Choose the underlined word or phrase (A, B, C or D) that is incorrect and needs to be changed: The new computer made easier for the students to finish the project

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions:
Sharks have gained an unfair reputation for being fierce predators of large sea animals. Humanity's unfounded fear and hatred of these ancient creatures is leading to a worldwide slaughter that may result in the extinction of many coastal shark species. The shark is the victim of a warped attitude of wildlife protection; we strive only to protect the beautiful, non-threatening parts of our environment. And, in our efforts to restore only non-threatening parts of our earth, we ignore other important parts.
A perfect illustration of this attitude is the contrasting attitude toward another large sea animal, the dolphin. During the 1980s, environmentalists in the United States protested the use of driftnets for tuna fishing in the Pacific Ocean since these nets also caught dolphins. The environmentalists generated enough political and economic pressure to prevent tuna companies from buying tuna that had been caught in driftnets. In contrast to this effort on behalf of the dolphins, these same environmentalists have done very little to help save the Pacific Ocean sharks whose population has decreased nearly to the point of extinction.
Sharks are among the oldest creatures on earth, having survived in the seas for more than 350 million years. They are extremely efficient animals, feeding on wounded or dying animals, thus performing an important role in nature of weeding out the weaker animals in a species. Just the fact that species such as the Great White Shark have managed to live in the oceans for so many millions of years is enough proof of their efficiency and adaptability to changing environments. It is time for US humans, who may not survive another 1,000 years at the rate we are damaging the planet, to cast away our fears and begin considering the protection of sharks as an important part of a program for protection of all our natural environment.

What is the author's tone in this passage?

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The tourist looking at the African savannah on a summer afternoon might be excused for thinking that the wide yellow grass plain was completely deserted of life, almost a desert. With only a few small thorn trees sticking out through the veldt, there seems to be almost no place for a living creature to hide.
However, under those trees you might find small steenbok, sleeping in the shade, and waiting for the night to fall. There may even be a small group of lions somewhere, their bodies exactly the same shade as the tall grass around them. In the holes in the ground a host of tiny creatures, from rabbits and badgers to rats and' snakes are waiting for the heat to finish.
The tall grass also hides the fact that there may be a small stream running across the middle of the plain. One clue that there may be water here is the sight of a majestic Marshall eagle circling slowly over the grassland. When he drops, he may come up with a small fish, or maybe a grass snake that has been waiting at the edge of a pool in the hope of catching a frog.
The best time to see the animals then, is in the evening, just as the sun is setting. The best time of the year to come is in late September, or early August, just before the rains. Then the animals
must come to the waterholes, as there is no other place for them to drink. And they like to come while it is still light; so they can see if any dangers are creeping up on them.
So it is at sunset, and after the night falls, that the creatures of the African veld rise and go about their business.

Why do animals come to the waterholes while it is still light?

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A letter of application is a sales letter in which you are both salesperson and product, for the purpose of an application is to attract an employer’s attention and persuade him or her to grant you an interview. To do this, the letter presents what you can offer the employer, rather than what you want from the job.
Like a resume, the letter of application is a sample of your work and an opportunity to demonstrate your skills and personality. If it is written with flair and understanding and prepared with prefessional care, it is likely to be very effective. While the resume must be factual, objective, and brief, the letter is your chance to interpret and expand. It should state explicitly how your background relates to the specific job, and it should emphasise your strongest and most relevant characteristics. The letter should demonstrate that you know both yourself and the company.
The letter of application must communicate your ambition and enthusiasm. Yet it must be modest. It should be neither aggressive nor compliant: neither pat yourself on the back nor ask for sympathy. It should never express dissatisfaction with the present or former job or employer. And you should avoid discussing your reasons for leaving your last job.
Finally, it is best that you not broach the subject on salary. Indeed, even if a job advertisement requires that you mention your salary requirements, it is advisable simply to call them “negotiable.” However, when you go on an interview, you should be prepared to mention a salary range. For this reason, you should investigate both your field and, if possible, the particular company. You don’t want to ask for less than you deserve or more than is reasonable.

The word “broach” in paragraph 4 is closest in meaning to     .

Fiberscopes are one of the most important Outcomes of the science of fiber optics. Fibers made of glass and transparent acrylic plastic are capable of conveying light energy, and when thousands of these fibers are combined in what is called a fiberscope, they can transmit images. The most common fiberscopes contain about 750,000 fibers, each 0.001 centimeter, or 10 microns, in diameter. For certain uses, the diameter of the fiber may be as small as 5 microns.
Fiberscopes have a wide range of applications. In the medical field, physicians use fiberscopes to examine internal organs and as an aid in delicate surgeries. Miniature probes have also been developed to view muscle fiber, skin tissue, and blood cells. Fiberscopes have also found varied uses in industry, particularly to inspect or control operations in inaccessible areas. Bundles of fiberscopes fused together in a solid plate, called a faceplate, are being used in the manufacture of television picture tubes and other cathode-ray tube devices. 
The most far-reaching applications of fiber-optic technology are in communications. Optical fibers carry voice messages for telephone service. The sound of the voice is electronically broken down into thousands of pulses per second, which causes a transmitting laser to send coordinated pulses of light through the optical fibers. At the receiving end, the light pulses are converted to electrical signals and the voice message is reconstructed. Light-wave communication systems can handle an immensely greater number of telephone calls and television programs than the current system, and they will form the basis of the "electronic superhighway" expected to crisscross the nation in the near future of the information age.

The main topic of the passage is _________

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WWF, in full World Wide Fund for Nature, international organization committed to conservation of the environment. In North America, it is called the World Wildlife Fund.
In 1960, a group of British naturalists - most notably biologist Sir Julian Huxley, artist and conservationist Peter Scott, and ornithologists Guy Montfort and Max Nicholson - led an effort to establish an organization that protected endangered species and their habitats. The following year the World Wildlife Fund was founded; the international name was subsequently changed to World Wide Fund for Nature in 1989, although in the United States and Canada it retained the founding name. The organization's distinctive panda logo was created by Scott. In the face of growing environmental threats over the ensuing years, the WWF's activities expanded in scope. Today its mission statement is threefold: to conserve the world's biological diversity, to ensure that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable, and to promote the reduction of pollution and of wasteful consumption.  The  organization has long included both conservationists and businesspeople with the intention of combining solid scientific data with well-managed action. It also seeks cooperation between nongovernmental organizations, local governments, and local populations. The WWF works closely with the World Conservation Union and has formed partnerships with the United Nations, the World Bank, and the European Union.
The WWF provides money for conservation initiatives around the world. These  include  programs focused on individual species, forests, and freshwater and marine issues as well as climate change and responsible international trade. The group has also been involved in  efforts  to provide a safe and sustainable habitat for the world's peoples, both urban and rural, including clean water, clean air, healthful food, and rewarding recreation areas. Among the WWF's notable achievements is its use of debt-for-nature swaps, in which an organization buys some of a country's foreign debt at  a discount, converts the money to local currency, and then uses it to finance conservation efforts. The WWF's first successful debt-for-nature swap took place in 1987 in Ecuador.
At the beginning of the 21st century, the WWF was active in more than 100 countries and had more than five million supporters. The organization's international headquarters are in Gland, Switz., and it has more than 90 offices around the world.

The word "It" in paragraph 1 refers to

Choose the underlined word or phrase (A, B, C or D) that is incorrect and needs to be changed: Life expectancy has increased a great deal in spite of modern medicine and technology

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In the United States, it is important to be on time, or punctual, for an appointment, a class, a meeting, ect... This may not be true in some other countries, however. An American professor discovered this difference while teaching a class in a Brazilian university. The two-hour class was scheduled to begin at 10 A.m., and end at 12 A.m. On the first day, when the professor arrived on time, no one was in the classroom. Many students came after 11 A.m. Although all of the students greeted the professor as they arrived, few apologised for their lateness. Were these students being rude? He decided to study the students’ behavior.
In American university, students are expected to arrive at the appointed hour. On the other hand, in Brazil, neither the teacher nor the students always arrive at the appointed hour. Classes not only begin at the scheduled time in the United States, but they also end at the scheduled time. In the Brazilian class, only a few students left the class at noon, many remained past 12:30 to discuss the class and ask more questions. While arriving late may not be important in Brazil, neither is staying late.
The explanation for these differences is complicated. People from Brazilian and North American cultures have different feelings about lateness. In Brazil, the students believe that a person who usually arrives late is probably more successful than a person who is always on time. In fact, Brazilians expect a person with status or prestige to arrive late, while in the United States, lateness is usually considered to be disrespectful and unacceptable. Consequently, if a Brazilian is late for an appointment with a North America, the American may misinterpret the reason for the lateness and become angry.
As a result for his study, the professor learned that the Brazilian students were not being disrespectful to him. Instead, they were simply behaving the appropriate way for a Brazilian student in Brazil. Eventually, the professor was able to adapt his own behavior to feel comfortable in the new culture.

All of these following sentences are true for the first day of the professor in Brazil EXCEPT     

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The Atmosphere of Venus
Venus, also called the Morning Star and Evening Star, is the second-closest planet to the sun and the brightest object in the night sky. The planet orbits the sun every two hundred and twenty four Earth-days and is sometimes referred to as Earth’s sister planet because the two share both a similar size and bulk. What is not similar, however, is Venus’s atmosphere in comparison to Earth’s atmosphere.
The atmosphere on Venus is much heavier and has a higher density than that of Earth. Venus’s atmosphere also expands significantly higher than Earth’s atmosphere although a thick cloud cover makes the surface of Venus nearly impossible to see unless observed through radar mapping.
While the pressure and temperature of Venus’s upper atmosphere are comparable to those of Earth, the heat and pressure of the lower atmosphere are not unlike a furnace. Venus’s atmosphere is very thick due to a composition consisting mainly of carbon dioxide, and a small amount of nitrogen. If man could survive the extreme heat of Venus’s surface (400 degrees Celsius), then he would have to contend with a surface pressure that is more than 90 times that of Earth. Venus’s extremely high temperature is thanks to the greenhouse effect caused by such a large amount of carbon dioxide. The greenhouse effect is a process by which the sun’s infrared radiation is more readily absorbed by the atmosphere. Just like in a real greenhouse used to grow plants years round, the proliferation of carbon dioxide traps radiation and warms Venus’s atmosphere. Due to this phenomenon, Venus boasts a higher atmospheric temperature than Mercury, even though Venus is twice the distance from the sun.
However, scientists postulate that Venus’s atmosphere was not always so hot. Studies show that large bodies of water were once on Venus’s surface but that eventually evaporation of all the water caused the runaway greenhouse effect which regulates the planet today.Thus Venus has become a critical study for today’s scientists, as human being are only beginning to struggle with the early stages of the greenhouse effect. Our problems do not stem from evaporated water supplies but from a propagation of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases due to industrial and automobile emissions.
Another interesting characteristic to note regarding Venus’s atmosphere is that its daytime temperatures and nighttime temperatures are not that far removed from each other. This is due to the thermal inertia, the ability of a substance to store heat despite changing temperatures and the transfer of heat by Venus’s strong winds. Although winds on the surface of Venus move slowly in comparison with Earth’s winds, Venus’s air is so dense that a slow-moving there can move large obstructions and even skip stones along the planet’s surface.
In 1966, humankind made its first attempt at sending a recording instrument into Venus’s atmosphere. The Venera 3 probe did collide with Venus surface; however, the abrupt impact caused its communication system to fail, and it was unable to send and feedback. In 1967, Venera 4 successfully enter Venus’s atmosphere and was able to take many readings, one of which recorded that Venus’s atmosphere was between ninety and ninety-five percent carbon dioxide. Subsequent Venera probes were sent into Venus’s atmosphere, but most of them succumbed to the crushing air pressure.

In paragraph 4, the author of the passage implies that Earth

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Until recently, hunting for treasure from shipwrecks was mostly fantasy; with recent technological advances, however, the search for sunken treasure has become more popular as a legitimate endeavor. This has caused a debate between those wanting to salvage the wrecks and those wanting to preserve them.
Treasure hunters are spurred on by the thought of finding caches of gold coins or other valuable objects on a sunken ship. One team of salvagers, for instance, searched the wreck of the RMS Republic, which sank outside the Boston harbor in 1900. The search party, using side-scan sonar, a device that projects sound waves across the ocean bottom and produces a profile of the sea floor, located the wreck in just two and a half days. Before the use of this new technology, such searches could take months or years. The team of divers searched the wreck for two months, finding silver tea services, crystal dinnerware, and thousands of bottles of wine, but they did not find the five and a half tons of American Gold Eagle coins they were searching for.
Preservationists focus on the historic value of a ship. They say that even if a shipwreck's treasure does not have a high monetary value, it can be an invaluable source of historic artifacts that are preserved in nearly mint condition. But once a salvage team has scoured a site, much of the archaeological value is lost. Maritime archaeologists who are preservationists worry that the success of salvagers will attract more treasure-hunting expeditions and thus threaten remaining undiscovered wrecks. Preservationists are lobbying their state lawmakers to legally restrict underwater searches and unregulated salvages. To counter their efforts, treasure hunters argue that without the lure of gold and million-dollar treasures, the wrecks and their historical artifacts would never be recovered at all.a

All of the following were found on the RMS Republic EXCEP    .

Choose the word or phrase among A, B, C or D that best fits the blank space in the following passage:

"In the us, colleges of pharmacy offer five-year undergraduate programs (1)….. to the degree of Bachelor of Science in the pharmaceutical Sciences. AU (2)….  students directly from high schools (3)…..  may grant advanced standing to college students or graduates. Licenses are granted by the States after the following requirements have been (4)…. : graduation from one of 72 colleges with programs (5)…..  by the American council on Pharmaceutical Education; about 1,500 hours of internship (6)……  a registered pharmacist; (7)….. completion of a State examination. Pharmacists may practise their (8)…..  in a pharmacy located in a hospital, nursing home, or special area of a drugstore. They may also be (9)……   by a pharmaceutical company in scientific research for the (10)……  and production of new pharmaceutical Products."

10. for the (10)……  and production of new pharmaceutical Products.

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Astronomers have for the first time definitively ID’d the birth of a specific heavy element during a neutron-star smashup. They found strontium. And it showed up in the wavelengths of light — or spectra — making up this collision’s afterglow.
Scientists had assumed that a collision by two super-dense objects, such as neutron stars, would trigger a chain of nuclear reactions. They’re known as the r-process. In such an environment, the nuclei of atoms could rapidly gobble up neutrons. Afterward, those nuclei would become transformed in a process known as radioactive decay. The r-process was seen as a way to transform old, smaller elements into newer, bigger ones. About half of all elements heavier than iron were thought to be made in the r-process. Finding strontium in the recent collision at last offered the most direct evidence yet that neutron-star collisions really do trigger the r-process.
Physicists had long predicted that silver, gold and many other elements more massive than iron formed this way. But scientists weren’t sure where those r-process reactions took place. After all, no one had directly seen the r-process underway in a celestial event. Or they didn’t until the merger of two neutron stars in 2017. Scientists quickly analyzed light given off by that cataclysm. In it, they found evidence of the birth of a hodgepodge of heavy elements. All would seem to have come from the r-process. 
The researchers were examining mostly very heavy elements — ones whose complex atomic structures can generate millions of spectral features. And all of those features were not yet fully known, Watson points out. This made it extremely difficult to tease apart which elements were present, he says.
Strontium, however, is relatively light compared to other r-process elements. And its simple atomic structure creates a few strong and well-known spectral clues. So Watson and his colleagues expanded their analysis to consider it. In doing so, they turned up the clear "fingerprint" of strontium. It emerged in light collected by the Very Large Telescope in Chile within a few days of the neutron-star collision. Seeing strontium in the afterglow wasn’t all that unexpected, says Brian Metzger. He’s an astrophysicist at Columbia University in New York City and not involved in the new work. Strontium, he notes, “does tell us something interesting” about the elements formed during the neutron-star collision.

Which of the following statements is TRUE, according to the passage?

Choose the best answer:
The expression on your face can actually dramatically alter your feelings and perceptions, and it has been proved that (1) _______ smiling or frowning can create corresponding emotional responses. The idea was first (2) ____ ward by a French physiologist, Israel Waynbaum, in 1906. He believed that different facial (3) ____ affected the flow of blood to the brain, and that this could create positive or negative feelings. A happy smile or irrepressible laughter increased the blood flow and contributed to joyful feelings. But sad, angry expressions decreased the flow of oxygen- carrying blood, and created a vicious (4) ____ of gloom and depression by effectively (5) ____ the brain of essential fuel.

Psychologist Robert Zajonc rediscovered this early research, and (6) ____ that the temperature of the brain could affect the production and synthesis of neurotransmitters which definitely influence our moods and energy levels. He argues that an impaired blood flow could not only deprive the brain of oxygen, but create further chemical imbalance by inhibiting these vital hormonal messages. Zajonc goes on to propose that our brains remember that smiling is associated with being happy, and that by deliberately smiling through your tears you can (7) ____ your brain to release uplifting neurotransmitters – replacing a depressed condition with a happier one. People suffering from psychosomatic illness depression and anxiety states could (8) _____ from simply exercising their zygomatic (9) ____ which pull the corners of the mouth (10) ____ to form a smile, several times an hour.
7.

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      Urbanization degrades the environment, according to conventional wisdom. This view has led many developing countries to limit rural - urban migration and curb urban expansion. But this view is incorrect. There are a number of reasons urbanization can be good for the environment, if managed properly.
      First, urbanization brings higher productivity because of its positive externalities and economies of scale. Asian urban productivity is more than 5.5 times that of rural areas. The same output can be produced using fewer resources with urban agglomeration than without. In this sense, urbanization reduces the ecological footprint. The service sector requires urbanization because it needs a concentration of clients. As services generally pollute less than manufacturing, this aspect of urbanization is also beneficial to the environment.
      Second, for any given population, the high urban density is benign for the environment. The urban economics literature shows that compactness is a key determinant of energy use. High density can make public transport more viable and reduce the length of trips. Urban living encourages walking and cycling rather than driving. Third, environment-friendly infrastructure and public services such as piped water, sanitation, and waste management are much easier and more economical to construct, maintain, and operate in an urban setting. Urbanization allows more people to have access to environment-friendly facilities and services at affordable prices.
     Fourth, urbanization drives innovation, including green technologies. In the long term, environment-friendly equipment, machines, vehicles, and utilities will determine the future of the green economy. Green innovations in Asia's cities will be supported by the region's vast market as the billions of people who will be buying energy-efficient products will create opportunities and incentives for entrepreneurs to invest in developing such products. Finally, the higher standard of living associated with urbanization provides people with better food, education, housing, and health care. Urban growth generates revenues that fund infrastructure projects, reducing congestion and improving public health. Urbanization fosters a pro-environment stance among property owners and the middle class, which is crucial for the introduction and enforcement of environmental laws and regulations.
      Of course, urbanization also comes with costs. Millions of people are migrating to Asian cities and companies are locating there to employ them. Urban sprawl and industrial activities, such as power generation, transportation, construction, garbage and waste disposal, harm the environment. An assessment of the impact of urbanization on the environment must balance its benign and adverse effects.

According to paragraph 4, why is the promotion of an environmentally friendly attitude necessary?

Choose the letter A, B, C or D to complete the passage below

"There's quite a bit of evidence that technology, when used in the right way, ________ (1) students learn. One study, for example, showed that a medical school class with iPads scored 23% ________ (2) on exams than classes without this device.

Technology, such as tablets, isn't only useful for ________ (3) knowledge; it helps with communication as well. Teachers and administrators use such devices to send materials and information ________ (4) students and parents. Students ________ (5) in homework and term papers online and can access educational applications and programs to further assist with learning."

1. There's quite a bit of evidence that technology, when used in the right way, ________ (1) students learn.

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Do you think you're smarter than your parents and grandparents? According to James Flynn, a professor at a New Zealand university, you are! Over the course of the last century, people who have taken IQ tests have gotten increasingly better scores-on average, three points better for every decade that has passed. This improvement is known as "the Flynn effect," and scientists want to know what is behind it.
IQ tests and other similar tests are designed to measure general intelligence rather than knowledge. Flynn knew that intelligence is partly inherited from our parents and partly the result of our environment and experiences, but the improvement in test scores was happening too quickly to be explained by heredity. So what was happening in the 20th century that was helping people achieve higher scores on intelligence tests?
Scientists have proposed several explanations for the Flynn effect. Some suggest that the improved test scores simply reflect an increased exposure to tests in general. Because we take so many tests, we learn test-taking techniques that help us perform better on any test. Others have pointed to better nutrition since it results in babies being born larger, healthier, and with more brain development than in the past. Another possible explanation is a change in educational styles, with teachers encouraging children to learn by discovering things for themselves rather than just memorizing information. This could prepare people to do the kind of problem solving that intelligence tests require.
Flynn limited the possible explanations when he looked carefully at the test data and discovered that the improvement in scores was only on certain parts of the IQ test. Test takers didn't do better on the arithmetic or vocabulary sections of the test; they did better on sections that required a special kind of reasoning and problem solving. For example, one part of the test shows a set of abstract shapes, and test-takers must look for patterns and connections between them and decide which shape should be added to the set.
According to Flynn, this visual intelligence improves as the amount of technology in our lives increases. Every time you play a computer game or figure out how to program a new cell phone, you are exercising exactly the kind of thinking and problem solving that helps you do well on one kind of intelligence test. So are you really smarter than your parents? In one very specific way, you may be.a

Which statement would Professor Flynn agree with?

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D to indicate the correct word or phrase that best fits each of the numbered blanks. 
Sir Isaac Newton, the English scientist and mathematician, was one of the most important figures of the 17th century scientific revolution. One of his greatest achievement was the (25) _____ of the three laws of motion, which are still used today. But he also had a very unusual personality. Some people would say he was actually insane. 
His father died before he was born, and his mother soon remarried. The young Isaac hated his stepfather so much that he once (26) ____________ to burn his house down - when his stepfather and mother were still inside! Fortunately he did not, and he went on to graduate from Cambridge without being thrown into prison. 
Isaac's first published work was a theory of light and color. When another scientist wrote a paper criticizing this theory, Isaac flew into an uncontrollable rage. The scientist (27) _____________ for the criticism was a man called Robert Hooke. He was head of the Royal Society, and one of the most respected scientists in the country. (28)______________, this made no difference to Isaac, who refused to speak to him for over a year. 
The simple fact was that Isaac found it impossible to have a calm discussion with anyone. As soon as someone said something that he disagreed with, he would lose his (29) ____________. For this reason he lived a large part of his life isolated from other scientists. It is unlikely that many of them complained. 

(27).......................

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct word or phrase that best fits each of the numbered blanks.
Is there life on Mars? Many people have (1) ______ about this question. Some writers    of science-fiction think of people from Mars as little green creatures. Others imagine 'Martians' as monsters with many eyes.
In studying this planet, astronomers have found that life may be possible on Mars. The first (2) _____ of this is that Mars has seasons, just like Earth. In other words, Earth's seasons, such as spring or summer, occur on Mars too. Because these seasons exist, it may be possible for (3) ____and other higher life forms to be found on Mars.
Astronomers also think that perhaps a small (4) ______ of  water vapor could be  found  on Mars. In 1887, an Italian astronomer, Giovanni Schiaparelli, discovered markings on Mars' surface. These markings looked like canals. This finding led astronomers to believe that since water exists on Mars, life forms could exist as well.
 However, there are others who feel that life on Mars is not possible. This is because there is little or no trace of oxygen on the planet. In 1965, the Mariner IV capsule managed to take photographs of the planet. It discovered that the only forms of  life found are vegetation like fungi and mosses. (5) ______ people remain fascinated by the idea that there could one day be life on Mars.
(4)................................

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The Internet is very much like television, in which it takes time away from other pursuits, provides entertainment and information, but in no way can compare with the warm, personal experience of reading a good book. This is not the only reason why the Internet will never replace books, for books provide the in-depth knowledge of a subject that sitting in front of a computer monitor cannot provide. We can download text from an Internet source, but the aesthetic quality of sheets of downloaded text leave much to be desired. A well-designed book enhances the reading experience.
The book is still the most compact and inexpensive means of conveying a dense amount of knowledge in a convenient package. The easy portability of the book is what makes it the most user-friendly format for knowledge ever invented. The idea that one can carry in one's pocket a play by Shakespeare, a novel by Charles Dickens or Tom Clancy, Plato's Dialogues, or the Bible in a small paperback edition is mind-boggling. We take such uncommon convenience for granted, not realizing that the book itself has undergone quite an evolution since the production of the Gutenberg Bible in 1455 and Shakespeare's First Folio in 1623, just three years after the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth to colonize the New World.
Not only has the art and craft of printing and book manufacturing been greatly improved over the centuries, but the great variety of subject matter now available in books is astounding, to say the least. In fact, the Internet requires the constant input of authors and their books to provide it with the information that makes it a useful tool for exploration and learning.
Another important reason why the Internet will never replace books is because those who wish to become writers want to see their works permanently published as books - something you can hold, see, feel, skim through, and read at one's leisure without the need for an electric current apart from a lamp. The writer may use a word processor instead of a typewriter or a pen and pad, but the finished product must eventually end up as a book if it is to have value to the reading public. The writer may use the Internet in the course of researching a subject just as he may use a library for that purpose, but the end product will still be a book.

What is the author's main idea in the passage?

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions:
In the United States, it is important to be on time, or punctual, for an appointment, a class, a meeting, ect... This may not be true in some other countries, however. An American professor discovered this difference while teaching a class in a Brazilian university. The two-hour class was scheduled to begin at 10 A.m., and end at 12 A.m. On the first day, when the professor arrived on time, no one was in the classroom. Many students came after 11 A.m. Although all of the students greeted the professor as they arrived, few apologised for their lateness. Were these students being rude? He decided to study the students’ behavior.
In American university, students are expected to arrive at the appointed hour. On the other hand, in Brazil, neither the teacher nor the students always arrive at the appointed hour. Classes not only begin at the scheduled time in the United States, but they also end at the scheduled time. In the Brazilian class, only a few students left the class at noon, many remained past 12:30 to discuss the class and ask more questions. While arriving late may not be important in Brazil, neither is staying late.
The explanation for these differences is complicated. People from Brazilian and North American cultures have different feelings about lateness. In Brazil, the students believe that a person who usually arrives late is probably more successful than a person who is always on time. In fact, Brazilians expect a person with status or prestige to arrive late, while in the United States, lateness is usually considered to be disrespectful and unacceptable. Consequently, if a Brazilian is late for an appointment with a North America, the American may misinterpret the reason for the lateness and become angry.
As a result for his study, the professor learned that the Brazilian students were not being disrespectful to him. Instead, they were simply behaving the appropriate way for a Brazilian student in Brazil. Eventually, the professor was able to adapt his own behavior to feel comfortable in the new culture.

The word “rude” is closest in meaning to     .