__________.
Scientists are now able to create new forms of life in the laboratory because
of the development of gene splicing - the joining of genes. On the one hand,
the ability to create life in the laboratory could greatly benefit humankind.
One beneficial application of gene splicing is in agriculture. For example,
researchers have engineered a more nutritious type of rice that could help
alleviate the serious problem of vitamin A deficiency. It is estimated that 124
million children worldwide lack vitamin A, putting them at risk of permanent
blindness and other health issues. However, not everyone is positive about
gene-splicing technology. Some people feel that it could have terrible consequences.
In fact a type of corn engineered to kill a certain insect pest also threatened
to wipe out desirable monarch butterflies. In another accident, a genetically
engineered type of corn that was approved only for animal consumption because
it was toxic to humans accidentally cross-pollinated with corn grown for
humans. As a result many countries banned imports of genetically modified corn
for several years.
Gunakan Petunjuk A dalam
menjawab soal nomor 41 sampai nomor 42.
41. Which of the
following sentences should begin the paragraph?
(A) There has been
some new promising development in genetic engineering.
(B) Genetic research
has produced both exciting and frightening possibilities.
(C) The benefits of
genetic engineering have been proven recently by scientists.
(D) Genetic
engineering should not be developed as it disturbs natural ecology.
(E) The limit of
genetic engineering is the human mind itself.
42. This paragraph may
be followed by a paragraph that discusses ____.
(A) ways to prevent
the undesirable effects of genetic splicing
(B) views about
genetic engineering based on religious ground
(C) the reasons for
avoiding genetic engineering
(D) reasons why people
must support genetic engineering
(E) the process of the
development of genetic engineering
The
unmistakable buzz of a bumblebee is one of the quintessential sounds of British
summertime. However, this slender sound and faint utterance is under threat
because bumblebees are in crisis. Of the 25 species native to Britain, three
have already been declared extinct, five are designated UK Biodiversity Action
Plan priority species, and many more have undergone major range contractions.
The great yellow bumblebee, Bombus distinguendus, for example, is now
restricted to northern Scotland, Orkney and the Hebrides, and the shrill carder
bee, Bombus sylvarum, which was once common throughout southern Britain, now
exists only in seven small groups. In addition, as these populations become
more isolated they can become inbred, which increases the risk of further
extinctions.
At
the end of summer all the bumblebees in a colony die, apart from the virgin
queens who mate and then leave the nest to hibernate over winter. In the spring
a queen will make a new nest, lay eggs and then raise the first batch of workers.
This annual cycle depends on there being enough pollen and nectar to sustain
the queen as she establishes her nest and team of workers as the colony grows.
Pollen is a protein-rich fuel that is key to helping over-wintered queens to kickstart
their reproductive systems ready and for the development of larvae. Nectar, on
the other hand, is a sugar-rich fuel which is converted to honey to feed adult
bees. The bees make honey by adding to the nectar in their honey sacs an enzyme
called invertase, which converts sucrose sugars to a mixture of glucose and
fructose. Once the workers are developed, they take over the foraging and the
queen concentrates on laying eggs. Later in the year, if the colony has been
successful and reaches a large enough size, the queen will produce male eggs
and some female eggs are raised as new queens.
A
lack of resources is thought to be the critical factor that is affecting
bumblebee populations, and it is related to the loss of wild flowers, both in
the countryside and in vast areas of suburban gardens. The biggest impact has
been the availability of food and drink, in particular the continuity of
supplies throughout the colony cycle. Although nectar is available from a wide
range of plants, the bees can be much more choosy about where they collect
pollen from, sometimes restricting this to very few flowering plants. In
Scotland, overwintered queens of the declining and beautiful bilberry bumblebee
focus on bilberry in spring. Other species may focus on legumes such as red clover
and bird’s-foot trefoil. Sadly, because the UK has lost 98% of its flower-rich
grasslands, this has been devastating for some bumblebee species.
Gunakan Petunjuk A dalam
menjawab soal nomor 43 sampai nomor 47.
43. What is the best
title of the passage?
(A) Various Kinds of
Bumblebees
(B) The Impacts of the
Loss ofWild Flowers
(C) The Falling-Off
Population of Bumblebees
(D) The Development of
Bumblebees Population
(E) TheAvailability of
Bumblebee Species in the UK
44. What can be inferred
from the passage about the lifecycle of bumblebees?
(A) The new workers
are brought up by the male bees.
(B) Bumblebees
hibernate throughout winter to survive.
(C) The virgin queens
survive the summer and then continue the reproduction.
(D) All the bumblebees
in a colony die when summer ends.
(E) The continuation
of the lifecycle depends on the skill of the queens in collecting food.
45. Which of the
following statements about the passage is FALSE?
(A) When the colony
has been thriving and reached a sufficient size, the queen will lay male eggs.
(B) Some female eggs
are laid to produce new queen bees.
(C) The declining
population of bumblebees has been attributed to the inadequate food resource.
(D) Nectar and pollen
are still widely available even for the choosy species of bumblebees.
(E) A large percentage
of the UK area has lost its ability to supply food for bumblebees.
46. The word
’designated’ in line 3 can best be replaced by ____.
(A) voted
(B) preferred
(C) restricted
(D) chosen
(E) clasified
47. Why did the writer
mention the queens of bilberry bumblebee?
(A) To describe how a
bumblebee may look like
(B) To give example of
bees which can survive the winter
(C) To show one
species of bees whose food resource is declining
(D) To give an example
of a species of bumblebees which is declining
(E) To give an example
of bees which are very selective about source of pollen
Sequoyah
was a young Cherokee Indian, son of a white trader and an Indian squaw. At an
early age, he became __ (48) __ by "the talking leaf", an expression
that he used to describe the white man’s written records. __ (49) __ many believed
this "talking leaf" to be a gift from the Giant Spirit, Sequoyah
refused to accept that theory. Like other Indians of the period, he was __ (50)
__, but his determination to remedy the situation led to the invention of a
unique 86-character alphabet based on the sound patterns that he heard. His
family and friends thought him mad, but while recuperating from a hunting
accident, he diligently and independently set out to create a form of
communication for own people __ (51) __ for other Indians. In 1821, after
twelve years of work, he had __ (52) __developed a written language that would
enable thousands of Indians to read and write.
Gunakan Petunjuk A dalam
menjawab soal nomor 48 sampai nomor 52.
48. ...
(A) amused
(B) surprised
(C) interested
(D) fascinated
(E) motivated
49. ...
(A) Since
(B) Because
(C) Before
(D) However
(E) Although
50. ...
(A) illiterate
(B) innate
(C) immature
(D) imaginative
(E) illegitimate
51. ...
(A) as much as
(B) as soon as
(C) as well as
(D) as a result
(E) as long as
52. ...
(A) succeed
(B) success
(C) successful
(D) successfully
(E) succeeded
A
very important world problem, if not the most serious of all the great world
problems which affect us at the moment, is the increasing number of people who
actually inhabit this planet. The limited amount of land and land resources
will soon be unable to support the huge population if it continues to grow __
(54) __.
In
an early survey conducted in 1888, a billion and a half people inhabited the
earth. Now, the population __ (55) __ five billion and is growing fast - by the
staggering figure of 90 million in 1988 alone. This means that the world __ (56)
__ accommodate a new population roughly equal to that of the United States and
Canada every three years. Even though the rate of growth has begun to slow
down, most experts believe the population size will still pass eight billion during
the next 50 years.
It
is really due to the spread of the knowledge and __ (57) __. You have no doubt
heard of the term "Birth Control" -"Death Control" is
something rather different. It recognizes the work of the doctors and
scientists who now keep alive people who, not very long ago, __ (58) __ of a
variety of then incurable diseases. Through a wide variety of technological
innovations that include farming methods and sanitation, as well as the control
of these deadly diseases, we have found ways to reduce the rate __ (59) __ we
die – creating a population explosion. We used to think that reaching seventy
years old was a remarkable achievement, but now eighty or even ninety is
becoming recognized as the normal life-span for humans. In a sense, this
represents a tremendous achievement for __ (60) __ species. Biologically this
is the very definition of success and we have undoubtedly become the dominant
animal on the planet. However, this success is the very cause of the greatest
threat to mankind.
Gunakan Petunjuk A dalam
menjawab soal nomor 53 sampai nomor 60.
53. This sentence
"So, why is this huge increase in population taking place?" should be
....
(A) the first sentence
of paragraph 1
(B) the last sentence
of paragraph 1
(C) the first sentence
of paragraph 2
(D) the first sentence
of paragraph 3
(E) the last sentence
of paragraph 3
54. ....
(A) at full speed
(B) at its present
rate
(C) at its present
pace
(D) in six figures
(E) in its present
degree
55. ....
(A) exceeds
(B) exceeded
(C) exceed
(D) is exceeding
(E) would exceed
56. ....
(A) can
(B) may
(C) will
(D) had better
(E) must
57. ....
(A) practice of what
is becoming known as "Death Control"
(B) what is becoming
known practice of "Death Control"
(C) what is becoming
known as the practice of "Death Control"
(D) practice at what
is becoming known as "Death Control"
(E) practice what is
becoming known of as "Death Control"
58. ....
(A) had died
(B) have died
(C) would have died
(D) will be dying
(E) died
59. ....
(A) that
(B) why
(C) how
(D) when
(E) at which
60. ....
(A) your
(B) their
(C)
our
(D) its
(E)
his
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