Reading Comprehension Test 7

The  following  passage  explains  the  challenges
facing a  population  of  trees  and  possible  solutions.

Today, oaks are  plagued  with problems. There  is 
lack  of  regeneration  in  populations  of  certain  spe-
cies.  4.010  such  as  the  acorn  weevil  and  the  filbert 
tne  worm  eat  away  at  acorns  and  prevent  
germination.By  undermining  the  root  systems  of  
seedlings  andsaplings,  ground  squirrels,  gophers,  
and  other  small mammals  often  prevent  these  
young  plants  fromreaching  tree  size.  Severe 
diseases such  as  suddenoak  death,  kill  many  adult  
oaks.  Many  mature  oaks are  having  a  tough  time  
withesuppression.  Inthe  past,  with  light  surface  fires,  
the  oaks  had  been able  to  maintain  a  stronghold  
where  other  plantswere  not  able  to  compete  and  
died  out.  Now  oaks are  being  toppled  by  trees  that  
have  a  higher  toler-ance  for  shade  and  are  not  
fire-resistant;  earliersuch  trees  would  have  been  
killed  when  Native Americans  set  fires.Given  all  of  
these  challenges,  the  "old-growth" oaksthe  large  
old  valley  oaks,  Garry  oaks,  coast live  oaks,  and  
canyon  live  oaks  that  have  huge  girthand  large  
canopiesmay  become  a  thing  of  the past.  These  
oaks  in  particular  are  important  becausethere  are  
often  more  terrestrial  vertebrates  living in  mature  
oak  stands  than  in  seedling  and  sapling areas.  This  
prevalence  of  animals  occurs  becausethe  large  
crowns  of  such  oaks  provide  cover  and feeding  
sites  for  a  large  variety  of  wildlife.The  University  of  
California  has  embarked  on  an ambitious  and  
necessary  research  program  calledthe  Integrated  
Hardwood  Range  ManagementProgram  to  explore  
the  significant  causes  of  oak decline  and  offer  
varied solutions. These  includeinvestigating  the  use  
of  grassing  regimes  that  are compatible  with  oak  
seedling  establishment  reveg-etating  sites  with  
native  grasses  to  facilitate  bettergermination  of  oak  
seedling&  documenting  insectsand  pathogens  that  
attack  oaks,  and  exploring  the ways  that  native  
people  managed  oaks  in  the  past. Scientists  at  the  
Pacific  Northwest  Research  Stationin  Olympia,  
Washington,  and  at  Redwood  NationalPark  in  
northern  California  are  reintroducing  theburning  
practices  of  Native  American&  When used  in  Garry  
oak  ecosystems,  fires  keep  Douglas firs  from  
encroaching  on  the  oaks  and  promotethe  growth  of  
wildflowers  that  are  important  foodplants.  Further  
investigations  about  these  firepractices  may  be  
essential  in  figuring  out  how  to maintain  oaks  in  the  
western  landscape  today,  given that  the  fires  
address  many  of  the  factors  that  arenow  causing  
oak  declinefrom  how  to  eliminateinsect  pests  of  
acorns  to  how  to  maintain  an  openstructure  in  oak  
groves.Ecological  restoration,  the  traditional  
approach to  woodland  maintenance,  refers  to  
humansintervening  on  a  very  limited  time  scale  to  
bringback  plants  and  animals  known  to  have  
historicallyexisted  in  an  area.  The  decline  of  oaks,  
one  of  the most  significant  plants  to  Native  
Americans,  shows us  that  humans  may  play  an  
integral  part  in  therestoration  of  oak  areas.  While  
animals  such  as  jayshave  been  recognized  as  
crucial  partners  in  oakwell-being,  human  actions  
through  the  eons  may also  have  been  key  to  the  
oaks'  flourishing.Sudden  oak  death,  for  example,  
although  ofexotic  origin,  may  be  curtailed  locally  by  
thinningaround  coastal  oaks  and  tan  oaks  and  
setting  lightsurface  fires,  simulating  ancient  fire  
managementpractices  of  Native  Americans.  
Indigenous  shrubs and  trees  that  grow  in  
association  with  oaksare  hosts  to  the  sudden  oak  
death  pathogen.  Bylimiting  the  growth  of  these  
shrubs,  burning  thatmimics  earlier  Native  American  
ways  may  reduce opportunities  for  disease  agents  
to  jump  fromother  plants  to  oak  trees.  With  a  more  
open  envi-ronment,  it  may  be  harder  for  sudden  
oak  death  tospread.The  oak  landscapes  that  we  
inherited,  which still  bear  the  marks  of  former  
Native  Americaninteractions,  demand  a  new  kind  of  
restoration  thatcomplements  other  forms  of  
ecological  restoration.This  new  kind  of  restoration  
could  be  called  eth-nobotanical  restoration,  defined  
as  re-establishing the  historic  plant  communities  of  a  
given  areaand  restoring  indigenous  harvesting,  
vegetationmanagement,  and  cultivation  practices  
(seedbear-ing,  burning,  pruning,  sowing,  tilling,  and  
weeding)necessary  to  maintain  these  communities  in  
the long  term.Thus,  this  kind  of  restoration  is  not  
only  aboutrestoring  plants,  but  also  about  restoring  
the  humanplace  within  nature.  Ethnobotanical  
restoration  isviewed  not  as  a  process  that  can  be  
completed,  but rather  as  a  continuous  interaction  
between  people and  plants,  as  both  of  their  fates  
are  intertwined  ina  region.  Using  oaks  (through  
harvesting  acornsand  making  products  from  all  parts  
of  the  tree)  andhuman  intervention  (by  thinning  tree  
populations and  lighting  light  fires)  may  offer  us  
ways  to  benefi-cially  co-exist  while  improving  the  
long-term  healthand  well-being  of  the  remarkable  
oak. 

Paragraph one
     That Priestley's contributions to the knowledge of chemical
fact were of the greatest importance is unquestionable; but
it must be admitted that he had no comprehension of the
deeper significance of his work; and, so far from
contributing anything to the theory of the facts which he
discovered, or assisting in their rational explanation,
his influence to the end of his life was warmly exerted in 
favor of error. From first to last, he was a stiff adherent
of the phlogiston doctrine which was prevalent when his
studies commenced; and, by a curious irony of fate, the man
who by the discovery of what he called "dephlogisticated air"
furnished the essential datum for the true theory of
combustion, of respiration, and of the composition of water,
to the end of his days fought against the inevitable
corollaries from his own labors.

Paragraph two
     It is a trying ordeal for any man to be compared with Black
and Cavendish, and Priestly cannot be said to stand on
their level. Nevertheless his achievements are truly
wonderful if we consider the disadvantages under which he
labored. Without the careful scientific training of Black, 
without the leisure and appliances secured by the wealth of
Cavendish, he scaled the walls of science; and trusting to
mother wit to supply the places of training, and to ingenuity
to create apparatus out of washing tubs, he discovered more
new gases (including oxygen, which he termed
"dephlogisticated air") than all his predecessors put
together had done.

Both passages adapted from: Science and Education, T.H Huxley (1893)

[passage-header]Read the following extract and complete the activities given below :[/passage-header]Gerrard : Well, tell him to phone up directly. I must know. Yes, I expect I'll still be here but for about ten minutes. Right-ho. Good bye.
[He puts down the phone and goes to the divan on the left, where there
is a travelling bag and starts packing. Whilst he is thus engaged, another
man, similar in build to Gerrard enters from the right silently - revolver in
hand. He is flashily dressed in an overcoat and soft hat. He bumps accidentally against the table and at the sound Gerrard turns quickly]
Gerrard : (Pleasantly). Why, this is a surprise,
                Mr. - er -
Intruder : I'm glad you're pleased for long. Put those paws up !
Gerrard : This is all very melodramatic; not very original, perhaps, but -
Intruder : Trying to be calm and -er-
Gerrard : "Nonchalant" is your word, I think.
Intruder : Thanks a lot. You'll soon stop being smart. I'll make you crawl.
                I want to know a few things, see.
Gerrard : Anything you like. I know, all the answers. But before we
                begin I should like to change my position : you may be
                comfortable, but I am not.
Intruder : Sit down, there, and no funny business. (Motions to chair and seats himself on the divan by the bag.)
                 Now then, we'll have a nice little talk about yourself!

[passage-header]Read the passage and answer the question given below it:[/passage-header]

[passage-header]Read the following passage and answer the question given:[/passage-header]

[passage-header]Read the following passage and answer the question.[/passage-header]Patholes Keep Luxury Cars Indoors
        (Newspaper Reporter)
Three years after the city roomed to global fame when it picked up 150  luxury cars in a record bulk deal, the cars have largely gone missing from roads, parked as they are in the safety of their owners' garages. Fearing damage and dents to their dream drives, the owners said they cannot risk them on the city potholed roads. Many owners said they regretted their decision to buy these premium buys as the pitiable condition of roads has ensured they cannot take their cars out for their commute to work or simply a spin around town. A few owners have switched to their other not-so-so premium cars in their fleet for their daily commute, while a couple of them have already sold their high-end luxury cruisers. Some owners are negotiating an extended warranty period with the auto giant. As per the star agreement, the cars get a free service once a year or 15,000 kms, for three years. They also get the standard warranty of a company that covers most of the car's maintenance, but pats like tyres are not covered, like is the case with most auto brands. A car owner said that he carefully picks the road he would drive his car on, even if it means taking a longer route to reach the destination.

[passage-header]Read the passage and answer the question given below it:[/passage-header]

[passage-header]Read the following passage and answer the question given:[/passage-header]

[passage-header]Read the following passage carefully and answer the question:[/passage-header] Education is the sacred instrument for building the nation. Teacher's job is the most crucial job of moulding the character of individuals and thereby of shaping the society itself. Education is a medium, through which he will direct human energies and human capacities to the advancement of human zeal. Upon the nature and character of education imparted by him depends the future of the nation. It need not be emphasized that there is a casual relationship between education on the one hand and economic growth and social progress on the other. As teachers have to administer this education, one can imagine the colossal responsibility they have of performing this stupendous task. While they perform this task, they should keep in mind that education is not learning what to do but becoming the kind of person who knows what to do. Child is not just a learner of history or science. His interests, his aptitudes, his habits and every thing else which goes towards the development of his personality, comes within the teacher's preview. Teachers have to produce mentally healthy individuals who have well integrated personalities. Teachers represent the ideals and aspirations of the nations and owe to it the moral and mental accountability of equipping the youth for active participation in the high enterprise of creating a social order which shall dispense "equal justice to all". As ideal teachers, they have to strive, along with their wards, to build up the nation in conformity with the lofty ideals laid down in our "Constitution". This great aim can be realized by effective, brilliant teachers, teacher's who are equipped with the training that has a direct bearing on the quality of life in the community and that will serve as the chief means for the transformation of society. Such teachers can make their contribution to the building up of a new India-an India that holds fast to the traditional culture of the past and is both forward looking and future oriented. It is these teachers alone who can provide through rich dynamic education, all that the country needs for its prosperity.

[passage-header]Read the following passage carefully and answer the question:[/passage-header] Education is the sacred instrument for building the nation. Teacher's job is the most crucial job of moulding the character of individuals and thereby of shaping the society itself. Education is a medium, through which he will direct human energies and human capacities to the advancement of human zeal. Upon the nature and character of education imparted by him depends the future of the nation. It need not be emphasized that there is a casual relationship between education on the one hand and economic growth and social progress on the other. As teachers have to administer this education, one can imagine the colossal responsibility they have of performing this stupendous task. While they perform this task, they should keep in mind that education is not learning what to do but becoming the kind of person who knows what to do. Child is not just a learner of history or science. His interests, his aptitudes, his habits and every thing else which goes towards the development of his personality, comes within the teacher's preview. Teachers have to produce mentally healthy individuals who have well integrated personalities. Teachers represent the ideals and aspirations of the nations and owe to it the moral and mental accountability of equipping the youth for active participation in the high enterprise of creating a social order which shall dispense "equal justice to all". As ideal teachers, they have to strive, along with their wards, to build up the nation in conformity with the lofty ideals laid down in our "Constitution". This great aim can be realized by effective, brilliant teachers, teacher's who are equipped with the training that has a direct bearing on the quality of life in the community and that will serve as the chief means for the transformation of society. Such teachers can make their contribution to the building up of a new India-an India that holds fast to the traditional culture of the past and is both forward looking and future oriented. It is these teachers alone who can provide through rich dynamic education, all that the country needs for its prosperity.