EPT 2.4 |

Reading Comprehension ( I ) :
Nuclear weapons were first developed in the United States during the Second World War , to be used against Germany . However , by the time the first bombs were ready for use , the war with Germany had ended and , as a result , the decision was made to use the weapons against Japan instead . Hiroshima and Nagasaki have suffered the consequences of this decision to the present day . The real reason why bombs were dropped on two heavily – populated cities are not altogether clear .

A number of people in 1944 and early 1945 argued that the use of nuclear weapons would be unnecessary , since American Intelligence was aware that some of the most powerful and influential people in Japan had already realized that the war was lost , and wanted to negotiate a Japanese surrender . It was also argued that , since Japan has few natural resources , a blockade by the American navy would force it to surrender within a few weeks , and the use of nuclear weapons would thus prove unnecessary . If a demonstration of force was required to end the war , a bomb could be dropped over an unpopulated area like as desert , in front of Japanese observers , or over an area of low population inside Japan, such as a forest . Opting for this course of action might minimize the loss of further lives on all sides while the power of nuclear weapons would still be adequately demonstrated .
46. The primary purpose of the passage is to ………………… .

1) using bombs against Japan occurred after the war .
2) the power of nuclear weapons is still unknown
3) there are many arguments against the use of bombs over Japan .
4) the first nuclear bombs were developed by the United States .

47. The word ” consequences ” in line 4 is closet in meaning to ………… .

1) events
2) results
3) sources
4) reasons

48. How many reasons against using the weapons are given ?

1) five
2) two
3) four
4) three

49. According to the passage, the best way to make Japan surrender would have been to
……………… .

1) defeat Japan's ground forces
2) drop bombs over unpopulated areas
3) increase the number of troops
4) stop Japan's import of natural resources

50. According to the passage, it is NOT true that ………… .

1) the first bombs were used after the war was with Germany
2) a blockade could have made Japan surrender .
3) American intelligence thought that bombs were needed
4) the two Japanese cities are still affected by the use of the bombs .

Reading Comprehension ( II ) :

Death Valley , which is located in California , is the lowest , driest , and hottest place in North America . This famous spot is at the centre of a very large park called Death Valley National Monument . The park itself is bordered by mountain ranges and is famous for its beautiful , unique scenery . Because of this , Death Valley national monument has become a very popular vacation spot. Many tourists each year come to visit this famous place . They come to see the valleys , canyons , desert sands , and high mountains that are all very close to one another in the area . They can stand near Death Valley , they see Telescope Peak , which is over 11,000 feet high , and Mount Whitney , which is over 14,000 feet high .
Tourists may be reminded that the mining of a mineral called borax flourished in Death Valley in the 1880’s . At that time wagons pulled by twenty – hours teams were used to carry the borax out of the valley .

51. The best title for the passage would be ………….. .

1) famous places in California
2) tourists visiting north America
3) death valley as a vacation
4) the hottest places in national monument

52. The word “flourished ” is closet in meaning to ………..

1) cut
2) grew
3) gained
4) created

53. Telescope peak is ……………….. .

1) below sea level
2) visited by tourists
3) higher than Mount Whitney
4) at the peak of Death Valley

54. Death Valley National Monument ……………. .

1) includes high and low areas
2) is more famous than Death Valley
3) is 100 miles away from California
4) lies in the hottest place in Death Valley

55. According to the passage , it is true that …………….

1) borax was carried on horses
2) the telescope in Death Valley is very big
3) Death Valley was discovered in the 1880s
4) Death Valley is at the centre of a peak

Reading Comprehension ( III ) :

After two decades of growing students enrollment and economic prosperity , business schools in the United States have started to face harder times . Only Harvard’s MBA school has shown a substantial increase in enrollment in recent years . Both Princeton and Stanford have been decreased in their enrollment . Since 1990, the number of people receiving Masters in Business Administration degrees has dropped about 3 percent to 75000 , and the trend of lower enrollment rates is expected to continue . There are two factors causing this decrease in students seeking an MBA degree .The first one is that many graduates of four – year colleges are finding that an MBA degree does not guarantee a plush job on wall street , or in other financial districts of major American cities . Many of the entry – level management jobs are going to students graduating with Master of Arts degrees in English and humanities as well as those holding MBA degrees .
56. The word ” Prosperity ” in line 1 refers to ………… .

1) surplus
2) nurturing
3) education
4) success

57. Which of the following business schools has NOT shown a decrease in enrollment ?

1) Harvard
2) Standford
3) Yale
4) Princeton

58. Which of the following descriptions most likely applies to Wall Street ?

1) a major financial centre
2) a shopping district
3) a neighborhood in New York
4) a centre for international affairs

59. The word “plush ” in line 7 means …………

1) satisfactory
2) ordinary
3) dependence
4) legal

60. What are the two causes of declining business school enrollment ?

1) low salary and foreign competition
2) fewer MBA schools and fewer entry – level jobs
3) declining population and economic prosperity
4) lack of necessity for an MBA and an economic recession

61. The word “seeking ” in line 6 could be replaced by ……………….

1) avoiding
2) seizing
3) pursuing
4) examining

62. The phrase ” trend of “in line 5 refers to ………. .

1) drawback to
2) movement toward
3) extraction from
4) reluctance of

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