THE WORD “ENDEAVOR” IN BOLD IS CLOSEST IN MEANING TO A. ACTIVITY...
10. The word “endeavor” in bold is closest in meaning to
A. activity
B. acumen
C. adversity
D. aggression
Question 8. Read the article and choose the sentence A - G which best summarizes each paragraph
(1-5) of the article. (5points). Example: [0] F
A. An old problem with serious consequences
B. Two new approaches, but can they solve the problem?
C. Experts say 'Bring back maths!'
D. A potentially tragic error
E. Old methods are no longer satisfactory
F. We couldn't live without them
G. But they are here to stay
[0] ______
Our lives depend on computers. They control our money, transport, our exam results. Yet their
programs are now so complex that no one can get rid of all the mistakes. Life without computers has become
unimaginable. They are designed to look after so many boring but essential tasks - from microwave cooking to
flying across the Atlantic - that we have become dependent on them.
[1] _______
But as the demands placed on computers grow, so have the number of incidents involving computer
errors. Now computer experts are warning that the traditional ways of building computer systems are just not
good enough to deal with complex tasks like flying planes or maintaining nuclear power stations. It is only a
matter of time before a computer-made catastrophe occurs.
[2] _______
As early as 1889, a word entered the language that was to become all too familiar to computer
scientists: a 'bug', meaning a mistake. For decades bugs and 'de-bugging' were taken to be part of every
computer engineer's job. Everyone accepted that there would always be some mistakes in any new system.
But 'safety critical' systems that fly planes, drive trains or control nuclear power stations can have bugs that
could kill. This is obviously unacceptable.
[3] _______
One way to stop bugs in computer systems is to get different teams of programmers to work in isolation
from each other. That way, runs the theory, they won't all make the same type of mistake when designing and
writing computer codes. In fact research shows that programmers think alike, have the same type of training -
and make similar mistakes. So even if they work separately, mistakes can still occur. Another technique is to
produce back up systems that start to operate when the first system fails. This has been used on everything
from the space shuttle to the A320 airbus, but unfortunately problems that cause one computer to fail can make
all the others fail, too.
[4] _______
A growing number of computer safety experts believe the time has come to stop trying to 'patch up'
computer systems. They say programmers have to learn to think clearly and to be able to demonstrate through
mathematical symbols that the program cannot go seriously wrong. Until programmers learn to do this, we will
probably just have to live with the results of computer bugs.
[5] _______
Of course, more often than not the errors are just annoying, but sometimes they can come close to
causing tragedies. On the Picadilly line in London's Underground a driver who was going south along a track
got confused while moving his empty train through a cross-over point. He started to head north straight at a
south-bound train full of people. The computerized signaling system failed to warn him of impeding disaster
and it was only his quick human reactions that prevented a crash.
Question 10. Read the passage and do the tasks that follow. (5 points)
A.
Besides the earth’s oceans, glacier ice is the largest source of water on earth. A glacier is a massive stream
or sheet of ice that moves underneath itself under the influence of gravity. Some glaciers travel down mountains
or valleys, while others spread across a large expanse of land. Heavily glaciated regions such as Greenland
and Antarctica are called continental glaciers. These two ice sheets encompass more than 95% of the
earth’s glacial ice. The Greenland ice sheet is almost 10,000 feet thick in some areas, and the weight of this
glacier is so heavy that much of the region has been depressed below sea level. Smaller glaciers that
occur at higher elevations are called alpine or valley glaciers. Another way of classifying glaciers is in terms
of their internal temperature. In temperate glaciers, the ice within the glacier is near its melting point.
Polar glaciers, in contrast, always maintain temperatures far below melting.
B.
The majority of the earth’s glaciers are located near the poles, though glaciers exist on all continents,
including Africa and Oceania. The reason glaciers are generally formed in high alpine regions is that they
require cold temperature throughout the year, in these areas where there is little opportunity for summer
ablation (loss of mass), snow changes to compacted firm and then crystallized ice. During periods in which
melting and evaporation exceed the amount of snowfall, glaciers will retreat rather than progress. While glaciers
rely heavily on snowfall, other climatic conditions including freezing rain, avalanches and wind, contribute to
their growth. One year of below average precipitation can stunt the growth of a glacier tremendously. With the
rare 7 exception of surging glaciers, a common glacier flows about 10 inches per day in the summer and 5
inches per day in the winter. The fastest glacial surge on record occurred in 1953, when the Kutiah Glacier in
Pakistan grew more than 12 kilometers in three months.
C.
The weight and pressure of ice accumulation causes glacier movement. Glaciers move out from under
themselves, via plastic deformation and basal slippage. First, the internal flow of ice crystals begins to spread
outward and downward from the thickened snow pack also known as the zone of accumulation. Next, the ice
along the ground surface begins to slip in the same direction. Seasonal thawing at the base of the glacier helps
to facilitate this slippage. The middle of a glacier moves faster than the sides and bottom because there is no
rock to cause friction. The upper part of a glacier rides on the ice below. As a glacier moves it carves out a U-
shaped valley to a riverbed, but with much steeper walls and flatter bottom.
D.
Besides the extraordinary rivers of ice, glacial erosion creates other unique physical features in the
landscape such as horns, fjords, hanging valleys, and cirques. Most of these landforms do not become
visible until after glaciers have receded. Many are created by moraines, which occur at the sides and front
of a glacier. Moraines are formed when material is picked up along the way and deposited in a new location.
When many alpine glaciers occur on the same mountain, these moraines can create a horn. The matter horn,
in the Swiss Alps is one of the most famous horns. Fjords, which are very common in Norway, are coastal
valleys that fill with ocean water during a glacial retreat. Hanging valleys occur when two or more glacial valleys
intersect at varying elevations. It is common for waterfalls to connect the higher and lower hanging
valleys, such as in Yosemite National Park. A cirque is a large bowl-shaped valley that forms at the
front of a glacier. Cirques often have a lip on their down slope that is deep enough to hold small lakes when
the ice melts away.
E.
Glacier movement and shape shifting typically occur over hundreds of years. While presently about 10%
of the earth land is covered with glaciers, it is believed that during the last Ice Age glaciers covered
approximately 32% of the earth’s surface. In the past century, most glaciers have been retreating rather
flowing forward. It is unknown whether this glacial activity is due to human impact or natural causes, but
by studying glacier movement, and comparing climate and agricultural profiles over hundreds of years,
glaciologists can begin to understand environmental issues such as global warming.
Choose the most suitable heading for each paragraph
V. Glaciers through the years
I. Glacial continents
II. Formation and growth of Glaciers
VI. Types of Glaciers
III. Glacial Movement
VII. Glacial Effects on Landscape
IV. Glaciers in the last Ice Age
VIII. Glaciers in National Parks