READ THE FOLLOWING PASSAGE CAREFULLY AND THEN CHOOSE THE BEST ANSWER TO THE QUESTIONS BY CIRCLING THE CORRESPONDING LETTER A, B, C, OR D
Questions 26-30: Read the following passage carefully and then choose the best answer to the questions
by circling the corresponding letter A, B, C, or D. Mark your answer on the answer sheet.
The planet Earth is 4,600 million years old. It is difficult for us to think about such an enormous length of
time because it has little meaning for us. We can, however, simplify the idea to make it more understandable.
We can compare the planet Earth to a person of forty-six years of age. Nothing is known about the first seven
years of this person’s life. Very little information exists about the middle period either. It was only at the age of
forty-two that the Earth began to flower.
Dinosaurs and great reptiles did not appear until one year ago, when the planet was forty five. Mammals
only arrived eight months ago. In the middle of last week, man-like apes became ape-like men and began to
communicate with each other. Last week, the Ice Age covered the Earth.
Modern man has only been around for four hours. During the last hour man discovered agriculture. The
Industrial Revolution and the rise of large cities began just sixty seconds ago.
During that short time, modern man has made a rubbish tip of the Earth. In one minute, he has increased his
numbers to terrible proportions and has caused the death of hundreds of species of animals. He has robbed and
destroyed the planet in his search for fuels. Now he stands, like a violent, spoiled child, delighted at the speed of
his rise to power, on the edge of the final mass destruction and of killing all the life which exists in the solar
system.
26. The passage tells us that _________________________________________________________.
A. a great deal is known about how the Earth was created. B. life on Earth began relatively recently.
C. more is known about the first part of the Earth’s life than the middle part.
D. scientists are well-informed about the middle part of the Earth’s life.
27. We are informed by the author that ________________________________________________.
A. the dinosaurs appeared during the middle period.
B. mammals and great reptiles both appeared at the same time.
C. there were more than forty five kinds of great reptiles.
D. ape-like men appeared before the last Ice Age.
28. The author is mainly interested in ____________________________________________.
A. the time when man first evolved from apes.
B. what has happened since the Industrial Revolution.
C. the effects of farming.
D. the period before the last Ice Age.
29. It would appear that the main danger ahead is that _______________________________.
A. man will destroy everything on Earth
B. man will use up all the fuels
C. there will be a population explosion
D. more species of animal may die out
30.The author’s general view of man seems to be that _________________________________.
A. he has no right to be so destructive
B. he has been the most successful animal
C. he will be able to control the environment D. he has learned a lot from past mistakes