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II. READING
* Part 1. Read the passage and choose the correct option A, B, C, or D that best fits each of the numbered blanks.
Is there life on Mars? Many people have wondered about this question. Some writers of science-fiction think of people from Mars as little green (1)___________. Others imagine 'Martians' as monsters with many eyes.
In studying this (2)___________, astronomers have found that life may be possible on Mars. The first trace of this is that Mars has seasons, just like Earth. In other words, Earth's seasons, such as spring or summer, occur on Mars too. Because these seasons exist, it may be possible for vegetation and other higher life forms to be found on Mars.
Astronomers also think that perhaps a small amount of water vapor could be found on Mars. In 1887, (3) ________ Italian astronomer, Giovanni Schiaparelli, discovered markings on Mars' surface. These markings looked like canals. This finding led astronomers to believe that since water exists on Mars, life forms could exist as well.
(4)_________, there are others who feel that life on mars is not possible. This is because there is little or no trace of oxygen on the planet. In 1965, the Mariner IV capsule managed to take photographs of the planet. It discovered that the only forms of life found are vegetation like fungi and mosses. Nevertheless, people remain fascinated by the idea that there could one day be life on Mars.
Question 1. A. creates ​ B. creatures C. creations ​ D. creative
Question 2. A. orbit ​ B. spacecraft ​ C. planet​​ D. astronaut
Question 3. A. an B. a C. the D. some
Question 4. A. Therefore B. However C. Although D. Despite
* Part 2. Read the passage carefully and choose the correct answer A, B, C, or D to each question.
Leisure activity isn’t just for fun, says Howard E.A. Tinsley, a professor from the University of Florida who has developed a scale that classifies hobbies based on needs they satisfy in people. The scale can help people find more personal fulfillment by giving them insight into what they really like. “The surprising thing is that activities you might think are very different have similar effects on people. Probably no one would consider acting to have the same characteristics as roller-skating or playing baseball, but people who act as a hobby report feeling an intense sense of belonging to a group, much the same way others do in playing sports”.
And activities providing the strongest sense of competition are not sports, but card and computer game, he found. Participating in soccer satisfies our desire for a sense of “belonging”, and coin collecting fulfills the need for “creativity”. With so many people in jobs they don’t care for, leisure is a prized aspect of people’s lives, Tinsley said. “Yet it’s not something psychologists really study. Economists tell us how much money people spend skiing, but nobody explains why skiing really appeals to people.
Fishing, generally considered an outdoor recreational activity, for example, is a form of self-expression like stamp collecting, because it gives people the opportunity to express some aspect of their personality by doing something different from their daily routine, he said.
Question 1. Which of the following is NOT TRUE?
​A. Economists know how much money people spend skiing
​B. Playing sports does not give a sense of belonging to a group
​C. Noone can explain why skiing really appeals to people.
​D. Acting can give a sense of belonging to a group
Question 2. People gain the strongest sense of competition when they __________
​A. collecting coins​B. play computer games
​C. play baseball​D. play soccer
Question 3. The bold word “it” in the last paragraph refers to__________
​A. stamp collecting​B. self-expression​C. an activity​D. fishing
Question 4. An activity is considered a form of self-expression when it ____________
​A. gives you the opportunity to express creativity
​B. gives you the opportunity to express their personality
​C. satisfies your particular desires
​D. affects your personality