Passage 1 – The Great Barrier Reef

The Great Barrier Reef, located off the northeast coast of Australia, is the world's largest coral reef
system, stretching over 2,300 kilometers. Composed of over 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands,
it supports a diverse range of marine life, including over 1,500 species of fish, 400 types of coral,
and dozens of species of sharks and rays. The reef is so large that it can be seen from space.
Despite its beauty and ecological importance, the Great Barrier Reef faces serious threats. Rising
ocean temperatures due to climate change have caused mass coral bleaching events, where corals
lose their vibrant colors and become more susceptible to disease. Additionally, pollution from
agricultural runoff and overfishing further endanger the reef's delicate ecosystem. Conservation
efforts, including stricter fishing regulations and reducing carbon emissions, are essential to
preserving this natural wonder for future genera...

1. Where is the Great Barrier Reef located?

a) Off the coast of South Africa
b) Off the northeast coast of Australia
c) Near the coast of Brazil
d) In the Mediterranean Sea
Answer: b
2. How long is the Great Barrier Reef?
a) 900 kilometers
b) 2,300 kilometers
c) 1,500 kilometers
d) 400 kilometers
Answer: b
3. What is one reason the reef can be seen from space?
a) Its bright colors
b) Its enormous size
c) Its location near the equator
d) The reflection of sunlight
Answer: b
4. Which of the following is NOT mentioned as part of the reef's marine life?
a) Sharks
b) Sea turtles
c) Coral
d) Rays
Answer: b
5. What is coral bleaching?
a) The death of fish in the reef
b) The loss of coral color due to temperature changes
c) The process of coral reproduction
d) The cleaning of coral by small fish
Answer: b
6. What causes coral bleaching?
a) Overfishing
b) Agricultural runoff
c) Climate change
d) Ocean currents
Answer: c
7. What is one threat mentioned besides climate change?
a) Hurricanes
b) Tourism
c) Pollution from agriculture
d) Underwater earthquakes
Answer: c
8. What is one conservation effort mentioned in the passage?
a) Banning tourism
b) Creating artificial reefs
c) Stricter fishing regulations
d) Increasing shipping routes
Answer: c
9. Why is the reef considered important?
a) It provides oil and gas resources
b) It supports diverse marine life
c) It is a major shipping route
d) It produces fresh water
Answer: b
10. What is the main idea of the passage?
a) The Great Barrier Reef is a dangerous place for divers.
b) The Great Barrier Reef is beautiful but under threat.
c) The Great Barrier Reef is located in the Mediterranean Sea.
d) The Great Barrier Reef is a man-made structure.
Answer: b
Passage 2 – The Invention of the Printing Press
Before the invention of the printing press in the mid-15th century, books in Europe were copied by
hand, a slow and expensive process that limited access to knowledge. In 1440, Johannes
Gutenberg, a German inventor, developed a movable-type printing press that revolutionized the
production of books. This invention allowed books to be produced faster, more cheaply, and in
greater quantities than ever before. The printing press played a major role in spreading literacy and
ideas. It made works of science, literature, and philosophy available to a much wider audience,
breaking the monopoly of the church and the elite over knowledge. The rapid spread of printed
materials also contributed to major cultural shifts, including the Renaissance and the Protestant
Reformation.

11. Before the printing press, how were books made in Europe?
a) By machine
b) By hand
c) By carving stone tablets
d) By oral storytelling
Answer: b
12. Who invented the movable-type printing press?
a) Martin Luther
b) Johannes Gutenberg
c) Leonardo da Vinci
d) William Shakespeare
Answer: b
13. When was the printing press invented?
a) 1340
b) 1440
c) 1540
d) 1640
Answer: b
14. What was one effect of the printing press?
a) Books became more expensive
b) Literacy rates increased
c) Only the church could publish books
d) Knowledge was more restricted
Answer: b
15. What is meant by 'movable type'?
a) Letters carved in stone
b) Separate letters that could be rearranged
c) Writing on paper by hand
d) Printing using colored ink
Answer: b
16. Which cultural movement did the printing press help spread?
a) The Industrial Revolution
b) The Renaissance
c) The Cold War
d) The Scientific Revolution only
Answer: b
17. How did the printing press affect the church's control over knowledge?
a) It increased church control
b) It had no effect
c) It weakened church control
d) It made the church the only publisher
Answer: c
18. Why were books rare before the printing press?
a) They were destroyed by war
b) They took too long to produce
c) People could not read
d) There was no paper
Answer: b
19. Which of the following was NOT mentioned as a result of the printing press?
a) The spread of science
b) The Protestant Reformation
c) Increased literacy
d) The discovery of America
Answer: d
20. What is the main idea of the passage?
a) The printing press caused book shortages
b) The printing press changed communication and knowledge sharing
c) The printing press made handwriting more popular
d) The printing press was invented in the 20th century
Answer: b
Passage 3 – The Amazon Rainforest
The Amazon Rainforest covers over 5.5 million square kilometers across nine countries in South
America, with the majority located in Brazil. It is home to millions of species of plants, animals, and
insects, many of which are found nowhere else on Earth. Often called the "lungs of the planet," the
Amazon produces about 20% of the world's oxygen through photosynthesis. However, the Amazon
is under severe threat from deforestation, mainly caused by logging, agriculture, and cattle
ranching. Large areas of forest are cleared each year, destroying habitats and contributing to
climate change by releasing stored carbon dioxide. International efforts are underway to protect the
rainforest, including sustainable farming initiatives and stronger enforcement of environmental laws.

21. How large is the Amazon Rainforest?

a) 5.5 million square kilometers
b) 2.3 million square kilometers
c) 9 million square kilometers
d) 20% of the Earth
Answer: a
22. Which country contains most of the Amazon Rainforest?
a) Peru
b) Brazil
c) Colombia
d) Venezuela
Answer: b
23. Why is the Amazon called the 'lungs of the planet'?
a) It filters pollution
b) It produces a large amount of oxygen
c) It pumps water into rivers
d) It protects human lungs from disease
Answer: b
24. What percentage of the world’s oxygen does the Amazon produce?
a) 50%
b) 30%
c) 20%
d) 10%
Answer: c
25. What is the main cause of deforestation in the Amazon?
a) Mining
b) Tourism
c) Logging and agriculture
d) Urban expansion
Answer: c
26. What happens when the forest is cleared?
a) More oxygen is produced
b) More carbon dioxide is released
c) The soil becomes richer
d) Rainfall increases
Answer: b
27. What are international efforts focused on?
a) Building roads in the Amazon
b) Promoting sustainable farming
c) Increasing logging rights
d) Relocating wildlife
Answer: b
28. Which is NOT a threat mentioned in the passage?
a) Logging
b) Agriculture
c) Cattle ranching
d) Tourism
Answer: d
29. What is one effect of deforestation on wildlife?
a) New habitats are created
b) Habitats are destroyed
c) Animals migrate to cities
d) Species population increases
Answer: b
30. What is the main idea of the passage?
a) The Amazon is a dangerous place for humans
b) The Amazon is important but under threat from deforestation
c) The Amazon is the only rainforest in the world
d) The Amazon produces all the Earth’s oxygen
Answer: b
Passage 4 – Marie Curie
Marie Curie was a pioneering physicist and chemist who conducted groundbreaking research on
radioactivity, a term she coined. Born in Poland in 1867, she moved to France to study at the
University of Paris. Along with her husband, Pierre Curie, she discovered two new elements,
polonium and radium. Her work earned her two Nobel Prizes—in Physics (1903) and Chemistry
(1911)—making her the first person to win Nobel Prizes in two different scientific fields. Curie's
research had significant impacts on medical treatments, particularly in cancer therapy through
radiation. However, she faced many challenges, including working in poor laboratory conditions and
the dangers of radiation exposure, which were not well understood at the time. She died in 1934
from aplastic anemia, believed to be caused by prolonged radiation exposure.

31. What scientific term did Marie Curie coin?

a) Radiation
b) Radioactivity
c) Radiology
d) Radiotherapy
Answer: b
32. Where was Marie Curie born?
a) France
b) Poland
c) Russia
d) Germany
Answer: b
33. Where did Curie study?
a) University of Warsaw
b) University of Paris
c) Harvard University
d) University of Berlin
Answer: b
34. Which elements did Curie discover?
a) Uranium and radon
b) Polonium and radium
c) Plutonium and radium
d) Polonium and uranium
Answer: b
35. How many Nobel Prizes did Marie Curie win?
a) One
b) Two
c) Three
d) None
Answer: b
36. In which fields did she win Nobel Prizes?
a) Physics and Medicine
b) Physics and Chemistry
c) Chemistry and Biology
d) Medicine and Biology
Answer: b
37. What was one application of Curie's research?
a) Space exploration
b) Cancer treatment
c) Agriculture improvement
d) Vaccine development
Answer: b
38. What was a danger Curie faced in her research?
a) Chemical explosions
b) Radiation exposure
c) Earthquakes
d) Poisonous gases
Answer: b
39. What caused her death?
a) Cancer
b) Aplastic anemia from radiation exposure
c) Tuberculosis
d) Heart failure
Answer: b
40. What is the main idea of the passage?
a) Marie Curie was a scientist who made historic discoveries despite challenges
b) Marie Curie discovered electricity
c) Marie Curie was the first woman to attend university
d) Marie Curie invented X-rays
Answer: a
Passage 5 – The History of the Internet
The origins of the Internet can be traced back to the late 1960s, when the United States
Department of Defense developed ARPANET, a network designed to allow researchers to share
information quickly and reliably. ARPANET connected computers at universities and research
centers, making it possible to send data over long distances without using traditional telephone
lines. In the 1980s, new networking protocols like TCP/IP were introduced, enabling different
networks to connect and communicate effectively. This laid the foundation for the modern Internet.
In 1991, the World Wide Web was launched by Tim Berners-Lee, making it easier for people to
access and share information using web browsers. Today, the Internet is an essential part of daily
life, connecting billions of people worldwide. It is used for communication, education, commerce,
and entertainment, but it also presents challenges such as cybersecurity threats, misinformation,
and privacy concerns.

41. What was ARPANET originally developed for?

a) Commercial shopping
b) Military and research communication
c) Social networking
d) Entertainment
Answer: b
42. Which decade saw the creation of ARPANET?
a) 1950s
b) 1960s
c) 1970s
d) 1980s
Answer: b
43. What was the main purpose of ARPANET?
a) To connect military bases only
b) To allow researchers to share data quickly
c) To replace television networks
d) To send photographs
Answer: b
44. Which protocols enabled different networks to communicate in the 1980s?
a) HTTP and HTML
b) TCP/IP
c) USB and HDMI
d) DNS and VPN
Answer: b
45. Who launched the World Wide Web?
a) Bill Gates
b) Steve Jobs
c) Tim Berners-Lee
d) Elon Musk
Answer: c
46. In what year was the World Wide Web launched?
a) 1985
b) 1991
c) 1995
d) 2000
Answer: b
47. What did the World Wide Web make easier?
a) Sending letters by post
b) Accessing and sharing information via browsers
c) Building computer hardware
d) Producing television programs
Answer: b
48. Which is NOT mentioned as a use of the Internet today?
a) Communication
b) Education
c) Commerce
d) Agriculture
Answer: d
49. Which is a challenge mentioned in the passage?
a) Lack of electricity
b) Cybersecurity threats
c) Poor weather conditions
d) Road accidents
Answer: b
50. What is the main idea of the passage?
a) The Internet has replaced books entirely
b) The Internet evolved from a research network to a global tool with benefits and challenges
c) The Internet was invented by the military in 2000
d) The Internet is only used for entertainment
Answer: b