BBI 2001 FOUNDATION ENGLISH – SCL WORKSHEET WEEK 6

READING COMPREHENSION

For each question, choose the most appropriate answer. Attempt all questions.

Questions 1 to 7 are based on the following passage.

There are over 3,000 lizard species but the existence of Komodo dragons
was unknown to humans until about 100 years ago. Komodo dragons are the
heaviest lizards on Earth. They have long, flat heads with rounded snouts, scaly
skin, bowed legs, and huge muscular tails. These large lizards range from black to
yellow-gray, depending on their particular geographical location habitat, and have
a rough, durable skin reinforced with osteoderms (bony plates) protecting them
from injuries caused by scratches and bites.
Komodo dragons rely on camouflage and patience when they hunt their
prey. These lizards will eat almost anything, including deer, large water buffaloes
and also humans. They use their powerful legs, sharp claws and serrated, shark-
like teeth to disembowel their prey. They have also been known to hunt in large
packs and bring down large prey. They are excellent swimmers and can cross
great distances and strong ocean currents. They raid neighbouring islands where
the only available food source is domestic animals.

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The Komodo dragon’s saliva is toxic as it contains over 50 strains of deadly

bacteria. An animal that manages to escape the jaws of a Komodo generally dies
of blood poisoning between 1 and 5 days. The Komodo dragon typically follows its
stricken prey for miles and exploits its keen sense of smell to hone in on the
corpse. Komodo dragons hiss loudly and inflate their throats when they are
communicating with one another.

Fast Facts

Type Reptile
Scientific name Varanuskomodoensis
Mass 68-73 kg (Adult, Female), 70 kg (In Wild, Adult),
79-91 kg (Adult, Male)
Length 229 cm on average (Adult, Female), 259 cm on average
(Adult, Male)
Diet Carnivore. They have been known to eat up to 880 per cent
of their body weight in one meal. Fat stored in their tail can
provide dragons with metabolic water in times of drought.
This allows them to go for 1 to 1.5 months without eating or
drinking.
Average lifespan 30+ years
Protection Status Endangered (poaching, human encroachment and natural
disasters have driven the species to its endangered status)
Preferred Habitat Hot, with daytime temperatures during the dry season that
often reaches 95 degrees Fahrenheit (35 degrees Celcius)
with 70 per cent humidity.
Mainly forests and savannah, but also mangrove swamps,
open beaches, steppes, and thickets
Hatch In July and August, the female lays and then incubates a
clutch of around 25 eggs in holes dug into the ground. Eggs
incubate for up to nine months before hatching.
Running Speed Up to 11 mph (18kph) in short bursts
Location Five islands in southeastern Indonesia’s four islands within
Komodo National Park (Komodo, Rinca, Gili Montang, Gili
Dasami) and the island of Flores

1. There are thousands of species of Komodo dragon.

A. True
B. False
C. Not stated

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2. The Komodo dragon’s bite is venomous, causing instant death for its injured
prey.

A. True
B. False
C. Not stated

3. The Komodo dragon always hunts for its prey alone.

A. True
B. False
C. Not stated

4. The adult Komodo dragons inflate their throats to attract the female dragons.

A. True
B. False
C. Not stated

5. The eggs are sought after by male Komodo dragons when food is
scarce during the dry season.

A. True
B. False
C. Not stated

6. These lizards thrive under cool temperatures in secluded areas.

A. True
B. False
C. Not stated

7. It can be concluded that the Komodo dragon only hunts for animals in the wild.

A. True
B. False
C. Not stated

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Questions 8 to 14 are based on the following passage.

The pet food industry is facing tremendous challenges, as many stressed,

unhealthy, genetically defective and elderly pets today require special diets. Organic
food or specially prepared food, based on organically certified, natural and minimally
processed ingredients are currently the norm. These pet foods are fortified with
specific supplements that are primarily natural rather than manufactured or synthetic,
like herbal extracts and nutraceuticals appropriate for the pet’s condition. Other
natural products like probiotics and prebiotics are also part of this new dietary
approach to a pet's health and well-being.
The bacterial balance in the digestive systems of man and pets alike is
delicate. Herbicide food residues and possibly the mutagenic and transgenic DNA 10

segments from the genes of all genetically modified foods disrupt this delicate
balance by becoming incorporated into the bacterial DNA. Thus, most veterinarians
contend that skin testing for allergies is not reliable, and it is expensive. They usually
suggest that the best approach to a suspected food allergy is the elimination diet.
Pets are fed with known ingredients and the reactions noted. While the pet is on the
elimination diet, specific ingredients (usually one at a time) are added or subtracted
until the pet shows clear signs of improvement. Some of these commonly
misdiagnosed health problems that are linked to food allergy include digestive, skin
and ear problems in dogs and cats. Some of the common allergies are the ‘oral
allergy’ syndrome in cats, ‘rodent ulcers’ cystitis and urological problems. 20

Consequently, many pet owners subscribe to the belief that organic pet food
has become a necessity. Pet owners who eat organic food for health reasons want
everyone around them and their pets to be healthy too, especially as the pets are
considered part of the family. With this in mind, they prefer to rely on alternative pet
food companies that are not part of the food and drug industry and who are making
a concerted effort to produce wholesome pet foods. Gone are the days when pet food
is based primarily on human food, beverage industry by-products or ingredients unfit
for human consumption. Manufacturers source for non-genetically engineered
ingredients which ideally have organically certified food ingredients using produce
from farmed animals raised humanely, as well as those that do not contain synthetic 30

preservatives and artificial colouring.

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Currently, it is difficult for manufacturers to secure sufficient, year-round

supplies of organic ingredients. However, it is possible that more farmers will make
the transition to organic agriculture for the production of pet food if there is a strong,
sustainable and expanding customer base for organic ingredients. Many pet food
producers also have their own manufacturing facilities, thus lowering the risk of any
cross-contamination that might occur when different companies send their different
products to a single processing plant.

8. The pet food industry is pressured to produce pet foods that are wholesome
and nutritious.

A. True
B. False
C. Not stated

9. Probiotics and prebiotics enhance the good health of pets.

A. True
B. False
C. Not stated

10. Genetically modified food contains artificially inserted genes from viruses,
bacteria, other plant species and animals.

A. True
B. False
C. Not stated

11. Why is the elimination diet recommended by veterinarians?

A. It gauges a pet’s reaction to illnesses.

B. It ascertains the ingredients present in pet food.
C. It is more effective than a skin test to detect allergies.

12. Demand for pet food made from farmed animals raised humanely has led to

A. fostering of confined livestock and poultry for consumption.

B. high welfare standards for animals raised for food production.
C. the use of growth hormones and antibiotics before production.

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13. The phrase alternative pet food companies (line 24) suggests the possibility of

A. a related food and drug industry

B. a trendy lifestyle organisation for pets
C. different practice in pet food production

14. More farmers will shift to organic agriculture for the production of pet food if

A. consumers provide random input.

B. different companies provide manufacturing facilities.
C. there is adequate and sustained demand for organic ingredients.

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Questions 15 to 21 are based on the following passage.

If you are at an elegant party or a formal event, it is highly likely that

you will meet many women wearing stiletto heels. They appear
everywhere from high-fashion runways to corporate offices. Stilettos
initially served to display wealth, but eventually became a fashion item for
the fairer gender from all economic levels to project their sexuality,
femininity and elegance.
French fashion designer Roger Vivier is credited with the creation of
the world’s first stiletto heel in 1954. Previously thick wooden heels were
replaced with thin, long metal heels that emphasised a woman’s body line
and sexuality. It was believed to have positive impact on the female 10

bodyline and enhance feminine attributes like the busts and buttocks.
Wearing stilettos improved height, causing the wearer to appear taller, an
advantage especially for shorter women. They made women look slimmer
by making the legs appear longer and slimmer as well as making the foot
look smaller. For these reasons the shoes became a fashion craze among
women around the world and are often considered an item to enhance
feminine allure among the opposite sex.
Stiletto heels can be very flattering, and many women are still
infatuated with these high heels even if they cause the wearers pain.
Unfortunately, most women suffer from foot pain after walking in stilettos. 20

The high heels cause the entire body weight to be concentrated on the
feet. In many cases, the foot pain will eventually be compounded by hip
pain over time. Many women find it difficult to walk in high heels too.
Walking or standing on high heels for an extended period often causes
heel pain. First-time stiletto wearers may have an awkward walk, as
they are unused to having to balance themselves well while walking in
such a way as to prevent falls. Balancing on two narrow 3-inch spikes is
difficult, and the wearer will have to stand in an unnatural posture to avoid
falling down. The stiletto wearer may get to be the centre of attention, but
for the wrong reasons. 30

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Sadly, wearing these heels also causes the entire pressure of the
body to fall on the lower back. This pressure on the lower back can cause
back pain. Concentrated body weight on the heel of the foot may make
them coarse and harder. Exposing the feet to the oppressively small space
of stiletto fronts may create not only blisters but also calluses, corns and
even ingrown toenails. There is a great tendency to develop yellow
patches on the balls of the feet, and to avoid this, it is strongly suggested
that wearers massage their feet regularly with oil or cream meant for foot
care. Most major cases of leg sprain in women are caused by excessive
wearing of high heels. Walking slowly and with extra care while wearing 40

these heels is therefore important. Wearing these gorgeous high heels can
do damage to the knees, back and feet. The fashionista who really cannot
give up stilettos must limit the amount of time spent wearing them. If there
are any signs of pain, then it is time to see a podiatrist or a chiropractor.

15. In the early times, stilettos were

A. symbols of prosperity.
B. meant for casual outings.
C. designed only for royalty.

16. According to the passage, wearing stilettos

A. strengthens the calf muscles.

B. gives an illusion of longer legs.
C. takes away attention from women’s body line.

17. Paragraph 2 depicts Vivier’s creation of the stilettos as

A. substitution for casual footwear.

B. an accessory for women.
C. an enhancement to the female body.

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18. First- time stiletto wearers may have an awkward walk… (line 25)
This means that when first-time wearers try to walk in stilettos, they may find it
A. exciting.
B. challenging .
C. embarrassing.

19. All of the following are side effects of wearing stilettos except

A. fractures of ankle or hip.

B. pain of the foot, knee, hip and back.
C. blisters, calluses, corns and ingrown toenails.

20. Stiletto wearers are advised to walk slowly and with extra care to look after
their

A. sense of fashion.
B. time spent for treatment.
C. posture, balance and feet health.

21. The fact that stilettos are still in fashion despite the possible effects means that

A. women are prepared to suffer.

B. a positive body image is important to women.
C. women have grown used to wearing high-heeled shoes.

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Questions 22 to 29 are based on the following passage.

The term ‘extreme sports’ is becoming more common and has

developed into a huge craze, as the concept of extreme sports gains
popularity. The term ‘extreme sports’ was almost exclusively used for high
risk sports which could result in death. Currently, it has broadened to
include activities that give the feeling of an adrenaline rush without any
danger involved. It is also a popular term of certain activities perceived as
having a high level of inherent danger and often involving speed, height, a
high level of physical exertion and highly specialised gear. Extreme sports
is also known as action sports, agro sports and adventure sports.
Bethany Hamilton, in her memoir and autobiography Soul Surfer, 10

tells us the story of how she survived a shark attack while competing in her
favourite high risk sport, surfing. On October 31, 2003, at the age of
thirteen, Bethany, along with two of her friends, were out early in the
morning casually surfing. She was lying on her back floating on the water
when she was attacked by a 14 to 15 foot shark which tore off her arms
just below her shoulder. By the time she arrived at the hospital, she had
already lost 60 per cent of her blood. There she spent the next seven days
recuperating and less than a month after the accident, she was back in the
water training to compete again. Bethany had to retrain herself to surf by
using only her right arm and by kicking harder while positioning herself 20

differently on the board than she had prior to the accident. Since she
started competing again, she has appeared on a number of talk shows
such as Good Morning America, The Today Show, The Oprah Winfrey
Show and many others to share her inspiring story of not only surviving,
but continuing her dream to be the best surfer in the world. Her story is one
not only of hope, but also one which makes people wonder about the
attraction of these sports that make people eager to return to them even
after such traumatic events.
Generally, participants in extreme sports agree that they feel a great
sensation of humility and courage while they participate in each event. The 30

participants are willing to take the risk because of the powerful positive

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psychological experiences that are apparent after succeeding. Laird

Hamilton, a worldwide famous pioneer of extreme surfing, claims that he
has developed an appreciation of life and living through his experience of
the natural world as something greater than humanity, a realisation that
changed him emotionally, physically, cognitively and spiritually. Thus,
those who participate in these activities are not only aware of the dangers
that come with extreme sports but are also conscious of how taking part in
mentally and physically demanding activities encourages participants to
develop a better appreciation of life. Most significantly, they gain a better 40

understanding of how, by participating in something daring, they gain new

perspectives of themselves as well as their relationship with others.
Participants in extreme sports also feel a great deal of euphoria after
successfully engaging in an activity where there is a real fear of possible
life-threatening injury if something were to go wrong. The euphoria or the
feeling of being intensely alive is the reaction to cheating possible death.
This ‘rush’ or extreme feeling is often what lures participants to extreme
sports again and again.
However, the medical view of extreme sports is that the rush or high
associated with the activity is not due to adrenaline being released as a 50

response to fear, but due to increased levels of endorphin, serotonin and

dopamine because of the high level of physical exertion. These
neurotransmitters inside the brain play important roles in cognition, motor
control, reward and motivation.

22. Historically, extreme sports was

A. associated with minimal risks.

B. dependent on specialised equipment.
C. considered hazardous and potentially fatal.

23. The world inherent (line 7) refers to danger that is

A. implicit.
B. external.
C. incidental.

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24. ...she was attacked by a 14 to 15 foot shark... (line 15) indicates that the shark

A. saw Bethany as prey.

B. viewed Bethany as a competitor.
C. considered Bethany a fellow predator.

25. From the passage, we can infer that following the shark attack,
Bethany Hamilton

A. sustained post-traumatic stress.

B. was averse to surfing after 2003.
C. managed to overcome her ordeal.

26. The consensus among participants engaging in extreme sports is that

A. the spirit of teamwork is stronger during competitions.

B. challenges induce a belief in religiosity and spirituality.
C. success stimulates psychological satisfaction.

27. … they gain a better understanding of how, by participating in something daring,

they gain new perspective of themselves as well as their relationships
with others (line 40-42). This means that participants in extreme sports

A. develop a new insight into their innate nature.

B. build a better mental and physical appreciation of life.
C. acquire a consciousness that fatalities are a likelihood in extreme sports.

28. However, the medical view of extreme sports … exertion (line 49-52) reflects
that adrenaline is not released as a response to fear. This statement implies
that blaming adrenaline for causing fear is

A. rational.
B. presumptive.
C. symptomatic.

29. From the passage, we can conclude that neurotransmitters primarily produce a
sense of

A. failure.
B. achievement.
C. loss.

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Questions 30 to 37 are based on the following passage.

While growing up, we were told by guidance counsellors, career

advice books, the news media and others to ‘follow our passion’. This
advice assumes that we all have a pre-existing passion waiting to discover.
If we have the courage to discover this calling and to match it to our source
of income, the thinking goes, we shall end up happy. In the same vein, if
we lack this courage, we will end up feeling bored and unfulfilled. True, a
small group of people may find this advice sensible, because they have a
clear passion. Maybe they have always known they wanted to be doctors,
writers or musicians and cannot imagine being anything else.
However, this philosophy which may be termed Cult of Passion puts 10

a lot of pressure on the rest of us and demands long deliberation. If we are

not careful, it tells us we may end up missing our true calling. Even after
we make a choice, we are still not free from its effect. Every time our work
becomes hard, we are pushed towards an existential crisis, centred on
what for many is an irritatingly unanswerable question: ‘Is this what I’m
really meant to be doing?’ This constant doubt generates anxiety and
continuous job-hopping.
The alternative to his career philosophy is based on this simple
premise: For someone in a new position the right question is not, ‘What
can this job offer me?’ but, instead, ‘What can I offer this job?’ The traits 20

that lead people to love their work are general and have little to do with job
specifics. These traits include a sense of autonomy and the feeling that
you are good at what you do and you have a positive impact in the
workplace. Decades of research on workplace motivation back this up.
These traits can be found in many jobs, but they have to be earned.
Building valuable skills is hard and takes time.
Cal Newport decided after minimal deliberation to go to the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (M.I.T), a private research
university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, known traditionally for research
and education and its selective admission of students. True to his 30

alternative career philosophy, he was confident that all three of his career

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options could be transformed into a source of passion, and this confidence

freed him from worry about making a wrong choice. He ended up choosing
M.I.T., mainly because of a slight preference for its location in the East
Coast.
During Cal’s initial years as a graduate student, he did not feel he
had found his true calling. The beginning of doctoral training was rough.
He was not skilled enough to make contributions to research literature,
which frustrated him. In addition, at a place like M.I.T., he was surrounded
by brilliance and he had doubts on whether he belonged there. If he had 40

subscribed to the ‘follow our passion’ philosophy, he probably would have

left during those first years, worried that he did not feel love for his work
every day. Yet, he persisted, and as his competence grew, so did his
engagement in his academic pursuits. Presently, Cal Newport is a
computer science professor at Georgetown University and he loves his job.
The most important lesson he can draw from his experience is that this
love has nothing to do with working out at an early age that he was meant
to be a professor and there was nothing special about his choosing this
particular path. What mattered was what he did once he had made his
choice. He realized that passion was not necessarily something you 50

followed but it was something that would follow you as you put in the hard
work to become valuable to the world.
Cal Newport’s case went against the grain of philosophy espoused
by self-help books and career-building workshops that love to peddle one
secret to a successful career - follow your passion. ‘Following your bliss;
may be perfectly good advice, but when it comes to building sustained
success in your career, the answer might not be that obvious, says
Monique Valcour, a professor of management at EDHEC Business School
in France, who has spent 15 years researching careers. As Valcour
describes it, year after year, when you perform work that makes full use of 60

your skills and challenges, you develop new ones. Your work not only
interests you, it gives you a sense of meaning. You enjoy opportunities for
learning and development. You work with people who energize you. You
are confident that your skills and competencies make you valuable and
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marketable and that you can access opportunities through your network.
You are able to fit your work together with the other things in your life that
are important to you like family, friends and leisure.
To help build sustainable careers and lives, you have to redefine
success beyond money and power, and include the metrics of well-being,
wisdom, wonder and giving back. Ultimately, success is not about material 70

wealth or position, but about living the life you want, not just the life you
settle for.

30. The first paragraph implies that

A. everyone has a pre-determined choice of job

B. one should seek guidance for career options
C. one’s income should match one’ ideal job
D. not everyone has a clear career vision

31. The phrase in the same vein (line 5) suggest a

A. cause
B. contrast
C. comparison
D. paraphrase

32. What does the term Cult of Passion (line 10) refer to?

A. Missing our true calling

B. Continuous job-hoping
C. Following our true interest
D. Pushing towards an existential crisis

33. Which of the following was not experienced by Cal Newport in M.I.T?

A. Lack of friends
B. Difficulties during training
C. Confusion about career options
D. Initial concern about his competence

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34. Which word best replaces the word peddle (line 54) as used in the passage?

A. give
B. grant
C. supply
D. promote

35. In order to build sustainable success in one’s career, Valcour suggests all the
following except

A. a good work-life balance.

B. self promotion in the job market.
C. the need to be constantly learning.
D. working with people who are invigorating.

36. To build sustainable careers and lives, the writer suggests

A. settling for a simpler life free from career advice and dreams.
B. networking with powerful people and industries with authority.
C. making full use of personal skills to meet any challenges that might arise.
D. pursuing success beyond money and having control over one’s life.

37. The best title for this passage would be

A. Follow Your Bliss

B. Live The Life You Want
C. The Metrics of Success
D. Career Fulfillment Fuels Career Passion

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