Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your
answer sheet to choose the word or phrase that best fits each of the
numbered blanks.
Despite the wealth of information campaigns telling people about global
warming and its causes, (24) I people have yet to realize how
severe the problem is. Coming climate changes could alter as much as
one third of plant and animal habitats by the end of the 22nd century.
These changes could in turn cause widespread extinctions among plant
and animal species around the globe.
Coastal and island habitats are perhaps in the greatest danger (25)
they face the combined threats of warming oceans and rising sea
levels. As habitats change, many animals will come under intense
pressure to find more suitable homes for themselves. Mass (26)
of at least some animals are certainly to be expected, but the fact
remains that many animals will simply not be able to move fast enough.
Such dire predictions may sound alarmist, but they are based on the rather
moderate estimate that the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere
will double by 2100. Many scientists believe, however, this figure is
actually very conservative, and they claim (27) a tripling is far
more realistic. If they are (28) the effects on nature will be even
more dramatic.
A. eachB. littleC. mostD. Much
A. howeverB. becauseC.althoughD. therefore
A. extinctionsB. emigrationsC. migratonsD. disappearances
A. ThatB. WhichC. WhenD. whether
A. exactB. correctC. preciseD. True
Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your
answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions
Biological diversity has become widely recognized as a critical
conservation issue only in the past two decades. The rapid destruction of
the tropical rain forests, which are the ecosystems with the highest known
species diversity on Earth, has awakened people to the importance and
fragility of biological diversity. The high rate of species extinctions in
these environments is jolting, but it is important to recognize the
significance of biological diversity in all ecosystems. As the human
population continues to expand, it will negatively affect one after another
of Earth’s ecosystems. In terrestrial ecosystems and in fringe marine
ecosystems (such as wetlands), the most common problem is habitat
destruction. In most situations, the result is irreversible. Now humans are
beginning to destroy marine ecosystems through other types of activities,
such as disposal and runoff of poisonous waste; in less than two
centuries, by significantly reducing the variety of species on Earth, they
have irrevocably redirected the course of evolution.
However, nothing has ever equaled the magnitude and speed with which
the human species is altering the physical and chemical world and
demolishing the environment. In fact, there is wide agreement that it is
the rate of change humans are inflicting, even more than the changes
themselves, that will lead to biological devastation. Life on Earth has
continually been in flux as slow physical and chemical changes have
occurred on Earth, but life needs time to adapt-time for migration and
genetic adaptation within existing species and time for the proliferation of
new genetic material and new species that may be able to survive in new
environments.
What does the passage mainly discuss?
A. The variety of species found in tropical rain forests
B. The cause of the extinction of the dinosaurs
C. The time required for species to adapt to new environments
D. The impact of human activities on Earth’s ecosystems
The word "it" in paragraph 1 refers to
A. The Earth
B. The human population
C. The Earth's ecosystem
D. Biological diversity
The author mentions all of the following as examples of the effect of
humans on the world's ecosystems EXCEPT
A. habitat destruction in wetlands
B. the introduction of new varieties of plant species
C. damage to marine ecosystems
D. destruction of the tropical rain forests
According to the passage, natural evolutionary change is different from
changes caused by humans in that changes caused by humans
A. affect fewer ecosystems
B. are occurring at a much faster rate
C. are reversible
D. are less devastating to most species
Which of the following can best replace "in flux"?
A. Breaking
B. Producing
C. Changing
D. Increasing
It can be inferred from the passage that
A. Human influence on ecosystems should not be a factor in determining
public policy.
B. Humans should be more conscious of the influence they have on
ecosystems.
C. The extinction of a few species is an acceptable consequence of human
progress.
D. Technology will provide solutions to problems caused by the
destruction of ecosystems.
