Soal TOEFL (Reading)

SECTION III

READING COMPREHENSION

50 QUESTIONS

55  MINUTES

QUESTION 1-12

It was supposed to be the moment europe grew muscles. Last fall, after a

decade of work to simplify policy making and make the european union more

efficient at home and stronger abroad, the last few holdouts signed a 1,000

page document known as the lisbon treaty. In november, the E.U.’s first real

president and foreign minister were chosen. Europhiles dusted off their familiar

dream: of a newly emboldened world power stepping up to calm trouble spots,

using aid and and persuasion where it could, but prepared to send in troops when

it had to. Brussels would lead the fight against climate change. And europe’s

economies would prove to the ruthless free markets of north america and asia

that the social market still offers the best way out of an economic crunch.

The dream didn’t last a month. At the climate change conference in copenhagen

In december, it was China and the U.S who haggled over the final deal, while

Europe sat on the sidelines. Instead of a foreign policy triumph, 2010 began

With an unseemly squabble over whether or not to bail out greece, whose

Debt has dragged down Europe’s currency. At the same time, U.S president

Barack Obama announced he would be skipping an E.S-U.S confab in

Spain in may, frustrated, it appeared, with the endless summitry that goes

With accommodating the E.U little wonder that Europe finds itself in one of its

Periodic bouts of angst-ridden self-doubt. And little wonder that the rest of the

World is asking questions: what does Europe stand for? Where does it fit into

A world that seems set to be dominated ny China and the U.S ? would anyone

notice if it disappeared ?

let’s get one thing straight: Europe is a remarkably good place to live. Many

of the E.U’s member states are among the richest in the world. Workers in

Europe usually enjoy long vocations, generous materity leave and comfortable

Pension schemes. Universal health insurance is seen as part of the basic social

Contract. Europe is politically stable, the most generous donor of development

Aid in the world. Sure, taxes can be high, but most europeans seem happy to

Pay more to the state in return for a higher-and guaranteed-quality of life.

“The E.U offers an attractive social, economic and political model,” charles

Grant, director of the London-based think tank centre for european reform,

Argued last year. “it is more stable, safe, green and culturally diverse than most

Parts of the world, which is why neighbors want to join and many migrants aim

For europe”.

1.      What is the purpose of the lisbon treaty?

A.    To grew muscles for Europe

B.     To simplify work

C.     To simplify policymaking and make the European Union more efficient at home and stronger abroad

D.    To sign a 1,000-page document

2.      What does the word “Europhile” in line 5 refer to?

A.    People who are obsessed with Europe

B.     People who despise Europe

C.     European people

D.    European government

3.      What is the closest meaning “to dust off” in line 5?

A.    To make it dusty

B.     To forget

C.     To get rid of

D.    To clean dust

4.      Which was not the familiar dream of the Europhiles?

A.    Be a new emboldened world power

B.     Using aid and persuasion but prepared to send troops

C.     Be the ruthless free markets of north america and asia

D.    Give in to economic crunch

5.      Why did the author thick that the familiar european dream did not last?

A.    Because it was europe who haggled a final deal at the climate change conference

B.     Because europe did not sit at the sidelines at the climate change conference

C.     Becuse 2010 began with unseemly squabble over to bail out grecee’s debt

D.    Because barrack obama announced he would be at an EU-US confab in spain

6.      What does greece contribute to the failure of the familiar dream of  europhiles?

A.    It is skipping a confab in spain

B.     It is frustrated with the endless summitry

C.     Its debt has dragged down currency

D.    It does not accomodating europe

7.      What does the word “its” in line 16 refer to?

A.    Europe

B.     Barrack obama

C.     European familiar dream

D.    China

8.      According to the passage what how the failure of european dreams effecting europe?

A.    Europe finds itself in one of periodic bouts of frustrated

B.     Europe finds itself in one of periodic bouts of angst-ridden and self-doubt

C.     Europe does not know what it stands for

D.    Europe would be disappesr and no one would notice

9.      Which is the following is not one of the factors of why europe is considered as a remarkably good place to live?

A.    Generous maternity leave

B.     Good health insurance

C.     Comfortable pension schemes

D.    High taxes

10.  Why does the europeans are happy to pay high taxes?

A.    Because they get higher quality of life in return

B.     Because they have good pension schemes

C.     Because they are among the richest in the world

D.    Because they get health insurance

11.  According to charles grant, why do many migrants aim for europe?

A.    Because the E.U offers an attractive social, economic, and political model

B.     Because life are more guaranteed in europe compared to any place

C.     Because it is more stable, safe, green, and culturally diverse than most parts of the world

D.    Because europe is a remarkably good place to live

12.  What is the most suitable title for the passage?

A.    Europe as the center of worlds affair

B.     Europe is going down but its okay

C.     Europe is sinking further

D.    Europe grows its muscles

QUESTION 13-22

Even in these daya of partisan rancor, there is a bipartisan consensus on

the high value of postsecondary education. That more people should go to

college is usually taken as a given. In his state of the union address last

month, president obama echoed the words of countless high school guidance

counselors around the country: “In this economy, a high school diploma no

longer guarantees a good job.” Virginia governor bob McDonnell, who gave

the republican response, concurred: “all americans agree that a young person

needs a world-class education to complete in the global economy.”

The statistics seem to bear him out. People wilt college degrees make a lot

more than peoplewithout them, and that difference has been growing. But

does that mean that we should help more kids go to college – or that we

should make it easier for people who didn’t go to college to make a living? We

may be close to maxing out on the first strategy. Our high college drop-out rate

40% of kids who enroll in college don’t get a degree within 6 years – may

be a sign that we’re trying to push too many people who aren’t suited for college

to enroll. It has been estimated that, in 2007, most people in their 20s who had

college degrees were not in jobs that required them: another sign that we are

pushing kids into college who will not get much out of it but debt.

The benefits of putting more people in college are also oversold. Part of the

college wage premium is an illusion. People who go to college are, on average,

smarter than people who don’t. In an economy that increasingly rewards

intelligence, you’d expect college grads to pull ahead of the pack even if their

diplomas signified nothing but their smarts. College must make many students

more productive workers. But al least some of the apparent value of a college

degree, and maybe a lot of it, reflects the fact that employers can use it as a

rough measure of  job applicants intelligence and willingness to work hard.

13.  Why does higher education is not something “take as given” anymore?

A.    Because bipartisan consensus on the high value of postsecondary education

B.     Because the country leaders stated that it is crucial to compete in global economy

C.     Because the country’s economy is getting better

D.    Because both republican and democrats needs a world-class education

14.  What is the closest meaning to the word “rancor” in line 1?

A.    anxiety

B.     sadness

C.     anger

D.    bitterness

15.  what does the word “this” in line 5 refer to?

A.    USA economy

B.     Bad economy

C.     Competing economy

D.    Global economy

16.  Since people with college degree make more living, how does the USA government should response to the fact according to the author?

A.    Send more young people to college

B.     Broaden scholarships opportunities

C.     Help people who don’t go to college make a living

D.    Reform education curriculums

17.  What does “first strategy” in line 12-13 refer to?

A.    Send more young people to college

B.     Broaden scholarships opportunities

C.     Help people who don’t go to college make a living

D.    Reform education curriculums

18.  What is the closest meaning to the phrase “maxing out” in line 12?

A.    Optimize

B.     Strengthen

C.     Weaken

D.    Make better

19.  How is the “first strategy” working out?

A.    Not very well

B.     Excellent

C.     Remarkably

D.    Good

20.  What is the impact of sending more people to college?

A.    40% of the students dropped out

B.     40% hardly finish their college

C.     40% of the students did not pay their debt

D.    40% of the students hardly make a living

21.  What seems to be the problem with college graduates?

A.    They pull ahead of their pack

B.     Their diploma signified nothing but their smarts

C.     Many students are more productive workers

D.    Some of the apparent value reflects intelligence

22.  According to the passage, what des college degree function  at the very least?

A.    Signified nothing but people’s amart

B.     Shows that they are productive workers

C.     A rough measure of intelligence and willingness

D.    As an apparent value

QUESTION 23-30

The destination you have dialed does not exist

It is jan, 9, 2005. I have spend 2 weeks in Thailand reporting on a tsunami that

Has transformed its famous beach resorts into corpse-strewn ruins. One night,

Exhausted, my clothes reeking of death, I try calling a colleague in the hard hit

Indonesian province of aceh. I simply misdial, but the recorded message gives

me chills : “the destination you have dialed...”

Aceh did exist, of course, but with 166,000 dead or missing it had borne the burnt

Of the Indian Ocean tsunami, triggered by a 9.15 magnitude earthquake off the

Indonesian coast on Dec. 26, 2004. It was a truly international catastrophe :

The tsunami struck 13 countries, kiling 226,000 people of 40 nationalities. Five

Years later, a first time visitor to the worst affected countries indonesia, india,

Sri langka and thailand might find the wave’s terrible path hard to detect,

Thanks to a multinational, multi billion dollar reconstruction effort. Across aceh,

Thousand of houses were built with foreign aid in what were once wastelands.

In banda aceh, the provincial capital, new homes surround a 2,600 ton ship

Pushed a mile inland by the tsunami. It is now a tourist attraction.

When I traveled to aceh in 2005, 3 weeks after the wave struck, some 3,000

Bodies were still being pulled from the rubble every day. Most aid workers and

Journalists saw more dead in their first few days than in a life time of conflicts

And emergencies, yet in was the living who haunted us. I will never forget a

Gaunt, dignified acehnese woman called Lisdiana, who was combing the debris

 For any trace of her 4 year old nephew Azeel. She had dreamed he was still

alive. “he’s a very handsome boy” she told me, “with skin as white as yours”

did she find Azeel? Probably not. The missing stayed missing, the dead stayed dead.

23.  What does the narrator do in thailand?

A.    Reporting on a tsunami

B.     On a vacation in famous beach resort

C.     Trying to call a colleague

D.    In transit to hard it indonesian province of aceh

24.  Why does the destination the narrator dialed does not exist?

A.    Because the narrator dialed the wrong number

B.     Because after tsunami hit aceh, phone numbers that once existed are no longer exist

C.     Because of telecommunication failure

D.    Because the number has been changed

25.  What is the closest meaning to “reeking of death” in line 3?

A.    Smell of death

B.     Full of death

C.     Remind of death

D.    Memory of death

26.  How many victims did the tsunami take?

A.    166,000 lives

B.     226,000 lives

C.     13 countries

D.    40 nationalities

27.  What had become of the new homes that surround a 2,600 ton ship pushed a mile inland by the tsunami?

A.    A wasteland

B.     The wave’s terrible path

C.     A multi billion dollar reconstruction effort

D.    A tourist attraction

28.  According to the narrator what was more haunting than the dead victims?

A.    The tsunami itself

B.     The conflicts and emergencies

C.     The living victims

D.    A woman named lisdiana

29.  Who is Azeel?

A.    A journalist

B.     A 4 year old boy who was missing

C.     An acehnese woman

D.    The narrator’s nephew

30.  What is the tone of the passage?

A.    Happy

B.     Solemn

C.     Deeply concerned

D.    Oblivious

QUESTION 31-40

Its hard to get too worked up about dust. Yes, its a nuisance, but its hardly

One that causes us much anxiety and our language itself suggests as much.

We call those clumps of the stuff under the bed dust bunniesafter all, not,

say, dust vermin. But there’s a higher ick factor to dust than you might think.

And there’s a science to how it gets around a science that David Layton

and PalomaBeamer, professors of environmental policy at the university

of arizona, are exploring. Layton and Beamer, whose latest study has been

accepted for all publication in the journal Environmental science & Technology,

knew a lot about their subject even before they set to work. Historically,

everyone from chemists to homemakers has tried to figure out just what dust it

made of, and the arizona researchers drew their preliminary data mostly from

2 studies of household dust conducted in the netherlands and the U.S the

American survey in particular was a big one, covering 6 midwestern states.

Layton and Beamer also included a localized study in sacramento, Claif., that

Focused particulary on lead contamination. What all those surveys showed was

Decidedly unappetizing.

The specificdust mix in any household differs according to climate, age of the

House and the number of people who live in it not to mention the occupants’

Cooking, cleaning and smoking habits. But nearly everywhere, dust consists

Of some combination of shed bits of human skin, animal fur, decomposing

Insects, food debris, lint and organic fibers from clothes, bedding and other

Fabrics, tracked in soil, soot, particulate matter from smoking and cooking,

And disturbingly, lead, arsenic and even DDT. “there are more [components]”

Beamer says. “dust in a hodgepodge of all shorts of things. It would probably be

Impossible to make a list of all the possible items. “but dust’s ingredient label

Is not the whole story, since all of those flecks and bits behave differently and

Presentdifferent levels of health risk. To investigate those factors more closely

Layton and Beamer developed a computer algorithm that looked at the size,

Source and toxicity of dust particles as well as how easily they enter the house,

If they ever exit and if so, by what route. That information, by extension can

provide at least a rough sense of the dust load in your own home.

31.  What does the passage mainly discuss?

A.    The danger of dust

B.     The origin of dust

C.     The ingridient of dust

D.    The household dust and what is in it

32.  What does the word “vermin” in line 3 refer to?

A.    Disease

B.     Parasitic insects

C.     Destructive animals

D.    Termites

33.  What does the author mean with “ick factor” in line 4?

A.    Disgusting factor

B.     Worse factor

C.     Impecable factor

D.    Responsible factor

34.  What did Layton and Paloma’s research resulting?

A.    Ick factors to dust you might think

B.     Environmental policy

C.     Preliminary data from 2 studies of household dust

D.    Lead contamination of dust

35.  What is the closest meaning to the word “preliminary” in line 10?

A.    Preparation

B.     Initial

C.     Beginning

D.    Original

36.  What does not included in the factors contributing to the dust mix?

A.    Climate change

B.     Cleaning habit

C.     The number of people live in the household

D.    House construction

37.  What is the closest meaning to the word “hodgepodge” in line 23?

A.    Ingridient

B.     Items

C.     Mixture

D.    Components

38.  According to the passage, what does not included in dust components?

A.    Bits of human skin, animal fur, decomposing insects

B.     Food debris, lint and organic fibers from clothes, bedding and other fabrics

C.     Tracked in soil, soot, particulate matter from smoking and cooking

D.    Arsenic and nicotine

39.  How did the researchers discover that dust present different levels of health risk?

A.    The researchers investigate the ick factor more closely

B.     By making list of possible items contained in household dust

C.     The researchers finds the flecks and bits of dust behave differently

D.    By developing a computer algorithm

40.  What does the computer algorithm developed by Layton and Beamer function?

A.    To count the mass of household dust

B.     To investigate possible disease the household dust carries

C.     To look at the size, source and toxicity of dust particles

D.    To provide a rough sense of the household dust

QUESTION 41-50

At a time when american society was racing through change like a reckless

teenager, feminism had sputtered and stalled. Women’s average wages had

actually fallen relative to men’s; there were fewer women in the top ranks of civil

service (under 2%) than there were 4 years before. No woman had served

in the cabinet since the eisenhower administration; there were no female FBI

agents or network news anchors or supreme court justices. The nation’s

campuses were busy husting a social revolt, yet harvard’s tenured faculty of

421 included only 6 woman. Of the museum of modern art’s 1,000 one man

shows over the previous 40 years, 5 were by woman. Headhunters lamented

that it was easier to put a man on the moon than a woman in a corner office.

“there is no movement” complained an activist who resigned her leadership

position in the national organization for woman 2 years after it was founded.

“movement means going someplace , and the movement is not going any where.

It has’nt accomplished anything.” That was cranky exaggeration; many changes

were felt more than seen, a shift in hopes and expectations that cracked the

foundations of patriarchy. “in terms of real power economic and political

we are still just beginning”. Gloria steinem admitted. “but the consciousness,

the awarenessthat will never be the same.

So its worth stopping to look at what happened while we were busy ending the 

cold war and building a multicultural society and enjoying the longest economic

expansion in history. In the slow motion fumblings of family life, it was easy just

to keep going along, mark the milestones, measure the kids on the kitchen

door and miss the movement. In 1972 only 7% of students playing high school

sports were girls; now the number is 6 times as high. The female dropout rate

has fallen in half. College campuses used to be almost 60-40 male; now the

ratio has reversed, and close to half of law and medical degrees go to woman

and 2 of the 3 network anchors soon will be; 3 of the 4 most recent

secretaries of state have been women. 3 are more than 145 foundations

designed to empower women around the world, in the belief that this is the

greatest possible weapon againts poverty and disease; there was only one

major foundation (the Ms. Foundation) for women in 1972. For the first time,

5 women have won nobel prizes in the same year (for medicine, chemistry,

economics and literature). We just came through an election year in which

Hillary clinton, Sarah palin, Tina fey and Katie couric were lead players, not

the supporting cast. And the president of the US was raised by a

single mother and married a lawyer who outranked and outearned him.

41.  What is the passage’s main topic?

A.    Achievements of feminism in USA

B.     The rise of feminism in USA

C.     The downfall of patriarchy in USA

D.    Development of woman emancipation in USA

42.  What does the phrase “a reckless teenager” in line 1 represent?

A.    Racing changes in american society

B.     The sputteres and stallen feminism

C.     The falling of women wages compare to that of men’s

D.    The absence of women in einshower administration

43.  What did the headhunters et einshower time lament about?

A.    The nation’s campuses were busy hosting a social revolt

B.     Low number of working women

C.     It was difficult to put a woman in a corner office

D.    The absence of women movement

44.  What did Gloria steinem think about the situation then?

A.    That it was only a beginning, but the consciousness and awareness has changed

B.     that the consciousness and awareness will never be the same

C.     that hopes and expectations has cracked the foundation of patriarchy

D.    that woman movement hasn’t accomplish anything

45.  What is the closest meaning to “cranky exaggeration” in line 13?

A.    Overwhermingly sad

B.     Oversizing with upsetness

C.     Madly overthinking

D.    Rapidly suspecting

46.  What is the evidence of increasing consciousness and awareness mentioned in the passage?

A.    People are busy ending the cold war and building a multicultural society

B.     People are enjoying the longest economic expansion in history

C.     Only 7 female students playing high school sports in 1972

D.    College campuses used to be almost 60-40 male; now the ratio has reversed

47.  Which is not included as the indication of the developing awareness of women emancipation?

A.    Half the ivy league presidents are women

B.     Close to half law and medical degrees go to women

C.     More than 145 foundations designed to limit women around the world

D.    5 woman have won nobel prizes in the same year

48.  According to the author, who has become lead players in USA?

A.    Hillary clinton

B.     Tina fey

C.     Sarah palin

D.    Michelle obama

49.  What is the closest meaning to the word “outrank” in line 35?

A.    Outside of rank

B.     Out of rank

C.     Higher rank

D.    Lesser rank

50.  What is the most suitable title for the passage?

A.    A women’s revolution

B.     The rise of femininity

C.     The power of emancipation

D.    Development in emancipation