Read the following passage adapted from Pre-Essence Reading 1 by Rachel Lee, and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions .
BODY LANGUAGE AND CULTURAL DIFFERENCES
The body language people use often communicates more about their feelings than the words they are saying. We use body movements, hand gestures, facial expressions, and changes in our voice to communicate with each other. Although some body language is universal, many gestures are culturally specific and may mean different things in different countries.
If you want to give someone the nod in Bulgaria, you have to nod your head to say no and shake it to say yes – the exact opposite of what we do! In Belgium, pointing with your index finger or snapping your fingers at someone is very rude.
In France, you shouldn’t rest your feet on tables or chairs. Speaking to someone with your hands in your pockets will only make matters worse. In the Middle East, you should never show the soles of your feet or shoes to others as it will be seen as a grave insult. When eating, only use your right hand because they use their left hands when going to the bathroom.
In Bangladesh, the ‘thumbs-up’ is a rude sign. In Myanmar, people greet each other by clapping, and in India, whistling in public is considered rude.
In Japan, you should not blow your nose in public, but you can burp at the end of a meal to show that you have enjoyed it. The ‘OK’ sign (thumb and index finger forming a circle) means ‘everything is good’ in the West, but in China it means nothing or zero. In Japan, it means money, and in the Middle East, it is a rude gesture.
Read the following passage taken from Microsoft Encarta and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct word(s) for each of the blanks from 43 to 47.
WHY DO ANIMALS GO EXTINCT?
Different kinds of animals have appeared and disappeared throughout Earth’s history. Some animals go extinct because the climate (43)______ they live changes. The climate may become wetter or drier. It may become warmer or cooler. If the animals cannot change, or adapt, to the new climate, they die.
Some animals go extinct because they cannot (44)______ with other animals for food. Some animals go extinct because they are killed by enemies. New kinds of animals are always evolving. Evolving means that the animals are changing (45)______ from generation to generation. Small differences between parents, children, and grandchildren slowly add up over many, many generations. Eventually, a different kind of animal evolves.
Sometimes many of the animals on Earth go extinct at the (46)______ time. Scientists call this a mass extinction. Scientists think there (47)______ at least five mass extinctions in Earth’s history. The last mass extinction happened about 65 million years ago. This mass extinction killed off the dinosaurs.