Nomor 1.

Soal
In the United States, nearly 1 in 5 people suffer from depression, but many are not properly
diagnosed and receive treatment through a trial-and-error approach, which can be costly and
ineffective. Researchers at Stanford University aim to address this issue by identifying
specific biomarkers for different types of depression to enable more targeted treatments.

Their recent study published in Nature Medicine used machine learning and brain imaging
on hundreds of patients to identify six distinct subtypes of depression. This research
represents a significant shift from traditional methods, which rely on self-reported
symptoms without biological tests for diagnosis.

Although the Stanford study has limitations and its clinical application may be years away,
it is considered a major step forward. Mental health professionals believe it brings
psychiatrists closer to using brain scans for diagnosing and treating depression, similar to
how cardiologists use chest X-rays for heart issues. Robert Bright from the Mayo Clinic
praises the study for advancing the search for measurable biological markers in depression
diagnosis and treatment.

Source: National Geographic

In the sentence, “Mental health professionals praise the research for helping psychiatrists
and psychologists get closer to being able to use brain scans to identify and treat
depression,” the term “praise” suggests that .
A. professionals appreciate the advancements made by the research
B. professionals are critical of the research
C. professionals are indifferent to the study’s results
D. professionals are confused by the study’s findings

Pembahasan Jawaban: A
Penjelasan:

"praise" menunjukkan bahwa profesional menghargai dan menghormati

kemajuan serta potensi penelitian dalam penggunaan pemindaian otak
untuk depresi.

Materi Reading

Nomor 2.

Soal It should come as no surprise to any teacher or parent that noise in a classroom environment
is distracting and may impact a student’s ability to learn. But what types of noise are most
distracting? At what volume level does background noise begin to impact learning? How
severe is the problem? Recent research can shed light on these important questions, and
some of the results are surprising.

Perhaps the most consistent finding of the new research is the degree to which even low
levels of noise can have a substantial impact on student performance. Noise levels are
gauged in terms of a decibel scale—every increase of 10 decibels corresponds to a doubling
of perceived loudness. Adult conversation at a distance of 3 feet is roughly in the range of
55 to 65 decibels. Ninety decibels is roughly the loudness achieved by a train whistle at a
distance of 500 feet (about 152 meters) or a lawn mower at a distance of 25 feet (8 meters).
Both of these are certainly jarring enough to catch most people’s attention. In fact, 90
decibels is the level at which hearing loss can begin, if people are exposed to it on a
sustained basis. Children are even more sensitive to loud sounds than adults. As a result,
United States federal regulations mandate that all ambient classroom sounds above 90
decibels must be dampened; federal grants are made available for school districts to
improve acoustics and soundproofing when these levels are exceeded.
 New research, however, indicates that learning issues begin at a much lower noise level.
Even barely detectable noise, such as whispering behind a student, noise from a neighboring
classroom, or the turning on and off of electric equipment such as a heater, can be
problematic. These noises, while barely perceptible—at levels as low as 30 or 35 decibels—
cause the cortisol level in many students to increase. Cortisol is a hormone released in
response to low blood sugar levels, waking up, and most importantly, stress. The increase of
this “stress hormone” produces difficulties with focus, can lead to physical exhaustion, and
can impair the ability of a person to convert new information into long-term memory. A
2013 study published in the Journal of Urban Health demonstrated that, after controlling for
various other socioeconomic factors, among eight- and nine-year-old students a 10-decibel
increase in background noise resulted in a predicted drop in test scores in both French and
mathematics of about 5.5 percent. Many other studies conducted since 1980 have had
similar findings: noisier classroom environments lead to decreases in reading aptitude,
cognitive thinking skills, language acquisition, and even physical coordination.

Another interesting finding is that different types and levels of noise can have varying
effects on different groups of children. In a study conducted at the University of
Southampton, England, differing levels of “white noise,” which sounds roughly like running
water or hissing, were introduced into multiple classrooms. The study found that students
with a higher ability to focus were most affected by the white noise at any volume, while
students with attention difficulties actually performed better with low to moderate levels of
white noise. Researchers speculate that this is true because the noise forced the students
with attention difficulties to exert more effort to overcome the background noise, thereby
temporarily improving their level of focus.

Finally, increased noise can place undue burden on teachers. In order for a teacher to keep
the attention of his or her students, they must speak about 15 to 20 decibels more loudly
than any competing noise. In addition, for every doubling of distance, the perceived
loudness drops by about 6 decibels. Thus, a student sitting 24 feet (about 8 meters) from a
teacher will perceive reduced volume of about 12 decibels relative to a student sitting 6 feet
(2 meters) away. In a typical classroom, the teacher must speak as much as 30 decibels more
loudly than any background noise. If that background noise is high, teachers are forced to
practically shout to be heard by students in the back of the classroom. Such a loud level of
speaking for hours per day can lead to significant physical strain, high blood pressure, and,
eventually, vocal-cord scarring. (Source: Manhattan Prep, TOEFL ® 5 lb. Book of Practice
Problems)

The phrase “shed light on” in paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to

A. enflame

B. clarify

C. decide

D. obscure

Pembahasan Jawaban: B

Pembahasan: Frasa “shed light on” berarti memberikan penjelasan atau

klarifikasi (clarify) tentang sesuatu. Dalam konteks paragraf 1, frasa ini
digunakan untuk menyatakan bahwa penelitian baru dapat menjelaskan
atau menguraikan pertanyaan penting mengenai dampak kebisingan di
lingkungan kelas. Kutipan dari teks yang relevan adalah: "Recent
research can shed light on these important questions..."

Opsi lain:

A. enflame: artinya kemarahan atau kekacauan, tidak sesuai dengan

makna "shed light on".
 C. decide: artinya membuat keputusan, yang berbeda dari makna "shed
light on".

D. obscure: artinya membuat sesuatu menjadi tidak jelas atau sulit

dipahami, yang bertentangan dengan makna "shed light on".

Materi Reading

Nomor 3.

Soal California sea lions are a success story of 1972’s Marine Mammal Protection Act. In the late
1920s, no more than 1,500 sea lions were counted on the California coast. Today, about
250,000 sea lions live in the area, and they’re generally a friendly presence. Attacks—
especially unprovoked, as were the two recent cases—are exceptionally rare. But the coast
of Southern California is currently experiencing a harmful algal bloom from an organism
called Pseudo-nitzschia, a type of diatom—a tiny, single-celled algae that floats in the water.
Diatoms are important for marine ecosystems because they form the base of the food chain,
providing nutrients for small marine creatures like plankton, which are eaten by fish and
other animals.

The problem is that they can release a potent neurotoxin called domoic acid. Like other
types of algae, Pseudo-nitzschia is always in the water. However, under the right conditions,
it can rapidly grow and release the toxin, says Clarissa Anderson, a biological
oceanographer at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in La Jolla, California. “The juice
you need to fuel these blooms is upwelling,” says Anderson, referring to the natural ocean
process where deep, cold, nutrient-rich water rises to the surface along the coast, due to the
movement of ocean currents and winds, particularly during the spring and summer. “It’s a
perfect recipe for stimulating algae blooms.”

The reason why is “tricky,” Anderson says. One hypothesis is related to nutrient
composition in the upwelled water, which is low in silica and high in nitrogen. The Pseudo-
nitzschia may not have enough silica to make its shells (glass-like outer casings), and that
stresses it out, producing domoic acid, according to Anderson. “It’s complicated as to why,
but that's been a smoking gun for us, the ratio of those two nutrients.” In addition to the
upwelling, scientists are exploring other causes for the blooms, like the January wildfires
along the California coast that warmed the ocean and added nutrients. The bloom has
periodically appeared on the West Coast since 1991, but 2025 is the fourth consecutive year
for the harmful algal bloom, suggesting it may become a regular occurrence. The toxic
algae emerged earlier than it has in previous years, and so far, it has stretched about 370
miles, from San Diego County to Santa Barbara County.
What does the passage suggest about the frequency of harmful algal blooms?
A. They have been a problem since the early 20th century.
B. They have been occurring every year since 1991.
C. They have been happening for four consecutive years and may continue regularly.
D. They are expected to disappear shortly.

Pembahasan Jawaban: C
Pembahasan:
Paragraf terakhir menyebutkan bloom alga beracun terjadi sejak 1991,
dan 2025 adalah tahun keempat berturut-turut. A salah karena data
dimulai dari 1991, bukan awal abad ke-20. B salah karena tidak disebut
terjadi setiap tahun. D salah karena teks justru menyatakan bloom ini
mungkin akan jadi kejadian rutin. C benar karena teks menyebut bloom
terjadi empat tahun berturut-turut dan kemungkinan jadi lebih teratur.

Materi Reading

Nomor 4.
Soal The Hidden Gem of Patagonia: Torres del Paine

Torres del Paine National Park, located in southern Chilean Patagonia, is often regarded as
one of the most breathtakingly beautiful and remote natural areas in the world. The park is
renowned for its stunning mountain peaks, crystal-clear lakes, and diverse wildlife. It covers
over 242,000 hectares and is characterized by its dramatic granite towers, azure lakes, and
vast ice fields.

One of the most striking features of Torres del Paine is the Paine massif, a series of sharp
granite peaks that dominate the landscape. These towers, formed by ancient volcanic
activity, rise majestically from the surrounding terrain and are a highlight for hikers and
climbers. The park also includes the Grey Glacier, an impressive expanse of ice that feeds
into Lake Grey, adding to the park’s awe-inspiring scenery.

Despite its grandeur, Torres del Paine is relatively isolated. The park is situated in a remote
region of Patagonia, with limited accessibility due to its distance from major cities and
challenging weather conditions. As a result, it attracts fewer visitors compared to more
accessible tourist destinations. However, those who do venture to this hidden gem are often
rewarded with spectacular views and a sense of solitude that is rare in today’s world.

The park’s diverse ecosystems are home to a variety of wildlife, including guanacos, foxes,
and the elusive Andean condor. Conservation efforts are in place to protect these species and
preserve the park's pristine environment. Tourism activities in the park include trekking,
wildlife observation, and photography, all of which offer unique opportunities to experience
its natural beauty.

Which of the following is NOT mentioned about Torres del Paine in the passage?

A. The presence of granite towers

B. Its remote and challenging location

C. Its popularity as a major tourist destination

D. The diversity of its ecosystems

Pembahasan Jawaban: C. Its popularity as a major tourist destination

Penjelasan: Bacaan menyebutkan bahwa Torres del Paine relatif terpencil

dan tidak memiliki jumlah pengunjung yang banyak (paragraf 3).

A. Salah: Bacaan menyebutkan keberadaan menara granit sebagai fitur

utama (paragraf 2).

B. Salah: Bacaan menyebutkan lokasi yang terpencil dan sulit dijangkau

(paragraf 3).

D. Salah: Bacaan menyebutkan keberagaman ekosistem sebagai salah

satu fitur utama (paragraf 4).

Materi Reading

Nomor 5.

Soal Despite centuries of control efforts, mosquito-borne diseases continue to thrive globally,
with a severe impact on children and adolescents. Malaria remains a major issue, killing
over 1 million children annually, primarily in sub-Saharan Africa. The dengue virus has also
spread, following its vector, Aedes aegypti, back into previously cleared areas and causing
significant outbreaks of hemorrhagic fever.
 In the past decade, the West Nile virus has become widespread throughout the Americas,
while the chikungunya virus has emerged in the Indian Ocean basin and mainland Asia,
affecting millions. Japanese encephalitis has also expanded its reach in the Indian
subcontinent and Australasia, predominantly affecting young children. Meanwhile, filariasis
is being targeted by a global eradication campaign and is in decline.

Efforts to combat mosquito-borne diseases face the dual challenges of controlling mosquito
populations and implementing effective public health interventions. Travelers to endemic
regions need specific guidance on avoiding mosquito bites, vaccinations, and malaria
prevention to reduce their risk of infection.

Source: ScienceDirect

It is implied that malaria .

A. has been successfully eradicated in sub-Saharan Africa

B. is primarily spread by the Chikungunya virus

C. has expanded its impact to the Americas in the past decade

D. continues to be a significant health issue, especially among children in sub-Saharan

Africa

Pembahasan Jawaban: D
Penjelasan:
Teks di atas menjelaskan bahwa malaria tetap menjadi masalah kesehatan
utama, terutama untuk anak-anak di sub-Sahara Afrika, dengan lebih dari
1 juta kematian anak setiap tahunnya. Pilihan lainnya tidak
mencerminkan pesan implikasi dari teks.

Materi Reading

Nomor 6.

Soal The auroras—the aurora borealis (or northern lights) in the Northern
Hemisphere, and the aurora australis (the southern lights) in the Southern
Hemisphere—are brilliant natural spectacles that can be seen in the evening
sky especially at higher latitudes. Unlike other phenomena of the night sky,
such as meteors and comets, the auroras are atmospheric phenomena, but
what causes them?

Although auroras appear in the atmosphere, they are the result of

extraterrestrial forces; however, these forces are not particularly alien. The
Sun’s corona—the outermost region of the Sun’s atmosphere, consisting of
plasma (hot ionized gas)—drives the solar wind (a particle flux of protons and
electrons) away from the Sun. Some of these high-energy particles strike
Earth’s magnetic field and follow magnetic field lines down into Earth’s
atmosphere at the North and South magnetic poles.

Earth’s atmosphere is mostly made up of nitrogen and oxygen. Once the solar
particles reach Earth’s atmosphere, they collide with atoms of nitrogen and
oxygen, stripping away their electrons to leave ions in excited states. These
ions emit radiation at various wavelengths, creating the characteristic colors.
 Collisions of solar particles with oxygen produce red or green light; collisions
with nitrogen produce green and purple light.

During periods of low solar activity—which are often associated with periods
where the Sun has fewer sunspots—fewer of these high-energy particles are
emitted from the Sun, and the shimmering sheets of color that characterize
Earth’s auroral zones shift poleward. When the Sun is more active and larger
amounts of plasma are erupting from the Sun’s surface, more particles reach
Earth’s atmosphere, and the auroras occasionally extend to the middle
latitudes. For example, the aurora borealis has been seen as far south as 40°
latitude in the United States. The auroras typically occur at altitudes of about
100 km (60 miles); however, they may occur anywhere between 80 and 250 km
(about 50 to 155 miles) above Earth’s surface.

Source: https://www.britannica.com/story/what-causes-the-northern-and-
southern-lights

Which of the following is supported in the text?

A. Auroras are atmospheric phenomena like meteors and comets

B. Auroras could occur because of the extraterrestrial forces
C. Solar particles leave nitrogen when they enter Earth’s atmosphere
D. A lot of high-energy particles are emitted during low solar activity

Pembahasan Jawaban: Opsi B

Ditanyakan mengenai mana dari pilihan yang terdapat dalam

teks, maka, opsi yang paling tepat adalah B karena teks
menjelaskan bahwa aurora terjadi di atmosfer karena
pengaruh “extraterrestrial” dalam paragraf kedua.

Opsi A tidak tepat karena aurora merupakan fenomena

yang berbeda dari meteor dan komet
Opsi C kurang tepat karena yang ditinggalkan oleh
partikel solar ketika memasuki atmosfer bumi adalah ion
bukan nitrogen
Opsi D tidak tepat karena energi besar yang
dikurangi/hilangkan ketika “low solar activity” terjadi
hanya sedikit

Materi Reading
 Nomor 7.

Soal Known as the “forest giraffe,” the okapi looks more like a cross between a deer and a zebra.
Nevertheless, it’s the giraffe's only living relative. The okapi is native to the Ituri Rainforest
in the Democratic Republic of Congo—the only place where it can be found in the wild—
and has thick, oily fur to stay dry in the rain. It also has scent glands on the bottom of its
hooves that help mark its territory. Except for the tips, the okapi’s short horns are covered in
skin. While all males have horns, most females have knobby bumps instead.

The okapi lives among dense flora in the rainforest. It can blend into its surroundings thanks
to the brown and white stripes on its rump, which mimic the appearance of streaks of
sunlight coming through the trees. Its plant-based diet consists of fruits, buds, leaves, twigs,
and other vegetation. Just like the giraffe and cow, the okapi has four stomachs that aid with
digesting tough plants. Also like its giraffe cousin, the okapi has a long, dark tongue that can
strip leaves from branches. An okapi consumes between 45 and 60 pounds of food each day,
including riverbed clay for minerals and salt. It will occasionally eat bat excrement for
nutrients.

According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List of
Threatened Species, the okapi is endangered. While it’s not clear how many remain in the
wild, scientists estimate that populations may have been slashed in half over the past two
decades. Though the leopard is the okapi’s chief predator in the wild, human hunters pose a
greater threat to the okapi’s existence. In 2012, a militia group killed 14 okapis at a
conservation center located at the headquarters of the Okapi Conservation Project. Today,
poachers continue to kill okapis for their meat and skin, and civil unrest in the Democratic
Republic of Congo makes enforcement of wildlife protection laws increasingly difficult.
Human-induced deforestation also leads to fragmentation and destruction of crucial okapi
habitats.

Source: National Geographic

Why does the okapi have brown and white stripes on its rump?

A. To blend in with the appearance of sunlight filtering through the trees.

B. To attract mates during the breeding season.
C. To repel insect pests that might be a nuisance.
D. To help it swim more effectively in water.

Pembahasan Pembahasan:

Jawaban benar: Opsi A

Opsi A benar karena teks menjelaskan bahwa garis-garis coklat dan putih
pada okapi membantu menyamarkan mereka di tengah hutan dengan
tampilan sinar matahari.

Opsi B salah karena teks tidak menjelaskan bahwa garis-garis okapi

digunakan untuk menarik perhatian okapi lainnya saat musim kawin.
Opsi D salah karena teks tidak menjelaskan bahwa garis-garis okapi
digunakan untuk membantu mereka berenang di air.
Opsi C salah karena teks tidak menjelaskan bahwa garis-garis okapi
digunakan untuk mengusir hama serangga yang mengganggu.

Materi Reading

Nomor 8.

Soal Psychology recognises two types of research, experimental and differential. The former is
concerned mainly with the overall processes governing human activities, and the latter sets
out to establish individual differences in performance. More recent studies have
demonstarted the need for a third type of psychological study, namely that has to do with
 human development. Rather than considering this aspect of human performance as a part of
the first two types, scientists have noted that development research indeed belongs in a
separate category in and of itself. Piaget’s studies, it is necessary to keep in mind that, while
his theories have been highly influential, his methodolgy has been strongly criticised. The
primary shortfall of his work had to do with a lack ofdefintion and standardization in his
data and experiment design.

According to the passage, development psychology belongs in

A. The domain of piaget’s work

B. A category of dispute studies

C. Its own unique area of study

D. Other domains of research

Pembahasan Berdasarkan paragraph perkembangan psikologi ada pada…

Paragraph tersebut mendiskusikan 2 tipe penelitian psikologi:

experimental, differential, dan developmental. Paragraph tersebut
menerangkan bahwa ‘More recent studies have demonstrated the need for
a third type of psychological study, namely that has to do with human
development….. scientists have noted that development research indeed
belongs in a separate category in and of itself.’ Disebutkan bahwa
development research berada pada kategori yang terpisah dari yang
lainnya sehingga

Opsi A (salah)

Domain pekerjaan piaget

Opsi B (salah)

Kategori dari studi bertentangan

Opsi C (benar)

Studi pada area uniknya sendiri

Opsi D (salah)

Domain lain dari penelitian

Materi Reading

Nomor 9.

Soal Franklin Pierce became President during a seemingly peaceful time, following the
Compromise of 1850. Hoping to avoid further sectional conflict, Pierce, guided by southern
advisers, actually accelerated the Union’s disruption. Born in New Hampshire in 1804 and a
seasoned politician, Pierce was nominated for the presidency in 1852 as a compromise
candidate after extensive balloting and won narrowly, partly due to the Democrats' stronger
stance on the Compromise and the Whig candidate's unpopularity in the South.

Two months before taking office, Pierce suffered the tragic loss of his eleven-year-old son
in a train accident, which left him grief-stricken and exhausted. His inaugural address
promised peace and vigor but led to controversy as he pursued expansionist policies. This
included pressuring Britain and Spain for territorial concessions, which fueled northern
fears of slavery expansion.

The most significant source of conflict was the Kansas-Nebraska Act, which repealed the
Missouri Compromise and reopened the issue of slavery in the West. This act led to violent
 clashes in Kansas between pro-slavery and anti-slavery settlers, known as "bleeding
Kansas," and set the stage for the Civil War. By the end of his term, Pierce was not
renominated by his party and returned to New Hampshire, leaving his successor to deal with
the rising sectional tensions.

Source: White House

According to the passage, what event occurred two months before Pierce assumed the
presidency?
A. The passing of the Kansas-Nebraska Act
B. The death of his eleven-year-old son in a train accident
C. His nomination as the Democratic candidate
D. The successful purchase of land from Mexico

Pembahasan Jawaban: B
Penjelasan:
Teks menyebutkan bahwa Pierce dan istrinya mengalami kehilangan
putra mereka karena kecelakaan kereta api tepat sebelum dia menjabat.

Materi Reading

Nomor 10.

Soal Recently the world’s largest single-dish radio telescope was completed in
China. The Five-hundred-metre Aperture Spherical radio Telescope (FAST) is,
as its name says, 500 meters (about 1,600 feet) across, which makes it 2.5
times larger than the previous largest single-dish radio telescope, the 305-
meter (1,000-foot) Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico. FAST is so large that
the dish does not move, and it had to be built in a depression. FAST’s
enormous collecting area will help it triple the number of known pulsars, map
the Milky Way's hydrogen gas in fine detail, and possibly even search many
more stars for extraterrestrial intelligence.

Telescopes were invented in the early 17th century. In 1609 Galileo was the first
to aim a telescope at the sky. His telescope magnified objects only 20 times, but
he revolutionized astronomy by observing mountains on the Moon, discovering
the four large satellites of Jupiter and the phases of Venus, and seeing that the
Milky Way is made of many stars. The next leap in telescope technology was
Isaac Newton's reflector, which used mirrors instead of lenses. Telescopes now
are gigantic instruments that require entire buildings. The largest optical
telescope in the world today is the Gran Telescopio Canarias, which has a
mirror 10.4 meters (34.1 feet) across.

Not only have telescopes gotten bigger, but they also study the universe
beyond the small span of light wavelengths that we can see with our eyes.
Beginning in the 20th century, new wavelengths opened up to astronomers. In
1928 telephone company engineer Karl Jansky built a radio antenna to track
down interference in telephone calls and found out that some of the
interference came from the stars, specifically the center of the galaxy. Radio
astronomy was born, with telescopes not made of glass mirrors but giant dishes
 of metal, like FAST. When the space age dawned, new kinds of telescopes
observed in infrared, ultraviolet, X-rays, and gamma rays to cover the entire
electromagnetic spectrum. Telescopes have come a long way since Galileo’s
handheld tube.

Source: https://www.britannica.com/story/telescopes-seeing-stars

Below are the characteristics of FAST, except …

A. It is 2,5 times larger than the previous largest single-dish radio telescope.

B. Its enormous collecting area will help it double the number of known pulsars.

C. Its dish does not move because of the size of the telescope itself.

D. FAST, due to its enormous collecting area may search many more stars for
extraterrestrial intelligence.

Pembahasan Jawaban: Opsi B

Soal menanyakan mana yang bukan karakteristik dari FAST.

Dari informasi di paragraf pertama, kita tahu yang bukan
karakteristik FAST adalah Opsi B yang artinya Area
pengumpulan data FAST yang sangat luas akan
membantunya melipatgandakan jumlah pulsar yang
diketahui sebanyak dua kali lipat. Opsi ini adalah jawaban
karena pada teks disebutkan bahwa jumlah pulsar
dilipatgandakan sampai tiga kali lipat, bukan dua.

Opsi A yang artinya FAST 2,5 kali lebih besar

dibandingkan teleskip radio dengan piringan tunggal
terbesar sebelumnya tidak tepat karena informasi
tersebut tercantum pada teks.
Opsi C yang artinya Piringannya tidak dapat bergerak
karena ukuran dari teleskopnya sendiri tidak tepat
karena informasi tersebut tercantum pada teks.
Opsi D yang artinya FAST, karena area pengumpulan
datanya yang luas memungkinkan dia mencari lebih
banyak bintang untuk mencari informasi intelijen luar
angkasa tidak tepat karena informasi tersebut dapat
ditemukan dari teks.

Materi Reading

Nomor 11.

Soal The invention and development of skincare products and practices have evolved
significantly over time, driven by the desire for healthy, radiant skin and the understanding
of skincare science. The history of skincare can be traced back to ancient civilizations such
as the Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans, who used various natural ingredients like oils,
 honey, and herbs for skincare purposes. These early civilizations recognized the importance
of skincare not only for cosmetic reasons but also for maintaining skin health and protecting
against environmental factors.

In the modern era, the invention of skincare products has been influenced by advancements
in chemistry, biology, and dermatology. The industrial revolution in the 19 th century paved
the way for mass production of skincare items such as soaps, creams, and lotions. One
significant milestone was the discovery of vitamin A derivatives like retinol in the mid20th
century, which revolutionized anti-aging skincare. The development of sunscreen
formulations and the understanding of UV radiation's harmful effects on the skin further
contributed to the evolution of skincare practices, emphasizing the importance of sun
protection.

Today, the skincare industry continues to innovate with cutting-edge technologies and
scientific research. The invention of cosmeceuticals, which combine cosmetics with
pharmaceuticals, has led to the creation of skincare products with proven medical benefits.
Additionally, the rise of natural and organic skincare reflects a growing awareness of
sustainable and eco-friendly practices. The ongoing pursuit of effective, safe, and
personalized skincare solutions underscores the enduring quest for healthier and more
beautiful skin, illustrating how the invention of skincare has become an integral part of
modern lifestyle and self-care routines.

Which of the following reflects a recent trend in the skincare industry?

A. Mass production of skincare items

B. Discovery of vitamin A derivatives

C. Rise of natural and organic skincare

D. Use of ancient skincare practices

Pembahasan Manakah yang menggambarkan tren terkini pada industri skincare?

Paragraf terakhir teks menjelaskan mengenai tren terkini skincare
“Today, the skincare industry continues to innovate with cutting-edge
technologies and scientific research. The invention of cosmeceuticals,
which combine cosmetics with pharmaceuticals, has led to the creation of
skincare products with proven medical benefits. Additionally, the rise of
natural and organic skincare reflects a growing awareness of sustainable
and eco-friendly practices.”
Pada kalimat tersebut dijelaskan bahwa industry skincare lanjut
berinovasi dengan penelitian teknologi dan ilmiah yang mumpuni.
Penemuan cosmeceuticals yang menggabungkan kosmetik dengan
pharmaceuticals dan munculnya skincare organic dan alami……

Maka jawaban yang tepat;

Jawaban A (salah)
Produksi besar skincare
Jawaban B (salah)
Penemuan senyawa turunan Vitamin A
Jawaban C (benar)
Munculnya skincare organic dan alami
Jawaban D (salah)
Penggunaan praktik skincare kuno

Materi Reading

Nomor 12.
Soal Deep brain stimulation (DBS), an experimental technology that involves implanting a
pacemaker-like device in a patient’s brain to send electrical impulses, is a hotly debated
subject in the field of medicine. It is an inherently risky procedure and the exact effects on
the human brain aren’t yet fully understood.
But some practitioners believe it could be a way to alleviate the symptoms of
depression or even help treat Alzheimer’s and now they suspect it could help with drug
addiction as well. In a world’s first, according to the Associated Press, a patient in
Shanghai’s Ruijin Hospital had a DBS device implanted in his brain to treat his addiction to
methamphetamine. And the device has had an astonishingly positive effect, the patient says.
“This machine is pretty magical. He adjusts it to make you happy and you’re happy, to
make you nervous and you’re nervous,” he told the Associated Press. “It controls your
happiness, anger, grief and joy.”
Other studies in China have yielded mixed results trying to treat opioid addictions
using DBS, according to the AP. In the United States, at least two studies that tried to treat
alcoholism with DBS were dropped for not being able to justify the risks. The idea of using
DBS to treat drug addiction has raised concerns in medical communities across the globe
about brain hemorrhage, seizures, or personality changes.

Why were at least two studies in the United States on using DBS to treat alcoholism
dropped?

A. Lack of participants

B. Inability to validate the jeopardies

C. Negative public opinion

D. Insufficient funding

Pembahasan Mengapa setidaknya dua penelitian di Amerika Serikat tentang

penggunaan DBS untuk mengobati alkoholisme dihentikan?
Jika diamati pada paragraph ketiga baris ketiga mengatakan bahwa ‘In
the United States, at least two studies that tried to treat alcoholism with
DBS were dropped for not being able to justify the risks’ (Di Amerika
Serikat, setidaknya dua penelitian yang mencoba mengobati alkoholisme
dengan DBS dihentikan karena tidak dapat membenarkan risikonya).
Maka, dapat diartikan bahwa setidaknya dua penelitian yang mencoba
mengobati alkoholisme dengan DBS dihentikan karena tidak dapat
membenarkan hal-hal yang berbahaya/beresiko.

Opsi A (Salah)
Artinya: Kurangnya peserta
Opsi B (Benar)
Artinya: Ketidakmampuan untuk membenarkan hal-hal yang berbahaya
Opsi C (Salah)
Artinya: Opini publik yang negatif
Opsi D (Salah)
Artinya: Pendanaan yang tidak memadai

Materi Reading

Nomor 13.

Soal In the beginning, 18th- and 19th-century language scholars had to figure out how ancient
writing systems worked. To decipher writing in an unknown ancient tongue, they would do
the time-consuming work of comparing their samples to other known languages as well as
to written works from the era.

In the late 1790s, Napoleon’s troops were stationed in Egypt when they discovered a 4-foot-
tall chunk of black rock, now known as the Rosetta Stone. It was once part of a giant stele
 that dated to around 204 B.C. On it was a pharaoh's proclamation written in three different
languages, including hieroglyphics which eluded modern understanding in the 18th century.
Egyptologist Jean-François Champollion used the two other scripts (Demotic Egyptian
script and ancient Greek) and began a decades-long process of trial and error before he
finally decoded Ptolemaic hieroglyphics in 1822.

One of humanity’s oldest poems came to light through painstaking work. In the late 1800s,
Assyriologist George Smith spent hours in the British Museum reconstructing shattered clay
tablets covered in cuneiform. He compared the writing to other works from Mesopotamia to
reveal the Epic of Gilgamesh, the tale of an ancient hero embarking on a quest for
immortality and learning of a great flood that wiped out humanity.

The word "eluded" in paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to ...

A. Confused
B. Strengthened
C. Escaped
D. Supported

Pembahasan Jawaban: C
Pembahasan:
Kata “eluded” dalam konteks ini berarti sesuatu yang sulit dipahami atau
ditemukan oleh para peneliti. Sinonim yang paling tepat adalah escaped,
yang berarti terlepas atau tidak tertangkap (secara pemahaman atau
penemuan). Sementara itu, confused berarti membingungkan,
strengthened berarti memperkuat, dan supported berarti mendukung—
semuanya tidak sesuai dengan makna “eluded”.

Materi Reading

Nomor 14.

Soal Recently the world’s largest single-dish radio telescope was completed in
China. The Five-hundred-metre Aperture Spherical Radio Telescope (FAST) is,
as its name says, 500 meters (about 1,600 feet) across, which makes it 2.5
times larger than the previous largest single-dish radio telescope, the 305-
meter (1,000-foot) Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico. FAST is so large that
the dish does not move, and it had to be built in a depression. FAST’s
enormous collecting area will help it triple the number of known pulsars, map
the Milky Way's hydrogen gas in fine detail, and possibly even search many
more stars for extraterrestrial intelligence.

Telescopes were invented in the early 17th century. In 1609 Galileo was the first
to aim a telescope at the sky. His telescope magnified objects only 20 times, but
he revolutionized astronomy by observing mountains on the Moon, discovering
the four large satellites of Jupiter and the phases of Venus, and seeing that the
Milky Way is made of many stars. The next leap in telescope technology was
Isaac Newton's reflector, which used mirrors instead of lenses. Telescopes now
are gigantic instruments that require entire buildings. The largest optical
telescope in the world today is the Gran Telescopio Canarias, which has a
mirror 10.4 meters (34.1 feet) across.
 Not only have telescopes gotten bigger, but they also study the universe
beyond the small span of light wavelengths that we can see with our eyes.
Beginning in the 20th century, new wavelengths opened up to astronomers. In
1928 telephone company engineer Karl Jansky built a radio antenna to track
down interference in telephone calls and found out that some of the
interference came from the stars, specifically the center of the galaxy. Radio
astronomy was born, with telescopes not made of glass mirrors but giant dishes
of metal, like FAST. When the space age dawned, new kinds of telescopes
observed in infrared, ultraviolet, X-rays, and gamma rays to cover the entire
electromagnetic spectrum. Telescopes have come a long way since Galileo’s
handheld tube.

Source: https://www.britannica.com/story/telescopes-seeing-stars

“Telescopes have come a long way since Galileo’s handheld tube.”

Which of the following does not align with the statement above?

A. Galileo’s invention initiated the telescope's development, making it

possible for future improvement.
B. Galileo made an enormous contribution to the development of the
telescope.
C. Telescopes have constantly been developed since Galileo’s time.
D. The more backward telescopes are, the more we can obtain information
on extraterrestrial intelligence.

Pembahasan Jawaban: Opsi D

Pada soal terdapat sebuah pernyataan yang artinya Teleskop

sudah jauh maju semenjak teleskop genggam Galileo dan
kita diminta untuk mencari pilihan mana yang tidak sesuai
dengan pernyataan pada soal. Maka, jawabannya adalah Opsi
D yang artinya Semakin mundur/kuno teleskop, semakin
banyak informasi kita mendapat informasi kehidupan
ekstraterestrial yang mana tidak sesuai dengan isi pernyataan
karena dalam pernyataan tidak menjelaskan sedikit/banyaknya
informasi yang kita dapatkan. Kemudian, jika berkaca dari
keseluruhan teks, maka seharusnya semakin mundur teknologi
teleskop, maka informasi yang kita dapatkan juga akan
semakin sedikit, bukannya semakin banyak.
 Opsi A yang artinya Penemuan Galileo menginisiasi
perkembangan teleskop yang memungkinkan
kemungkinan kemajuan di masa depan tidak tepat
karena pernyataan ini cocok dengan pernyataan pada
soal yang menyatakan bahwa kita sudah berkembang
banyak/jauh semenjak penemuan Galileo, maka artinya
kita berpacu pada apa yang sudah diinisiasi Galileo
terkait perkembangan teleskop.
Opsi B yang artinya Galileo memiliki kontribusi sangat
besar dalam perkembangan teleskop tidak tepat
karena pernyataan ini cocok dengan pernyataan pada
soal yang mana Galileo disebutkan menemukan teleskop
genggam yang kemudian dikembangkan. Jika Galileo
tidak menemukan teleskop genggam, maka
kemungkinan kita tidak memiliki acuan untuk
mengembangkan teknologi teleskop. Sehingga, Galileo
memiliki kontribusi yang besar. Beberapa detail dari
kontribusinya juga sudah disebutkan di teks.
Opsi C yang artinya Teleskop secara terus-menerus
dikembangan sejak masa Galileo tidak tepat karena
pernyataan ini cocok dengan pernyataan pada soal.
Meskipun kita tidak memiliki detail perkembangannya
secara spesifik, namun menyatakan bahwa
perkembangannya sudah jauh dari masa Galileo,
mengimplikasikan bahwa perkembangan terus ada.

Materi Reading

Nomor 15.

Soal The tiger mosquito is normally found in Southeast Asia, where moisture and heat create the
perfect breeding grounds. But they’re now spreading across Europe thanks to climate
change. Black with white stripes, the mosquito bites during the day — unlike other types of
mosquito, which typically do so around dawn and dusk — and is most often found in urban
areas and near water sources. They don’t just leave an itchy bump, either — these
mosquitos have the potential to spread diseases such as dengue fever, eastern equine
encephalitis, chikungunya, and zika.

The first sighting of tiger mosquitos in Europe was in Albania in 1979, where they remained
for over a decade. Now, they’re found in more than a dozen European countries, including
Italy, France, Germany, Spain, Croatia and Portugal, and are expected to become a problem
on UK soil within the next 15 years — they’ve already been detected here in small
numbers. According to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDPC),
it’s the most invasive mosquito species in the world.

But it’s not the only mosquito to watch. Another report from the ECDPC suggests the
yellow fever mosquito (Aedes aegypti), capable of spreading dengue fever and more, has
been found in Cyprus, while the common house mosquito (Culex pipiens), known to spread
West Nile virus, is found in every European country bar Iceland and the Faroe Islands.
According to the ECDPC, there were 130 dengue cases across Europe in 2023, compared to
just over 70 for the 10-year period before.

Source: National Geographic

What does the term "invasive" mean in the context of the text?

A. Harmless
B. Native
C. Spreading aggressively
D. Endangered
Pembahasan Pembahasan:

Jawaban benar: Opsi C

Opsi C benar karena "invasive" berarti menyebar dengan agresif, sesuai

dengan deskripsi nyamuk harimau sebagai spesies nyamuk paling invasif
di dunia.

Opsi A salah karena "invasive" tidak berarti tidak berbahaya; nyamuk

harimau justru dikenal menyebarkan penyakit.
Opsi D salah karena "invasive" tidak berkaitan dengan status terancam
punah.
Opsi B salah karena "invasive" berarti menyebar dari tempat asalnya,
bukan native atau asli.

Materi Reading

Nomor 16.

Soal Bloodhounds are naturally equipped for tracking their prey. While the exact

process by which the nose detects odors isn’t entirely clear, it is believed that there

are specific receptors for different scents. According to one theory, a scent molecule

is recognized when it fits into its matching receptor site, similar to how a key fit into

a lock, triggering a mechanical or chemical response in the cell. Bloodhounds are

thought to have a higher concentration of receptors that are sensitive to human scents.

When a bloodhound follows a human scent, what exactly does it detect? The human

body, made up of approximately 60 trillion living cells, sheds skin at a rate of 50

million cells per day. Even a scent trail dispersed by the wind may still be strong

enough for a bloodhound to follow. Additionally, the body produces about 31 to 50

ounces of sweat daily. Neither sweat nor shed skin cells have much odor on their own,

but the bacteria that interact with these substances create a different scenario. A

microbiologist estimates that a clean square centimeter of skin on the human shoulder

hosts “multiples of a million” bacteria. As these bacteria break down lipids, or fatty

substances, on the skin, they release volatile compounds that bloodhounds perceive

as a distinctive array of scents.

Based on the passage, what can be inferred about the effectiveness of a bloodhound’s
tracking ability compared to other animals?

A. Bloodhounds are less effective at tracking human scents than other animals due to their
high sensitivity.

B. The high concentration of specialized receptors in bloodhounds likely makes them more
effective at tracking human scents than other animals.

C. Bloodhounds' tracking ability relies more on their visual acuity than on their sense of
smell.
 D. Bloodhounds depend primarily on their hearing to detect and follow human trails.

Pembahasan Berdasarkan bacaan tersebut, apa yang dapat disimpulkan tentang

efektivitas kemampuan pelacakan anjing pelacak dibandingkan dengan
hewan lain?
Jika kita amati pada bagian baris ketujuh sampai keduabelas bacaan di
atas yang menyatakan ‘Bloodhounds are thought to have a higher
concentration of receptors that are sensitive to human scents. When a
bloodhound follows a human scent, what exactly does it detect? The
human body, made up of approximately 60 trillion living cells, sheds skin
at a rate of 50 million cells per day. Even a scent trail dispersed by the
wind may still be strong enough for a bloodhound to follow’ (Anjing
pelacak dianggap memiliki konsentrasi reseptor yang lebih tinggi yang
sensitif terhadap aroma manusia. Saat anjing pelacak mengikuti aroma
manusia, apa sebenarnya yang dideteksinya? Tubuh manusia, yang terdiri
dari sekitar 60 triliun sel hidup, melepaskan kulit dengan kecepatan 50
juta sel per hari. Bahkan jejak aroma yang disebarkan oleh angin
mungkin masih cukup kuat untuk diikuti oleh anjing pelacak). Hal ini
menunjukkan bahwa anjing pelacak memiliki kepekaan yang sangat
tinggi bahkan terhadap aroma manusia)

Opsi A (Salah)
Artinya: Anjing pelacak kurang efektif dalam melacak bau manusia
dibandingkan hewan lain karena sensitivitasnya yang tinggi.
Opsi B (Benar)
Artinya: Konsentrasi reseptor khusus yang tinggi pada anjing pelacak
kemungkinan membuat mereka lebih efektif dalam melacak bau manusia
dibandingkan hewan lain.
Opsi C (Salah)
Artinya: Kemampuan pelacakan anjing pelacak lebih bergantung pada
ketajaman penglihatannya daripada indra penciumannya.
Opsi D (Salah)
Artinya: Anjing pelacak terutama bergantung pada pendengarannya untuk
mendeteksi dan mengikuti jejak manusia.

Materi Reading

Nomor 17.

Soal For centuries, people have coveted and adorned themselves with precious stones, metals,
and anything else that catches the light. Glitter, a collection of tiny, reflective particles
originally from natural sources like mineral dust, has long been an easy way to add some
dazzle. Modern technology, particularly the development of synthetic plastics, has given us
endless and cheap supplies of glitter. Plastic-based glitter can be seen twinkling in
everything from cosmetics and candles to wrapping paper and sunscreen. However, a
growing body of research is pointing to serious environmental consequences of microplastic
pollution. Reports have found microplastics everywhere from the Antarctic to the deep
ocean to, more recently, the placenta, feces, and blood vessels of humans.

Measuring less than five millimeters in length, most glitter is considered a microplastic and
typically consists of three layers: a plastic core, a reflective coating, and a final thin, plastic
layer. Like other microplastics—largely byproduct from the breakdown of bigger
manufactured plastic—glitter has raised alarm because of how easily it can spread. High
concentrations of glitter microplastics appear to hinder the growth of aquatic organisms, like
phytoplankton and zooplankton, which form the base of the food chain and play a critical
role in oxygen production and carbon dioxide consumption.

In response, some regions have considered or enacted bans on cosmetics and other products
containing “intentionally added microplastics.” Glitter is prohibited within the annual
confines of Burning Man’s Black Rock City, as well as dozens of British music festivals.
So-called “glitter bans”—which prohibit the manufacture and sale of certain microplastic-
 containing products—are in effect in New Zealand and the European Union. Others are
trying to keep the makeup artists and festival-goers happy with alternative solutions, such as
biodegradable glitter. Non-plastic options are starting to hit the market, offering glitters
made from the likes of plant cellulose, cassava, and mica.

Bioglitter, the first manufacturer of non-plastic glitter, produces its eco-friendly glitz with
cellulose from wood pulp, primarily eucalyptus, which degrades naturally in environments
that contain microorganisms. However, even biodegradable glitter may have its own
problems. Preliminary studies found that cellulose and mica glitter were more damaging to
duckweed and phytoplankton growth than conventional glitter. On the other hand, initial
observations by Mauricio Junior Machado, an agricultural microbiologist at the University
of São Paulo, have not found any acute effects of cassava- and mica-based biodegradable
glitter on the cell growth of freshwater cyanobacteria, indicating the need for further
analysis.

Source: National Geographic

According to the passage, what is the problem with biodegradable glitter?

A. It is not as visually appealing as conventional glitter.

B. It degrades too slowly to be considered effective.
C. It may still harm aquatic life despite being biodegradable.
D. It is more expensive than traditional plastic glitter.

Pembahasan Pembahasan:

Jawaban benar: Opsi C

Opsi C benar karena teks menyebutkan bahwa glitter mudah terurai

mungkin memiliki dampak negatif pada pertumbuhan organisme air.

Opsi A salah karena teks tidak membahas daya tarik visual glitter.
Opsi D salah karena teks tidak membahas biaya glitter mudah terurai.
Opsi B salah karena teks tidak menyebutkan kecepatan degradasi glitter
mudah terurai.

Materi Reading

Nomor 18.

Soal Franklin Pierce became President during a seemingly peaceful time, following the
Compromise of 1850. Pierce, guided by Southern advisers, hoping to avoid further sectional
conflict, actually accelerated the Union’s disruption. Born in New Hampshire in 1804 and a
seasoned politician, Pierce was nominated for the presidency in 1852 as a compromise
candidate after extensive balloting and won narrowly, partly due to the Democrats' stronger
stance on the Compromise and the Whig candidate's unpopularity in the South.

Two months before taking office, Pierce suffered the tragic loss of his eleven-year-old son
in a train accident, which left him grief-stricken and exhausted. His inaugural address
promised peace and vigor but led to controversy as he pursued expansionist policies. This
included pressuring Britain and Spain for territorial concessions, which fueled northern
fears of slavery expansion.

The most significant source of conflict was the Kansas-Nebraska Act, which repealed the
Missouri Compromise and reopened the issue of slavery in the West. This act led to violent
clashes in Kansas between pro-slavery and anti-slavery settlers, known as "bleeding
Kansas," and set the stage for the Civil War. By the end of his term, Pierce was not
renominated by his party and returned to New Hampshire, leaving his successor to deal with
the rising sectional tensions.

Source: White House

 Which of the following best describes the impact of Franklin Pierce's presidency on
sectional tensions?
A. Pierce resolved tensions by upholding the Compromise of 1850.
B. Pierce's presidency had little impact on sectional tensions.
C. Pierce's policies, like the Kansas-Nebraska Act, worsened sectional tensions.
D. Pierce's presidency was marked by economic prosperity, overshadowing conflicts.

Pembahasan Jawaban: C
Penjelasan:
Pertanyaan di atas menanyakan tentang kepresidenan Franklin Pierce.
Untuk menentukan jawaban yang benar, perhatikan dampak kepresidenan
Franklin Pierce seperti yang dijelaskan dalam paragraph kelima.

A. Pierce resolved tensions by upholding the Compromise of

1850.: Salah. Teks menyebutkan bahwa Pierce malah
mempercepat perpecahan Union, bukan menyelesaikan
ketegangan.
B. Pierce's presidency had little impact on sectional tensions.:
Salah. Teks menyatakan bahwa kepresidenan Pierce secara
signifikan mempengaruhi ketegangan sektoral.
C. Pierce's policies, like the Kansas-Nebraska Act, worsened
sectional tensions.: Benar. Kebijakan seperti Kansas-Nebraska Act
memperburuk ketegangan sektoral dengan memicu perselisihan
perbudakan.
D. Pierce's presidency was marked by economic prosperity,
overshadowing conflicts.: Salah. Teks tidak mencatat kemakmuran
ekonomi sebagai aspek penting dari kepresidenan Pierce.

Materi Reading

Nomor 19.

Soal Psychology recognises two types of research, experimental and differential. The former is
concerned mainly with the overall processes governing human activities, and the latter sets
out to establish individual differences in performance. More recent studies have
demonstarted the need for a third type of psychological study, namely that has to do with
human development. Rather than considering this aspect of human performance as a part of
the first two types, scientists have noted that development research indeed belongs in a
separate category in and of itself. Piaget’s studies, it is necessary to keep in mind that, while
his theories have been highly influential, his methodolgy has been strongly criticised. The
primary shortfall of his work had to do with a lack ofdefintion and standardization in his
data and experiment design.

According to the passage, what is the central goal of experimental research?

A. To arrive at a general classification of individuals

B. To analyse individual difference in human activity

C. To establish the psychological processes governing humans

D. To administer experiment on humans an processes

Pembahasan Jawaban yang benar adalah:

C. To establish the psychological processes governing humans

Penjelasan:

Pada kalimat awal paragraf, dijelaskan bahwa experimental research

berfokus pada "the overall processes governing human activities", yang
 berarti mempelajari proses-proses psikologis yang mendasari perilaku
manusia secara umum.

Pilihan lain tidak sesuai dengan penjelasan dalam teks:

A berbicara tentang pengelompokan individu, yang lebih relevan dengan

penelitian diferensial.

B tentang analisis perbedaan individu, juga merupakan tujuan dari

penelitian diferensial.

D tentang pelaksanaan eksperimen, tetapi tidak menggambarkan tujuan

utama experimental research.

Materi Reading

Nomor 20.

Soal Except for flies, all flying insects have two pairs of wings, one of which is attached to the
upper
mesothorax and the other to the upper metathorax. It is likely that their wings originated as
flaps that
could be extended from the thorax, allowing wingless insects to escape danger by leaping
from an
elevated perch and gliding some distance away. Insect wings are unique, having evolved
specifically for
flight, while the wings of birds and bats are merely modifications of preexisting limbs.

The earliest insects known to be capable of true flight had two pairs of wings that
remained extended and did not fold, even when the creature was at rest. Each pair flapped
independently
of the other pair, a contemporary parallel to this feature being found in the wings of
dragonflies, which are
members of a primitive but common order of insects. Many advanced insects, such as
beetles, butterflies,
and wasps, have evolved means to link their forewings and hind wings to form two
coordinated flight
surfaces rather than four.

Most insect wings are laced with veins. These are distinct ridges, the pattern of which is
often critical to the identification of individual species. The spaces between the veins are
called cells;
those extending to the wing margin are open cells, and those enclosed by veins on all sides
are closed
cells. Adult insects that emerge from a pupa have wings that at first look crumpled and
useless.
Extensions of the tracheal respiratory system run through the veins, and blood circulates in
the spaces
around the tracheae. As air is pumped through the veins, the wings of these newly emerged
insects unfurl
and straighten. As the veins harden, they provide both strength and a degree of flexibility,
and the wings
become capable of sustaining flight.

The veins of the wings tend to be thicker and stronger near the body and along the
forward, or leading, edge and thinner and more flexible near the tip and along the trailing
edge. The
trailing edge curls on both the upstroke and the downstroke, pushing against the air behind
it and
producing not only lift but forward propulsion and reduced drag.

Source: Libretext Biology

 The word “they” in line 18 refers to
A. spaces
B. wings
C. insects
D. veins

Pembahasan Jawaban: B. Wings

Penjelasan: B benar, karena "they" merujuk pada sayap yang mengeras

dan menjadi mampu mempertahankan penerbangan, seperti yang
disebutkan pada paragraf 4.

A. salah, karena "they" tidak merujuk pada ruang.

C. salah, karena "they" tidak merujuk pada serangga secara keseluruhan.
D. salah, karena "they" tidak merujuk pada urat.

Materi Reading

Nomor 21.

Soal Europe is the smallest of planet Jupiter's four largest moons and the second moon out from
Jupiter. Until
1979, it was just another astronomy textbook statistic. Then came the close-up images
obtained by the
exploratory spacecraft Voyager 2, and within days, Europe was transformed--in our
perception, at least--
into one of the solar system's most intriguing worlds. The biggest initial surprise was the
almost total lack
of detail, especially from far away. Even at close range, the only visible features are thin,
kinked brown
lines resembling cracks in an eggshell. And this analogy is not far off the mark.
The surface of Europe is almost pure water ice, but a nearly complete absence of craters
indicates that Europe's surface ice resembles Earth's Antarctic ice cap. The eggshell analogy
may be
quite accurate since the ice could be as little as a few kilometers thick--a tree shell around
what is likely a
subsurface liquid ocean that, in turn, encases a rocky core. The interior of Europe has been
kept warm
over the cons by tidal forces generated by the varying gravitational tugs of the other big
moons as they
wheel around Jupiter. The tides on Europe pull and relax in an endless cycle. The resulting
internal heat
keeps what would otherwise be ice melted almost to the surface. The cracklike marks on
Europe's icy
face appear to be fractures where water or slush oozes from below.
Soon after Voyager 2's encounter with Jupiter in 1979, when the best images of Europe
were obtained, researchers advanced the startling idea that Europe's subsurface ocean might
harbor life.
Life processes could have begun when Jupiter was releasing a vast store of internal heat.
Jupiter's early
heat was produced by the compression of the material forming the giant planet. Just as the
Sun is far less
radiant today than the primal Sun, so the internal heat generated by Jupiter is minor
compared to its
former intensity. During this warm phase, some 4.6 billion years ago, Europe's ocean may
have been
liquid right to the surface, making it a crucible for life.

Source: Space Olympics

 According to the passage, what is the effect of Jupiter's other large moons on Europe?
A. They prevent Europe's subsurface waters from freezing.
B. They prevent tides that could damage Europe's surface.
C. They produce the very hard layer of ice that characterizes Europe.
D. They assure that the gravitational pull on Europe is maintained at a steady level.

Pembahasan Jawaban: A
Pembahasan:
Jawaban A benar, teks menyebutkan bahwa gaya pasang surut yang
dihasilkan oleh bulan-bulan besar Jupiter menyebabkan panas internal
pada Eropa, yang menjaga agar air di bawah permukaan tidak membeku.

Jawaban B salah, teks tidak menyebutkan bahwa gaya pasang surut

mencegah kerusakan pada permukaan Eropa. Sebaliknya, gaya pasang
surut berkontribusi pada pemanasan internal.
Jawaban C salah, teks tidak mengaitkan lapisan es Eropa dengan gaya
pasang surut dari bulan-bulan lain, melainkan dengan pemanasan internal
akibat gaya pasang surut.
Jawaban D salah, teks tidak menyebutkan bahwa gaya gravitasi yang
diterima Eropa dijaga tetap stabil, tetapi lebih fokus pada efek gaya
pasang surut pada pemanasan internal.

Materi Reading

Nomor 22.

Soal Stoicism originated as a Hellenistic philosophy, founded in Athens by Zeno of

Citium (modern day Cyprus), c. 300 B.C.E. It was influenced by Socrates and the

Cynics, and it engaged in vigorous debates with the Skeptics, the Academics, and

the Epicureans. The name comes from the Stoa Poikile, or painted porch, an open

market in Athens where the original Stoics used to meet and teach philosophy.

Stoicism moved to Rome where it flourished during the period of the Empire,

alternatively being persecuted by Emperors who disliked it (for example, Vespasian

and Domitian) and openly embraced by Emperors who attempted to live by it (most

prominently Marcus Aurelius). It influenced Christianity, as well as a number of

major philosophical figures throughout the ages (for example, Thomas More,

Descartes, Spinoza), and in the early 21st century saw a revival as a practical

philosophy associated with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and similar approaches.

Stoicism is a type of eudaimonic virtue ethics, asserting that the practice of virtue

is both necessary and sufficient to achieve happiness (in the eudaimonic sense).

However, the Stoics also recognized the existence of “indifferents” (to eudaimonia)

that could nevertheless be preferred (for example, health, wealth, education) or

dispreferred (for example, sickness, poverty, ignorance), because they had

(respectively, positive or negative) planning value with respect to the ability to

practice virtue. Stoicism was very much a philosophy meant to be applied to

 everyday living, focused on ethics (understood as the study of how to live one’s

life), which was in turn informed by what the Stoics called “physics” (nowadays, a

combination of natural science and metaphysics) and what they called “logic” (a

combination of modern logic, epistemology, philosophy of language, and cognitive

science).

https://iep.utm.edu/stoicism/

In which line is the influence of Stoicism on Christianity mentioned?

A. Line 1

B. Line 4

C. Line 6

D. Line 9

Pembahasan Di baris manakah pengaruh Stoisisme terhadap agama Kristen

disebutkan?
‘It influenced Christianity, as well as a number of major philosophical
figures throughout the ages (for example, Thomas More, Descartes,
Spinoza), and in the early 21st century saw a revival as a practical
philosophy associated with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and similar
approaches’ (Hal ini mempengaruhi agama Kristen, serta sejumlah tokoh
filsafat besar sepanjang masa (misalnya, Thomas More, Descartes,
Spinoza), dan pada awal abad ke-21 melihat kebangkitan sebagai filsafat
praktis yang terkait dengan Terapi Perilaku Kognitif dan pendekatan
serupa). Hal yang dimaksud adalah filsafat Stoikisme

Opsi A (Salah)
Artinya: Baris 1
Opsi B (Salah)
Artinya: Baris 4
Opsi C (Salah)
Artinya: Baris 6
Opsi D (Benar)
Artinya: Baris 9

Materi Reading

Nomor 23.

Soal For more than 100 years, the otherworldly wreck of a British warship sat lost on the
seabed, covered in barnacles and seaweed, after it was torpedoed by a German U-boat
during World War I. Now, specialist divers working with Lost In Waters Deep say they
believe they have found the wreck of the HMS Hawke, which sank on October 15, 1914, off
the coast of Scotland, the organization posted on Facebook on Monday.

“She’s lying on her starboard side and under there … seems to be quite intact,” Will
Schwarz, one of the divers, told CNN in a phone interview on Friday. “The guns look as if
they’re still active, they’re so highly polished it’s unbelievable … I’ve never seen guns like
 that in such amazing condition, it’s absolutely beautiful. But, we’re very aware that 524 lads
lost their lives on it.”

It took just seven minutes for the warship to slip beneath the waves once it had been hit,
Schwarz said, adding that historians believe the ship’s magazine, where ammunition was
stored, exploded. As a result, 524 sailors lost their lives, including many cadets who were
younger than 18 years old. The youngest to die in the shipwreck was a 14-year-old cadet,
Schwarz said.

To identify the wreck’s location, Lost In Waters Deep and Buchan Divers, two
organizations that work to identify Scottish shipwrecks, initially gathered evidence such as
the logbooks from the German U-boat that fired the torpedo and ships in the area that
survived the strike.

https://edition.cnn.com/2024/08/16/science/hms-hawke-shipwreck-found-wwi-intl-scli/index.html

The bolded word "She“ (paragraph 2) refers to...

A. British warship.
B. The guns.
C. Will Schwarz.
D. Titanic.

Pembahasan Now, specialist divers working with Lost In Waters Deep say they believe
they have found the wreck of the HMS Hawke, which sank on October 15,
1914, off the coast of Scotland, the organization posted on Facebook on
Monday.
“She’s lying on her starboard side and under there … seems to be quite
intact,” Will Schwarz, one of the divers, told CNN in a phone
interview on Friday. “The guns look as if they’re still active, they’re so
highly polished it’s unbelievable … I’ve never seen guns like that in such
amazing condition, it’s absolutely beautiful. But, we’re very aware that
524 lads lost their lives on it.”

The bolded word "She“ (paragraph 2) refers to...

A. British warship.
B. The guns.
C. Will Schwarz.
D. Titanic.

Jawaban benar : A. British warship - karena dari text objek sebelum kata
she adalah British warship yaitu HMS Hawke.

Jawaban lain salah karena:

B. The guns salah karena dari text objek sebelum kata she adalah British
warship.

C. Will Schwarz salah karena dari text objek sebelum kata she adalah
British warship.

D. Titanic salah karena dari text objek sebelum kata she adalah British
warship.
Materi Reading

Nomor 24.

Soal In the 1820s, the exhaustion of commercial oyster beds along the northeastern coast set the
stage for the
industry that would shift the Chesapeake Bay region located in the southern state of
Maryland forever
from an underdeveloped subsistence economy, and define its culture for the next 150 years.
In the early
nineteenth century, the Chesapeake oyster beds, perhaps the world’s richest trove of the
shellfish, were
discovered. Following the Civil War in 1865, the exploitation built to the fever pitch of a
gold rush. More
than 1,000 sail craft, including four-masted schooners, sloops, pungeys, and bugeyes,
dragged heavy
iron dredges ceaselessly across the “rocks,” as the reeflike agglomerations of the shellfish
were called,
catching oysters by the hundreds of bushels a day.

At the height of this activity, the Chesapeake region probably was less isolated than at
any time in its history, including present times. In 1886, the oyster harvest peaked in
Maryland at some 15
million bushels, an annual production of edible meat equal to the yield from 160,000 head
of cattle. The
oyster fleet employed a fifth of everyone involved in fishing in the United States. Oyster
captains ruled the
waves, outgunning attempts to enforce even modest conservation by the Maryland Oyster
Navy, charged
with policing the oyster beds. On the positive side, the oyster industry of this era used its
political clout to
force the nearby city of Baltimore to construct the nation’s most modern sewage treatment
plant to protect
the water quality of the bay. So intense was the oystering that it eventually altered the
physical shape of
the bay’s bottom, breaking apart the reefs in which oysters naturally grew. Studies
comparing old charts
of the bay bottom to new bathymetric surveys have found a dramatic flattening of original
bottom
contours. This made oysters more susceptible to silting over, and perhaps more vulnerable
to the
diseases that now plague them—though this latter is still speculative.

As harvests slid from the unsustainable peaks of the 1880s never to return, people
involved in harvesting oysters sought an easy-to-build, cheaper alternative to the big sail
dredge craft
which would require fewer crew. What evolved was a beamy vessel, usually 38 to 55 feet
long, the bottom
made with simple crosswise planking. It could be built by a good backyard carpenter, and
hundreds were.

Source: University of Maryland

It can be inferred from the passage that the Chesapeake Bay oyster beds were similar to the
oyster beds along the northeastern coast in that they
A. Were discovered following the Civil War

B. were fished primarily by large sail craft that were operated by the state government
C. eventually became less productive than they had been in the past
D. gradually expanded in spite of diseases carried by polluted waters
Pembahasan Jawaban: C. Eventually became less productive than they had been in the
past

Penjelasan: C. benar, karena teks menyebutkan bahwa panen tiram di

Chesapeake Bay menurun setelah mencapai puncaknya, mirip dengan apa
yang terjadi pada tempat tidur tiram di sepanjang pantai timur laut,
seperti yang dijelaskan di paragraf pertama dan kedua.

A. salah, karena teks tidak menyebutkan bahwa tempat tidur tiram

Chesapeake Bay ditemukan setelah Perang Saudara.
B. salah, karena teks tidak menyebutkan bahwa tempat tidur tiram
terutama dipanen oleh kapal layar besar yang dioperasikan oleh
pemerintah negara bagian.
D. salah, karena teks tidak menyebutkan bahwa terumbu baru telah
terbentuk atau bahwa tiram bertahan di perairan yang tercemar.

Materi Reading

Nomor 25.

Soal Europe is the smallest of planet Jupiter's four largest moons and the second moon out from
Jupiter. Until
1979, it was just another astronomy textbook statistic. Then came the close-up images
obtained by the
exploratory spacecraft Voyager 2, and within days, Europe was transformed--in our
perception, at least--
into one of the solar system's most intriguing worlds. The biggest initial surprise was the
almost total lack
of detail, especially from far away. Even at close range, the only visible features are thin,
kinked brown
lines resembling cracks in an eggshell. And this analogy is not far off the mark.
The surface of Europe is almost pure water ice, but a nearly complete absence of craters
indicates that Europe's surface ice resembles Earth's Antarctic ice cap. The eggshell analogy
may be
quite accurate since the ice could be as little as a few kilometers thick--a tree shell around
what is likely a
subsurface liquid ocean that, in turn, encases a rocky core. The interior of Europe has been
kept warm
over the cons by tidal forces generated by the varying gravitational tugs of the other big
moons as they
wheel around Jupiter. The tides on Europe pull and relax in an endless cycle. The resulting
internal heat
keeps what would otherwise be ice melted almost to the surface. The cracklike marks on
Europe's icy
face appear to be fractures where water or slush oozes from below.
Soon after Voyager 2's encounter with Jupiter in 1979, when the best images of Europe
were obtained, researchers advanced the startling idea that Europe's subsurface ocean might
harbor life.
Life processes could have begun when Jupiter was releasing a vast store of internal heat.
Jupiter's early
heat was produced by the compression of the material forming the giant planet. Just as the
Sun is far less
radiant today than the primal Sun, so the internal heat generated by Jupiter is minor
compared to its
former intensity. During this warm phase, some 4.6 billion years ago, Europe's ocean may
have been
liquid right to the surface, making it a crucible for life.

Source: Space Olympics

 What does the author mean by stating in line 6 that "this analogy is not far off the
mark"?
A. The definition is not precise.
B. The discussion lacks necessary information.
C. The differences are probably significant.
D. The comparison is quite appropriate.

Pembahasan Jawaban: D
Pembahasan:
Jawaban D benar, "Not far off the mark" berarti perbandingan atau
analogi yang dibuat cukup tepat atau sesuai. Dalam konteks ini, analogi
antara permukaan Eropa dan cangkang telur dianggap cukup akurat.
Jawaban A salah, pernyataan ini tidak mengindikasikan bahwa definisi
atau deskripsi itu tidak tepat.
Jawaban B salah, teks tidak membahas kekurangan informasi dalam
diskusi, tetapi lebih pada kesesuaian perbandingan.
Jawaban C salah, Pernyataan ini bukan tentang perbedaan signifikan,
tetapi tentang kesesuaian perbandingan.

Materi Reading

Nomor 26.

Soal The auroras—the aurora borealis (or northern lights) in the Northern
Hemisphere, and the aurora australis (the southern lights) in the Southern
Hemisphere—are brilliant natural spectacles that can be seen in the evening
sky especially at higher latitudes. Unlike other phenomena of the night sky,
such as meteors and comets, the auroras are atmospheric phenomena, but
what causes them?

Although auroras appear in the atmosphere, they are the result of

extraterrestrial forces; however, these forces are not particularly alien. The
Sun’s corona—the outermost region of the Sun’s atmosphere, consisting of
plasma (hot ionized gas)—drives the solar wind (a particle flux of protons and
electrons) away from the Sun. Some of these high-energy particles strike
Earth’s magnetic field and follow magnetic field lines down into Earth’s
atmosphere at the North and South magnetic poles.

Earth’s atmosphere is mostly made up of nitrogen and oxygen. Once the solar
particles reach Earth’s atmosphere, they collide with atoms of nitrogen and
oxygen, stripping away their electrons to leave ions in excited states. These
ions emit radiation at various wavelengths, creating the characteristic colors.
Collisions of solar particles with oxygen produce red or green light; collisions
with nitrogen produce green and purple light.

During periods of low solar activity—which are often associated with periods
where the Sun has fewer sunspots—fewer of these high-energy particles are
emitted from the Sun, and the shimmering sheets of color that characterize
Earth’s auroral zones shift poleward. When the Sun is more active and larger
 amounts of plasma are erupting from the Sun’s surface, more particles reach
Earth’s atmosphere, and the auroras occasionally extend to the middle
latitudes. For example, the aurora borealis has been seen as far south as 40°
latitude in the United States. The auroras typically occur at altitudes of about
100 km (60 miles); however, they may occur anywhere between 80 and 250 km
(about 50 to 155 miles) above Earth’s surface.

Source: https://www.britannica.com/story/what-causes-the-northern-and-
southern-lights

These terms are defined in the text except?

A. Aurora australis
B. Sun’s corona
C. Plasma
D. Atmosphere

Pembahasan Jawaban: Opsi D

Ditanyakan manakah dari pilihan di bawah yang

diartikan/dijelaskan di dalam teks maka jawaban yang benar
adalah opsi D atmosphere karena tidak ada penjelasan/arti
atmosphere di dalam teks.

Opsi A dijelaskan di dalam teks yaitu the southern light

Opsi B dijelaskan yaitu the outermost region of the Sun’s
atmosphere
Opsi C dijelaskan yaitu hot ionized gas

Materi Reading

Nomor 27.

Soal Unlike earlier campaigns, the 1960 presidential campaign featured the politically
innovative and highly influential series of televised debates in the contest between the
Republicans and the Democrats. Senator John Kennedy established an early lead
among the Democratic hopefuls and was nominated on the first ballot at the Los
Angeles convention to be the representative of the Democratic party in the presidential
elections. Richard Nixon, then serving as vice president of the United States under
Eisenhower, received the nomination of the Republican party. Both Nixon and Kennedy
campaigned vigorously throughout the country and then took the unprecedented step of
appearing in face-to-face debates on television. Political experts contend that the
debates were a pivotal force in the elections. In front of a viewership of more than 100
 million citizens, Kennedy masterfully overcame Nixon's advantage as the better-known
and more experienced candidate and reversed the public perception of him as too
inexperienced and immature for the presidency.

(taken from: Longman Preparation Course for the TOEFL Test The Paper test)

Which of the following is NOT mentioned about Richard Nixon?

A. He was serving as vice president.

B. He was the Republican party’s candidate for president.
C. He campaigned strongly all over the country.
D. He was nominated on the first ballot.

Pembahasan Untuk menjawab jenis pertanyaan ini, kita harus mencocokkan setiap
pilihan dengan teks. Apabila ditemukan pernyataan yang tidak
disebutkan dalam teks maka itu jawabannya. Mari kita lihat pilihannya.

-Jawaban A tidak tepat karena pernyataan tersebut bisa ditemukan di

kalimat ketiga di teks.
-Jawaban B tidak tepat karena pernyataan tersebut bisa ditemukan di
kalimat ketiga di teks.
-Jawaban C tidak tepat karena pernyataan tersebut bisa ditemukan di
kalimat keempat di teks.
-Jawaban D tepat karena pernyataan tersebut tidak ditemukan dalam
teks.

Materi Reading

Nomor 28.

Soal Robert Brustein, a pivotal figure in American theatre, passed away on October 29 at the age
of 96. Brustein is renowned for founding the American Repertory Theater (A.R.T.) at
Harvard University in 1980, where he served as the artistic director until 2002. During his
tenure, he established a new repertory theatre model that prioritised the production of new
plays and the development of emerging playwrights. His vision transformed the theatre
scene by integrating innovative and experimental works into the regular programming of
A.R.T., thus influencing the broader landscape of American theatre.

Brustein's commitment to regional theatre was driven by his desire to decentralise the
theatrical focus from New York, which he considered too commercial and insular. He
advocated for nonprofit theatres that embraced a variety of artistic voices and
unconventional approaches, promoting the growth of local theatre companies across the
United States. His efforts contributed significantly to the proliferation of regional theatres,
each with its unique identity, thereby diversifying the theatrical experience and reducing the
dominance of the New York theatre scene.

In addition to his contributions to A.R.T., Brustein was also a distinguished educator, writer,
and theatre critic. He was involved in various controversies, including disputes with
playwrights and disagreements over theatrical productions, yet his impact on the field
remained profound. His passion for theatre and dedication to nurturing new talent left an
enduring legacy, influencing both the artistic and academic aspects of theatre and shaping
the careers of numerous artists and students.
 Source: The Harvard Gazette

According to the passage, which of the following statements is false about Robert Brustein?

A. He had a long tenure as the artistic director of A.R.T.

B. He focused solely on productions from New York theatres
C. He was involved in controversies during his career
D. He contributed to the development of regional theatre

Pembahasan Pembahasan:

Jawaban benar: Opsi B

Opsi B benar karena teks menunjukkan bahwa Brustein berusaha

mendiversifikasi teater dari New York dan mendukung teater lokal, jadi
fokusnya bukan hanya pada produksi teater dari New York.

Opsi A salah karena teks mengonfirmasi bahwa Brustein memang

memiliki masa jabatan panjang sebagai direktur artistik A.R.T.
Opsi D salah karena teks menjelaskan kontribusinya dalam
pengembangan teater lokal.
Opsi C salah karena teks juga membahas keterlibatannya dalam beberapa
kontroversi.

Materi Reading

Nomor 29.

Soal One American man is dead, and an American woman is injured in Iceland following a
collapse of the Breiðamerkurjökull ice cave, Iceland’s public broadcaster RUV said
Monday. The rescue operation, which started Sunday evening, is now complete, with police
saying that no one was trapped under the ice, according to the public broadcaster.

A group of 23 tourists from several countries were exploring an ice cave at the
Breiðamerkurjökull glacier in southeastern Iceland when the incident occurred Sunday,
according to the broadcaster. The American couple were rescued on Sunday, but the man
was pronounced dead at the scene, while the woman sustained injuries of unknown severity
and was taken to a hospital in Reykjavík, RUV reported.

Authorities initially launched a massive search for two missing people, believing that 25
tourists were on the trip, RUV reported. They ended the search on Monday after realizing
the original group held only 23 tourists, all of whom were accounted for. More than 200
responders participated in the operations, and a massive amount of ice has been broken
down and moved, almost all by hand, RUV said, citing the police. CNN has reached out to
the police for details.

https://edition.cnn.com/2024/08/26/europe/ice-cave-collapse-iceland-intl-hnk/index.html

What does the underlined word above refer to?

A. Reporters.

B. 25 Tourists.

C. 23 Tourists.

D. 200 more responders.

Pembahasan

They ended the search on Monday after realizing the original group held
only 23 tourists, all of whom were accounted for.

What does the underlined word above refer to?

A. Reporters.

B. 25 Tourists.

C. 23 Tourists.

D. 200 more responders.

Jawaban benar: C. 23 Tourist sesuai dengan isi text.

Jawaban lain salah karena

A. Reporter tidak sesuai dengan isi text.

B. 25 Tourist tidak sesuai dengan isi text.

D. 200 more responder tidak sesuai dengan isi text.

Materi Reading

Nomor 30.

Soal Ecologists long ago determined that environmental factors significantly affect the evolution
of species. Determinants imposed by nature have caused once uniform animal populations
to differentiate into separate races and then species. Now, similar patterns of differentiation
have been noted in human cultural phenomena. The effect of environmental influences on a
specific form of art can be seen in the evolution of blues music in the United States.

Musicologists have agreed that blues music—defined by specific chord progressions and
lyrical structures—was created by African-American musicians in the rural areas of the
southern United States in the late nineteenth century, particularly in the Mississippi River
delta, located in Louisiana. As it is related to African music embedded in spirituals, the
influence of environmental factors on this art form is already evident. Aside from its distinct
scales and beat, rural blues music was characterized by the interplay of vocals and acoustic
guitars. Lyrically, early blues expressed the hopes and fears of impoverished farmers, often
voicing stories about droughts and floods, as well as poverty, oppression, and relationship
woes.

In the early twentieth century, socioeconomic factors caused a migration of rural southern
African Americans to northern urban centers. The change in locale soon led to
modifications in the blues music that the migrants brought with them. Instead of being
played in fields and road houses, blues now became the music of city bars and dance halls.
By about 1950, urban blues became an art form distinct from the country blues that had
engendered it. While this urban blues itself had variants in different cities, the dominant
strain developed in Chicago; “Chicago Blues” became a brand in its own right.

The urban atmosphere changed the blues both instrumentally and lyrically. The faster, even
frenetic, scrabble of city life undoubtedly led to the replacement of the acoustic guitar and
banjo with the electric guitar and harmonica—called a “blues harp” by some—soon
accompanied by drums and electric bass guitars as well. While relationship laments
remained common, blues lyrics now reflected the types of hard times common to city life.
Chicago bluesman Kevin Moore noted, “You have to put some new life into it, new blood,
new perspectives. You can‘t keep talking about mules, workin’ on the levee.”
 Chicago Blues soon received national exposure, and Chicago Blues musicians now
commanded payments beyond the wildest dreams of their country predecessors, although
admittedly far less than the sums given to rock-and-roll stars. Also, blues extended its reach
geographically. Muddy Waters, originally from the Mississippi Delta, migrated to Chicago
and then toured Great Britain and Europe, to much fanfare. This led to the growth of
“British Blues,” another recognizable strain influenced by a habitat even further removed
from the cotton fields than Chicago was.

There are also other, lesser-known “habitats” that eventually transformed a branch of the
blues into musical genres that few today would call blues. At the beginning of the 20th
century, rural Caucasian musicians also played blues music. However, with the advent of
the recording industry, marketing executives promoted their work as country music or folk
music for a Caucasian audience while marketing music played by African Americans for
African Americans as blues. Today, most country music bears little resemblance to country
blues, let alone to Chicago Blues, and is widely considered a separate genre of music.
(Source: Manhattan Prep, TOEFL ® 5 lb. Book of Practice Problems)

The word “their” in the passage “... marketing executives promoted their work as country
music or folk music …” in paragraph 6 refers to

A. rural Caucasian musicians

B. marketing executives

C. the recording industry

D. African American musicians

Pembahasan Jawaban: A

Pembahasan: Kalimat 2 paragraf 6 menyebutkan bahwa “rural Caucasian

musicians also played blues music.” Lalu, kalimat 3 menyatakan bahwa
marketing executive mempromosikan musik para “rural Caucasian
musicians” tersebut sebagai musik country dan bukan blues. Logikanya,
“their” merujuk kembali pada “rural Caucasian musicians” di kalimat 2.
Dengan referensi ini, kedua kalimat tersebut menjadi paling masuk akal.
Musisi-musisi ini memainkan musik blues, tetapi eksekutif pemasaran
mempromosikan musik mereka (= rural Caucasian musicians) sebagai
musik country.

Materi Reading

Nomor 31.

Soal Aspirin's origins go back at least as early as 1758. In that year, Englishman Edward
Stone noticed a distinctive bitter flavor in the bark of the willow tree. To Stone, this
particular bark seemed to have much in common with “Peruvian Bark” which had been
used medicinally since the 1640s to bring down fevers and to treat malaria. Stone
decided to test the effectiveness of the willow bark. He obtained some, pulverized it into
tiny pieces, and conducted experiments on its properties. His tests demonstrated that
this pulverized willow bark was effective both in reducing high temperatures and in
relieving aches and pains. In 1763, Stone presented his findings to the British Royal
Society.

Several decades later, further studies on the medicinal value of the willow bark were
being conducted by two Italian scientists. These chemists, Brugnatelli and Fontana,
 determined that the active chemical that was responsible for the medicinal
characteristics in the willow bark was the chemical salicin, which is the active ingredient
of today’s aspirin.

The name “aspirin” is the trade name of the drug based on the chemical salicin,
properly known as acetylsalicylic acid. The trade name “aspirin” was invented for the
drug in the 1890s by the Bayer Drug Company in Germany. The first bottles of aspirin
actually went on sale to the public just prior to the turn of the century, in 1899.

(taken from: Longman Preparation Course for the TOEFL Test The Paper test)

The pronoun “it” in paragraph one (fifth sentence) refers to

A. Malaria
B. Willow bark
C. Effectiveness
D. The British Royal Society

Pembahasan Untuk menjawab pertanyaan ini, kita harus melihat apa yang menjadi
subjek atau objek di kalimat sebelumnya. Kata ganti “it” digunakan
untuk menggantikan objek atau benda. Mari kita lihat pilihannya.

-Jawaban A tidak tepat karena kata malaria tidak disebutkan di

kalimat sebelumnya sehingga jawaban ini tidak tepat.
-Jawaban B tepat karena kata Willow Bark disebutkan di kalimat
sebelumnya dan posisinya sebagai objek sehingga jawaban ini
sesuai.
-Jawaban C tidak tepat karena kata effectiveness tidak disebutkan di
kalimat sebelumnya sehingga jawaban ini tidak tepat.
-Jawaban D tidak tepat karena kata materials tidak disebutkan di
kalimat sebelumnya sehingga jawaban ini tidak tepat.

Materi Reading

Nomor 32.

Soal The Cambrian period marks a significant turning point in Earth's history, known for the
"Cambrian Explosion"—a remarkable burst of evolutionary activity. During this time, there
was a dramatic increase in the diversity and complexity of life forms, which is reflected in
the rich fossil record. Unlike earlier periods where life was predominantly composed of
simple, microscopic organisms, the Cambrian period showcases a plethora of multicellular
organisms, including the first appearances of many major animal groups.

One of the primary sources of information about Cambrian climate comes from sedimentary
rock layers. These layers often contain distinctive features that suggest past climatic
conditions. For example, certain rocks from this period reveal evidence of ancient marine
environments with abundant fossils of marine invertebrates such as trilobites, brachiopods,
and early arthropods. These fossils indicate that much of the Cambrian world was covered
by shallow seas, which were likely warm and conducive to the rapid proliferation of life.

Furthermore, some sedimentary rocks from the Cambrian period exhibit features consistent
with high-energy environments, such as strong currents or storm activity, which suggest
dynamic marine conditions. These characteristics provide indirect evidence of the climate
 and environmental conditions during the Cambrian. The widespread occurrence of these
rock types across different continents also supports the idea that the Cambrian climate was
relatively uniform across large areas of the globe.

After the Cambrian period, the fossil record indicates a gradual stabilization in both the
diversity of life and climatic conditions. However, the Cambrian Explosion remains a focal
point for understanding the rapid evolution of complex life forms and the climatic factors
that may have influenced this significant period in Earth’s history.

The phrase "across different continents" in the third paragraph refers to

A. the distribution of fossils

B. the occurrence of sedimentary rocks

C. the presence of marine invertebrates

D. the evidence of high-energy environments

Pembahasan Jawaban: B. the occurrence of sedimentary rocks

Penjelasan: Frasa ini merujuk pada penyebaran batuan sedimen yang

menunjukkan kondisi iklim Kambrium yang seragam di berbagai benua,
seperti dijelaskan dalam paragraf ketiga.

Opsi A salah: Fosil didistribusikan, tetapi frasa ini lebih spesifik ke

batuan sedimen.

Opsi B salah: Meskipun lingkungan energi tinggi disebutkan, ini bukan

yang dimaksud dalam frasa tersebut.

Opsi C: Fosil bukan fokus dari frasa ini.

Materi Reading

Nomor 33.

Soal The Antarctic Peninsula juts out from the mainland body of Antarctica, and includes the
northernmost point on the continent. Over 800 miles (about 1,290 kilometers) in length, the
peninsula extends more than three degrees latitude beyond the Antarctic Circle and comes
within 620 miles (about 995 kilometers) of the southernmost tip of South America. This
mountainous peninsula carries a vast amount of land ice and borders several of the largest
ice shelves 1 in the world. The problem is, it’s melting.

Most of Antarctica currently has a climate below freezing for the entire year. As a result, the
scant precipitation it does receive in the form of snow stays frozen year-round and simply
accumulates, very slowly, over time. The Antarctic Peninsula, however, has a slightly milder
climate, and thus, snow and ice on it can and do melt every year. The west coast of the
peninsula is milder than the east coast, so there are fewer ice shelves along the west coast.

One of the largest of the west coast ice shelves is the Wilkins Ice Shelf. This shelf has seen
rapid deterioration over the past decade due to climate warming. As recently as 2007, the
Wilkins Ice Shelf was about 5,400 square miles (14,000 square kilometers) in size, or
roughly the size of the state of Connecticut. In 2008 alone, over 900 square miles (2,400
square kilometers) of the ice shelf collapsed. Researchers believe that the entire ice shelf
could disintegrate at any time now.

Perhaps even more alarming and less anticipated is the fact that larger ice shelves along the
east coast of the peninsula are also melting. The Larsen Ice Shelf, which spans much of the
length of the eastern edge of the northern part of the Antarctic Peninsula, is historically
divided by scientists into three sections: Larsen A, Larsen B, and Larsen C. Larsen A, the
northernmost and smallest section, completely disintegrated in 1995. Larsen B experienced
 a rapid and near-complete deterioration in all but the southernmost portion in 2012. Within
the span of months, it shrank from 4,445 square miles (about 11,500 square kilometers) in
size to less than 1,400 square miles (about 3,625 square kilometers). The remnants of
Larsen B are now less than half that size and are expected to disappear completely by 2020.

Larsen C, the southernmost section of the Larsen Ice Shelf, and by far the largest at about
19,300 square miles (50,000 square kilometers), is also now menaced by warming
temperatures. As recently as 2004, scientists believed that Larsen C was completely stable.
However, new reports indicate that a wide crack has developed in the northeast portion of
the ice shelf; this crack is now 80 miles (about 130 kilometers) long and growing at a rate of
more than 1 mile (1.6 kilometers) each month.

When ice shelves collapse or break away from the coastline they are connected to, sea
levels do not directly rise, since the ice shelves were already floating in the ocean. A shelf is
similar to an ice cube in a glass of water—the melting of the ice cube does not increase the
level of water in the glass. However, the ice shelves act as a protective barrier that prevents
ice and snow from the land masses they are connected to from falling into the ocean. Land
ice (usually in the form of glaciers, which are massive, very slowly moving bodies of ice)
along the coastline becomes liable to accelerate, break apart, and fall into the ocean after the
ice shelf bracing it from below has disappeared. When this land ice falls into the ocean, the
effect is comparable to adding more ice cubes to the glass of water—the level of water in
the glass rises immediately. Since the near-complete collapse of Larsen B in 2002, scientists
have calculated that the glaciers along the coast where Larsen B was located have
accelerated. By some estimates, they have experienced an eight-fold increase in speed,
which is much faster than scientists had predicted. As a result, this land ice may drop into
the ocean much faster than anyone had previously thought. (Source: Manhattan Prep,
TOEFL ® 5 lb. Book of Practice Problems)

The word “they” in the sentence “...the ice shelves act as a protective barrier that prevents
ice and snow from the land masses they are connected to…” in paragraph 6 refers to

A. ice and snow

B. the ice shelves

C. the land masses

D. the protective barrier

Pembahasan Jawaban: B

Pembahasan: Kalimat “...the ice shelves act as a protective barrier that

prevents ice and snow from the land masses they are connected to…”
menjelaskan bahwa “the ice shelves” berfungsi sebagai penghalang
pelindung es dan salju, dan frasa "they are connected to" mengacu
kembali pada “ice shelves” itu sendiri yang terhubung ke daratan.

Materi Reading

Nomor 34.

Soal During the long reign (1558–1603) of Elizabeth I, England emerged as a world power and
her presence helped unify the country against foreign enemies. Her reign is often defined by
so many achievements, two of which are in terms of her skillful diplomacy and the
flourishing in arts.

Elizabeth’s refusal to marry was the cause of great national and international discussion. It
was generally believed at that time that only men were suited to rule and that the proper role
for a woman was that of a wife. Beyond this notion, however, the dynastic and diplomatic
stakes of a possible royal marriage were very high. If Elizabeth died childless, the Tudor
line would come to an end, and her Catholic cousin Mary, Queen of Scots, would assume
the throne in England. Protestants viewed the possibility of a Catholic monarch as a
 nightmarish threat that could best be averted if Elizabeth produced a Protestant heir. The
queen’s marriage decision was critical not only for the question of succession but also for
the tangled web of international diplomacy. England, isolated and militarily weak when
Elizabeth first came to the throne, sorely needed the major alliances that a marriage could
create. Yet Elizabeth found that remaining unmarried gave her a most useful diplomatic
weapon, particularly when playing the rivals France and Spain against each other. With
suitors from these and other countries, Elizabeth skillfully kept marriage negotiations going
for months, even years—as long as it was to her advantage.

The body of works written during the reign of Elizabeth I is one of the most splendid in the
history of English literature. Edmund Spenser wrote the long poem The Faerie Queene,
considered his masterpiece, in her honor. William Shakespeare acted before her (though at
the time of Elizabeth’s death in 1603, he had not yet written most of his great tragedies).
Other noted writers of the era included Sir Philip Sidney, Roger Ascham, Richard Hooker,
and Christopher Marlowe. Elizabeth admired and supported the arts. What came to be
known as the Elizabethan Age saw not only the flowering of poetry and drama but also
inspired a wide variety of distinguished prose works as well. Aside from the great
flourishing of literature, there are other reasons the period of Elizabeth’s reign is regarded as
a golden age. Important were hundreds of laws on shipping, commerce, industry, currency
reform, roads, relief for the poor, and agriculture. These laws shaped the policy of England
for more than two centuries after Elizabeth’s reign had ended.

Source: https://www.britannica.com/summary/Elizabeth-Is-Achievements

What was thought would have happened if Elizabeth had decided not to have
any children?

A. The nation will become great

B. The Tudor dynasty would thrive
C. Mary, Queen of Scots, would become the Queen of England
D. Elizabeth I would be able to keep the throne

Pembahasan Jawaban: Opsi C

Pada masa itu, yang disangka apabila Elizabeth memutuskan

tidak memiliki anak adalah Opsi C yaitu bahwa Mary, Ratu
Skotlandia, akan menjadi Ratu Inggris sesuai yang
dinyatakan pada bacaan.

Opsi A yang artinya Negaranya akan menjadi luar

biasa tidak tepat karena tidak disebutkan bahwa ini
adalah salah satu konsekuensinya.
Opsi B yang artinya Dinasti Tudor akan sukses tidak
tepat karena pada teks dinyatakan Dinasti Tudor akan
selesai jika Elizabeth I tidak memiliki anak.
Opsi D yang artinya Elizabeth I akan bisa menjaga
takhtanya tidak tepat karena jika dia tidak memiliki anak,
dia tidak memiliki penerus sehingga tidak bisa menjaga
takhtanya.

Materi Reading

Nomor 35.
Soal Volcanic eruptions are among the most stunning phenomena in the natural
world. Volcanoes erupt because of the way heat moves beneath Earth’s
surface. Heat is conveyed from the planet’s interior to its surface largely by
convection—the transfer of heat by movement of a heated fluid. In this case,
the fluid is magma—molten or partially molten rock—which is formed by the
partial melting of Earth's mantle and crust. The magma rises, and, in the last
step in this heat-releasing process, erupts at the surface through volcanoes.

Most volcanoes are associated with plate tectonic activity. For example,
volcanoes of Japan, Iceland, Indonesia, and numerous other places occur on
the margins of the massive solid rocky plates that make up Earth’s surface.
When one plate slides under another, water trapped in the subducted, sinking
plate is squeezed out of it by enormous pressure, which produces enough heat
to melt nearby rock, forming magma. Since the magma is more buoyant than
the surrounding rock, it rises, and it may collect in chambers nearer to the
surface. As a chamber fills up, the pressure inside may increase. When the
downward pressure produced by the weight of rock above the chamber is less
than the upward pressure produced by rock below the chamber, cracks often
form above. Eventually the upward pressure may push the magma through the
cracks and out of vents at the surface, where it becomes lava. In fact, strictly
speaking, the term volcano refers to just such a vent, although it can also refer
to the landform created by the accumulation of solidified lava and volcanic
debris near the vent.

Source: https://www.britannica.com/story/what-causes-a-volcano-to-erupt

What is the aim of the text?

A. To tell the readers how volcanic eruptions happen

B. To tell the readers why volcanic eruptions are the most stunning natural
phenomena
C. To describe what volcanic eruption is
D. To explain the association between volcanic eruptions with plate tectonic
activities

Pembahasan Jawaban: Opsi A

Pertanyaan yang ditujukan adalah tujuan dari teks sehingga

jawaban yang paling tepat adalah opsi A yang berarti untuk
memberi tahu pembaca bagaimana letusan gunung berapi
terjadi. Fokus teks tersebut adalah menjelaskan bagaimana
proses letusan gunung berapi terjadi dan aktivitas tektonik
lempeng.

Opsi B kurang tepat karena teks tidak menerangkan

mengapa erupsi gunung berapi merupakan fenomena
alam paling indah
Opsi C tidak tepat karena teks tidak menggambarkan
apa itu erupsi gunung berapi
Opsi D tidak tepat karena fokus teks bukan berada
dihubungan antara erupsi gunung berapi dan aktivitas
tektonik lempeng
Materi Reading

Nomor 36.

Soal Linen is yarn, thread, or fabric made from the stem fibers of flax, one of the oldest
cultivated plants. Because the plant is grown in temperate climates, its production is limited.
Archeological evidence shows that flax was used for making ropes and fishing nets in
Switzerland over 10.000 years ago. Ancient Egyptians used flax more than any other fiber
for making linen, which was employed in the manufacture of a diverse array of other
materials. When the use of linen spread from the Mediterranean to Europe, linen became
second only to wool as the most prevalent material for fabric, primarily because the spindle
was no longer the sole device used for winding thread. It was during that time that the
spinning wheel replaced the spindle and distaff for twisting and winding the fax fibers. By
the end of the seventeenth century, a spinning wheel for linen was a fixture in almost every
Euopean and North American household.

Linen is relatively scarce now because the process of weaving flax fabric is
comparatively work- and timeconsuming. Upon harvesting, flax must be hackled to separate
the linen fibers from the tow. Then the fibers are soaked and dried. Bundling the gleaned
fiber precedes raking and thinning. The latter are essential steps since unravelling the
fibrous mass of stems can facilitate winding. After the threads have been spun, they are laid
on a loom and woven into the finished product, known as linen. As is the case with some
other natural fibers, such as silk and wool, the price of linen fabric is rather high, and it is
not as easy to care for as fabrics made of synthetic rayon, acetate, and viscose.

What promoted the proliferation of linen?

A. A shortage of material in Europe

B. The replacement of wool by linen in textiles

C. Technological advancements in fiber processing

D. The dissipation of need for various materials

Pembahasan Teks membahas penyebaran sejarah linen sebagai bahan kain yang
dominan, terutama di Eropa. Teks menyebutkan bahwa linen menjadi
kedua setelah wol sebagai bahan kain yang paling umum pada periode
ketika kemajuan teknologi terjadi dalam pengolahan serat. Hal ini
menunjukkan bahwa peningkatan teknologi dalam pengolahan serat
berperan penting dalam mempromosikan penggunaan linen secara luas.

"It was during that time that the spinning wheel replaced the spindle and
distaff for twisting and winding the flax fibers." -> menunjukan bahwa
penyebaran linen bersamaan dengan kemajuan teknologi dalam
pengolahan serat

Opsi A (salah)

Kelangkaan bahan di eropa

Opsi B (salah)

Penggantian wol oleh linen dalam tekstil

Opsi C (benar)

Kemajuan teknologi dalam pengolahan serat

Opsi D (salah)

Berkurangnya kebutuhan akan berbagai material

Materi Reading

Nomor 37.

Soal The French photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson (1908–2004) was a pioneer of modern
street photography and is regarded as the “father of photojournalism.” Celebrated for the
candid shots he took of everyday life in Paris, as well as for his photo-reporting around the
world, he remains one of the most respected photographers of the twentieth century. His
early life as an artist was not devoted to photography, however. When he was 19 years old,
Cartier-Bresson began studying at the studio of Cubist painter and sculptor André Lhote.
There, he learned to be a painter. He was educated in art theory and composition, and he
discovered an interest in both modern and Renaissance art.

Meanwhile, throughout the 1920s, photography continued to develop as an art form, and in
1930, Cartier-Bresson became inspired by a photograph taken by Hungarian photographer
Martin Munkacsi. In the photograph, titled “Three Boys at Lake Tanganyika,” three young
boys play in Lake Tanganyika, an expansive, freshwater lake that touches four countries on
the African continent: Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burundi, and
Zambia. In the photo, the boys splash in the surf. The image features their silhouettes
against the lake’s foaming waves. It is a joyful scene. Cartier-Bresson credited the
photograph with leading him to turn away from painting in order to focus on photography.
He said of the picture, “I suddenly understood that photography can fix eternity in a
moment.”

Cartier-Bresson then acquired a German camera with a 50-millimeter (50-mm) lens—

relatively small compared to the lenses used by professional photographers today. Despite
having many opportunities to use a larger, more complex lens over the course of his career,
Cartier-Bresson preferred his 50-mm lens for several reasons. The most important of these
was that with this lens, he was able to shoot without being conspicuous, which he resisted
for fear of being seen as showing off. It allowed him to capture moments he might not have
captured otherwise, as people often did not notice him shooting.

He also had a strong preference for shooting in black and white, believing that the myriad
printing options available when shooting with color distorted the image he was seeing with
 his eyes. For this reason, he only shot in color when obliged to. In general, he bemoaned
photography’s trend toward focusing on ever-advancing processing techniques, believing
that the fetishizing1 of these techniques distracted people from what the art was truly about:
seeing and capturing.

Images à la Sauvette (The Decisi ve Moment in the English edition), a book featuring over
100 of Cartier-Bresson’s photographs, was published in 1952 with a cover drawn
specifically for the book by renowned French painter Henri Matisse. The book quickly
became a classic in the canon of literature on photography. Alongside the portfolio of his
images in the book, Cartier-Bresson authored a 4,500-word introduction on his
photographic philosophy. This introduction to the book is often referenced today in treatises
and essays on the art and history of the photograph—in particular, the portions in which he
elaborates on the book’s title. To Cartier-Bresson, photography was about capturing in “a
fraction of a second … the significance of an event.” In a 1971 interview, Cartier-Bresson
described the art as an act of affirmation. He rejected many similar titles in favor of The
Decisive Moment, including A pas de Loup, which means “tiptoeing,” a reference to how
he, as a photographer, approached his subjects.

When Cartier-Bresson died in 2004, he had established a global reputation as one of the
greatest photographers of all time. Yet, despite this fame, he was extremely timid and often
shunned publicity. Thus, while he is revered for the photos he captured of faces around the
world, he himself was rarely recognized. (Source: Manhattan Prep, TOEFL ® 5 lb. Book of
Practice Problems)

Paragraph 1 implies that prior to the 1920s,

A. most artists in France studied painting rather than other media.

B. paintings were less abstract than they generally are today.

C. modern street photography was likely not a well-established art form.

D. Henri Cartier-Bresson was already emerging as a talented photojournalist.

Pembahasan Jawaban: C

Pembahasan: Soal ini tricky, karena tidak ada referensi langsung ke tahun
1920-an dalam teks tersebut. Namun, ada tanggal dan tahun yang menjadi
titik acuan untuk mengambil kesimpulan. Kalimat 1 paragraf 1
menyebutkan bawah Cartier-Bresson lahir pada 1908. Lalu, kalimat 4
menyebutkan bahwa “When he was 19 years old, Cartier-Bresson began
studying…” Artinya, 19 tahun setelah 1908 adalah 1927. Menurut
kalimat 1, Cartier-Bresson adalah “pelopor” fotografi jalanan modern.
Artinya, dia adalah salah satu fotografer pertama yang melakukan praktik
ini. Jadi, kecil kemungkinannya fotografi jalanan modern sudah ada
sebelum tahun 1920-an.

Materi Reading

Nomor 38.

Soal Gastrodiplomacy is a subset of public diplomacy that uses food as a means of

persuading audiences about the power of cuisine to promote specific foreign policy goals.
The term entered the popular vocabulary in 2002, after an article in The Economist
described Global Thai, a program launched by the government of Thailand to promote its
cuisine abroad by providing financial incentives for Thai nationals to open restaurants in
foreign countries. Like public diplomacy, gastrodiplomacy seeks to change foreign
perceptions of a country and assumes a country’s image or brand can be managed to gain
favor with foreign publics.
A subset of activities arising from gastrodiplomacy is social gastronomy, which uses
 food to achieve social change. Social gastronomy is citizen driven, linking entrepreneurship,
food justice, and gastronomy. It started as a chef-led response to hunger and social
inequality but has expanded to refer to projects that use entrepreneurship and culinary
training as a means of social activism. Social gastronomy is a dynamic field, demonstrating
the changing role that food plays in supporting a broad range of societal needs such as
income inequality, refugee and immigrant needs, climate change, and humanitarian crises.
As an increasingly influential form of public diplomacy, gastrodiplomacy demonstrates
the “soft” power of the plate to address some of the enduring challenges people face, from
climate change to conflict to global migration.

What does the word “persuading” in paragraph 1 most likely mean?

A. Influencing

B. Demanding

C. Ignoring

D. Reducing

Pembahasan Apa arti kata “membujuk” di paragraph 1?

Opsi A (Benar)
Artinya: Mempengaruhi
Opsi B (Salah)
Artinya: Menuntut
Opsi C (Salah)
Artinya: Mengabaikan
Opsi D (Salah)
Artinya: Mengurangi

Materi Reading

Nomor 39.

Soal Herman Melville, an American author best known today for his novel Moby Dick, was
actually more popular during his lifetime for some of his other works. He traveled
extensively and used the knowledge gained during his travels as the basis for his early
novels. In 1837, at the age of eighteen, Melville signed as a cabin boy on a merchant
ship that was to sail from his Massachusetts home to Liverpool, England. His
experiences on this trip served as a basis for the novel Redburn (1849). In 1841
Melville set out on a whaling ship headed for the South Seas. After jumping ship in
Tahiti, he wandered around the islands of Tahiti and Moorea. This South Sea island
sojourn was a backdrop to the novel Omoo (1847). After three years away from home,
Melville joined up with a U.S. naval frigate that was returning to the eastern United
States around Cape Horn. The novel White-Jacket (1850) describes this lengthy
voyage as a navy seaman.

With the publication of these early adventure novels, Melville developed a strong and
loyal following among readers eager for his tales of exotic places and situations.
However, in 1851, with the publication of Moby Dick, Melville's popularity started to
diminish. Moby Dick, on one level the saga of the hunt for the great white whale, was
also a heavily symbolic allegory of the heroic struggle of humanity against the universe.
The public was not ready for Melville's literary metamorphosis from romantic adventure
to philosophical symbolism. It is ironic that the novel that served to diminish Melville's
popularity during his lifetime is the one for which he is best known today.
 (taken from: Longman Preparation Course for the TOEFL Test The Paper test)

The word “basis” in paragraph one (fourth sentence) is closest in meaning to

A. Foundation
B. Message
C. Bottom
D. Theme

Pembahasan Untuk mencari kata yang memiliki makna yang sama, maka kita harus
melihat makna kontekstual kata tersebut dalam kalimat. Dari kalimat
“His experience on this trip served as a basis for the novel” bisa
disimpulkan makna kata basis adalah dasar atau landasan sehingga
carilah jawaban yang mendekati makna tersebut. Mari kita lihat
pilihannya.

-Jawaban A tepat karena makna kata foundation yang artinya dasar

sesuai dengan makna kontekstual yang ditanyakan.
-Jawaban B tidak tepat karena makna dari kata dipilihan adalah pesan
dan tidak sesuai dengan makna kontekstual yang ditanyakan.
-Jawaban C tidak tepat karena makna kata bottom yang artinya
bawah bertentangan dengan makna kontekstual yang
ditanyakan.
-Jawaban D tidak tepat karena makna theme yang artinya tema
bertentangan dengan makna kontekstual yang ditanyakan.

Materi Reading

Nomor 40.

Soal Photography is the art and science of still-image creation. It is accomplished through the
recording of light or other electromagnetic radiation—indeed, the word “photography”
comes from the Greek “photos,” meaning “light,” and “graphe,” meaning “drawing or
writing.” Together, these words can be interpreted as “drawing with light.” The nineteenth-
century scientist and photographer John Herschel is typically credited with coining the term
in the 1830s. However, some have claimed that others were independently using the term
around the same period; a French painter used the term in his correspondence, and a
German astronomer spoke of the term in a newspaper article.

Photography began with the discovery of the camera obscura, or the “dark room.” Camera
obscura is the phenomenon by which a pinhole in the wall of a dark room will project an
image, lit from outside the room, onto an inner wall of the enclosed dark room. The image
is reversed and inverted, or flipped upside down. This is the same mechanism by which the
human eye sees images, with the pupil as the pinhole (the brain simply flips the image back
so that it is observed as normal). Since the sixteenth century, artists have used a device
referred to as the “camera obscura” (named along with the natural phenomenon it captures)
in order to assist in drawing. Scientists have also used it to observe solar eclipses, which are
generally unsafe to view directly.

It is well-established that certain substances, such as particular salts, change color when
exposed to sunlight. In 1727, German scientist Johann Heinrich Schulze discovered that
certain salts darkened when exposed to sunlight, not because of heat or air, but as a response
solely to the light itself. It was not until the early nineteenth century, however, that this
chemical reaction was incorporated into what would become the photography that we know
 today. When the camera obscura process of projecting an image through the pinhole was
applied to paper that had been chemically treated to be light-sensitive, modern photography
was born. The pinhole camera became the first photographic camera.

Over the next number of decades, the camera underwent steady improvements. After the
pinhole camera, the “daguerreotype” was invented, which involved not one but two boxes—
an inner box and an outer box—which allowed the photographer to sharpen, or focus, the
image. For years, photographers controlled the length of exposure time by manually
removing the cap from the camera lens, the part of the camera that captures the light from
the subject and brings it into focus. The photographer then counted the required amount of
time in seconds or minutes before returning the cap to cover the lens. Eventually, the
“shutter,” or mechanism that opens and closes the camera lens, invented, freeing the
photographer from this task in taking a photo. In 1885, American entrepreneur George
Eastman began manufacturing the first photographic film—paper on which photographs
could be taken. Starting in 1888, it was sold in a simple camera preloaded with the film.
This camera was called the Kodak.

Today, most photography is conducted using digital cameras. In digital photography, an

“image sensor” has replaced the traditional photographic film. This sensor is still a light-
sensitive surface, but the image is stored as digital memory rather than etched directly onto
a physical surface, as with photographic film. Some contemporary photographers, however,
such as Cuban photographer Abelardo Morell, have chosen to work predominantly with
early models of photography. A photography professor, he turned his classroom into a dark
room in order to teach his students the optics behind the camera obscura technique. Morell
is known for the images he takes using a “camera obscura,” which range from panoramas of
New York City to Italian landscapes. He flips his images right side up with an old-fashioned
prism, though he does use a digital sensor instead of film to cut their exposure time. Morell
even carries around a portable “camera obscura” with which he can project images onto the
ground. (Source: Manhattan Prep, TOEFL ® 5 lb. Book of Practice Problems)

The word “treated” in paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to

A. dissolved

B. contained

C. neglected

D. doctored

Pembahasan Jawaban: D

Pembahasan: Kata “treated” dalam konteks paragraf 3 mengacu pada

proses di mana kertas diproses atau diperlakukan dengan bahan kimia
agar menjadi sensitif terhadap cahaya. Dalam hal ini, "doctored"
merupakan sinonim yang paling dekat, karena "doctored" dapat berarti
sesuatu yang telah dimanipulasi atau diubah untuk mencapai hasil
tertentu, mirip dengan bagaimana kertas "treated" agar menjadi sensitif
terhadap cahaya. Kutipan dari teks yang relevan adalah: “...applied to
paper that had been chemically treated to be light-sensitive...”

Opsi lain:

A) dissolved: Tidak cocok, karena "dissolved" berarti melarutkan sesuatu

B) contained: Tidak cocok, karena "contained" berarti sesuatu yang

terkandung atau di dalam sesuatu

C) neglected: Tidak cocok, karena "neglected" berarti diabaikan

Materi Reading

Nomor 41.

Soal Today, the most universally known style of trousers for both men and women is jeans;
these trousers arc worn throughout the world on a vatiety of occasions and in diverse
situations. Also called levis or denims, jeans have an interesting history, one that is
intermixed with the derivations of the words jeans, denims, and levis.

The word jeans is derived from the name of the place where a similar style of pants
developed. In the sixteenth century, sailors from Genoa. Italy, wore a rather unique type of
cotton trousers. In the French language, the word for the city of Genoa and for the people
from that city is Genes; this name became attached to the specific style of pants worn by the
sailors from this city and developed into the word jeans that today describes the descendents
of the Genovese sailors' collon pants.

Similar to the word jeans, the word denim is also derived from a place name. In the
seventeenth century, French tailors began making trousers out of a specialized type of cloth
that was developed in the city of Nimes, France, and was known as serge de Nimes. This
name for the cloth underwent some transformations, and it eventually developed into
today's denim, the material from which jeans arc made and an alternate name for these
popular pants.

The word levis came from the name of a person rather than a place. In the nineteenth
century, immigrant Levi Strauss came to America and tried his hand at selling heavy canvas
to miners taking part in the hunt for gold in northern California. Strauss intended for this
canvas to be used by miners to make heavy-duty tents. This first endeavor was a failure, but
Strauss later found success when he used the heavy canvas to make indestructible pants for
the miners. Levi then switched the fabric from brown canvas to blue denim, creating a style
of pants that long outlived him and today is reffered to by his name. A modern-day urban
shopper out to buy some levis is searching

It can be inferred from the passage that, in order to develop the pants for which he became
famous, Strauss did which of the following?

A. He studied tailoring in Nimes

B. He used an existing type of material

C. He experimented with brown denim

D. He tested the pants for destructibility

Pembahasan Jawaban yang benar adalah:

B. He used an existing type of material

"Strauss intended for this canvas to be used by miners to make heavy-

duty tents. This first endeavor was a failure, but Strauss later found
success when he used the heavy canvas to make indestructible pants for
the miners. Levi then switched the fabric from brown canvas to blue
denim, creating a style of pants that long outlived him and today is
referred to by his name."

Penjelasan: Dalam paragraf terakhir, disebutkan bahwa Levi Strauss

pertama-tama menggunakan heavy canvas untuk membuat celana yang
"indestructible" (tidak mudah rusak). Setelah itu, dia mengganti bahan
dari brown canvas menjadi blue denim, yang merupakan bahan yang
sudah ada sebelumnya (denim berasal dari Nimes, sebagaimana
dijelaskan di paragraf sebelumnya). Tidak ada indikasi dalam teks bahwa
Strauss belajar menjahit di Nimes, bereksperimen dengan brown denim,
atau menguji celananya untuk ketahanan secara langsung.

Materi Reading

Nomor 42.

Soal The invention of paper stands as one of the most significant advancements in human
civilization, revolutionizing communication, record-keeping, and knowledge dissemination.
Traditionally credited to the Chinese during the Han Dynasty around 105 AD, paper
replaced earlier writing materials like bamboo strips, silk, and animal skins. Its creation
marked a pivotal moment, facilitating the spread of literacy and the preservation of
information in a more durable and accessible form.

Before the invention of paper, civilizations relied on cumbersome and less efficient
materials for writing and documentation. Bamboo strips, for instance, required intricate
engraving and binding, limiting the quantity and accessibility of written records. However,
the introduction of paper offered a lightweight, flexible, and relatively inexpensive
alternative. Made from pulped plant fibers, primarily derived from mulberry bark and hemp,
paper production became more efficient and scalable, enabling the mass production of
books, manuscripts, and administrative documents.

Moreover, the widespread adoption of paper spurred intellectual and cultural

developments across societies. It facilitated the dissemination of knowledge, fueling
advancements in science, philosophy, and the arts. With the availability of affordable
writing materials, literacy rates increased, leading to greater participation in governance,
education, and religious practices. The proliferation of paper also fostered cultural exchange
and trade, as texts, maps, and artworks could be easily transported over long distances.
Thus, the invention of paper not only transformed how information was recorded and shared
but also catalyzed social progress and globalization, shaping the course of human history.

According to the passage, when was paper traditionally invented?

A. During the Tang Dynasty

B. Around 105 AD during the Han Dynasty

C. In the 15th Century

D. During the Renaissance period

Pembahasan “berdasarkan teks, pada tahun berapa kertas diciptakan secara

tradisional”
 Jawaban dapat ditemui pada paragraph pertama, kalimat kedua “.
Traditionally credited to the Chinese during the Han Dynasty around 105
AD, paper replaced earlier writing materials”

“Dibuat secara tradisional oleh Cina pada Dinasti Han sekitar 105 AD
(after decades)

Opsi A (Salah)

Pada Dinasti Tang

Opsi B (benar)

Sekitar 105 AD pada dinasti Han

Opsi C (salah)

Pada Abad 15

Opsi D (salah)

Pada periode Renaisans

Materi Reading

Nomor 43.

Soal Euclid (flourished c. 300 bce, Alexandria, Egypt) was the most
prominent mathematician of Greco-Roman antiquity, best known for his treatise
on geometry, the Elements. Of Euclid’s life nothing is known except what the
Greek philosopher Proclus (c. 410–485 CE) reports in his “summary” of famous
Greek mathematicians. According to him, Euclid taught at Alexandria in the time
of Ptolemy I Soter, who reigned over Egypt from 323 to 285 BC. Medieval
translators and editors often confused him with the philosopher Eukleides of
Megara, a contemporary of Plato about a century before, and therefore called
him Megarensis. Proclus supported his date for Euclid by writing “Ptolemy once
asked Euclid if there was not a shorter road to geometry than through the
Elements, and Euclid replied that there was no royal road to geometry.” Today
few historians challenge the consensus that Euclid was older than Archimedes
(c. 290–212/211 BCE).

Almost from its writing, the Elements exerted a continuous and major
influence on human affairs. It was the primary source of geometric reasoning,
theorems, and methods at least until the advent of non-Euclidean geometry in
the 19th century. It is sometimes said that other than the Bible, the Elements
are the most translated, published, and studied of all the books produced in the
Western world. Euclid may not have been a first-class mathematician, but he
set a standard for deductive reasoning and geometric instruction that persisted,
practically unchanged, for more than 2,000 years.

Source: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Euclid-Greek-mathematician
 “... According to him, Euclid taught at Alexandria in the time of Ptolemy I Soter,
who reigned over Egypt from 323 to 285 BC“

The underlined word refers to …

A. Euclid

B. Proclus

C. Ptolemy I Soter

D. Eukleides of Megara

Pembahasan Jawaban: Opsi B

Untuk menemukan kata yang dirujuk, kita bisa melihat ke

kalimat sebelumnya hingga kita menemukan mana yang cocok
dengan kata ganti yang dimaksud dan benar sesuai konteks.
Opsi yang benar adalah Opsi B yaitu Proclus karena sebelum
kalimat pada soal, terdapat kalimat … Greek philosopher
Proclus (c. 410–485 CE) reports in his “summary” of famous
Greek mathematicians … (Filsuf Yunani bernama Proclus
(sekitar 410-485 Era Umum) melaporkan dalam
“rangkumannya” tentang ahli Matematika Yunani yang
terkenal). Oleh karena itu, According to him (Menurutnya)
merujuk pada Proclus.

Opsi A yaitu Euclid tidak tepat karena dia adalah salah

satu ahli Matematika terkenal dari Yunani yang
dimaksud.
Opsi C yaitu Ptolemy I Soter tidak tepat karena dia
adalah jenderal yang memerintah pada masa Euclid
mengajar di Alexandria, bukanlah orang yang
melaporkan mengenai Euclid.
Opsi D yaitu Eukleides of Megara tidak tepat karena
meskipun dia ada di teks, dia muncul setelah kalimat
yang ada pada soal sehingga kata him pada soal tidak
merujuk padanya.

Materi Reading

Nomor 44.

Soal Algae is a primitive form of life, a single-celled or simple multiple-celled organism that
is able to conduct the process of photosynthesis. It is generally found in water but can
also be found elsewhere, growing on such surfaces as rocks or trees. The various types
of algae are classified according to their pigmentation, or coloration.
 Blue-green algae, or Cyanophyta, can grow at very high temperatures and under high-
intensity light. This is a microscopic type of algae, and some species consist of only one
cell. Blue-gree algae is the oldest form of life with photosynthetic capabilities, and
fossilized remains of this type of algae more than 3.4 billion years old have been found
in parts of Africa.

Green algae, or Chlorophyta, is generally found in fresh water. It reproduces on the

surfaces of enclosed bodies of water such as ponds or lakes and has the appearance
of a fuzzy green coating on the water. In large quantities, this type of algae may
reproduce enough to give a green color to an entire lake.

Brown algae, or Phacophyta, grows in shallow, temperate water. This type of algae is
the largest in size and is most recognizable as a type of seaweed; kelp is a type of
brown algae that has grown to lengths of up to 200 feet. Its long stalks can be
enmeshed on the ocean floor, or it can float freely on the ocean's surface.

Red algae, or Rhodophyta, is a small, delicate organism found in the deep waters of
the subtropics, where it often grows with coral. This type of algae has an essential role
in the formation of coral reefs: it secretes lime from the seawater to foster the formation
of limestone deposits.

(taken from: Longman Preparation Course for the TOEFL Test The Paper test)

Which of the following is NOT true about algae?

A. All types have only one cell.

B. It can be found out of water.
C. It can use photosynthesis.
D. It is not a relatively new form of life.

Pembahasan Untuk menjawab tipe soal seperti ini, kita harus mencocokan pilihan
dengan teks menggunakan Teknik skimming dan scanning. Mari kita
lihat pilihannya.

-Jawaban A tepat karena pernyataan tentang semua jenis algae

hanya punya satu sel terbantahkan melalui pernyataan di kalimat
utama paragraf pertama melalui…’single-celled or simple
multiple-celled organism’ sehingga jawaban A tepat.
-Jawaban B tidak tepat karena pernyataan ini bisa ditemukan di
paragraf pertama kalimat kedua.
-Jawaban C tidak tepat karena pernyataan ini bisa ditemukan di
paragraph kedua kalimat ketiga.
-Jawaban D tidak tepat karena pernyataan ini menunjukkan bahwa
algae bukan merupakan jenis bentuk baru makhluk hidup dan
pernyataan ini bisa ditemukan di paragraf pertama kalimat
pertama.

Materi Reading
 Nomor 45.

Soal The rate at which the universe is expanding is called the Hubble constant,
named after astronomer Edwin Hubble, who, with Milton Humason, showed
convincingly that the velocity with which a galaxy was moving away from Earth
was proportional to its distance. That is, velocity = Hubble constant × distance.
Rearranging this equation gives Hubble constant = velocity ÷ distance, so the
Hubble constant is expressed in units of kilometers per second (km/s) per
megaparsec (Mpc), where a megaparsec is 3.26 million light-years.

So what is this constant? How fast is the universe expanding? In 1929 Hubble
got a value of about 500 km/s/Mpc. Much more accurate measurements
dropped this to about 100 km/s/Mpc by about 1960, but the astronomical
community became divided into two camps, one championing 100 km/s/Mpc
and the other at 50 km/s/Mpc. Solving this problem became one of the key
projects of the Hubble Space Telescope (HST), and in 2001 the HST
astronomers came to the conclusion of 72 km/s/Mpc.

Astronomers were finally happy, but their joy lasted only a few years. Recent
accurate measurements of the cosmic microwave background give values of
about 68 km/s/Mpc, while measurements using observations like that done by
HST still give values of about 72 km/s/Mpc. This disagreement has been called
the “Hubble tension” and has not yet been resolved.

Source: https://www.britannica.com/story/how-fast-is-the-universe-expanding

"The velocity with which a galaxy was moving away from Earth was proportional
to its distance” The underlined word has the closest meaning to?

A. Equal
B. Constant
C. Appropriate
D. Correct

Pembahasan Jawaban: Opsi A

Kata proportional dalam kalimat diatas dapat diartikan dengan

sebanding maka dari itu jawaban yang benar adalah A equal
yang berarti setara

Opsi B berarti tetap/konsisten

Opsi C berarti sesuai/cocok
Opsi D berarti benar
Materi Reading