SC Reading Comprehension

‘It’s a once in a lifetime experience’ (lines 52–53) is an example of which of the following terms?

• A pun 

• A cliché 

• A proverb 

• An exaggeration 

What is the best term to describe the mood created in the paragraph ‘You could see it . . . in mid- to late-March.’ (lines 62–72)?

• Contentment 

• Disappointment 

• Optimism
  

• Sadness 

What does the use of the first person narrative indicate about the passage?

• It shows that the passage is a scientific report. 

• It shows that the passage is a personal recount. 

• It indicates that the passage contains biased opinions. 

• It indicates that the passage contains objective descriptions. 

Which of the following inferences can be reasonably drawn from the text I Was There?

• During a solar eclipse you would not be able to see Halley’s Comet. 

• Halley’s Comet will continue to orbit unchanged every 76 years. 

• Earlier sightings of the comet were less impressive than those described in this text. 

• The information provided to comet watchers on this occasion was unsatisfactory. 

Which of the following is an example of colloquial language?

• Shedding its material (lines 18–19) 

• The Milky Way (line 44) 

• Meteor showers (lines 49–50) 

• A real fizzer (lines 66–67) 

Which is the closest meaning for the word ‘impediment’ (line 26)?

• An interest in solving the problem 

• A solution to the growing problem 

• An inability to communicate the problem 

• A barrier to solving the problem     

Why was the ‘World Scientists’ Warning to Humanity’ statement unusual (lines 3–4)? 

• It was an opinion formulated by only half the living Nobel Prize winners. 

• It was an extremely cautious comment for scientists to make. 

• It was an uncharacteristically bold statement for scientists to make. 

• It is such a negative prediction for the future of humanity. 

What is the main reason for including the term ‘eco-holocaust’ (lines 16–17)?

• To reveal the damage that the economy is inflicting on our environment 

• To emphasise the impending annihilation of the environment 

• To identify the threat of slowly poisoning our environment 

• To highlight the fading hope of saving our environment 

Why does Suzuki remark that ‘rapid change also brings rapid collective forgetfulness’ (lines 73–74)?

• He is worried about the fact that individuals are not listening to each other. 

• He considers change to be a negative force that hampers society’s progress. 

• He believes society has become selfish and deaf. 

• He is suggesting that society is too involved with the present to consider the past. 

What common idea links all four dot points listed in lines 66–101?

• That we are overlooking a truth about human existence

• That we cannot deal effectively with the impact of technology 

• That we have failed to care for the environment we live in 

• That we cannot maintain the current levels of change