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Question No 1:

For perhaps the tenth time since the clock struck two, Sylvia crosses to the front-facing
window of her apartment, pulls back the blue curtain, and looks down at the street. People
hurry along the sidewalk; although she watches for several long moments, she sees no one
enter her building.
She walks back to the center of the high-ceilinged living room, where she stands frowning and
twisting a silver bracelet around and around on her wrist. She is an attractive young woman,
although perhaps too thin and with a look that is faintly ascetic; her face is narrow and delicate,
her fine, light-brown hair caught back by a tortoiseshell comb. She is restless now, because she is
being kept waiting. It is nearly two-thirtya woman named Lola Parrish was to come at two
oclock to look at the apartment.
She considers leaving a note and going out. The woman is late, and besides, Sylvia is
certain that Lola Parrish will not be a suitable person with whom to share the apartment. On
the phone she had sounded too old, for one thingher voice oddly flat and as deep as a
mans. However, the moment for saying the apartment was no longer available slipped
past, and Sylvia found herself agreeing to the two oclock appointment. If she leaves now,
as she has a perfect right to do, she can avoid the awkwardness of turning the woman
away.
Looking past the blue curtain, however, she sees the sky is not clear but veiled by a white
haze, and the air is oppressively still. She knows that the haze, the stillness, and the heat
are conditions that often precede a summer thunderstormone of the abrupt, swiftly
descending electrical storms that have terrified her since she was a child. If a storm comes,
she wants to be at home in her own place.
She walks back to the center of the room, aware now that the idea of sharing the apartment
has actually begun to repel her. Still, she knows she will have to become accustomed to
the notion, because her savings are nearly gone and the small trust fund left by her father,
exhausted. She has a low-paying job, and, while she has considered seeking another
(perhaps something connected with musicin her childhood she had played the flute and
people had said she was gifted), she has found herself dragged down by a strange inertia.
Besides, although her job pays poorly, it suits her.
She is a typist in a natural history museum, with an office on the top floor and a window onto the
nearby aviary. The man for whom she works, a curator who is rarely in, allows Sylvia to have the
office to herself. The aviary consists of three enormous, white rooms, each with a high, vaulted
ceiling. The birds themselves, so beautifully mounted they seem alive, are displayed in elaborate
dioramas. Behind glass, they perch in trees with leaves of sculpted metal, appearing to soar
through painted forests, above painted rivers and marshes. Everything is rendered in exquisite
detail. Glancing at the birds and up through the skylight at the limitless outdoors keeps her
mild claustrophobia at bay.
According to the passage, Sylvia waited for Lola instead of going out and leaving her a

note because:
A.
B.
C.
D.

Sylvia could not afford the rent on her own.

Answer: B
Question No 2:

ON the sunny slopes of Monte Albano, between Florence and Pisa, the little town of Vinci
lay high among the rocks that crowned the steep hillside. Here in the year 1452 Leonardo,
son of Ser Piero da Vinci, was born. It was in the age when people told fortunes by the
stars, and when a baby was born they would eagerly look up and decide whether it was a
lucky or unlucky star which shone upon the child. Surely if it had been possible in this way
to tell what fortune waited the little Leonardo, a strange new star must have shone that
night, brighter than the others and unlike the rest in the dazzling light of its strength and
beauty.
Leonardo was always a strange child. Even his beauty was not like that of other children.
He had the most wonderful waving hair, falling in regular ripples, like the waters of a
fountain, the color of bright gold, and soft as spun silk. His eyes were blue and clear, with a
mysterious light in them, not the warm light of a sunny sky, but rather the blue that glints in
the iceberg. They were merry eyes too, when he laughed, but underneath was always that
strange cold look. There was a charm about his smile which no one could resist, and he
was a favorite with all.
Yet people shook their heads sometimes as they looked at him, and they talked in whispers of
the old witch who had lent her goat to nourish the little Leonardo when he was a baby. The
woman was a dealer in black magic, and who knew but that the child might be a changeling?
It was the old grandmother, Mona Lena, who brought Leonardo up and spoilt him not a
little. His father, Ser Piero, was a lawyer, and spent most of his time in Florence, but when he
returned to the old castle of Vinci, he began to give Leonardo lessons and tried to find out what
the boy was fit for.
But Leonardo hated those lessons and would not learn, so when he was seven years old he was
sent to school. This did not answer any better. The rough play of the boys was not to his linked.
When he saw them drag the wings off butterflies, or torture any animal that fell into their hands,
his face grew white with pain, and he would take no share in their games. The Latin grammar,
too, was a terrible task, while the many things he longed to know no one taught him.
So it happened that many a time, instead of going to school, he would slip away and

escape up into the hills, as happy as a little wild goat. Here was all the sweet fresh air of
heaven, instead of the stuffy school room. Here were no cruel, clumsy boys, but all the wild
creatures that he loved. Here he could learn the real things his heart was hungry to know,
not merely words which meant nothing and led to nowhere.
For hours he would lie perfectly still with his heels in the air and his chin resting in his
hands, as he watched a spider weaving its web, breathless with interest to see how the
delicate threads were turned in and out. The gaily painted butterflies, the fat buzzing bees,
the little sharp-tongued green lizards, he loved to watch them all, but above everything he loved
the birds. Oh, if only he too had wings to dart like the swallows, and swoop and sail
and dart again! What was the secret power in their wings? Surely by watching he might
learn it.
Sometimes it seemed as if his heart would burst with the longing to learn that
secret. It was always the hidden reason of things that he desired to know. Much as he
loved the flowers he must pull their petals off, one by one, to see how each was joined, to
wonder at the dusty pollen, and touch the honey-covered stamens. Then when the sun
began to sink he would turn sadly homewards, very hungry, with torn clothes and tired feet,
but with a store of sunshine in his heart.
His grandmother shook her head when Leonardo appeared after one of his days of
wandering. I know thou should be whipped for playing truant, she said; and I should also
punish thee for tearing thy clothes. Ah! But thou wilt not whip me, answered Leonardo, smiling
at her with his curious quiet smile, for he had full confidence in her love. Well, I love to see thee
happy, and I will not punish thee this time, said his grandmother; but if these tales reach thy
fathers ears, he will not be so tender as I am towards thee. And, sure enough, the very next
time that a complaint was made from the school, his father happened to be at home, and then
the storm burst. Next time I will flog thee, said Ser Piero sternly, with rising anger at the careless
air of the boy. Meanwhile we will see what a little imprisonment will do towards making thee a
better child. Then he took the boy by the shoulders and led him to a little dark cupboard under
the stairs, and there shut him up for three whole days.
There was no kicking or beating at the locked door. Leonardo sat quietly there in the dark,
thinking his own thoughts, and wondering why there seemed so little justice in the world.
But soon even that wonder passed away, and as usual when he was alone he began to
dream dreams of the time when he should have learned the swallows secrets and should
have wings like theirs.
But if there were complaints about Leonardos dislike of the boys and the Latin grammar,
there would be none about the lessons he chose to learn. Indeed, some of the masters
began to dread the boys eager questions, which were sometimes more than they could
answer. Scarcely had he begun the study of arithmetic than he made such rapid progress,
and wanted to puzzle out so many problems, that the masters were amazed. His mind
seemed always eagerly asking for more light, and was never satisfied.

Which of the following statements best sums up what is meant by mentioned in 6th
paragraph (Much as he loved the flowers he must pull their petals off, one by one, to see
how each was joined, to wonder at the dusty pollen, and touch the honey-covered stamens)?
A.
B.
C.
D.

Leonardos desire to learn how things worked was stronger than his affection for nature.
Leonardos love of flowers drove him to destroy them.
Leonardo revered all of nature.
Leonardos curiosity led him to destructive acts.

Answer: A
Question No 3:
The changing picture of bird populations throughout the year intrigues those who are
observant and who wish to know the source and destination of these birds. While many
species of fish, mammals, and even insects undertake amazing migratory journeys, birds
as a group are the most mobile creatures on Earth.
Even humans with their many vehicles of locomotion do not equal some birds in mobility. No
human population moves each year as far as from the Arctic to the Antarctic with subsequent
return, yet the Arctic Terns do. Birds are adapted in their body structure and physiology to life in
the air. Their feathered wings and tails, bones, lungs and air sacs, and their metabolic abilities all
contribute to this amazing faculty. These adaptations make it possible for birds to seek out
environments most favorable to their needs at different times of the year. This results in the
marvelous phenomenon we know as migrationthe regular, recurrent, seasonal movement of
populations from one geographic location to another and back again.
Throughout human experience, migratory birds have been important as a source of food
after a lean winter and as the harbinger of a change in seasons. The arrival of certain
species has been heralded with appropriate ceremonies in many lands. Among the
Eskimos and other tribes this phenomenon is the accepted sign of the imminence of spring,
of warmer weather, and a reprieve from winter food shortages. The European fur traders in
Alaska and Canada offered rewards to the Native American who saw the first flight of
geese in the spring, and all joined in jubilant welcome to the newcomers.
As North America became more thickly settled, the large flocks of ducks and geese, as well
as migratory rails, doves, and woodcock that had been hunted for food became objects of
the enthusiastic attention of an increasing army of sportsmen. Most of the nongame
species were also found to be valuable as allies of the farmer in his never-ending confrontation
against insect pests and weed seeds.
And in more recent years, all species have been of ever-increasing recreational and esthetic
value for untold numbers of people who enjoy watching birds. We soon realized that our
migratory bird resource was an international legacy that could not be managed alone by one

state or country and that all nations were responsible for its well being. The need for laws
protecting game and nongame birds, as well as the necessity to regulate the hunting of
diminishing game species, followed as a natural consequence.
In the management of this wildlife resource, it has become obvious that studies must be made of
the species habits, environmental needs, and travels. In the United States, the Department of
the Interior recognized the value of this resource and is devoted to programs that will ensure
sustainability for these populations as they are faced with the impacts of alteration in land use,
loss of habitat, and contaminants from our technological society.
Hence bird investigations are made by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the arm of the
Department of Interior charged by Congress under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act with the duty of
protecting those avian species that in their yearly journeys pass back and forth between United
States and other countries. In addition, the federal government through the activities of the
Biological Resources Division of the U.S. Geological Survey also promotes basic research on
migration.
Federal agencies cooperate with their counterparts in other countries as well as with state
agencies, academic institutions, and non-governmental groups to gain understanding and
for the protection of migratory species through such endeavors as Partners in Flight, a
broadly based international cooperative effort in the Western Hemisphere.
For almost a century the Fish and Wildlife Service and its predecessor, the Biological
Survey, have been collecting data on the important details of bird migration. Scientists have
gathered information concerning the distribution and seasonal movements of many species
throughout the Western Hemisphere, from the Arctic Archipelago south to Tierra del Fuego.
Supplementing these investigations is the work of hundreds of United States, Latin
American, and Canadian university personnel and volunteer birdwatchers, who report on the
migrations and status of birds as observed in their respective localities.
This data, stored in field notes, computer files, and scientific journals, constitutes an enormous
reservoir of information pertaining to the distribution and movements of North American
birds. The purpose of this publication is to summarize this data and additional information from
other parts of the world to present the more important facts about our current understanding of
the fascinating subject of bird migration.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is grateful to the many people who have contributed their
knowledge so that others, whether in biology or ornithology classes, members of conservation
organizations, or just individuals interested in the welfare of the birds, may understand and
enjoy this precious resource as well as preserve it for generations to come. Which best describes
the role of the Biological Survey?

A. the agency responsible for collecting data on bird migration

B. the agency, in connection with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service that is responsible for
collecting data on bird migration
C. the agency responsible for collecting data on bird migration before the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service
D. the agency responsible for investigating threats to migratory birds

Answer: C
Question No 4:
When I first heard the term illuminated manuscript and learned of its association with
medieval monasteries, I pictured hand-lettered parchment texts actually lighted from within
by a kind of benevolent, supernatural light. I soon discovered, however, that the adjective
illuminated in this case had nothing to do with light, nor did it always have to do with the
Christian church or with medieval times. Rather, to illuminate simply meant to adorn the
pages of a manuscript, usually with brilliant colors and sometimes even with precious
metals or stones.
Although illuminated manuscripts reached their apogee in the Middle Ages and are best
known as a product of the medieval Christian church, they actually had their origins in
Egypt, nearly four thousand years ago. The first known illuminated manuscript was the
Egyptian Book of the Dead, which contained instructions for the ceremonies for burial of
the dead and the prayers to be said by those left behind. Originally, those books were
commissioned by royalty, nobility, and others of high rank, but eventually even ordinary
people could purchase them. Among the scenes commonly contained in the Egyptian Book
of the Dead were the funeral cortege and the mummification process, as well as depictions
of the deceased in the afterlife. Thanks to the dry climate in Egypt, a number of these
ancient manuscripts have survived.
The practice of illuminating manuscripts flourished in Europe. The Vatican Library houses
two manuscripts by Virgil, and a copy of the Iliad by Homer resides in the Biblioteca
Ambrosiana in Milan. A few Bibles and religious storybooks have survived also.
Hellenistic and Roman wall painting influenced the illustrations in these texts, and as the age
progressed, the artwork came to be more influenced by classical art with biblical themes.
By the seventh century, the most important illuminated manuscripts were the prayer books
being produced in monasteries in England and Ireland. The illustrators were greatly
influenced by Celtic metalwork from previous centuries, and the works are beautiful and
impressive (though they may look slightly primitive to modern eyes as the artists have
made no effort to give a sense of perspective).
By the tenth and eleventh centuries, monasteries in England moved away from their Celtic
influence and embraced the Carolingian style. The pictures in these manuscripts, drawn for
royals and other wealthy patrons, became more interpretive, actually illustrating passages

from the book, with stylized figures looking rather severely out at the reader. By the twelfth
century, these English illuminators were integrating illustration and decoration into the text.
Bibles made in England at this time contained entire scenes. Many of these manuscripts
also presented mythical figures, like dragons or part-human, part-animal figures that did not
relate directly to the text.
By the Gothic period, the urbanization of Europe led to increasing numbers of illuminated
manuscripts. The illustrations became more realistic: The figures wore the clothes of the
day and were shown in contemporary settings. The artists also began to be concerned with
balance and perspective. The handwritten books and scrolls were embellished with
decorations and illustrations intended to enhance the text, and the paints used were made
from natural materials such as minerals and stones. Red, brown, orange, and yellow were
derived from ochers and metals; blue came from lapis lazulim azurite, or indigo. In Europe,
artists also applied gold leaf.
During the Middle Ages, the illumination of manuscripts was an important art form, and
illuminations employed a variety of decorations and enhancements. Although most of the
books began with an imaginary portrait of the books author or its patron, in some the first
page contained abstract designs that were reminiscent of the Oriental carpet, and thus, the
first page later came to be known as the carpet page. Texts of this time usually had
enlarged and embellished initial letterssometimes shaped like animals, birds, or flowers.
Some particularly important texts religious, literary, or historicalmight have full-page
illustrations, which would be placed either at the appropriate point in the text or grouped
together at the beginning.
During the Renaissance, patrons continued to order these hand-illuminated manuscripts
even though the printing press (C. 1450) made mass production of manuscripts by
machine possible. This was not true in the Middle East, however. Consequently, the
illuminated manuscript kept its influential role and many exquisite examples survive to this
day. Although the invention of the printing press could be said to mark the beginning of the
end for illuminated manuscripts in Europe and elsewhere, they performed an invaluable
service during their long history. Because of widespread illiteracy throughout history,
pictures have always been an important source of information. Even people who could not
readwhether in ancient Egypt or medieval Europe could glean information from the
illustrated pages. Perhaps the image of a page lighted from within is not such a far-fetched
description of the illuminated manuscript, after all. The main idea of the passage is:
A. illuminated manuscripts have played an important role in the artistic and literary lives of
a variety of cultures.
B. the artists who illuminated manuscripts became more skilled during the Middle Ages.
C. the practice of illuminating manuscripts began to die out, for the most part, with the
invention of the printing press.
D. illuminating manuscripts are of ancient origin and should be considered sacred works.

Answer: A

Question No 5:
The Cause of the Great War of the Rebellion against the United States will have to be
attributed to slavery. For some years before the war began it was a trite saying among
some politicians that A state half slave and half free cannot exist. All must become slave
or all free, or the state will go down. I took no part myself in any such view of the case at
the time, but since the war is over, reviewing the whole question, I have come to the
conclusion that the saying is quite true.
Slavery was an institution that required unusual guarantees for its security wherever it
existed; and in a country like ours where the larger portion of it was free territory inhabited
by an intelligent and well-to-do population, the people would naturally have but little
sympathy with demands upon them for its protection.
Hence the people of the South were dependent upon keeping control of the general government
to secure the perpetuation of their favorite restitution. They were enabled to maintain this
control long after the States where slavery existed had ceased to have the controlling power,
through the assistance they received from odd men here and there throughout the Northern
States. They saw their power waning, and this led them to encroach upon the prerogatives and
independence of the Northern States by enacting such laws as the Fugitive Slave Law. By this law
every Northern man was obliged, when properly summoned, to turn out and help apprehend
the runaway slave of a Southern man. Northern marshals became slave-catchers, and
Northern courts had to contribute to the support and protection of the institution.
This was a degradation which the North would not permit any longer than until they could
get the power to expunge such laws from the statute books. Prior to the time of these
encroachments the great majority of the people of the North had no particular quarrel with
slavery, so long as they were not forced to have it themselves. But they were not willing to
play the role of police for the South in the protection of this particular institution.
In the early days of the country, before we had railroads, telegraphs and steamboatsin a
word, rapid transit of any sortthe States were each almost a separate nationality. At that
time the subject of slavery caused but little or no disturbance to the public mind. But the
country grew, rapid transit was established, and trade and commerce between the States
got to be so much greater than before, that the power of the National government became
more felt and recognized and, therefore, had to be enlisted in the cause of this institution.
It is probably well that we had the war when we did. We are better off now than we would
have been without it, and have made more rapid progress than we otherwise should have
made. The civilized nations of Europe have been stimulated into unusual activity, so that
commerce, trade, travel, and thorough acquaintance among people of different
nationalities, has become common; whereas, before, it was but the few who had ever had

the privilege of going beyond the limits of their own country or who knew anything about
other people. Then, too, our republican institutions were regarded as experiments up to the
breaking out of the rebellion, and monarchical Europe generally believed that our republic
was a rope of sand that would part the moment the slightest strain was brought upon it.
Now it has shown itself capable of dealing with one of the greatest wars that was ever
made, and our people have proven themselves to be the most formidable in war of any
nationality.
But this war was a fearful lesson, and should teach us the necessity of avoiding wars in the
future. The conduct of some of the European states during our troubles shows the lack of
conscience of communities where the responsibility does not come upon a single
individual.
Seeing a nation that extended from ocean to ocean, embracing the better part of
a continent, growing as we were growing in population, wealth and intelligence, the
European nations thought it would be well to give us a check. We might, possibly, after a
while, threaten their peace, or, at least, the perpetuity of their institutions. Hence, England
was constantly finding fault with the administration at Washington because we were not
able to keep up an effective blockade.
She also joined, at first, with France and Spain in setting up an Austrian prince upon the throne in
Mexico, totally disregarding any rights or claims that Mexico had of being treated as an
independent power. It is true they trumped up grievances as a pretext, but they were only
pretexts which can always be found when wanted.
According to the passage, which factors contributed to the Norths rejection of slavery?
I. the introduction of rapid transit
II. the legal obligations to support slavery
III. their moral obligation to defend what is right
A.
B.
C.
D.

I and II
II only
III only
II and III

Answer: A
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