Reading Comprehension High Level 1

Reading Comprehension High Level

by Waine Evans

​Answer the following questions according to the text.

​In an interview yesterday Mr. Wilson was questioned about the harmful effects of horror movies on teenagers. He argued that such effects were often exaggerated and claimed that other types of films were far more dangerous for young people. When asked to prove this, he pointed out that horror films were often set in unreal situations and were clearly not to be taken seriously. In contrast, he claimed that films showing violent crime were often set in everyday life, and were therefore more damaging.

Multiple Choice

In Mr. Wilson’s opinion, horror films _____.

• cost more than other kinds of films.

• are more popular among the elderly than among the young

• should be banned altogether.

• are less damaging to young people that films of violent crime.

• have recently ceased to appeal to the young.

Multiple Choice

For Mr. Wilson the main difference between a horror film and one showing violent crime is that the former_____.

• is mainly concerned with everyday situations.

• is liked by the young, and the latter by the old.

• is unrelated to real life, whereas the latter is.

• is less expensive to produce than the latter.

• rarely receives any attention from the young.

Multiple Choice

The interviewer wanted to find out whether _____.

• young people were being harmed by horror films.

• Mr. Wilson had himself been affected by horror films.

• Mr. Wilson preferred horror films to films of violence.

• people were seriously objecting to horror films.

• the effects of crime films were being exaggerated.

​Answer the following questions according to the text.

​The famous Tower of London was built as a fortress by William the Conqueror. Early in the Middle Ages the kings used it as a palace; later on it was turned into a prison, but only distinguished prisoners, including statesmen and princes, were held there. Today the Tower is a national museum, where, among other things, the jewellery of the English kings and queens is on display.

Multiple Choice

It is obvious from the passage that the functions of the Tower of London _____.

• were all established by William the Conqueror.

• have always been controlled by the kings.

• have varied greatly over the centuries.

• are all of a military nature.

• have not changed at all since the Middle Ages.

Multiple Choice

We learn from the passage that the Tower _____.

• was not originally intended to be a fortress.

• was never a prison for ordinary people.

• is still a unique example of medieval architecture.

• was never a residence of English kings.

• functions today only as a jewellers museum.

Multiple Choice

William the Conqueror’s original purpose in building the Tower of London _____.

• was one of defence.

• was to exhibit his valuable jewellery.

• was strongly criticized later in the Middle Ages.

• remains unknown even now.

• is still being debated among historians.

​Answer the following questions according to the text.

​Never before in history have people been so aware of what is going on in the world. Television, newspapers and radio keep us continually informed and stimulate our interest. The sociologist’s interest in the world around him is intense, for society is his field of study. Indeed, he needs to know what is happening in society; he wants to know what makes the social world what it is, how it is organized, why it changes in the ways that it does. Such knowledge is valuable not only for those who make great decisions, but also for you, since this is the world in which you live and make your way.

Multiple Choice

The passage emphasizes that whatever goes on in the world today _____.

• is quickly forgotten by the majority.

• only concerns the sociologist.

• first makes the headlines in the press.

• is of great interest to everyone.

• can easily be ignored by people in power.

Multiple Choice

It is pointed out in the passage that, among other things, sociologists are very much interested in _____.

• our reaction to their studies.

• the effect of television on education.

• the reasons for social change.

• how people make a living in the world.

• environmental problems.

Multiple Choice

One may conclude from the passage that the studies made by sociologists _____.

• are extremely useful both to decision makers and to ordinary people.

• are of little general interest.

• receive a lot of attention from the media.

• are primarily intended for students of sociology.

• do not adequately reflect real conditions in the world.

​Answer the following questions according to the text

​Every summer many people, girls and women as well as boys and men, try to swim from England to France or from France to England. The distance at the nearest points is only about twenty miles, but because of the strong currents the distance that must be swum is usually twice as far. The first man to succeed in swimming across the Channel was Captain Webb, an Englishman. This was in August 1875. He landed in France 21 hours 45 minutes after entering the water at Dover. Since then there have been many successful swims and the time has been shortened. One French swimmer crossed in 11 hours and 5 minutes.

Multiple Choice

Swimming the Channel is not as easy as it might seem _____.

• as the distance between the two counties is far too much.

• and it always takes more or less 20 hours.

• and only two people have managed to do it so far.

• so few people even try to swim it.

• for there are very strong currents.

Multiple Choice

The first time anyone swam across the Channel _____.

• was in the last century.

• was when England and France organized a swimming competition.

• no one really believed him.

• he was helped by favourable currents.

• he reached Dover just before 10 in the evening.

Multiple Choice

One English swimmer crossed in 21 hours and 45 minutes. ______.

• was unbelievably short.

• has since been nearly reduced to half.

• still remains a record.

• was thought to be far too long.

• hasn’t been equalled by any French swimmer.

Answer the following questions according to the text.​

​A new discovery of a dinosaur fossil in Antarctica has confirmed the idea that dinosaurs lived not only in the Northern Hemisphere but in the Southern Hemisphere as well. Up until this discovery, scientists had found dinosaur remains on every continent except Antarctica. This new discovery now confirms the idea that dinosaurs were distributed worldwide. If the dinosaur fossil is shown to be related to other dinosaurs of the same period in South America, it will also support the idea that South America and Antarctica were once linked together.

Multiple Choice

It is only recently that _____.

• important scientific studies about the Southern Hemisphere have been carried out.

• scientists have been seriously interested in fossils.

• a dinosaur fossil has been discovered in Antarctica.

• some new facts about the Northern Hemisphere have come to light.

• Antarctica has been discovered.

Multiple Choice

One can understand from the passage that _____.

• dinosaurs, at one time in the past, lived in both hemispheres.

• dinosaurs were in fact, more commonly found in the Southern Hemisphere.

• scientists had long since realized that dinosaurs had actually lived in Antarctica.

• the dinosaur fossil, discovered in Antarctica, was significantly different from those found in other continents.

• the discovery of the dinosaur fossil in Antarctica was actually of little importance to scientists.

Multiple Choice

It is hoped that the discovery of the dinosaur fossil in Antarctica _____.

• would contribute significantly to our knowledge of the Northern Hemisphere.

• will throw further light on the existence of dinosaurs in the past.

• would lead to further similar discoveries in the Southern Hemisphere.

• could answer the question whether South America and Antarctica were originally connected.

• will attract more scientists to this type of work.