SULIT 6355/2

6355/2
English for
Science and
Technology
Kertas 2
September
2009
1 jam MAKTAB RENDAH SAINS MARA

PEPERIKSAAN PERCUBAAN
SIJIL PELAJARAN MALAYSIA 2009

ENGLISH FOR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Kertas 2
6
3 Satu jam
5
5
2
JANGAN BUKA KERTAS SOALAN INI SEHINGGA DIBERITAHU

Arahan

1. Kertas soalan ini mengandungi dua bahagian dan 30 soalan.

2. Jawab semua soalan.
3. Hitamkan semua jawapan anda untuk Bahagian A dan Bahagian B di dalam kertas
jawapan yang disediakan.
4. Soalan-soalan yang dikemukakan dalam kertas soalan diikuti oleh empat pilihan
jawapan, iaitu A, B, C dan D. Pilih satu jawapan sahaja

Instructions

1. This question paper consists of two sections and 30 questions.

2. Answer all questions.
3. Shade all your answers for Section A and Section B on the answer sheet provided.
4. Questions in this question paper are followed by four options, A, B, C and D. Choose
only one answer.

Kertas soalan ini mengandungi 15 halaman bercetak dan 1 halaman tidak bercetak
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Questions 1 – 25 are based on the given stimuli. Study the information carefully and
choose the best answer.

When an earthquake takes place beneath the sea bed, it may produce a
wave in the sea. In the open ocean, the wave may hardly be noticed. But if
it reaches shallow water near a coast, the wave may rise to heights of 30
metres or more. These giant waves are called tsunamis.

1. Tsunamis are caused by

A shallow waters near a coast

B giant waves of 30 metres or more
C wave movements in the open ocean
D earthquakes under the ocean floor

Chalk is a mineral usually found on the seabed and seaside cliffs. This
mineral is formed from very fine grains of calcium carbonate that have
separated from seawater and settled to become white, muddy sediment on
the sea floor. Over millions of years, the sediment hardened to form chalk.

2. The sediment is made up of

A tiny pieces of chalk

B calcium carbonate grains
C seawater and chalk grains
D mud and calcium carbonate

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Questions 3 – 4 are based on the following text.

Viruses exhibit some but not all the characteristics of living things. Viruses,
like all living cellular organisms, contain protein and nucleic acid.
However, unlike cellular organisms, viruses can be solidified into crystals.
But when placed in solutions, they become active again. Unlike cellular
organisms, viruses do not repair, grow, or respond to stimuli. Viruses can
reproduce only within a living cell, called a host cell. During reproduction,
many viruses kill the host cell. However, cellular organisms do not
necessarily need a host to reproduce.

3. The word they refers to

A viruses
B crystals
C solutions
D organisms

4. Both viruses and cellular organisms

A contain protein and nucleic acid.

B need a living cell to multiply.
C can be turned into crystals.
D can respond to stimuli.

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Wastewater treatment is essential in providing clean and safe water

consumption. There are three basic phases of wastewater treatment in a
treatment plant: primary, secondary and tertiary. In the primary phase,
the first stage is screening where vertical metal bars remove bulky debris
or objects. Next, it is passed through a grinder where organic materials
are reduced in size. In a grit chamber, inorganic matters are removed.
Then, in a sedimentation tank, organic materials are drawn off for
disposal. Then it is further treated in a closed tank in a process called
digestion. The final stage is drying where the digested sludge is dried
and converted into fertiliser.

5. Which of the following shows the stages of the primary phase of wastewater
treatment?

A B C D

screening screening screening screening

digesting grinding digesting grinding

drawing off organic removing of removing of drawing off organic

matter inorganic inorganic matter
matter matter

removing of removing of
inorganic drawing off organic drawing off organic inorganic
matter matter matter matter

grinding digesting grinding digesting

drying drying drying drying

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In most mammal species, females carry their young in the uterus during
the development, nourishing them by a placenta, and give birth to live
young. The placenta is a specialised organ within the womb of the
mother that brings the bloodstream of the foetus into close contact with
the blood stream of the mother. The placenta is attached to the umbilical
cord. It serves as the provisional lungs, intestines and kidneys of the
embryo, without ever mixing maternal and foetal blood. Food, water, and
oxygen can pass across from mother to child, and wastes can pass over
to the mother’s blood and be carried away.

6. A placenta within the womb of female mammals serves as

A the potential internal organs for the foetus

B the bloodstream for the foetus and the mother
C a passage for the supply of nourishment for the foetus
D a medium for close contact of the foetus and the mother

Gingko may be effective in treating ailments associated with decreased

blood flow to the brain. The circulatory system in the body can be
boosted by gingko as well and it is a good option in the treatment of
circulation headaches. Linden relieves tensions and sinus headaches,
helping to calm the mind. Also, linden flowers improve the overall
functioning of the circulatory system and researchers believe it could
cure migraine as well.

7. Both gingko and linden can cure headaches because they work on the patient’s

A tensions
B migraines
C body circulation
D circulatory system

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Since Dolly’s birth in 1997, scientists have successfully cloned a wide

variety of farm animals and cloning procedures have become increasingly
efficient. Only a small fraction of the transplanted embryos survive to term,
however, with most dying late in pregnancy. Those that survive to be born
usually die soon thereafter. Many become oversized, a condition known as
large offspring syndrome. The few cloned offspring that reach childhood
face an uncertain future, as their development into adults tends to go
unexpectedly haywire. Almost none survive to live a normal life span.

8. Cloned farm animals

A will all become oversized

B are unable to live an expected life span
C develop normally as they reach adulthood
D have largely been successful to survive to term

Friction is a type of force that opposes the motion of an object when the
object is in contact with another object or surface. Friction results from two
surfaces rubbing against each other or moving relative to one another. It
can hinder the motion of an object or prevent an object from moving at all.
The strength of frictional force depends on the nature of the surfaces that
are in contact and the force pushing them together. This force is usually
related to the weight of the object or objects.

9. In order for objects to be moved

A their weight has to be the same.

B the surfaces must be in contact with each other.
C enough friction has to be forced upon the objects.
D force has to be applied to oppose the friction caused.

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Scientists have mapped the genetic code of honey bees, uncovering clues
about their complex social behaviour and their heightened sense of smell.
The honey bees or Apis mellifera evolve more slowly than other insects
and have more genes related to smell. Even though the honey bees have
tiny brains, they display mental prowess and can discern a flower’s shape,
colour and scent quite skilfully.

10. Compared to other insects, honey bees have a well-developed sense of smell
because

A they are mentally well-developed

B their genetic code is more complex
C they have more smell-related genes
D their development is similar to others

Velocity / ms-1

10 - - - - - -W X

8 -

6 -

4 -

2 - Z Y
I I I I I I I
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14
time (sec)

11. The graph shows a velocity – time graph of a truck moving in a straight line.
Where does the truck apply its maximum speed?

A W
B X
C Y
D Z

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Hardware includes all the components used to make a computer. The

entire computer frame that you see, regardless if the computer is switched-
off, is the hardware. Hardware is usually made of metal, plastic or fibre. It
consists of all the parts of the computer which you can actually touch,
including the keyboard, monitor, mouse, printer and disk.

12. Based on the description in the above text, hardware is

A mainly made of metal and plastic

B the physical parts of a computer
C a set of keyboard, monitor, mouse, printer and disk
D the parts of a computer that can be seen only when it is switched on

Food and water are the most common sources of parasite transmission.
Since most of us eat three times a day and drink water frequently
throughout the day, our exposure to these sources is constant. Tap water
has been found to be contaminated with parasitic organisms. Many
restaurants have less than sanitary conditions ranging from food
preparation and storage to the utensils and servers’ hands.

13. People are easily exposed to contamination because

A people consume food and water many times a day

B sanitary measures are followed in restaurants
C food is left exposed all the time
D all water is contaminated

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Natural fibres must be cleaned or washed before being spun (twisted) into
long threads of yarn. Man-made fibres are also spun: cotton polyester is a
mix of natural and synthetic fibres, for example. The yarn is then woven
into cloth. Not all fabrics are made by weaving. Knitting is a different
process that entwines loops of yarns in a wax.

14. Natural fibres must undergo a number of processes before being turned into cloth.
Which of the following is the correct order of the process?

A Washing ------- spinning ------- mixing

B Washing ------- weaving ------- knitting
C Cleaning ------- washing ------- knitting
D Cleaning ------- spinning ------- weaving

Earth’s Seasons

Sun

15. Which statement is true from the diagram above?

A The Sun changes position during every Equinox.

B During the September Equinox the south experiences Summer.
C The Earth’s rotation around the Sun determines the different seasons.
D Winter is experienced by the Northern Hemisphere in December and June.

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Kinetic energy is energy in motion. Anything that is moving or changing

has kinetic energy. Potential energy is stored energy. Something has
potential energy when it is not moving, but it is about to move. Mechanical
energy is produced by objects or machines changing their positions.
Chemical energy is released when substances are broken down.

16. Which of the following would be an example of the energy in a wound-up spring?

A Kinetic energy
B Chemical energy
C Potential energy
D Mechanical energy

Two different blood types cannot be mixed together as the blood cells may
clump together which can cause fatality. This is why blood types must be
matched before blood transfusion can take place.
• A person with Type A blood can donate blood to a person with Type
A or Type AB
• A person with Type B blood can donate blood to a person with Type
B or Type AB
• A person with Type AB blood can donate blood to a person with
Type AB only
• A person with Type O blood can donate blood to anyone.

17. In case of emergency, which type of blood can be given to a patient with an
unknown blood type?

A Type A
B Type B
C Type O
D Type AB

18. The word clump can best be replaced with

A mix
B clot
C stick
D react

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People with short-sightedness (myopia) are not able to see objects that are
far away. This is because light rays focus in front of the retina, a result from
the fact that the eye is not able to focus light rays further back, despite
maximum flattening of its lens. Short-sightedness mainly affects a person’s
ability to look at distant objects where the light rays come straight or
parallel into the eyes.

19. Which of the following diagrams illustrates short-sightedness?

light light

A B

light
light

C D

People with bulimia often go on eating spree (binge) and secretly vomit,
losing the calories acquired. It is estimated that about 3% of females are
bulimic. People with bulimia are also obsessed with their body, weight gain
and how they appear to others. Unlike those with anorexia, people with
bulimia are often not noticed because their weight varies slightly from their
normal weight. At the same time, treatment is more effective for bulimia
rather than anorexia.

20. It is true that bulimics

A openly vomit the food they consume.

B care less about their physical appearance.
C lose lesser weight compared to anorexics.
D need more effective treatment compared to anorexics.

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Y
Z

Strata of the Tropical Rainforest

The emergents consist of the tops of the tallest trees, which are much
higher than the average canopy height (ranging up to 270 feet or 81 m). It
houses many birds and insects while the forest floor is teeming with animal
life, especially insects and arachnids plus large animals. The understory is
a dark, cool environment that is under the leaves but over the ground.
Most of the understory of a rainforest has so little light that plant growth is
limited. On the other hand, the canopy; the upper parts of most of the
trees, is full of life. Insects, arachnids, many birds and some mammals
thrive in this area.

21. In the diagram, the understory is labelled as

A W
B X
C Y
D Z

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Microcomputers or personal computers are small, lightweight and portable.

Some of them are more powerful than some of the older, larger mainframe
computers and minicomputers. Mainframe computers are physically the
largest computers you will maintain. Their ruggedness makes them more
suited than microcomputers and minicomputers to handle the mechanical
shock and vibration, salt spray, temperature and humidity.

22. The suitable computer to be used in a submarine is

A Minicomputer
B Microcomputer
C Portable computer
D Mainframe computer

Questions 23 – 24 are based on the following text.

The term presbyopia means ‘old eye’ and is a vision condition involving the
loss of the eye’s ability to focus on both near and far objects. It is a
condition that occurs as part of normal aging, because when a person gets
older, one’s eye lenses become harder and less elastic. The muscles in
the ciliary body also lose their ability to contract and relax. Presbyopia
occurs gradually over a number of years and is usually noticeable by age
40-45.Presbyopia is corrected by wearing glasses with bifocal lenses to
see near and far objects clearly.

23. The word elastic can be substituted by

A rigid
B flexible
C dynamic
D movable

24. From the text, we can conclude that

A all senior citizens experience this problem

B old people tend to suffer from presbyopia
C presbyopia can be overcome by wearing sunglasses
D the elderly’s eye lenses lose the ability to contract and relax

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The crystals of about eighty special minerals are known as ‘gemstones’.

Many gemstones are used just for making jewellery while others have less
glamourous uses. The most valuable gemstone is diamond. It is a crystal
of carbon. It is an extremely hard substance that can cut through many
materials. Industrial diamonds are used in the manufacture of drilling and
cutting tools. The finest diamonds are cut and polished for jewellery.

25. Based on the text above, we can conclude that

A carbon can be used to cut through many materials

B diamond is the only gemstone suitable as jewellery
C diamonds can slice through almost all common materials
D carbon is used in the manufacture of drilling and cutting tools

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Questions 26 – 30 are based on the following passage. Choose the most appropriate
answer from the options given.

The vibration of an earthquake is felt most strongly along the fault line at the
epicenter. The majority of earthquakes seem to ____26____ at the depths of 10 to 20
miles below the epicenter. Some are deeper, but none come from a greater depth than 450
miles. It appears that ____27____ forces at these levels cause rocks to slowly, but
positively, flow or creep.

The rocks behave as a spring being ____28____, adjusting gradually to the

great pressure. Sometimes the rock is deformed too rapidly so that the limit of its
____29____ is reached, and it breaks. Some of the vast energy of the deforming forces is
____30____ by one rock mass rubbing on another. This causes vibration that is
transmitted from rock to rock for thousands of miles.

26. A derive
B evolve
C originate
D commence

27. A central
B surface
C underneath
D underground

28. A bent
B broken
C twisted
D twirled

29. A power
B strength
C condition
D resilience

30. A spilled
B released
C confined
D absorbed

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