INFERENCE LBE UTBK SNBT

Stretching more than 2.300 kilometers along Queensland's coastline and covering 35 million hectares, the Great Barrier is the world's largest coral reef, and probably the richest. More than 1.500 species of fish, 4.000 species of mollusks, 400 species of sponge and 300 species of hard corals live here.

The reef is Queensland's first world heritage area. It is very importance to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with significant cultural sites on many of its islands. The reef is very important in other ways. The World Heritage Area is worth some $5.4 billion to the Australian economy. As many as $3.5 billion of that amount goes into the local towns and communities bordering the reef.

Recent research published by the Australian Institute of Marine Science has found two primary factors that have caused a very significant decline in coral cover over the last 30 years or so. They are extreme weather and the crown-of-thorns starfish. The same research is telling us that coral cover north of Cook town is generally stable, but the southern area is experiencing major losses.

The reef's complexities are well described in the 2013 Scientific Consensus Statement. This science contributed to the updated Reef Water Quality Protection Plan (Reef Plan). The plan is a state and federal initiative designed to stop and reverse the decline in reef water quality. The consensus statement confirms that the major cause of coral cover loss is extreme weather events, such as cyclones.

Clearly, we are not able to influence such events. The second Great Barrier Reef Report Card confirms that management change and water quality improvements are tracking positively, but more needs to be done. The report was released in July 2013 and based on 2011 Paddock to Reef Monitoring Program data. The Queensland and Australian governments, together with industry, regional bodies, and conservation groups, will continue working hard to maintain progress towards Reef Plan targets. We want to be sure that the reef has the best possible opportunity to recover from cyclone damage and crown-of-thorns starfish attacks.

What can be inferred from the passage?

• The Great Barrier Reef is under the threat of nature.

• The Australian economy is attracted by cyclones and starfish.

• The other main resource influencing the reef is seawater quality

• The decline of the Great Barrier Reef initiates research on climate.

Do you play video games? If so, you aren't alone. Video games are becoming more common and are increasingly enjoyed by adults. The average age of gamers has been increasing. Changing technology also means that more people are exposed to video games. Many committed gamers play on desktop computers or consoles, but a new breed of casual gamers has emerged, who play on smartphones and tablets at spare moments throughout the day, like their morning commute. So, we know that video games are an increasingly common form of entertainment, but do they have any effect on our brains and behavior?

Over the years, the media have made various sensationalist claims about video games and their effect on our health and happiness. "Games have sometimes been praised or demonized, often without real data backing up those claims. Moreover, gaming is a popular activity, so everyone seems to have strong opinions on the topic," says Marc Palaus, first author on the review, recently published in Frontiers in Human Neuroscience.

Palaus and his colleagues wanted to see if any trends had emerged from the research to date concerning how video games affect the structure and activity of our brains. They collected the results from 116 scientific studies, 22 of which looked at structural changes in the brain and 100 of which looked at changes in brain functionality and/or behavior.

Studies show that playing video games can change how our brains perform, and even their structure. For example, playing video games affects our attention, and some studies found that gamers show improvements in several types of attention, such as sustained attention or selective attention. The brain regions involved in attention are also more efficient in gamers and require less activation to sustain attention on demanding tasks.

1. What can be inferred from the passage above?

• Gamers are more likely to have brain damage due to the change in their brain structures.

• Given its benefits, gaming will now be continuously praised on the media.

• Gamers will find it easier to focus on tasks that require a lot of energy or attention.

• Gaming will continue to become increasingly popular and will render other forms of entertainment useless.

There are many habits I've gained while working from home: snacking when desired, taking the dog for a midmorning walk, talking to myself and settling in for a daily nap. That last one will be especially painful to give up if or when I return to an office; my naps have become essential downtime that act as afternoon pick-me-ups. Why do my naps feel so needed and so revitalising? And will I have to live without?

There are two biological processes that contribute to daily drowsiness, says Sara Mednick, a professor of cognitive science at the University of California at Irvine and author of Take a Nap! Change Your Life.

The first system is the circadian: It prompts you to stay awake when it's light out and asleep when it's dark. In the middle of the day, it causes the hormone cortisol to start decreasing from its morning high and your core body temperature to slightly dip; losing heat helps you fall and stay asleep. The second is the homeostatic: It makes you sleepier the longer you've been awake. As the day progresses, it continually increases your "sleep pressure," causing you to have a growing need for sleep. Together, at midday, these create "kind of a perfect storm that makes people tired," Mednick says.

For many people who are sleep-deprived, a short shut-eye session is the ticket, Mednick says. "Your mood gets better, your creativity, your perceptual processing, your memory processing."

Mednick has found that nappers perform as well on a pattern-recognition task as people who have slept overnight. She has found that naps enhance creative problem-solving. Naps can boost and restore brain power. Toddlers who nap express more joy. Adults nappers can tolerate frustration longer and feel less impulsive. Naps may help protect older people from cognitive decline and dementia. Runners can use naps to improve endurance. People who nap once or twice a week have a lower risk of cardiovascular disease. Memory is better after a nap. And on it goes.

3. What can we conclude from the effects of taking a nap discussed in paragraph 5?

• The effects of napping include both psychological and physiological advantages.

• If done correctly, napping can have a huge range of health benefits.

• Taking a nap does not only help with metabolism, but also with mood regulation.

• The advantages of napping for the human brain are its most significant effects

Stretching more than 2.300 kilometers along Queensland's coastline and covering 35 million hectares, the Great Barrier is the world's largest coral reef, and probably the richest. More than 1.500 species of fish, 4.000 species of mollusks, 400 species of sponge and 300 species of hard corals live here. The reef is Queensland's first world heritage area. It is very important to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with significant cultural sites on many of its islands. The reef is very important in other ways. The World Heritage Area is worth some $5.4 billion to the Australian economy. As many as $3.5 billion of that amount goes into the local towns and communities bordering the reef.

Recent research published by the Australian Institute of Marine Science has found two primary factors that have caused a very significant decline in coral cover over the last 30 years or so. They are extreme weather and the crown-of-thorns starfish. The same research is telling us that coral cover north of Cook town is generally stable, but the southern area is experiencing major losses. The reef's complexities are well described in the 2013 Scientific Consensus Statement. This science contributed to the updated Reef Water Quality Protection Plan (Reef Plan). The plan is a state and federal initiative designed to stop and reverse the decline in reef water quality. The consensus statement confirms that the major cause of coral cover loss is extreme weather events, such as cyclones. Clearly, we are not able to influence such events.

The second Great Barrier Reef Report Card confirms that management change and water quality improvements are tracking positively, but more needs to be done. The report was released in July 2013 and based on 2011 Paddock to Reef Monitoring Program data. The Queensland and Australian governments, together with industry, regional bodies, and conservation groups, will continue working hard to maintain progress towards Reef Plan targets. We want to be sure that the reef has the best possible opportunity to recover from cyclone damage and crown-of-thorns starfish attacks.

14. What can be inferred from the passage?

• The Great Barrier Reef is under the threat of nature

• Australian economy is attracted by cyclones and starfish.

• The other main resource influencing the reef is seawater quality

• Scientists expect the reef has the power to recover naturally.

President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo evaluated four aspects of Indonesia’s national strategic projects for the

country’s COVID-19 economic recovery effort. The first message he conveyed after conducting the virtual

meeting earlier today was that the strategic agendas crucial to the nation will not be stopped and must continue.

“This morning, we will evaluate the national strategic project for the economic recovery due to the COVID-19

pandemic,” he said. The second crucial aspect he said must continue was the prioritized implementation of the

national strategic projects (PSN) that had a direct effect on the people’s economy and its recovery.

“I noted that several national strategic projects are very crucial to equalize and strengthen the people’s

economy,” said Jokowi while ensuring that the programs would be executed under strict health protocols. Those

included in the PSN he considered crucial were the people’s land certification program, legalization of

transmigration land, agrarian reform, social forestries, and the rejuvenation of people’s plantations.

What is the best summary of the passage…

• President Joko Widodo evaluate four

  aspects of Indonesia strategic projects

  to recover economic impact after

  COVID-19 pandemic

• Evaluation of economic recovery

  included people’s land certification

  program, legalization of transmigration

  land, agrarian reform, social forestries,

  and the rejuvenation of people’s

  plantations

• National Strategic Projects (PSN)

  implemented under strict health

  protocols

• Indonesia economic rejuvenation after

  COVID-19 pandemic

• COVID-19 significant effect on

  Indonesia’s economic activity