GRADE 12 - READING COMPREHENSION 3

Exercise 1: Read the following passage about the rise of robots and mark the
letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the best answer to each
of the following questions.
[I]As kids, our grandparents frequently scared us by talking about how difficult
life was when they were growing up. [II] .They mentioned walking miles to school in
the snow or doing hours of manual labour for little pay [III] . In fact, with the help of
robots, we soon might have to do much at all. But is this a good thing? [IV]
By 2030, it’s estimated that robotics will be a $10 billion business worldwide.
Companies are already starting to integrate them into the workforce. The electronics
manufacturer Foxconn is drawing up plans to launch a factory within the next 10 years
that’s completely staffed by robot workers. Meanwhile, an American company Briggo
has invented a robot that serves gourmet-quality coffee to customers. With the push of
a button, it will crush coffee beans, measure exact quantities of water, and even wave
a steam wand to ensure customers get the perfect cream on top. Unlike human
baristas, it can serve multiple drinks at once and work all day and night without a
break.
Robots are also invading our homes. The Roomba is a mini-robot that vacuums
rooms automatically according to a schedule. The Robomow is a device that will cut
the grass for you while you sit in the shade. Then there’s the Nanda Clocky, an alarm
clock that makes sure that even the deepest sleepers get up on time. The clock is
attached to a pair of wheels and will randomly move around the room. Once you finally
catch it, you’re probably too awake to hit the snooze button.
Although these early home robots are somewhat basic, they will likely become
more capable as time goes on. Although robots certainly help us to eliminate tedious
tasks, many people are concerned about a future filled with robots. Some fear that
humanity will start to decline if machines do everything for us. Others have even
warned about the robot rebellion, in which robots become so smart that they may
decide to turn on their masters. These ideas may seem a bit far-fetched, but
there are certainly lots of questions that need to be answered before
everyone opens up to the idea of a robotic future.
(Adapted from Developing skills for the TOEFL Ibt
intermediate)
Question 1: Where in paragraph 1 does the following sentence best fit?
Life has changed greatly since then, and it seems to get easier year by
year.
A. [I] B. [II] C. [III] D. [IV]
Question 2: The phrase with the help of in paragraph 1 could be best replaced by
_______.
A. in spite of B. in addition to C. along with D. assisted by
Question 3: What does the word it in paragraph 2 refer to ________.
A. the robot B. the button C. the coffee D. the factory
Question 4: According to paragraph 2, which of the following is NOT an advantage of
robots?
A. they can work without breaks B. they can serve multiple drinks
at once
C. they can create jobs for humans D. they can perform tasks efficiently
Question 5: Which of the following best summarises paragraph 3?
A. Home robots are increasingly capable, providing convenience for daily chores.
B. Early home robots are not yet efficient and require human intervention.
C. Advanced robots are essential for modern life, reducing the need for human effort.
D. The effectiveness of robots in homes varies based on their design and function.
Question 6: The word far-fetched in paragraph 4 is OPPOSITE in meaning to _______.
A. exaggerated B. rational C. believable D.
creative
Question 7: Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A. Robots are expected to eliminate all human jobs by 2030.
B. The concerns about robots mainly revolve around their potential for rebellion.
C. All robots currently in use are highly advanced and efficient.
D. Many people welcome the idea of robots taking over daily tasks.
Question 8: Which of the following best paraphrases the underlined sentence in
paragraph 4?
A. While the idea of a robotic future may seem strange, it deserves serious
consideration.
B. Although many fears about robots are exaggerated, they raise important questions.
C. The possibility of robots turning against humans is unlikely but worth discussing.
D. It is important to explore concerns regarding the increasing presence of robots in
our lives.
Question 9: Which of the following can be inferred from the passage?
A. The integration of robots will lead to significant job losses across all sectors.
B. Robots may improve efficiency but could lead to ethical dilemmas in society.
C. Human creativity will thrive in an automated world, as machines handle tasks.
D. People will likely accept robots as essential helpers in the near future.
Question 10: Which of the following best summarises the passage?
A. The rise of robots is inevitable, promising efficiency but also raising significant
concerns about human dependency.
B. With the expected growth in robotics, society needs to prepare for the changes in
workforce dynamics and daily living.
C. The future of robotics holds great potential for enhancing daily life, but it is essential
to consider the possible repercussions on humanity.
D. As robots take over more tasks, there are both advantages and challenges that
society must face in adapting to this change.
Exercise 2: Read the following passage about the rise of robots and mark the
letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the best answer to each
of the following questions.
[I] Go is a game that has been around for 3000 years. It is widely accepted as
the most challenging strategy game that exists. [II] It takes years of playing for
several hours every day to master the game. In other words, even though it has simple
rules, it is not a simple game to excel at. Surprise! DeepMind managed to create a
machine that could master the game, without being programmed with explicit rules
and without being taught by a professional Go player.[III]. At its core, it learned like a
human learns, by looking at the board, evaluating the options, making moves, and
learning from mistakes - it just did it a lot faster than any human can. [IV]
This is extremely exciting because, at its core, what it means is that computer
scientists have had all the tools they needed to do this for years. Neural networks
have been known about and discussed since the middle of the last century. All it really
took was simply getting creative with them, applying them in new ways. AlphaGo
beating the world's best Go player proves that AI has the potential to do anything. It
can learn anything and understand anything, and from that learning and
understanding it can accomplish what humans can accomplish in a much shorter
period of time.
You're probably wondering what this all means. We're much closer to the dream
of an AI best friend than most of us would have dared to imagine a few years ago.
AlphaGo can learn the most complex, intuition and creativity-based logic
game known to man and it didn't do so through a finite database or search
trees alone. It learned from practice and experience, just like we do, and the ability
to create amazing new solutions to ancient puzzles suggests a realm of digital
creativity never before fathomed. AlphaGo is not like other game-playing AIs that have
come before it. It is the future of intelligent and intuitive machines, one that we plan to
turn toward more than just board games. From practical applications to that friend
you've been hoping for, AlphaGo is sure to be the first of a new generation of self-
learning intuitive AIs that go above and beyond the limited calculating capacities of its
older siblings and contemporaries. The AI winter is over.
(Adapted from
https://medium.com)
Question 1: Where in paragraph 1 does the following sentence best fit?
AlphaGo mainly played against itself and learned from this self-
play
A. [I] B. [II] C. [III] D. [IV]
Question 2: The phrase explicit in paragraph 2 could be best replaced by _______.
A. graphic B. specific C. implicit D. positive
Question 3: The word they in paragraph 2 refers to _______.
A. tools B. ways C. neural networks D. scientists
Question 4: According to paragraph 2, which of the following is NOT mentioned as a
characteristic of AlphaGo?
A. It learned by playing against itself. B. It was programmed with specific
rules.
C. It can accomplish tasks faster than humans. D. It understands complex logic.
Question 5: Which of the following best summarises paragraph 3?
A. AlphaGo is a unique AI that learns like a human and can solve complex problems
creatively.
B. AlphaGo has limitations that make it less effective than human players.
C. The future of AI lies in games rather than practical applications.
D. AlphaGo has proven that traditional programming methods are sufficient for AI
development.
Question 6: The word realm in paragraph 3 is OPPOSITE in meaning to _______.
A. chaos B. sphere C. domain D. zone
Question 7: Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A. AlphaGo’s success was based solely on human training.
B. Neural networks have been utilized for decades in various fields.
C. The potential of AI is limited to gaming applications.
D. AlphaGo is just like previous AI systems used in games.
Question 8: Which of the following best paraphrases the underlined sentence in
paragraph 3?
A. AlphaGo's ability to create innovative solutions to old challenges indicates
unprecedented digital creativity.
B. AlphaGo can only solve simple puzzles and lacks true creativity.
C. The digital realm is not ready for creative AI solutions.
D. AlphaGo’s success suggests that traditional approaches to problem-solving are
outdated.
Question 9: Which of the following can be inferred from the passage?
A. AI will soon surpass human intelligence in all areas.
B. Future AI will not focus on games but on real-world applications.
C. AlphaGo represents a significant breakthrough in self-learning technology.
D. The complexity of Go makes it unsuitable for AI learning.
Question 10: Which of the following best summarises the passage?
A. The success of AlphaGo shows that AI can only excel in games and has little
relevance to other fields.
B. The development of AlphaGo highlights the importance of human instruction in AI
learning processes.
C. AI technology remains stagnant due to its inability to surpass human capabilities.
D. AlphaGo’s mastery of Go illustrates the potential of AI to learn and innovate,
marking a new era for intelligent machines beyond traditional limitations.
Exercise 3: Read the following passage about the rise of robots and mark the
letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the best answer to each
of the following questions.
 Since the early days of making movies, writers and directors have attempted to
bring popular and classic novels to the big screen. The movie industry seems to
believe that if the story made a great book, it should make a great movie as well.
However, that rarely seems to be the case. More often than not, a great book turns out
to be a mediocre movie in the opinion of most viewers.
Over the past century, there have only been a handful of movies that have
fulfilled the ambition of turning the great book into a great movie. Lovers of the
historical novel, Gone with the Wind, continue to be swept away by the movie
adaptation starring Clark Gable and Vivien Leigh. Science fiction readers as well as
movie critics both hail Stanley Kubrick’s film, 2001: A Space Odyssey, which was co-
written by Kubrick with the novel’s author Arthur C. Clarke, as a masterpiece.
On the other hand, there have been instances when not-so-great novels have
been transformed into great movies. Mario Puzo’s The Godfather was quite popular
at the time of its release as a novel, but critics hailed it more for its entertainment
value than for its value as literature. The film adaptation of this popular novel,
however, continues to be listed among the top ten greatest movies of all time.
Likewise, the science fiction short story “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?” did
not set the science fiction genre on fire when it came out. The movie version, though,
made a much bigger impact in its medium.
Are there any books that are simply impossible to film? Although
filmmakers would like to think not, it is a good bet that certain books will never be
adapted into successful films. Books written in unique literary styles such as Ulysses
by James Joyce and The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner have resisted film
adaptation to rival the greatness of the books.
Question 1: Which of the following is NOT mentioned as a successful movie
adaptation?
A. Gone with the Wind B. 2001: A Space Odyssey C. The Godfather D.
Moby Dick
Question 2: The word mediocre in paragraph 1 is OPPOSITE in meaning to _______.
A. average B. excellent C. poor D. typical
Question 3: The word instance in paragraph 3 refers to _______.
A. a specific example B. a general idea C. a common belief D. a
successful story
Question 4: The word transformed in paragraph 3 could be best replaced by _______.
A. changed B. rejected C. analyzed D.
understood
Question 5: Which of the following best paraphrases the underlined sentence in
paragraph 4?
A. Filmmakers believe every book can be adapted.
B. Some books are too complex for film adaptation.
C. Certain books may never be adapted into films.
D. All books should eventually be made into movies.
Question 6: Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A. The Godfather was originally a poorly received novel.
B. Gone with the Wind has no movie adaptation.
C. Ulysses has been successfully adapted into a film.
D. Most adaptations of great books are considered mediocre.
Question 7: In which paragraph does the writer mention a common belief in the film
industry?
A. Paragraph 1 B. Paragraph 2 C. Paragraph 3 D. Paragraph 4
Question 8: In which paragraph does the writer discuss the challenges of adapting
unique literary styles?
A. Paragraph 1 B. Paragraph 2 C. Paragraph 3 D. Paragraph 4
Exercise 4: Read the following passage about the rise of robots and mark the
letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the best answer to each
of the following questions.
 Climate change poses major challenges to environmental stability, economic
growth, and human development in the East Asia and Pacific region. The region is
home to some of the most vulnerable countries in the world to climate-related
extreme weather events, and impacts such as sea level rise pose an existential
threat to many small island countries in the region. Without concerted action,
between 3.3 million and 7.5 million people could fall into poverty by 2030.
East Asia and the Pacific are also critical to global efforts to combat climate
change. The region accounts for 39 percent of the world's greenhouse gas emissions
and 60 percent of the world's coal consumption. The good news is that the region is
uniquely placed to act. All countries in the region have made pledges as part of the
Paris Agreement, and many of the largest economies of the region have recently made
ambitious commitments to reduce emissions and achieve carbon neutrality.
To face the existential climate crisis while still actively pursuing their
development goals, countries in the region must tackle several urgent
priorities: strengthening resilience to climate impacts; shifting rice cultivation
methods to protect food security and reduce emissions; protecting forests and natural
areas to act as carbon sinks and shield coastlines; transitioning to renewable energy
from fossil fuels; and finding innovative ways to finance that shift, and to create
markets for emissions.
The World Bank has been a longstanding partner for the region on climate
change—producing knowledge, collecting data, providing finance, and working
together with governments for significant actions that reduce greenhouse gas
emissions, improve climate resilience, and prepare for and respond to natural
disasters. In East Asia and the Pacific, 39 percent of new World Bank commitments in
fiscal year 2023—$2.9 billion—contributed to climate action.
Question 1: Which of the following is NOT mentioned as a challenge posed by climate
change?
A. Environmental stability B. Economic growth
C. Technological advancement D. Human development
Question 2: The phrase existential threat in paragraph 1 means _______.
A. A minor concern B. A fundamental danger C. An economic issue D. A
temporary problem
Question 3: The word vulnerable in paragraph 1 refers to countries that are _______.
A. Strong and powerful B. Resistant to change C. Wealthy and developed D.
Unable to adapt
Question 4: The term carbon neutrality in paragraph 2 means _______.
A. Producing more carbon than consumed B. Balancing carbon emissions with
carbon removal
C. Eliminating all carbon emissions D. Relying solely on fossil fuels
Question 5: Which of the following best paraphrases the underlined sentence in
paragraph 3?
A. Countries must prioritize developing renewable energy.
B. Countries should focus only on economic growth.
C. Countries are not allowed to pursue development goals.
D. Countries need to address multiple urgent climate issues.
Question 6: Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A. The World Bank has committed $2.9 billion to climate action.
B. Climate change has no impact on the economy.
C. All countries in the region are not participating in the Paris Agreement.
D. Small island countries are less affected by sea level rise.
Question 7: In which paragraph does the writer mention the role of international
agreements?
A. Paragraph 1 B. Paragraph 2 C. Paragraph 3 D. Paragraph 4
Question 8: In which paragraph does the writer explore the financial aspects of
combating climate change?
A. Paragraph 1 B. Paragraph 2 C. Paragraph 3 D. Paragraph 4