Day 2 Academic Reading
READING PASSAGE 1
You should spend about 20 minutes
on Questions 1-12, which are based on Reading Passage 1 below.
Scientists Are Mapping the
World's Largest Volcano
(A) After 36 days of battling sharks
that kept biting their equipment, scientists have returned from the remote
Pacific Ocean with a new way of looking at the world’s largest - and possibly
most mysterious - volcano, Tamu Massif.
(B) The team has begun making
3-D maps that offer the clearest look yet at the underwater mountain, which
covers an area the size of New Mexico. In the coming months, the maps will be
refined and the data analyzed, with the ultimate goal of figuring out how the
mountain was formed.
(C) It's possible that the western
edge of Tamu Massif is actually a separate mountain that formed at a different
time, says William Sager, a geologist at the University of Houston who led the
expedition. That would explain some differences between the western part of the
mountain and the main body.
(D) The team also found that
the massif (as such a massive mountain is known) is highly pockmarked with
craters and cliffs. Magnetic analysis provides some insight into the mountain’s
genesis, suggesting that part of it formed through steady releases of lava
along the intersection of three mid-ocean ridges, while part of it is harder to
explain. A working theory is that a large plume of hot mantle rock may have
contributed additional heat and material, a fairly novel idea.
(E) Tamu Massif lies about 1,000
miles (1,600 kilometers) east of Japan. It is a rounded dome, or shield
volcano, measuring 280 by 400 miles (450 by 650 kilometers). Its top lies more
than a mile (about 2,000 meters) below the ocean surface and is 50 times larger
than the biggest active volcano on Earth, Hawaii’s Mauna Loa. Sager published a
paper in 2013 that said the main rise of Tamu Massif is most likely a single
volcano, instead of a complex of multiple volcanoes that smashed together. But
he couldn’t explain how something so big formed.
(F) The team used sonar and magnetometers
(which measure magnetic fields) to map more than a million square kilometers of
the ocean floor in great detail. Sager and students teamed up with Masao
Nakanishi of Japan’s Chiba University, with Sager receiving funding support
from the National Geographic Society and the Schmidt Ocean Institute.
(G) Since sharks are
attracted to magnetic fields, the toothy fish “were all over our magnetometer,
and it got pretty chomped up,” says Sager. When the team replaced the device
with a spare, that unit was nearly ripped off by more sharks. The magnetic
field research suggests the mountain formed relatively quickly, sometime around
145 million years ago. Part of the volcano sports magnetic "stripes,"
or bands with different magnetic properties, suggesting that lava flowed out
evenly from the mid-ocean ridges over time and changed in polarity each time
Earth's magnetic field reversed direction. The central part of the peak is more
jumbled, so it may have formed more quickly or through a different process.
(H) Sager isn’t sure what caused the
magnetic anomalies yet, but suspects more complex forces were at work than
simply eruptions from the ridges. It’s possible a deep plume of hot rock from
the mantle also contributed to the volcano’s formation, he says. Sager hopes
the analysis will also help explain about a dozen other similar features on the
ocean floor, as well as add to the overall understanding of plate tectonics.
Questions 1-8
Reading Passage 1 has eight
paragraphs, A-H.
What paragraph has the following
information? Write the correct letter, A-H, in boxes 1-8 on your answer
sheet.
1. Possible explanation of
the differences between parts of the mountain
2. Size data
3. A new way of looking
4. Problem with sharks
5. Uncertainty of the
anomalies
6. Equipment which measures
magnetic fields
7. The start of making maps
8. A working theory
Questions 9-12
Complete the sentences using NO
MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage.
Write your answers in boxes 9–12
on your answer sheet.
9. A large plume of…………..rock
may have contributed additional heat and material.
10.Tamu Massif is a……………… or
shield volcano.
11. Replacing the device with
a……………..didn't help, as that unit was nearly ripped off by more sharks.
12. Sager believes that the
magnetic anomalies were caused by something more than ……………….. from the ridges.
READING PASSAGE 2
You should spend about 20 minutes
on Questions 13-28, which are based on Reading Passage 2 below.
We know the city where HIV
first emerged
It is easy to see why AIDS seemed
so mysterious and frightening when US medics first encountered it 35 years ago.
The condition robbed young, healthy people of their strong immune system,
leaving them weak and vulnerable. And it seemed to come out of nowhere.
Today we know much more how and
why HIV – the virus that leads to AIDS – has become a global pandemic.
Unsurprisingly, sex workers unwittingly played a part. But no less important
were the roles of trade, the collapse of colonialism, and 20th Century
sociopolitical reform.
HIV did not really appear out of
nowhere, of course. It probably began as a virus affecting monkeys and apes in
west central Africa.
From there it jumped species into
humans on several occasions, perhaps because people ate infected bushmeat. Some
people carry a version of HIV closely related to that seen in sooty mangabey
monkeys, for instance. But HIV that came from monkeys has not become a global
problem.
We are more closely related to
apes, like gorillas and chimpanzees, than we are to monkeys. But even when HIV
has passed into human populations from these apes, it has not necessarily
turned into a widespread health issue.
HIV originating from apes
typically belongs to a type of virus called HIV-1. One is called HIV-1 group O,
and human cases are largely confined to west Africa.
In fact, only one form of HIV has
spread far and wide after jumping to humans. This version, which probably
originated from chimpanzees, is called HIV-1 group M (for "major").
More than 90% of HIV infections belong in group M. Which raises an obvious
question: what's so special about HIV-1 group M?
A study published in 2014 suggests
a surprising answer: there might be nothing particularly special about group M.
It is not especially infectious,
as you might expect. Instead, it seems that this form of HIV simply took
advantage of events. "Ecological rather than evolutionary factors drove
its rapid spread," says Nuno Faria at the University of Oxford in the UK.
Faria and his colleagues built a
family tree of HIV, by looking at a diverse array of HIV genomes collected from
about 800 infected people from central Africa.
Genomes pick up new mutations at a
fairly steady rate, so by comparing two genome sequences and counting the
differences they could work out when the two last shared a common ancestor.
This technique is widely used, for example to establish that our common
ancestor with chimpanzees lived at least 7 million years ago.
"RNA viruses such as HIV
evolve approximately 1 million times faster than human DNA," says Faria.
This means the HIV "molecular clock" ticks very fast indeed.
It ticks so fast, Faria and his
colleagues found that the HIV genomes all shared a common ancestor that existed
no more than 100 years ago. The HIV-1 group M pandemic probably first began in
the 1920s.
Then the team went further.
Because they knew where each of the HIV samples had been collected, they could
place the origin of the pandemic in a specific city: Kinshasa, now the capital
of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
At this point, the researchers
changed tack. They turned to historical records to work out why HIV infections
in an African city in the 1920s could ultimately spark a pandemic.
A likely sequence of events
quickly became obvious. In the 1920s, DR Congo was a Belgian colony and
Kinshasa – then known as Leopoldville – had just been made the capital. The
city became a very attractive destination for young working men seeking their
fortunes, and for sex workers only too willing to help them spend their
earnings. The virus spread quickly through the population.
It did not remain confined to the
city. The researchers discovered that the capital of the Belgian Congo was, in
the 1920s, one of the best connected cities in Africa. Taking full advantage of
an extensive rail network used by hundreds of thousands of people each year,
the virus spread to cities 900 miles (1500km) away in just 20 years.
Everything was in place for an
explosion in infection rates in the 1960s.The beginning of that decade brought
another change.
Belgian Congo gained its
independence, and became an attractive source of employment to French speakers
elsewhere in the world, including Haiti. When these young Haitians returned
home a few years later they took a particular form of HIV-1 group M, called
"subtype B", to the western side of the Atlantic.
It arrived in the US in the 1970s,
just as sexual liberation and homophobic attitudes were leading to
concentrations of gay men in cosmopolitan cities like New York and San
Francisco. Once more, HIV took advantage of the sociopolitical situation to
spread quickly through the US and Europe.
"There is no reason to
believe that other subtypes would not have spread as quickly as subtype B,
given similar ecological circumstances," says Faria.
The story of the spread of HIV is
not over yet.
For instance, in 2015 there was an
outbreak in the US state of Indiana, associated with drug injecting.
The US Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention has been analyzing the HIV genome sequences and data about
location and time of infection, says Yonatan Grad at the Harvard School of
Public Health in Boston, Massachusetts. "These data help to understand the
extent of the outbreak, and will further help to understand when public health
interventions have worked."
This approach can work for other
pathogens. In 2014, Grad and his colleague Marc Lipsitch published an
investigation into the spread of drug-resistant gonorrhoea across the US.
"Because we had
representative sequences from individuals in different cities at different
times and with different sexual orientations, we could show the spread was from
the west of the country to the east," says Lipsitch.
What's more, they could confirm
that the drug-resistant form of gonorrhoea appeared to have circulated
predominantly in men who have sex with men. That could prompt increased
screening in these at-risk populations, in an effort to reduce further spread.
In other words, there is real
power to studying pathogens like HIV and gonorrhoea through the prism of human
society.
Questions 13-20
Do the following statements agree
with the information given in Reading Passage 1?
In boxes 13-20 on your answer
sheet, write
TRUE
if the statement agrees with the information
FALSE
if the statement contradicts the information
NOT GIVEN
if there is no information on this
13. AIDS were first
encountered 35 years ago.
14. The most important role in
developing AIDS as a pandemia was played by sex workers.
15. It is believed that HIV
appeared out of nowhere.
16. Humans are not closely
related to monkey.
17. HIV-1 group O originated
in 1920s.
18. HIV-1 group M has
something special.
19. Human DNA evolves
approximately 1 million times slower than HIV.
20. Scientists believe that
HIV already existed in 1920s.
Questions 21-28
Complete the sentences below.
Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS
from the passage for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 21-28
on your answer sheet.
21. Scientists can place the
origin of………….in a specific city.
22. Kinshasa was a very……………..for
young working men and many others willing to spend their money.
23. In just 20 years virus managed
to………………to cities 900 miles away.
24. Belgian Congo became an
attractive source of employment to French speakers when it gained………………..
25. HIV has spread quickly
through the US and Europe because of the……………..
26. It is said that outbreak
in Indiana was associated with…………………..
27. The same approach as for
HIV can work for………………….
28. The form of gonorrhoea
that is drug-resistant appeared to have in men who have sex
with men.
READING PASSAGE 3
You should spend about 20 minutes
on Questions 29-40, which are based on Reading Passage 3 below.
Penguins' anti-ice trick
revealed
Scientists studying penguins’
feathers have revealed how the birds stay ice free when hopping in and out of
below zero waters in the Antarctic. A combination of nano-sized pores and an
extra water repelling preening oil the birds secrete is thought to give
Antarctic penguins’ feathers superhydrophobic properties. Researchers in the US
made the discovery using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) to study penguin
feathers in extreme detail. Antarctic penguins live in one of Earth’s most
extreme environments, facing temperatures that drop to -40C, winds with speeds
of 40 metres per second and water that stays around -2.2C. But even in these
sub-zero conditions, the birds manage to prevent ice from coating their
feathers.
“They are an amazing species, living in
extreme conditions, and great swimmers. Basically they are living engineering
marvels,” says research team member Dr Pirouz Kavehpour, professor of
Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at the University of California, Los
Angeles (UCLA). Birds’ feathers are known to have hydrophobic, or non-wetting,
properties. But scientists from UCLA, University of Massachusetts Amherst and
SeaWorld, wanted to know what makes Antarctic penguins’ feathers extra ice
repelling.
“What we learn here is how penguins combine
oil and nano-structures on the feathers to produce this effect to perfection,”
explains Kavehpour. By analysing feathers from different penguin species, the
researchers discovered Antarctic species the gentoo penguin (Pygoscelis
papua) was more superhydrophobic compared with a species found in warmer
climes – the Magellanic penguin (Spheniscus magellanicus) – whose
breeding sites include Argentinian desert.
Gentoo penguins’ feathers
contained tiny pores which trapped air, making the surface hydrophobic. And
they were smothered with a special preening oil, produced by a gland near the
base of the tail, with which the birds cover themselves. Together, these
properties mean that in the wild, droplets of water on Antarctic penguins’
superhydrophobic feathers bead up on the surface like spheres – formations
that, according to the team, could provide geometry that delays ice formation,
since heat cannot easily flow out of the water if the droplet only has minimal
contact with the surface of the feather.
“The shape of the droplet on the surface
dictates the delay in freezing,” explains Kavehpour. The water droplets roll
off the penguin's feathers before they have time to freeze, the researchers
propose. Penguins living in the Antarctic are highly evolved to cope with harsh
conditions: their short outer feathers overlap to make a thick protective layer
over fluffier feathers which keep them warm. Under their skin, a thick layer of
fat keeps them insulated. The flightless birds spend a lot of time in the sea
and are extremely agile and graceful swimmers, appearing much more awkward on
land.
Kavehpour was inspired to study
Antarctic penguins’ feathers after watching the birds in a nature documentary:
“I saw these birds moving in and out of water, splashing everywhere. Yet there
is no single drop of frozen ice sticking to them,” he tells BBC Earth. His team
now hopes its work could aid design of better man-made surfaces which minimise
frost formation.
“I would love to see biomimicking
of these surfaces for important applications, for example, de-icing of
aircrafts,” says Kavehpour. Currently, airlines spend a lot of time and money
using chemical de-icers on aeroplanes, as ice can alter the vehicles’
aerodynamic properties and can even cause them to crash.
Questions 29-33
Choose the correct letter, A,
B, C or D.
Write the correct letter in boxes 29-33
on your answer sheet.
29. Penguins stay ice free due
to:
A.
A combination of nano-sized pores
B.
An extra water repelling preening
oil
C.
A combination of nano-sized pores
and an extra water repelling preening oil
D.
A combination of various factors
30. Antarctic penguins
experience extreme weather conditions, including:
A.
Low temperature, that can drop to
-40
B.
Severe wind, up to 40 metres per
second
C.
Below zero water temperature
D.
All of the above
31. In line 5 words engineering
marvels mean:
A.
That penguins are very intelligent
B.
That penguins are good swimmers
C.
That penguis are well prepared to
living in severe conditions
D.
Both B and C
32. Penguis feather has
everything, EXCEPT:
A.
Hydrophobic properties
B.
Extra ice repelling
C.
Soft structures
D.
Oil structures
33. The gentoo penguin:
A.
Is less superhydrophobic compared
to the Magellanic penguin
B.
Has feathers that contain tiny
pores
C.
Can't swim
D.
Lives in Argentinian desert
Questions 34-40
Complete the sentences below.
Write ONLY ONE WORD from
the passage for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 34-40
on your answer sheet.
34. Formations like………….could
provide geometry that delays ice formation.
35. The delay in freezing is
dictated by the………….of the droplet.
36. Penguins in Antarctic are
highly evolved to be able to cope with………….conditions.
37. Penguins are insulated by
a……………….ayer of fat.
38. On the land, penguins
appear much more…………..than in the sea.
39. The inspiration came to
Kavehpour after watching a…………..about penguins.
40. Kavehpour would like to
see……………surfaces which minimise frost formation.
ANSWERS
Each
question correctly answered scores 1 mark. Correct spelling is needed in
all answers.
Section 1
1.
C
2.
E
3.
A
4.
G
5.
H
6.
F
7.
B
8.
D
9.
Hot mantle
10. Rounded dome
11. Spare
12. Simply eruptions
ANSWERS
Each
question correctly answered scores 1 mark. Correct spelling is needed in
all answers.
Section 2
13. True
14. False
15. False
16. True
17. Not given
18. False
19. True
20. True
21. The pandemic
22. Attractive destination
23. Spread
24. Its independence
25. Sociopolitical situation
26. Drug injecting
27. Other pathogens
28. Circulated predominantly
ANSWERS
Each
question correctly answered scores 1 mark. Correct spelling is needed in
all answers.
Section 3
29. C
30. D
31. D
32. C
33. B
34. Spheres
35. Shape
36. Harsh
37. Thick
38. Awkward
39. Documentary
40. Biomimicking
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