Reading Comprehension ( I ) :
(1)Today, bicycles are so common that it’s hard to believe they haven’t always been around. (2)But two hundred years ago, bicycles didn’t even exist, and the first bicycle, invented in Germany in 1818, was nothing like our bicycles today. (3)It was made of wood and didn’t even have pedals. (4)Since then, however, numerous innovations and improvements in design have made the bicycle one of the most popular means of recreation and transportation around the world.
(5)In 1839, Kirkpatrick Macmillan, a Scottish blacksmith, dramatically improved upon the original bicycle design. (6)Macmillan’s machine had tires with iron rims to keep them from getting worn down. (7)He also used foot-operated cranks similar to pedals so his bicycle could be ridden at a quick pace. (8)It didn’t look much like a modern bicycle, though, because its back wheel was substantially larger than its front wheel. (9)In 1861, the French Michaux brothers took the evolution of the bicycle a step further by inventing an improved crank mechanism. (10)Ten years later, James Starley, an English inventor, revolutionized bicycle design. (11)He made the front wheel many times larger than the back wheel, put a gear on the pedals to make the bicycle more efficient, and lightened the wheels by using wire spokes. (12)Although this bicycle was much lighter and less tiring to ride, it was still clumsy, extremely top-heavy, and ridden mostly for entertainment.
(13)It wasn’t until 1874 that the first truly modern bicycle appeared on the scene. (14)Invented by another Englishman, H.J. Lawson, the “safety bicycle” would look familiar to today’s cyclists. (15)This bicycle had equal sized wheels, which made it less prone to toppling over. (16)Lawson also attached a chain to the pedals to drive the rear wheel. (17)With these improvements, the bicycle became extremely popular and useful for transportation. (18)Today they are built , used , and enjoyed all over the world.
48. What is the subject of this passage?

49 . The main idea of this passage is best expressed in which sentence?

50. Which of the following would be the best title for this passage?

51. What is the author’s main purpose in paragraph 4?

Reading Comprehension ( II ) :
In strictly practical terms , schooling yields three rewards , and the amount of each reward increases in proportion to the amount of schooling . First the individual who is well schooled stands the best chance of getting any job , other things begin equal . Thus , the chance of unemployment is reduced . Second , the individual with a good background is the one chosen for advancement and promotion , thus enabling him or her to earn more over the long run . Third , because of rewards one and two , the educated individual has more personal freedom . Such a person will have more job opportunities from which to choose , is less threatened with unemployment , and can be freer economically because of his or her higher earning power . The decision in support of further schooling needs to be encouraged if only for the above listed pragmatic reasons .
52.The passage argues that schooling ……….. .

53. The word “One” in line 5 refers to ……….

54. According to the passage , a higher earning power leads to a well schooled person’s ………….. .

55. Which of the following best represents the author’s towards the subject of passage ?

56. The word increase in line 1 is closet in meaning to ……………….. .

Reading Comprehension ( III ) :
The tradition of applied linguistics established itself in part as a response to the narrowing of focus in linguistics with the advent in the late 1950s of generative linguistics , and has always maintained a socially accountable role , demonstrated by its central interest in language problems.
Although the field of applied linguistics started from Europe and the United States , the field rapidly flourished in the international context .
Applied linguistics first concerned itself with principles and practices on the basis of linguistics . In the early days, applied linguistics was thought as “linguistics – applied ” at least from the outside of the field .In the 1960s , however , applied linguistics was expanded to include language assessment ,language policy , and second language acquisition . As early as the 1970s , applied linguistics became a problem – driven field rather than theoretical linguistics . Applied linguistics also include solution of language –related problems in the real world . By the 1990s , applied linguistics has broadened including critical studies and multilingualism . Research of applied linguistics was shifted to the theoretical and empirical investigation of real world problems in which language is a central issues .
57. What does the passage mainly discuss ?

58. One can infer from the passage that generative linguistics ……….. the subject matter of linguistics in
late 1950s .

59. Which of the following has always preserved a socially explicable role ?

60. According to the passage , applied linguistics first ……………. on the basis of linguistics .