BBI 2001 FOUNDATION ENGLISH - SEMESTER 1, 2016/2017

SCL WORKSHEET WEEK 8

READING COMPREHENSION
For each question, choose the most appropriate answer. Attempt all questions.
Questions 1 to 7 are based on the following passage.
In 2010, two research teams separately analysed data from the same United
Kingdom (UK) patient database to see whether widely prescribed osteoporosis
drugs increased the risk of cancer. They came to surprisingly different conclusions.
One study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, found
no increase in patients cancer risk. The second study, which was published three
weeks later in the British Medical Journal, found the risk for developing cancer to be
low. Which conclusion was correct?
It is hard to tell, and the answer may be inconclusive. The main reason: each
analysis applied a different methodology and neither was based on original data.
Instead, both were so-called observational studies, in which scientists often use fast
computers, statistical software and large medical data sets to analyse information
collected previously by others.
The US Food and Drug Administration says it is reviewing the conflicting UK data.
The outcome matters given that millions take osteoporosis drugs worldwide. If a
substantial cancer risk is proven, it will force doctors to reconsider how they prescribe
such drugs. Merck & Co. says its Fosamax one of the most popular drugs in the
class - has been prescribed 190 million times since it was first approved in 1995.
Michael Rosenblatt, chief medical officer at the company, says that clinical trial data
and more recent reports based on patient use do not suggest an association
between the drug and cancer.
While the gold standard of medical research is the randomly controlled
experimental study, scientists have recently rushed to pursue observational studies,
which are much easier, cheaper and quicker to do. Costs, the primary concern, for a
typical controlled trial can stretch high into the millions; observational studies can be
performed for tens of thousands of dollars.
In an observational study there is no human intervention. Researchers simply
observe what is happening during the course of events, or they analyse previously
gathered data and draw conclusions. In an experimental study, such as a drug trial,
investigators prompt some sort of change by giving a drug to half the participants, and
then make inferences.
While increasingly popular, observational studies often yield spurious results.
But observational studies, researchers say, are especially prone to methodological and
statistical biases that can render the results unreliable. Their findings are much less
replicable than those drawn from controlled research. Worse, few of the flawed findings
are spotted or corrected in the published literature. Despite such concerns among
researchers, observational studies are still popular.
(Adapted from The Wall Street Journal, 4-6 May, 2012)

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Figure 1: Studying Up

1.

The two studies confirmed that osteoporosis drugs increase the risk of cancer.

A.
B.
C.

2.

True
False
Not stated

Researches have found a link between the drug. Fosamax and cancer.

A.
B.
C.

True
False
Not stated

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SCL WORKSHEET WEEK 8

3.

The main reason why more observational studies than controlled experiments are
conducted in medical is their comparatively lower cost.

A.
B.
C.
4.

The writer seems to advocate the use of controlled experimental methodology in

medical research instead of the popular observational study.

A.
B.
C.
5.

True
False
Not stated

Figure 1 shows that nearly 80 000 observational studies across different scientific
fields were published in the period 1990 2000 and the number more than tripled in
the 2001 2011 period.

A.
B.
C.
7.

True
False
Not stated

It is worrying that the flawed findings from observational studies go unnoticed.

A.
B.
C.
6.

True
False
Not stated

True
False
Not stated

Figure 1 shows that prior to 2001, experimental studies were used in

cardiovascular and cardiology research.
A.
True
B.
False
C.
Not stated

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Questions 8 to 14 are based on the following passage.
Towering 366 metres above the tropical stillness of the Sunda Straits in Indonesia, one
of the most terrifying volcanoes the world has ever known has begun to stir once more. Almost
126 years to the day since Krakatoa first showed signs of an imminent eruption, stunning
pictures released this week prove that the remnant of this once enormous volcano is
bubbling, boiling and brimming over. The smoking time bomb is located on the Sunda Straits,
between Java and Sumatra.
With an explosive force 13 000 times the power of the atomic bomb that annihilated
Hiroshima, the eruption in 1883 of Krakatoa killed thousands and radically altered global
weather and temperatures for years afterwards. The eruption was so violent and catastrophic
that no active volcano in modern times has come close to rivaling it, not even the
spectacular eruptions of Mount St Helens in the United States in 1980. Now, after more than a
century, are we about to experience the horrors of Krakatoa once again?
Volcanic prediction is getting better, says Professor Davidson, chair of Earth
Science at Durham University and a volcanologist who has studied Krakatoa first-hand. But
we are never going to able to fully predict big and unusual eruptions, precisely because
they are unusual.
Official records of the time showed that the eruption in 1883, together with an
enormous tsunami it generated, destroyed 165 villages and towns, seriously damaged a
further 132 and killed 36 417 people. Nearly 126 years on, the region, where Krakatoa is
situated between the islands of Java and Sumatra in the Indonesia archipelago, is more
densely populated with small farmers drawn to the rich and fertile volcanic soils of the area. It
is not inconceivable that hundreds of thousands of people could be killed if there were
another massive eruption. Krakatoa had an extraordinary effect on the planet last time round.
Average global temperatures following the eruption fell by as much as 1.2 C, as the
huge quantities of sulphur dioxide pumped into the atmosphere resulted in clouds that reflected
a greater amount of incoming light from the sun. Originally 813 metres high, Krakatoa had
collapsed to 250 metres beneath sea level. About 4500 people were killed and numerous
villages destroyed, but far more devastating was the subsequent 40 metres high tsunami. Over
90 per cent of the people killed by Krakatoa died in the tsunami. In the years after the
eruption, the area around Krakatoa was quiet. However, in 1927, steam and rock were seen
bubbling away in the water, and soon Anak Krakatoa began to rise above the sea. Anak
Krakatoa started rumbling again. The eruptions have become so fierce that they light up
overhead clouds and draw in violent thunderstorms.
Marco Fulle, a scientist and volcano expert, has photographed comets and volcanoes
for years. Having spent months building up his portfolio of images, Fulle was uniquely placed
to capture the fury and terror of this giants reawakening. These volcanoes repeat explosions
like that in 1883 many times during their life, he said. The common opinion is that Krakatoa
will again become really dangerous when it reaches the size it had been in 1883. Back then, it
was two times taller than it is now.
Despite this optimism, there is no guarantee that another eruption will not occur sooner.
Some, such as Professor Davidson, are sceptical about another massive eruption happening
soon. Rather than making predictions like this, it is the responsibility of scientists to do what
they can to minimise risk for those living nearby. That is something we are getting better at.
The people of the Sunda Straits can only hope and pray that, this time, the scientists are right.
(Adapted from New Sunday Times, August 2, 2009)

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8.

The explosive force of Krakatoa in 1883 was more powerful than that of Mount St
Helens in 1980.
A.
True
B.
False
C.
Not stated

9.

The writer is of the opinion that an atomic bomb explosion is more devastating than a
volcanic eruption.
A.
True
B.
False
C.
Not stated

10.

The eruption of Krakatoa in 1883 killed more than thirty thousand people.

A.
B.
C.
11.

What is a suitable heading for paragraph 1?

A.
B.
C.
12.

almost certain to happen.

is happening now.
only just started.

The following were the effects of the Krakatoa eruption except

A.
B.
C.
14.

Krakatoa a towering inferno

A smoking time bomb
Krakatoa reawakens

The word imminent (line 4) means

A.
B.
C.
13.

True
False
Not stated

tsunamis.
emergence of another volcano.
lowering of global temperature.

... this optimism (paragraph 7) refers to the belief that

A.
B.
C.

the next eruption will be less massive.

Krakatoa is not likely to erupt in the near future.
scientists will accurately predict when Krakatoa will erupt.

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SCL WORKSHEET WEEK 8
Questions 15 to 21 are based on the following passage.
There are companies that offer to extract and store stem cells from adult blood, from fat
removed by liposuction, from childrens baby teeth after they fall out and from leftover embryos
at fertility clinics. But some experts say consumers should think twice before spending
hundreds or thousands of dollars on such services because it is not clear how useful such cells
will be.
In the stem cell area, we have a problem with truth in advertising, said Christopher
Scott, director of the Programme on the Stem Cells in Society at Stanford. Some of these
companies are skirting right on the edge of whats truthful and whats vapour-ware.
The companies, some of them small and financially shaky, are capitalising on the
excitement surrounding stem cells. The ventures portray themselves as a form of biological
insurance. The fee for collection and processing the cells ranges from US$499 to US$7500,
depending on the company. There is also a yearly fee of US$89 to US$699 for storing the cells
in liquid nitrogen. Some people buying the services say there is little to lose from doing so
except money, even if the chance that the cells will be needed or useful is slim.
The idea is just to have them, says Stephanie Seidman, a patent lawyer in San Diego
with a doctorate in molecular biology. Once you get sick, its too late, Seidman had cells
collected from her blood using a service sold by NeoStem Inc. of New York.
Scientists say it is quite unlikely a person will ever need such cells. And the technology
could change so much that cells stored now may not be needed if a person falls ill in 10 or 20
years. Recently, scientist found a way to turn skin cells into cells that behave like embryonic
stem cells. That might allow a person of any age to have customised tissue created on the
spot. But some of the excitement about stem cells is in their possible use to create other
tissues like nerve cells to treat Parkinsons disease or insulin-producing cells for diabetes. The
main focus there has been on human embryonic stem cells, which are created from embryos
and can potentially turn into all types of tissue in the body.
One cell bank, StemLifeLinks, offers to make such embryonic stem cells from the
embryos couples have left over after undergoing in-vitro fertilization. The cells, which would
cost a couple at least US$4000, would not be a complete genetic match to either parent or to
any of their children, which could conceivably limit their usefulness. Other cell banks are
working with adult cells, which are present in the body throughout life.
There is evidence that some of these cells can turn into a diverse range of tissue, but
the question remains unanswered. Services offering to store baby teeth talk about all the
diseases that stem cells might treat one day. One day, the Tooth Fairy could save your childs
life is the slogan of BioEden Inc; which says the cells might be used in the future for
numerous diseases, including neurological ones like Parkinsons and spinal cord injury. Dr. Lily
Eng, a dentist in Lower Manhattan, said she had learned about the service just in time to send
in the last suitable tooth from her son Leo, who is now 12.
I heard some mixed reviews about how variable this option is, Dr. Eng said, but she
added that she had regretted not storing the cord blood from Leos birth, so she decided to try
the tooth. Theres no other option left, and I decided to take it.
Rights to the discovery are held by MediStem Laboratories, an Arizona company that
has set up a clinic in Costa Rica to offer treatments with stem cells that would probably not be
allowed in the United States. The company said that its cells could turn into various types of

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tissue. But, that is work done mainly by looking at the molecular characteristics of the cell, not
by trying the cells in animals. The company is having outside experts to evaluate the cells.
One expert, Dr. Camillo Ricordi of the University of Miami, said he had not finished his
analysis but added that the cells did proliferate very rapidly. Dr. Ricordi said he had told his two
daughters, aged 19 and 20 about the service. Theyve been complaining to me that I didnt
save the cord blood when they are born, he said.
At least this one is not a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
(Adapted from New Sunday Times, February 3, 2008)

15.

In the stem cell area, we have a problem with truth in advertising (line 7).
Christopher Scotts advice is to be
A.
careful about the cost.
B.
realistic about the usefulness.
C.
discerning about the claims made.

16.

Paragraph 3 explains that companies are

A.
B.
C.
17.

Which of the following statements is true about stem cell treatment?

A.
B.
C.
18.

It will show immediate results.

It has greater benefits for the young.
It can be used to treat Parkinsons disease.

Which of the following statements best summarises paragraph 6?

A.
B.
C.
19.

exploiting the popularity of stem cell banking.

advertising the benefits of stem cell banking.
promising the safe storage of stem cells.

Stem cell research is changing very rapidly.

There is uncertainty about stem cell research.
Embryonic stem cells are preferred to adult cells in stem cell research.

Dr. Engs action shows that she

A.
B.
C.

had difficulty in storing her sons cord blood.

is convinced about the benefits of stem cell research.
believes the tooth is the best choice in stem cell research.

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SCL WORKSHEET WEEK 8

20.

Dr. Ricordis comment: At least this one is not a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity

(line 57) suggests that there are

A.
B.
C.
21.

several breakthroughs in stem cell research.

a variety of clinics offering stem cell storage.
many other possibilities of storing blood cells.

Based on the passage, we can conclude that the writer is

A.
B.
C.

not against stem cell research.

excited about the promises of stem cell research.
worried about the experiments in stem cell research.

Questions 22 to 29 are based on the following passage.

Todays world its economy, industry, environment, agriculture, energy, health,
food, military, power, communications, you name it is driven by knowledge. The only
way to fight poverty, hunger, disease, natural catastrophes, war and all other evils
is the creation and dissemination of knowledge that is, research and education. Of
the 6.7 billion people on our planet, at least four billion are not participating in the
knowledge revolution. Hundreds of millions are born to illiterate mothers, never drink
clean water, have no medical care, and never use a phone.
The buzz words of distant learning, individualised learning, and all the other
technology-driven changes in education remain largely on paper, far from being a daily
reality in the majority of the worlds schools. The hope that affluent areas will provide
remote-access good education to others has not materialised. The idea of bringing all of
science, art, music, and culture to every corner of the world, and the creation of schools
based on individual and group learning, teamwork, simulations, and special aids for special
needs all of these technology-enabled goals remain largely unfulfilled. However, my
hope and prediction is that finally something significant will change on this front. The time
is ripe. A few novel ideas, aided by technologies that did not exist until recently and
based on humanistic values, compassion, and a true desire to extend help to the
uneducated majority of earths population, can do the trick. Why do I think this miracle,
predicted for thirty years by many and impatiently awaited by more, will happen in the
coming decades? Here are my clues:
First, a technology-driven globalization is forcing us to recognize and fear the
enormous knowledge gaps between different parts of the world and between segments
of society within our countries. It is major threat to everything the world has achieved
in the last hundred years. Identifying the problem is an important part of the solution.
Second, the speed and price of data transmission, the advances in software
systems, the feasibility of remote video interactions, the price reduction of computers,
fancy screens, and other gadgets, lead to the realisation that tailor-made devices for
schools and education are worth designing and producing. Until now, most school
computers were business computers, and very few special tools were developed
exclusively for education. This is beginning to change.
Third, for the first time, the generation that grew up with a computer at home is
12

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reaching the teacher ranks. The main obstacle of most education reforms has always
been training of the teachers. This should be much easier now.
Fourth, the Web-based social networks in which the children now participate pose
a new challenge. The educational system must join them because it cannot fight them. A
child who comes to school with a 3G phone, iPod, or whatever, sending messages
to his or her mothers Blackberry and knowing in real time what is happening in the
classroom of his brother or his friends miles or continents away, cannot be taught anything in
the same way that I was taught. Has anyone seen lately a slide rule? A logarithmic table? A
volume of Pedia other than Wiki?
This is a change that will create a liveable world for the next generations,
both in affluent societies and especially, in the developing or not-even-yet developing parts
of the world. Its time has definitely come. It will happen, and it will, indeed, change
everything.
(Adapted from This Will change Everything. John Brockman (Ed.) HarperCollins, 2010)

13

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22.

The main idea of paragraph 1 is that

A.
B.
C.
23.

In paragraph 2, the writer regrets the fact that

A.
B.
C.
24.

the illiterate have no access to modern amenities.

knowledge is a compelling force in todays world.
without knowledge, the evils of today can only get worse.

the gap between the rich and the poor is widening.

technology-enabled goals in education are not achievable.
technology-driven changes in education have not been realised.

The time is ripe (line 18) implies that

A.
B.
C.

there is a time for disseminating knowledge.

a suitable time has arrived for major changes in education.
less time is required to exploit modern educational technology.

25. What is the problem in line 28?

A.
B.
C.
26.

Widening knowledge gap among groups of people

Difficulty in implementing technology-driven education
Adverse effects of globalisation of technology on society

The main focus of paragraph 4 is

A.
B.
C.

the benefits of utilising technology for education.

the spin-offs of development of modern technology on education.
the introduction of custom-made technology gadgets for education.

27. This should be much easier now (line 38-39). This is because
A.
B.
C.
28.

it is easier to train the younger generation to teach.

potential teachers will be familiar with the use of the computer.
young people are supportive of reforms of the educational system.

The educational system must join them (line 41). This implies that the
educational system

A.
B.
C.

must be revolutionised in order to teach the new generation.

will only progress when modern technological devices are implemented.
should teach in ways similar to how children participate in social
networks.

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29.

The writer ends by

A.
B.
C.

providing solutions.
predicting the future.
giving a cautious opinion.

Questions 30 to 37 are based on the following passage.

Scot Case, vice president of the environmental marketing firm, TerraChoice was not
happy. Last year Case sent his researchers into a big-box retail store to evaluate the green
advertising claims of some of the products on its shelves. The results were startling: of the
1018 products TerraChoice surveyed, all but one failed to live up fully to their green boasts.
Words like nontoxic were used in meaninglessly vague way. Terms like Energy Star certified
were in fact not backed up by certification.
I went ballistic, Case says. I assumed the researchers had butchered the study. He
had his team redo the survey, but the results came back the same. It just shows were awash
in greenwash.
Many consumers may not have heard the term greenwashing, but they have surely
experienced it misleading marketing about the environmental benefits of a product.
Greenwashing is not new ever since the environment emerged as an issue in the early
1970s, there have been advertising firms trying to convince consumers that buying Brand X is
the only way to save the earth. But as going green has become big business sales of organic
products alone went from US$10 billion in 2003 to more than US$20 billion 2007 companies
appear eager to associate themselves with the environment, deservedly or not.
If you are not yet sick of seeing whirling wind turbines and sun-dappled solar panels on
TV, you will be; the new fall season is likely to feature a flood of green advertising. It has gotten
so bad that the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has been holding hearings over the past year
to define the difference between genuine environmental claims and empty greenwash. It is not
easy, and environmental advocates worry that truly green companies could get lost in all the
clamour.
We have such a challenge ahead of us on climate change, says Kevin Tuerff, the cofounder of the marketing consultancy EnviroMedia. Greenwashing harms the effort we need to
be making.
The first step to cleaning up greenwashing is to identify it, and Tuerff and his partners
have hit on an innovative way to spotlight particularly egregious examples. They have launched
the Greenwashing Index www.greenwashingdex.com, a website that allows consumers to post
advertisements that might be examples of greenwashing and rate them on a scale of 1 to 5 1
is a little green lie; 5 is an outright falsehood.
It is a simple device, but it shows the power of the Internet to truth-squad misleading
advertisements; with a simple Web search, any consumer can find out if a car manufacturer
hyping its fuel-efficient hybrids actually earns the majority of its revenue selling gas-guzzling
trucks and Sport Utility Vehicles (SUVs). "We try to make it a little more transparent with the
index," says Kim Sheehan, a communication professor at the University of Oregon and a
cofounder of the site. "It teaches people to be a little more cautious about the claims they hear."

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However, googling is not the only way to take out the greenwashing, The TerraChoice
website www.terrachoice.com offers a list of what it calls the six sins of greenwashing - six
simple signs that should tip off consumers to a company that is more interested in selling the
earth than saving it. One is the sin of irrelevance, in which, for example, a product trumpets the
fact that it is chlorofluorocarbon free even though those ozone-destroying chemicals have
been banned for years, meaning the company is asking for applause for just following the law.
Another is the sin of the hidden trade-off the paper towels that come from a sustainably
harvested forest but are then shipped to global markets aboard carbon dioxide- spewing trucks
and planes.
Ultimately, says Case, if you dont understand where a green claim comes from, check
it out. There are a lot of companies trying to relieve people of the green in their wallet.
It is not just consumers in the United States (US) who are getting fed up with
greenwashing. The Advertising Standards Authority in Britain received 561 complaints about
potentially false green advertisements last year, up from 117 the year before. Norway has
banned all car advertisements from using the terms green, environmental-friendly and clean,
on the grounds that all cars contribute to global warming.
The laissez-faire US is not likely to go that far, but the FTC is in the process of updating
its Green Guide for consumers, which has not changed since 1998. The hope is that eventually
we will be able to define green in advertising the way we have defined low calorie and low fat.
That needs to happen soon, before green loses all meaning. We have better green products
but a lot of exaggerated claims, says Case. That could be enough to capsize the whole green
movement and that is not a little green lie.
(Adapted from The Economist, 11 September 2008)

30.

Scot Case had his team redo the survey because

A.
B.
C.
D.
31.

Which of the following statements expresses the main idea of paragraph 3?

A.
B.
C.
D.

32.

he could not believe the results.

the survey did not cover enough products.
the survey did not contain enough evidence.
the researchers had not done a thorough job.

Consumers are attracted to organic products.

Greenwashing is not a new advertising concept.
Sales of organic products have increased due to advertising.
Companies advertising products as environmentally-friendly make a lot of
profit.

The following statements about the Greenwashing Index (line 32-33) are true
except it

A.
B.
C.
D.

is online.
involves consumer participation.
monitors consumers purchasing behaviour.
provides more objective information about advertisements.

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33.

Which of the following statements is an example of the sin of the hidden trade- off
(line 52) ?
A.
Products are free from animal testing.
B.
Grocers claiming that all vegetables are 100% organic.
C.
Sugar-free drinks are healthy alternative to those with sugar.
D.
Car manufacturers promote electric cars while the other models use
petrol.

34.

That far (line 64) refers to

A.
B.
C.
D.
35.

In the passage, the word capsize (line 70) means

A.
B.
C.
D.
36.

slow down.
endanger.
predict.
ruin.

The writer ends the passage with

A.
B.
C.
D.
37.

banning all car advertisements.

banning the use of specific terms in car advertisements.
monitoring complaints about false green advertisements.
monitoring advertisements that claims to lessen global warming.

a recommendation
an advice
a warning
a solution

Which of the following options is a suitable title for the passage?

A.
B.
C.
D.

Greenwashing in Advertisements
Regulating Green Advertisements
How to Make Advertisements Green
When Green Advertisement is Not Green

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Questions 38 to 45 are based on the following passage.
The summer dry season, now drawing to an end, is when the Amazon rainforest gets
cut and burned. The smoke this causes can often be seen from space. But not this year.
Brazils deforestation rate has dropped astoundingly fast. In 2004 some 2.8 million hectares of
the Amazon were razed; last year only around 750 000 hectares were affected. This progress
is not isolated. Many of the worlds biggest clearers of trees have started to hug them. Over the
past decade, the United Nations (UN) records, nearly eight million hectares of forest a year
were allowed to re-grow or were planted anew. This was mostly in richer places, such as North
America and in Europe, where dwindling rural populations have taken the pressure off
forestland. But a couple of big poorer countries, notably China, have launched huge treeplanting schemes in a bid to prevent deforestation-related environmental disasters. Even in
tropical countries, where most deforestation takes place, Brazil is not alone in becoming more
reluctant to chop down trees.
The progress made in recent years shows that mankind is not doomed to strip the
planet of its forest cover. But the transition from tree- chopper to tree-hugger is not happening
fast enough. Over the past decade, according to UN figures, around 13 million hectares of
forestland an area the size of England was converted each year to other uses,
mostly agriculture. If the world is to keep the protective covering that helps it breathe, waters its
crops, keeps it cool and nurtures its biodiversity, it is going to have to move fast.
In most rich countries, the pressure on forests has eased, but in many tropical ones
home to around half the remaining forests, including the planets green rainforest girdle the
demand for land is increasing as populations rise. In Congo, which has more rainforest than
any country except Brazil, the clearance is mostly driven by smallholders whose number is
about to double. Rising global demand for food and biofuels adds even more to the heat. So
will climate change? That may already be happening in Australia where forests have been
devastated by droughts and forest fires.
Clearing forests may enrich those who are doing it, but in the long run, it impoverishes
the planet as a whole. Rainforests are an important prop to continental water-cycles. Losing the
Amazon rainforest could reduce rainfall across countries. By regulating run-offs, trees help
guarantee water supplies and prevent natural disasters such as landslides and floods. Losing
the rainforest would mean losing millions of species as forests contain 80 per cent of terrestrial
biodiversity. And for those concerned about the probable effects of climate change, forests
contain twice as much carbon as the atmosphere, so when they are razed and their soils
disturbed, most carbon is emitted.
Economic development both causes deforestation and shows it. In the early stages of
development, people destroy forests for a meagre living. Globalisation is speeding up the
process by boosting the demand for agricultural goods produced in tropical countries. At the
same time, as people in emerging countries become more prosperous, they start thinking about
issues beyond their familys welfare; their governments begin to pass and slowly enforce laws
to conserve the environment. Trade can also allow the greener concerns of rich-world
consumers to influence developing-world producers.
The transition from clearing to protecting, however, is occurring too slowly. The main
international effort to speed it up is an idea known as Reducing Emissions from Deforestation
and Forest Degradation (REDD), which pays people in developing countries to leave trees
standing. This is not an outlandish concept. It is increasingly common for governments and
companies to pay for forest and other ecosystem services. Half a dozen rich countries

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SCL WORKSHEET WEEK 8
including Norway, America and Britain have promised US$4.5 billion for starters.
The difficulties are immense. REDD projects will be effective only in places where the
government sort of works. Even in countries with functioning states, some of the money is
bound to be stolen. Yet, with sufficient attention to monitoring and making sure the cash goes
to people who can actually protect the forest, REDD could work. This will cost much more than
has so far been pledged. The most obvious source of extra cash is the carbon market or
preferably a carbon tax. Since saving forests is often the cheapest way to tackle carbon
emissions, funding it makes sense. With global climate-change negotiations floundering, the
prospects of raising cash for REDD that way look poor. But the money must be found from
somewhere. Without a serious effort to solve this problem, the planet will lose one of its most
valuable and most beautiful assets.
(Adapted from The Worlds Lungs, The Economist, September 25, 2010)

38.

The main idea of paragraph 1 is that

A.
B.
C.
D.

39.

The phrase This progress (line 6) refers to

A.
B.
C.
D.
40.

the replanting of forests in Brazil.

the reduction of smoke over the Amazon.
an increase in tree-planting schemes in Brazil.
less cutting and burning of Amazon rainforests.

In paragraph 2, the writer cites UN figures to support the fact that

A.
B.
C.
D.
41.

poorer countries have started tree-planting schemes.

tropical countries are leading the way in curbing deforestation.
countries which previously destroyed forests now hesitate to do so.
the world is concerned about deforestation-related environmental
disasters.

the world will gradually lose its forest cover.

man does not destroy the forest unnecessarily.
there has been a significant reduction in deforestation.
mankind is not working quickly enough to conserve forests.

The phrase the heat (line 30) refers to

A.
B.
C.
D.

forest fires.
climate change.
pressure to cut down forests.
rising global demand for food.

42.

BBI 2001 FOUNDATION ENGLISH - SEMESTER 1, 2016/2017

SCL WORKSHEET WEEK 8
In paragraph 5, what is the main point made by the writer?

A.
B.
C.
D.
43.

Rich countries determine the rate of deforestation.

Deforestation is largely due to peoples need to survive.
People in emerging countries are concerned about conservation.
Economic development has an influence on the rate of deforestation.

The following are obstacles against the success of REDD except

A.
B.
C.
D.

corruption.
inadequate financial support.
poor implementation of carbon tax.
poor supervision by the governments concerned.

44.

Which of the following statements best expresses the central idea of the
passage?
A.
Even in tropical countries, where most deforestation takes place, Brazil is not
alone in becoming more reluctant to chop down trees. (lines 13 and 14)
B.
Economic development both causes deforestation and slows it. (line 43)
C.
The transition from clearing to protecting, however, is occurring too
slowly. (line 52)
D.
the planet will lose one of its most valuable and most beautiful assets.
(lines 70 and 71)

45.

The passage is developed mainly through

A.
B.
C.
D.

listing.
exemplification.
cause and effect.
comparison and contrast.