MUET Mid Year Reading 2009 Trial[1] Perlis

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Questions 1 to 7 are based on the following passage 1

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For the past seven years serious bird flu (avian flu) has been making its way around the world through wild and domestic bird flocks. This new bird flu virus known as H5N1 is extremely virulent and causes illness and death to birds and humans infected. When a human comes in contact with a bird that is infected with H5N1 and as a result contracts the virus, there is an over 50% chance of death for the individual. As of 27th February 2007 the World Health Organization (WHO) has reported 275 cases and 167 deaths. To date, the H5N1 strain of the bird flu virus has killed a total of 248 people since 2003. The concern is that the avian flu moves to human populations and causes great sickness and death. A vaccine can only be produced once a new virus exists and people have been exposed. The production of a vaccine in mass quantities will take 6 to 9 months or longer.

On 7th January 2008, Beijing Ministry of Health (MoH) Website reported that a 19-year-old woman fell ill on 24th December 2007 and was hospitalized on 27th

December 2007. She died on 5th January 2008 after treatment failed. Post-mortem tests confirmed the woman had contracted the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain of the bird flu virus. Beijing health authorities reported that a total of 116 people, including family members and medical workers, were in contact with the woman and were under hospital observation. More than 370,000 poultry were culled following a H5N1 bird flu outbreak.

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Adapted from, 2008 pandemic 101.com,Critical Statistic about Avian Flu,

http:www.pandemic 101.com.

1. H5N1 is extremely virulent and causes illness and death to birds only.

800/3/M *This question paper is CONFIDENTIAL until the test is over. CONFIDENTIAL*

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A True B False C Not stated

2. The chance of infection when a human comes in contact with an infected bird is more than 50%.


3. A vaccine can only be produced when people have been exposed to the virus.


4. Families and individuals have to protect themselves from avian flu infection as there is no vaccine at the start of the infection.


5. Beijing Ministry of Health (MoH) is responsible for controlling the spread of H5N1 virus.


6. According to Figure 1, the number of cumulated deaths is higher than that of cumulated infections.


7. In this article, the author tries to explain the risks of avian flu.



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CONFIDENTIAL*

Questions 8 to 14 are based on the following passage

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Patience /pā-shənz/ is the state of endurance under difficult circumstances, which can mean persevering in the face of delay or provocation without becoming annoyed or upset; or exhibiting forbearance when under strain, especially when faced with long-term difficulties. It is also used to refer to the character trait of being steadfast.

Patience is often described as a core virtue in religions or spiritual practices. For example, ‘Job’ is a figure who appears in the Hebrew Bible, Christian Bible and the Holy Qu’ran; his story is considered a profound religious work. At its core, the theme is the co-existence of evil and God and the application of patience is highlighted as the antidote to the earthly struggles caused by that co-existence. The plot of the book is that ‘Job’ endures near-apocalyptic calamities without losing his patience or reproaching Divine Providence. In the Qur'an, the person of ‘Job’ is actually known as Ayyūb , which is a name that is symbolic of the virtue of patience (although it does not mean patience in itself).

According to the Hebrew Bible, "The patient man shows much good sense, but the quick-tempered man displays folly at its height" (Proverbs 14:29, NAB); "An ill-tempered man stirs up strife, but a patient man allays discord." (Proverbs 15:18, NAB); and "A patient man is better than a warrior, and he who rules his temper, than he who takes a city." (Proverbs 16:32). The emotion is also discussed in other sections, such as Ecclesiastes: "Better is the patient spirit than the lofty spirit. Do not in spirit become quickly discontented, for discontent lodges in the bosom of a fool." (Ecclesiastes 7:8-9, NAB).

In the Christian religion, patience is one of the most valuable virtues of life. Increasing patience is viewed as the work of the ‘Holy Spirit’ in a Christian who has accepted the gift of salvation. While patience is not one of the traditional biblical three theological virtues nor one of the traditional four cardinal virtues, it is one of the seven virtues, alongside chastity, temperance, charity, diligence, kindness and humility.

Patience in Islam is one of the best and most valuable virtues of life. Through patience, a Muslim believes that an individual can grow closer to Allah and thus attain true peace. It is also stressed in Islam, that Allah is with those who are patient, more specifically during suffering. Some of the Holy Qur’an verses about patience urge Muslims to "seek God (Allah)'s help with patient perseverance and prayer" (2:45) and "give glad tidings to those who patiently persevere" (2:155-157). The Qur’an states that Muslims should "Persevere in patience and constancy" (3:200) and "be steadfast in patience" (11:115). It notes that "No one will be granted such goodness except those who exercise patience and self-restraint, none but persons of the greatest

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http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ayy%C5%ABb&action=edit&redlink=1

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6good fortune." (41:35).

The Muslim faith believes that without a good spirit while enduring, the struggle will not bear its full reward, thus, patiently persevering, striving and going forward, despite the difficulty, is the pinnacle of behaviour during challenging times. Through every difficulty, Allah promises, there will be found relief upon its conclusion. Instead of wanting to skip challenging times, and avoiding them, Allah is teaching that the way to the easing is, through the difficulty. It takes patient perseverance, or endurance with a good spirit still intact, in order to reap both the internal and external rewards of struggle.

Adapted from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patience

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8 …forbearance (line 3) refers to

A restrainB impatienceC moderation

D depression

9 Patience is an important pillar in Islam, Christianity and Judaism.

A TrueB False C Not stated

10 According to the Hebrew Bible, a patient man is sensible whereas an impatient man often acts foolishly.

A TrueB FalseC Not stated

11 Patience is of less significance in one religion than the other.

A TrueB FalseC Not stated


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12 According to the Qur’an, Allah is with those who are patient, more specifically during suffering (line 33). This means that…

A Allah will never abandon Muslims who are in trouble and seek His help.B Muslims should be patient all the time and everything will eventually turn out fine.C Muslims should only be patient when they are facing difficult situations in their lives.

13“It takes patient perseverance, or endurance with a good spirit still intact, in order to reap both the internal and external rewards of struggle.”(line 48) This means that…

A patience and positive thinking are crucial in enduring obstacles in one’s life.

B serenity and cheerfulness are vital when facing difficulties.

C mental and physical health are attained if one is patient.

14 This passage is mainly developed through

A cause and effect

B problem and solution.

C comparison and contrast


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Economists predict that the Malaysian economy, while far from immune to global events, should hold up relatively well this year. Even so, human resource practitioners are bracing for news of job cuts. While the weakening of business activities within Malaysian industries have not yet resulted in major layoffs, it is only prudent that strategies be set in place to anticipate all possible eventualities: it pays to plan ahead. In this regard, the government has set aside RM70 million for training unemployed graduates in view of the grim economic situation. This is just the most recent of a long list of measures already in place to help the nation’s graduates secure employment. Much has been planned and implemented over the last several years to help make them more marketable and match them to existing job vacancies.

Significant inroads have been made and many youths are now gainfully employed as a result of the many programmes instituted. But much more than skills training courses, internships and placements is required to resolve this longstanding problem faced by thousands of degree and diploma holders from institutions of higher learning every year. Last year alone, 40,000 unemployed graduates registered with the Human Resources Ministry’s electronic labour bourse. The large number of those who fail to secure jobs underscores a larger problem- not unemployment, but the employability of our newly-minted graduates. Young entrants to the job market complain they can’t get hired; employers reply that they are not qualified or too expensive for what’s on offer. While evolving courses to meet market and industry needs is another viable measure to address this issue, it is imperative that graduates on their part also help themselves. Aside from better qualifications, they need to have vastly different skills and aptitudes. They must also be flexible, adaptable and most crucially, enterprising.

Many youths now tend to take the safe route-study, secure a place in university, graduate, and then land a respectable and stable job. Everyone wants to be a doctor, engineer, architect or accountant. Some, it has been said, would prefer to be unemployed if they fail to get what is, in their estimation, a job befitting their status or qualification. This attitude needs to change. Young people must be made aware that there are alternatives to conventional jobs and opportunities for them to seize if they dare take that leap of faith. All it takes is a good idea, and some help, to turn that bud of a concept into something tangible.

Extracted from NST, Thursday January 15, 2009.

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15 Due to the economic slowdown and its eventual effects on the job market, the government has plans toA create more job vacanciesB offer marketable courses at universitiesC set aside RM70 millionD train jobless graduates

16 The following programmes are carried out by the government in an effort to make graduates more marketable exceptA skills trainingB internshipsC placementsD aptitude training

17 According to the passage, the following are some of the reasons for unemployment of graduates exceptA low salariesB lack of skillsC attitudes of the graduatesD weakening of the economy

18 Employers do not want to employ fresh graduates because theyA make unreasonable demandsB are not flexible or enterprisingC fail to meet job requirementsD lack experience

19 What is the writer’s opinion on the issue of unemployed graduates?A He feels that the government is not doing enough for the graduatesB He thinks that employers are to be blamedC He blames the current economic situation solely for thisD He feels that the graduates themselves partly contribute to the problem


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20 In the final paragraph, the writer suggests that youngstersA hold onto stable and respectable jobsB be more daring and try unconventional jobs C seize the opportunity and take up any job offeredD choose only jobs befitting their status

21 Why does the writer provide us with a figure in paragraph 2?A To give us a rough idea of the number of unemployed graduatesB To stress on the important role of the Human Resource MinistryC To emphasize the increase in the number of unemployed graduatesD To show that unemployment is a major problem


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Can you imagine being really small? Small enough to go inside the human body and find your own way around? Well, this is your chance! Come along and discover the arts of your body.

The brain and the spinal column –The brain is the most delicate, fragile and complex part of the human body. So, it is well shielded! Although it weighs only 1.4 kilograms in an adult, it is a perfect database. The brain is made up of hundred thousand (100,000) million cells, more than the number of stars in the Milky Way.

The five senses - The five senses are sight, taste, hearing, smell and touch. These enable us to see beautiful things, to enjoy food, to listen to music, to smell flowers and to recognise different textures and surfaces.

The heart and the blood – Blood flows through the veins and the arteries, carrying oxygen and nourishing all parts of the body. In the lungs the blood is enriched with oxygen. The heart then pumps this oxygenated blood throughout the body.

The respiratory system – There are two lungs in the human body. These are situated within the thorax, protected by the ribs. The lungs are very important, because they supply the blood with oxygen, through alveoli which are tiny sacs filled up with air.

The digestive system – Basically, the digestive system is a channel which starts at the mouth and ends at the anus. Food goes down the eosophagus (food-pipe), then it is ground up in the stomach, before being passed into the small intestine

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where the blood is nourished by proteins from the food. The remainder then passes into the large intestine and anything which is not digested by that time is expelled through the anus.

The muscles – Whatever movement we make, walking, playing and even blinking, the body uses muscles. Some movements are voluntary. Others, like the heart, the muscles in the intestine and the respiratory system move without our knowledge, even when we are asleep.

The bones – There are two hundred and six (206) bones in the human skeleton, twenty nine (29) in the cranium (skull); twenty six (26) in the spinal column; twenty five (25) in the rib cage and sixty four (64) in the arms and hands. Altogether, the legs and feet have sixty two (62) bones. We need to take special care of the bones in our head and in our spinal column.

Filters in the body – The kidneys filter the blood and control the chemical balance of the body. The waste is expelled through our urine. The kidneys are vital, because they prevent waste material from getting into the blood.

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22 The brain is well protected because it …

A weighs only 1.4 kilograms

B is the most delicate, fragile and complex part of body

C is made up of hundred thousand (100,000) million cells

23 Which organ supplies oxygen to our bodies?

A Lungs

B Heart

C Brain

24 What is the function of the alveoli? To supply..

A blood to the body

B air to the lungs


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CONFIDENTIAL*

C oxygen to the blood

25 In the digestive system, the blood receives protein in the

A eosophagus

B small intestine

C large intestine

26 What happens to the food that is not digested?

A It is passed into the small intestine

B It is stored in the large intestine

C It is expelled through the anus

27 “Others, like the heart, the muscles in the intestine and the respiratory system move without our knowledge, even when we are asleep.” (lines 23-25). This shows that these movements…

A are not controlled by our brain

B occur without the help of bones

C take place only when we are asleep

28 The kidneys are important because they…

A monitor the chemical contents of the body

B purify the blood from waste materials

C expel the waste through our urine

29 The writer uses the phrase ‘the arts of the body’ (paragraph 1) to refer to…


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A the main biological functions of the body.

B the vital organs of the body

C the mechanism of the body function

Questions 30 to 37 are based on the following passage1

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The fierce appetite for live reef fish across Southeast Asia – and increasingly in mainland China – is devastating populations in the Coral Triangle, a protected marine region home to the world’s richest ocean diversity, according to a recent report in the scientific journal Conservation Biology. It was further reported that spawning of reef fish in this area, which supports 75 percent of all known coral species in the world, has declined 79 percent over the past 5 to 20 years, depending on location. Over fishing in general, and particularly of spawning aggregations that occur when certain species of reef fish gather in one place in great numbers to produce, may be the culprit. This might be due to the more heavily fished (overall) condition of reef fisheries in many parts of the Coral Triangle, where there is uncontrolled fishing and high demand for live groupers for the international live fish trade. About one-third of the species are sold in Asian markets.

Since the 1980s, Hong Kong has been the epicentre of the live fish trade. That trade has greatly expanded in the last decade to an $810 million business, according to the Worldwide Fund for Nature, which monitors the market. Rising wealth in mainland China may be a contributing factor to the increase in the trade with the demand for exotic fish especially high in Shanghai and Beijing. Destinations popular with Chinese tourists are seeing an increase, too. While Kota Kinabalu has long been a draw for Chinese vacationers, “eating tourism” is booming lately. This is because live reef fish cost 60 percent less here than in Hong Kong. Even locals unaffiliated with the tourist trade are aware of the surge. Across the street from the Port View, Malays at the famous Night Market speak with awe about the Chinese tourists who spend “thousands of ringgit a week just eating fish.”

Grouper is by far the most popular - and therefore endangered - of the reef fish, with 26 percent of the world’s 161 species threatened or near threatened. With life spans of up to 40 years, groupers can grow to eight feet in the wild. After sexual maturity, female groupers can change into males to compensate for population imbalances, becoming “secondary males” in a process called protogyny. But groupers take five years to mature, and most are taken out of the water long before. They are grown to market size in seaside tanks and on dinner plates before they can reproduce.

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The Director of the Fund’s Live Fish Trade Initiative said that live trade was largely responsible for the removal of juvenile or undersize and sexually immature fish. The fund works to manage the Coral Triangle with the six countries that share its seas – Malaysia, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Solomon Islands and East Timor. It is no easy task in region where “fish bombing” with dynamite or cyanide is routine, and where the enforcement of existing protected zones is often anaemic.

The organization is aiding the creation of the region’s first commercial fishing trade organization to establish standards for sustainable practices. Initial talks between government and industry representatives are being planned. It is suggested that spawning aggregations be considered protected events rather than simple times when fish are easy to catch, as has been done with salmon in Bristol Bay, Alaska. Other species have similar protections.

Colonies of seabirds which were once exploited heavily and are now protected. Special feeding or breeding places are now routinely protected on land for many species, because of the recognition that animals are vulnerable at this time or that their aggregated state is very important for their biology.

From a very practical perspective, loss of the aggregations ultimately means loss of the associated fishery, so it makes good practical sense to change our attitude.

Adapted from New York Times, 20th January 2009.

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CONFIDENTIAL*

30The word fierce in line 1, paragraph 1 can best be replaced with

A bold

B wild

C enthusiastic

D fearless

31The following steps can be taken to overcome the problem of over fishing except

A prohibiting the sales of fish

B ensuring the enforcement of protected areas

C establishing standards for sustainable practices

D increasing spawning aggregations

32In paragraph 2, the writer develops the crisis through

A cause and effect

B problem and solution

C example and illustration

D comparison and contrast

33The factor that most probably contributes to the increasing trade of exotic fish is

A the increasing number of tourists from China

B the rising wealth of China

C the rising population in China


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D the demand from fishermen in China

34Protogyny (paragraph 5) is a process where…

A male groupers transform into females

B female groupers turn into males

C gender groupers change into males

D the groupers turn sexually mature

35The countries involved in the Live Fish Trade Initiative are the following except

A China

B Philippines

C Solomon Islands

D Papua New Guinea

36Which of the following is not a reason for the decrease in spawning aggregations in the Coral Triangle?A Over fishing

B Uncontrolled fishing

C High demands for live fish

D The poor condition of reef fisheries

37From a very practical perspective, loss of the aggregations ultimately means loss of the associated fishery, so it makes good practical sense to change our attitude. The article ends with…


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A a reminder

B an anecdote

C a description

D a justification


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The Northridge earthquake occurred on 17th January 1994 at 4:30 am Pacific Standard Time in Reseda, a neighbourhood in the city of Los Angeles, California. The earthquake had a "strong" moment magnitude of 6.7 Richter scale, but the ground acceleration was the highest ever instrumentally recorded in an urban area in North America. Seventy two people died as a result of the earthquake with more than 9,000 injured. In addition, the earthquake caused an estimated $20 billion in damage, making it one of the costliest natural disasters in U.S. history.

The earthquake struck in the San Fernando Valley 32.2 kilometres northwest of downtown Los Angeles near the community of Northridge. The actual epicentre of the quake was in Reseda, near the intersection of Reseda Boulevard and Saticoy Street. However, it took several days to pinpoint the epicentre with accuracy, and in the meantime the media had already dubbed it "The Northridge Earthquake." The name stuck, in part due to the extensive damage and loss of life in Northridge. The National Geophysical Data Centre places the hypocenter's geographical coordinates at 34°12′47″N 118°32′13″W / 34.21306, -118.53694 and a depth of 17 kilometres. Despite the area's proximity to the San Andreas Fault, the Northridge quake did not occur along this fault, but rather on a previously-undiscovered blind thrust fault.

Damage occurred up to 125 kilometres away, with the most damage in the west of San Fernando Valley, and the cities of Santa Monica, Simi Valley and Santa Clarita. The Northridge Meadows apartment complex was one of the well-known affected areas in which sixteen people were killed. The Northridge Fashion Centre also sustained very heavy damage—most notably, the collapse of parking structures. Major freeway damage occurred up to 32 kilometres from the epicentre. The Newhall Pass interchange of Interstate 5 and State Route 14 collapsed as it had 23 years earlier during the 1971 Sylmar earthquake even though it had been rebuilt with improved structural components. One life was lost in the Newhall Pass interchange collapse: LAPD motorcycle officer Clarence W. Dean fell 40 feet from the damaged connector from southbound 14 to southbound I-5 along with his motorcycle. Due to the early morning darkness, he was unaware that the elevated roadway beneath him had dropped, and was

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LAPD

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sylmar_earthquake

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_5_(California)

http://stable.toolserver.org/geohack/geohack.php?pagename=1994_Northridge_earthquake&params=34_12_47_N_118_32_13_W_

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moment_magnitude

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Los_Angeles,_California

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unable to stop in time to avoid the fall and died instantly. When the interchange was rebuilt again one year later, it was renamed the Clarence Wayne Dean Memorial Interchange in his honour.

Eleven hospitals suffered structural damage and therefore, could not be used. Not only were they unable to serve their local neighbourhoods, they had to transfer out their inpatient populations, which further increased the burden on nearby hospitals that were still operational. As a result, the state legislature passed a law requiring all California hospitals to ensure that their acute care units and emergency rooms are housed in earthquake-proof structures by January 1, 2005.

An unusual effect of the Northridge earthquake was an outbreak of coccidioidomycosis (Valley Fever), a respiratory disease caused by inhaling airborne spores. The number of cases in Ventura County was roughly 10 times the normal rate in the eight weeks following the earthquake and three people died. It is thought that the spores were carried in large clouds of dust created by seismically triggered landslides.

The Northridge earthquake led to a number of legislative changes. Due to the large amount lost by insurance companies because of the earthquake, most insurance companies either stopped offering or severely restricted earthquake insurance in California. In response, the California Legislature created the California Earthquake Authority (CEA), which is a publicly managed but privately funded organization that offers minimal coverage. A substantial effort was also made to reinforce freeway bridges against seismic shaking and a law requiring water heaters to be properly strapped was passed in 1995.

[Adapted from:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_Earthquake_AuthorityWikipedia, the free encyclopedia]

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38 The Northridge Earthquake can be considered as the…

A worst earthquake ever in America

B most expensive earthquake ever in America

C deadliest earthquake ever in America

D longest earthquake ever in America


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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coccidioidomycosis

CONFIDENTIAL*

39 The Northridge Earthquake claimed many lives. This was because…

A hospitals were already occupied with injured victims

B the earthquake occurred at dawn whereby people were caught unaware

C help was not rendered to the victims on time

D highways collapsed due to strong acceleration of the ground

40 The Newhall Pass interchange of Interstate 5 and State Route 14 collapsed as it had 23 years earlier during the 1971 Sylmar earthquake even though it had been rebuilt with improved structural components. This statement shows that …

A an earthquake had never happened before in that area

B the earthquake happened with unusual strong ground acceleration

C an earthquake happens once in every 23 years in the area

D the earthquake caused extensive damages to the highways

41Which of the following does not describe the Northridge Earthquake?

A It caused extensive damages and loss of life

B It occurred out of the line fault

C The insurance company had to change their legislative

D It was devastating and destructive

42 In paragraph 3, the writer gives a detailed description of the…

A duration of the earthquake when it struck California

B damages brought to the lives and infrastructures

C acceleration of the movements of the ground

D Sylmar and Northridge earthquakes


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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sylmar_earthquake

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_State_Route_14

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_5_(California)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newhall_Pass_interchange

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43 The Northridge earthquake not only caused damages to lives and structures but it also brought

A poverty to The United States of America

B an epidemic problem released in the air

C a problem of reconstructing the infrastructures

D awareness to the people

44 From the passage, it is informed that officer Clarence W. Dean died while

A on his motorcycle while passing the Newhall Pass Interchange

B on duty when the elevated roadway collapse

C on his way to help the victims of the Northridge earthquake

D on his way to the hospital

45 Based on the passage, we notice that earthquake except…

A occurred at dawn while people were sleeping and unaware

B caused damages to the infrastructures and loss of lives

C happened in strong acceleration of ground movements

D occurred at along the fault lineREADING 800/3 MUET READING (mid 2009)

1. B 26. C2. A 27. A3. A 28. B4. C 29. A5. C 30. C6. B 31. A7. A 32. A8. A 33. B9. A 34. B10. A 35. A


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CONFIDENTIAL*

11. B 36. D12. A 37. A13. A 38. B14. C 39. B15. D 40. B16. D 41. C17. A 42. B18. C 43. B19. D 44. B20. B 45. D21. D22. B23. B24. C25. B


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Documents

MUET Mid Year Reading 2009 Trial[1] Perlis