacteria become stronger.
C. The competition helps the resistant bacteria to multiply by reproducing with the resistant type.
D. The properties of the antibiotic are acquired by the bacteria, making it resistant to the competition.
36. The word “complacency” in the passage is closest in meaning to ……
A. consensus of agreement B. fear of consequences
C. lack of concern D. awareness of potential
37. Which of the sentences below best expresses the information in the highlighted statement in the passage?
A. Some antibiotics affect a population of bacteria more efficiently than others.
B. There are several reasons why some bacteria do not respond to most antibiotics.
C. The effect of antibiotics on bacteria is to bind them together into one population.
D. A small number of bacteria in any sample will probably be resistant to a specific antibiotic.
38. The author mentions all of the following reasons for drug resistant bacteria to appear EXCEPT…….
A. there was not enough profit incentive for companies to continue developing new antibiotics
B. statistically, some drug-resistant bacteria will occur naturally in any large population of bacteria
C. the newer antibiotics were not as strong and effective as the original penicillin-based drugs
D. competing bacteria are destroyed by antibiotics, allowing resistant bacteria to prosper.
39. It can be inferred from the passage that …….
A. research to develop new antibiotics will not be necessary in the future
B. the scientific community was not surprised by the resistant strains of bacteria
C. antibiotics are not very expensive when they are made available commercially
D. it takes years for a new drug to be made available commercially for consumers
40. Which of the following statements is NOT a main idea of the passage?
A. Many strains of bacteria have become resistant to the antibiotics currently available.
B. Funding for the production of new antibiotics has been allocated to drug companies.
C. The first antibiotics were very effective in blocking the reproduction of bacteria.
D. New antibiotics are being developed to combat bacteria that resist the older antibiotics.