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READING COMPREHENSION
SHARPENING YOUR SKILLS
Instructions:
Read the passage below very carefully and then answer the questions that follow by selecting the letter that matches the
response you think is correct.
There has been an explosion of housing developments across the Caribbean and other parts of the world in the 21st
century. For many, progress is often measured by the number of sprawling mansions, apartment complexes and the
endless number of massive shopping centres built to cash in on these developments. While we applaud this advancement
in our living standards, we must pause to ask if this progress should replace all or most of our trees.
For several people today, a tree is not so big a deal but science tells us all that humanity is at a serious tipping point, if we
do not take back the trees. This statement begs the questions- What is the point of trees? Why do we need to urgently
save them or reclaim them?
Trees reduce the effect of global warming by preserving the ozone layer. The ozone layer is a shield in the highest point
of the atmosphere which absorbs the harmful rays of the sun and protects the earth. Air pollution has helped to destroy
the ozone layer, causing the earth to have intense temperatures and severe weather problems. Trees help significantly by
removing carbon dioxide, a gas harmful to the ozone layer, and therefore reducing the problems which may result.
As trees help to clean the air by removing the toxic carbon dioxide and other harmful gases, they also replace these
gases with the oxygen that humans need in order to survive. The fewer the trees, the more pollution there is in the
atmosphere.
Trees also have a shielding effect against the direct rays of the sun, especially in tropical regions such as the Caribbean.
As temperatures become increasingly higher due to global warming caused by harmful environmental pollutants, trees will
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help to make the heat less intense. Trees will therefore help to minimize the amount of money spent on cooling systems
for residences and businesses.
Where there are no trees, some soil types are more prone to erosion. This is because the roots of trees help to hold the
soil together and help to prevent it from being washed away by the heavy flow of water and other agents of erosion. The
soil is an important environmental resource for important human activities including agricultural development and serving
as the foundation of most of our physical infrastructure such as roads and buildings.
Our advancement will be our downfall if we do not pause to reflect on our actions. Let us save some more trees.
1)
Questions
What is the best topic for this passage?
a) Housing Developments and the 21st Century
b) Saving the Ozone Layer and Staying Cooler
c) Minimizing Soil Erosion by a Simple Action
d) Conserving the Trees to Improve our Lives
it
2)'Explosion' in line 1 means ---
a) serious problem
b) gradual change
c) massive increase
d) marked improvement
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Edit
3)What does the first paragraph tell us about how the writer sees 'progress'?
He sees it as __________
a) having trees instead of massive houses
b) improving ourselves but also being healthy
c) using 21st century designs to cash in on success
d) applauding advancement in our living standards
4)What is the writer's attitude towards the housing developments?
He -------------
a) is totally against them and wants no more in Caribbean
b) concerned that they cause all the environmental problems
c) feels that the number of them should be balanced with trees
d) convinced that they are the best solution to 21st century challenges
5)Which of these phrases suggests the greatest sense of urgency?
a) ‘destroy the ozone layer' (paragraph 3)
b) ‘reflect on our actions’ (paragraph 7)
c) ‘serious tipping point’ (paragraph 2)
d) ‘important human activities' (paragraph 6)
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dit
6)Which of the following statements appears to be true based on the passage?
a)a) Water is but one of the agents of erosion.
b) Trees remove all the pollution around us.
c) The only harmful gas in the atmosphere is carbon dioxide.
d) If we plant more trees, there will be no global warming.
