Reading. Use of English 6

Read the text below. Choose the best answer (A, B, C, D) to questions 1-6.

Learning Experience

 My name is Jerry and I am a college student at Syracuse University. I am in my sophomore year and I am studying Business Administration. I like college so far and I’ve had mostly good experiences. One issue I did have last year was my roommate situation. I didn’t get along with him at all. It made for an interesting year.

 David Cohen was who I was assigned to live with my freshman year. Most colleges select your first year roommate for you. I guess it is part of the experience. Luckily, during the years that follow, students can pick their own person to live with. I could write an entire book about the things that bothered me about David, but spending that much time thinking about it is probably not a good idea. One major thing about David that I won’t forget is that he was always on his cell phone. In the freshman year dorms students are provided with a land line. Students of course bring their own cell phones, but the land lines were provided.   David was a fast talking, pushy and self-centered. He was always blabbing on his phone loudly at all hours of the night. Sometimes he would have his cell phone in one ear and the land line in the other. He eventually got a hands free device for his cell phone to make it easier. He would pace around the room shouting into both phones. It drove me crazy.

 By November of that year David’s parents realized that he was talking too much. His dad got the cell phone bill and it was astronomical. During the month of October David had run up a $400 bill. The total airtime used was 1400 minutes. This was way over his allotted minutes. His dad was furious. He limited David’s phone right away. They had a Family plan and it allowed the family members to talk to each other for free. David was now only able to call his mother or father. He was crushed for a little while, but he was back in action within a week. David sold all of his books and dropped a few classes. This gave him some cash to work with. He went out and bought his own cell phone. So his dad wouldn’t find out, he got a prepaid plan with another service provider. His late night talking started up again. I couldn’t get any sleep. Of course I asked him to quiet down, and not talk on the phone after 10, but he didn’t listen. 

 Eventually, David ran out of minutes on his pre-paid phone. He didn’t have any money left so he couldn’t get another. At this point I had thrown away the phone for the land line. I had my own cell phone and he couldn’t use it. The semester was coming to an end. David hadn’t done much school work at all so he failed out. The college wouldn’t let him come back.  During the spring semester I was assigned a new roommate. It worked out. This new guy was quiet and spent most of his time studying. I was in heaven! I guess that first semester was a learning experience for me. I’m just glad it is over!

1.In paragraph 1 the author states that he…   [A, B, C, D]

A wasn’t in good terms with his roommate

B always argued with his roommate

C was the best friend of his roommate

D always chatted with his roommate

2. According to the text most colleges…   [A, B, C, D]

A provide students with their own rooms

B are popular with the students

C choose roommates only once

D have a good experience with the freshmen

3. All of the following are mentioned in paragraph 2 EXEPT…   [A, B, C, D]

A David Cohen was always on his mobile phone

B David was always chatting on his phone loudly

C Sometimes he shouted into both phones

D he never used the land line

4. Which of the following is TRUE according to paragraph 3?   [A, B, C, D]

A David wasn’t able to call his parents for free

B David was made to have two cell phones

C Someone gave David some cash

D Dad found out about David’s second cell phone

5. The author of the article claims that…   [A, B, C, D]

A David couldn’t sleep

B he allowed David to use his cell phone

C annoying roommate was expelled from the University

D David didn’t talk on the phone after 10

6. It’s vivid from the last passage that…   [A, B, C, D]

A the first semester was interesting

B the author was happy at last

C a new roommate was as bad as the previous one

D the college let David come back

Read the texts below. Match choices (A-H) to (1-5). There are three choices you do not need to use.

1 ____________   [A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H]

Some people need total quiet, while others can study well with music in the background. The key is to find a comfortable place and study there regularly, such as a kitchen table, a desk, a favorite chair, a bed, etc.

2 _____________   [A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H]

Study a little every night instead of cramming late the night before the test. A good night’s sleep helps. Bleary eyes and a tired body do not.

3 _____________   [A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H]

In the department store aisles, there are boxes and boxes of binders, folders and organizational tools. For every class, prepare a binder, a folder or a notebook. There should be a place for class notes, handouts and homework assignments. Some of the larger binders can accommodate all classes. It is really a matter of personal choice; just keep papers separated by class.

4 _____________   [A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H]

One great way to study is to make a list of the important information from a chapter and write it in your own words. Copy down any words that are written in bold or in italics. Look at chapter headings, section headings and review sections at the end of a chapter for other important information to add to your study guide. Merge this information with class notes.

5 ____________   [A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H]

Studying takes time and effort. Get organized, ask for help and put forth effort into improving your study habits now. The lessons taught in middle school are building blocks for high school and college. Starting good study habits now will help you later in life. It does take more effort to study and to become organized.

A Modernize your working space

B Form study habits at an early age

C Select a suitable place to study

D Find time for rest in your daily routine

E Learn to identify the main ideas

F Don’t fall behind your study schedule

G Don’t wait until the last minute

H Classify your study materials

Read an article about the giant concrete arrows that have been found in the USA. Match sentences A–G with gaps 1–5. There are two extra sentences.

Follow the arrow

If you have even been inside the cockpit of a plane, you will have noticed the large number of instruments on the walls and ceiling around the pilot’s seat. Many of these buttons, dials and screens are used in navigation. Unlike car drivers, pilots do not have the luxury of signs and arrows telling them where to go. 1   [A, B, C, D, E, F, G]___ So how were pilots able to find their way in the days before radio and satellite communication?

In the USA, the problem of navigation first arose when the airmail postal service was introduced in 1911. In the beginning, huge bonfires were lit to show pilots where to land in the dark. Later, a more practical solution was found: the construction of giant concrete arrows on the ground. The arrows were 21 m long and painted bright yellow. 2   [A, B, C, D, E, F, G]___ The top light turned around to attract the pilot’s attention, and two others lit up the arrow and flashed a code to identify its location.

The first of these arrows was laid in 1924, and by 1929, there were around 1,500 of them. They formed an illuminated path for airmail pilots stretching from New York to San Francisco. 3   [A, B, C, D, E, F, G]___ But by the 1940s, new navigation techniques were being discovered and soon, the arrows and their towers were no longer needed. They were gradually abandoned and some of them were removed completely.

However, not all of the arrows have disappeared. In the state of Montana, they are still used for guiding pilots through the mountains. 4   [A, B, C, D, E, F, G]___ Yet either because of their size or due to their bad condition, the arrows are not easy to find. In many cases, if you want to see one, it is a question of knowing where to look.

Which is where retired couple Brian and Charlotte Smith can help. The two are devoted fans of the arrows and spend much of their time hunting them down. So far, they have located more than a hundred of them. 5   [A, B, C, D, E, F, G]___ Their aim is to preserve the memory of these historical structures and prevent them from being lost forever.

A Once they find an arrow, they map its location, photograph it and upload the details onto their website.

B To enable pilots to see them at night, a steel tower with lights was built in the middle.

C By the following year, the arrows had reached New York.

D The arrows were spaced about 16 km apart and were an important part of the Transcontinental Airway System.

E Instead, they rely on sophisticated GPS systems.

F Many of the planes were flown by former army pilots.

G Some are still visible in the empty areas of other states such as Utah, Wyoming and Indiana.