READING COMPREHENSION

I. Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow. The launching of the first satellite by the Russians in 1957 began with what was known as the space race the first stage of which culminated with the American landing on the moon twelve years later. A whole range of satellites now orbit the Earth and are used for a variety of purposes. LOW ORBIT SATELLITIES, the typical height of which varies from 150 to 450 kilometers, are of little use for telecommunications for they are only in line of sight of each earth station for about 15 minutes. Their rotation period around the Earth is about one and a half hours and their main use is remote sensing, a field in which digital processing techniques are proving especially valuable. A low orbit satellite equipped with a multispectral scanner system (MSS), can observe the Earth in great detail providing us with extremely accurate information about agriculture, forestry, water resources and pollution patterns. It also has a multitude of applications in such fields as weather forecasting, environmental monitoring, geology, oceanography and cartography. There are important defence implications too, since they can be used to spy on the activities of a potential enemy. MEDIUM ALTITUDE SATELLITES are used for telecommunications, especially in countries which cover a vast geographical area like the earlier USSR They fly at a typical height of 9,000 to 18, 000 kilometers orbiting the Earth in a period of five to twelve hours. They are in line of sight of the earth station between two and four hours. The most important type of satellite for telecommunications is the geosynchronous or geostationary satellite positioned over the Equator at a height of 35, 800 kilometers. Its rotation period is 24 hours, the same as the Earths, and consequently, seen from the Earth, this type of satellite appears to remain motionless in the sky. It is within line of sight of an earth station for its entire life. A communication satellite is, in essence of microwave relay station which receive signals in a given frequency band and retransmits them at a different frequency to avoid problems of interference between the weak incoming signal and the powerful retransmitted signal. The equipment which receives a signal, amplifies it, changes its frequency and then retransmits it, is called transponder. A satellite can handle large amounts of traffic which it can send over vast areas of the Earth. It therefore represents a relatively cheap way of transmitting information over long distances. For countries which do not already have sophisticated cable or microwave networks the use of a satellite can be extremely beneficial as it can be used in their place. The first satellite was seen as a way of communicating with people who lived in isolated areas of the world. As a result, earth stations began to appear in the remotest parts of the globe. The cost of satellite communication began to fall steadily and consequently satellites have to compete with submarine cables as a way of linking continents cheaply. With the arrival of optical undersea cables, however, a more

balanced intercontinental circuits between the two are likely. Satellites were soon to broadcast TV programmes live from one side of the Earth to the other, and then to link up computer terminals in different parts of the world. The use of digital transmission and multiplexing techniques has led an enormous increase in the capacity of satellites. The international organization INTELSAT was created in 1964 to provide international communication services by satellite. In 1983 it operated and owned 16 space crafts in geosynchronous orbit representing an investment over three billion US dollars. In 1983 it handled two thirds of all international telephone and data communications and transmitted virtually all live international television broadcasts. 109 nations are members of INTELSAT. Between 1979 and1983 INTELSATs traffic doubled, yet its communications charges decreased, despite a 73% rise in the worldwide cost of living index during that period. (i) For each of the following pick out the correct response from the options given, based on the passage. 1. The main use of the low orbit satellites is a. Spying b. remote sensing c. weather forecasting d. environmental monitoring 2. A communication satellite is better than other communication means, because a. it is reliable b. it is quick b. it is cost-effective d. it is sophisticated 3. Communication satellites are not merely used for a. broadcasting TV programmes live from one country to another b. linking computer terminals all over the world c. sending messages from one part of the world to another d. spying defence installations of other countries. 4. Satellite communication was first used for a. testing the advances in electronics b. contacting people living in isolated areas c. improving relations between the nations d. reducing the cost of communication. (ii) Say on the basis of the passage, if the following statements are true or false: a. Geosynchronous satellites are stationary and motionless b. Low orbit satellites can be seen by earth stations once in every 15 minutes c. Medium altitude satellites are positioned at a height of 9000 to 18000KMs. d. A transponder strengthens the weak signals received from the earth. e. International communication through satellites came into effect in 1983. f. Optical fibre cables reduce the load on satellite communication.

(iii)

Pick out from the passage, the single words that mean; a. reaching the highest point of some activity b. possible future effects or results c. exact d. as a result e. to be all alone f. act of getting in the path something.

II. Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow. Since 1945, 2,051 nuclear tests have been conducted all over the world. Of these, 528 have been in the atmosphere, under water, or in space. The rest were underground tests. The international awareness of the dangers of radioactive fallout from atmospheric tests came with the 1954 Bravo thermonuclear test conducted by the U.S. All 23 crewmembers of a Japanese fishing boat, named Lucky Dragon that was fishing about 160 km away from the test location were irradiated. Several fell sick and one died, creating anger in the minds of all people. The effects of atmospheric testing were both local and global. Local effects in regions near testing sites led to relatively large doses of irradiation. For example, in 1996, the U.S. National Cancer Institute estimated that about 10,000 to 75,000 U.S. citizens would be afflicted with thyroid cancer just from Iodine-131 from atmospheric tests. About 10,000 to 40,000 inhabitants of the area adjacent to the testing site in Kazhakhtan were exposed to an average dose of 160 rads. In response to widespread public concern about the health effects of radioactive fallout from atmospheric testing a large number of countries signed the Limited Test Ban Treaty in 1963. This treaty prohibited all but underground nuclear tests. Since then most nuclear tests have been conducted underground. Nuclear establishments the world over have tried to convince their citizens and others that this posed no risks to their health. Even from the limited amount of data that is available, it is abundantly clear that this is not true. They hide the truths regarding the data on health and environment effects of nuclear weapons testing. Nuclear weapons states are secretive about everything. But the absence of such information within the public domain has led to ignorance of the terrific danger involved in nuclear testing. In the case of underground testing, there are further problems. Scientific models for predicting the spread of radioactive contamination are at their early stages. The observed rate of plutonium migration, for example, is much larger than what has been previously predicted. Under such circumstances, it is best to adopt the cautionary principle, ie assume the most damage that can be reasonably expected and apply appropriate remedies, for the good of one and all.

(i) Read the text and say whether the following statements are True or False a. 1523 nuclear tests have been conducted underground so far b. The Bravo nuclear test did not prove to be so very harmful c. About 10,000 to 40,000 inhabitants of the testing site were exposed to an average dose of 160 rads. d. Nuclear tests, even when conducted underground, poses risks to out health e. Experiments conducted on scientific models predict clearly the extent of the damage that can be expected from radioactive radiations. f. The Limited Tests Ban Treaty was signed by a small number of countries. g. The Lucky dragon Incident caused the death of 22 members of Japanese fishing crew. h. The appropriate remedial measures should be based on the assumption that the rate of plutonium migration is much larger than what has already been predicted. (ii) Choose the most appropriate meanings of words as they are used in the text. (1) Afflicted: a. affected b. died c. felt sickened (2) Estimated: a. calculated b. speculated c. found out (3) Concern a. anxiety b. consideration c. cause for worry (4) Predicting: a. warning b. forecasting c. estimating (5) Remedy a. medicine b. successful solution c. progress (iii) Answer the following questions: (1) Suggest a suitable title for the text. (1 mark) (2) What is the main message of the text? (2 marks)

Answers: I. (i) 1. b remote sensing 2. c. It is cost effective 3. d. spying defence installations . . . . 4. b. contacting people in isolated areas. (ii) a. false b. false c. false d. true e. false f. true (iii) 1. culminate 2. implications 3. accurate 4. consequently 5. isolated 6. interference. II. (1) a. true b. false c. false d. true e. false f. false g. false h. true 1. (a) affected 2. (a) calculated 3. (c) cause for worry 4. (b) forecasting 5. (b) successful solution. 1. Give a suitable title 2. Message can be stated as follows: Radio active contamination can cause more damage than what has been believed to be true. Effective solutions should be conceived and implemented for the protection of humanity and the world.

(ii)

(iii)