ODTÜ YabancI Diller Yüksek Okulu

SAMPLE PROFICIENCY EXAM PAGE 1

METU School of Foreign Languages

PART I
LANGUAGE
(1/2 pt. each; 35 pts.)
Questions 1- 70
On your answer sheet, mark the alternative which best completes each sentence/paragraph.

1. There is ________ entertainment in the country that I would probably be bored.

a) so little c) such little
b) very little d) little

2. ________ the approaching storm, the wind began to blow hard and the sky became quite dark.
a) Because c) Now that
b) Resulting in d) Because of

3. ________ the rhinoceros is carefully protected, it will soon become extinct like some other species.
a) If c) Unless
b) As long as d) Whenever

4. In biology, a cell is defined as the smallest unit of life __________ all the components required for
independent existence.
a) contains c) it contains
b) is contained d) containing

5. I wish you ________ me that you didn't like fruit cake. I would have made something else.
a) told c) would tell
b) had told d) would have told

6. James is considering ________ his job as he isn't satisfied with the working conditions.
a) about changing c) changing
b) to change d) change

7. ________ we go to the cinema, a visit to the theatre is still something special.

a) Not only when c) As soon as
b) Once d) No matter how often

8. We can judge the success of your scheme ________ into account the financial benefits over the past
few years.
a) when to take c) after being taken
b) by taking d) of taking

9. I'd rather you ________ Michael's car. I may need mine to pick up my son from school.
a) borrow c) borrowed
b) will borrow d) would borrow

10. Did you remember ________ Tim that we can't come on Saturday?
a) telling c) that you told
b) to tell d) you told

11. The brakes need ________.

a) adjusted c) to adjust
b) to be adjusting d) adjusting
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METU School of Foreign Languages

12. The dentist asked the little boy if he _________ his teeth regularly.
a) brushes c) had brushed
b) brushed d) will brush

13. The larger the earth's human population grows, ________.

a) it becomes more difficult to satisfy basic human needs
b) satisfying basic human needs becomes more difficult
c) the more difficult it becomes to satisfy basic human needs
d) the satisfaction of basic human needs becomes more difficult

14. Although the fire was very small, everyone panicked and rushed out of the cinema, ________
complete chaos.
a) that caused c) caused
b) they caused d) causing

15. She ________ French for two years when she started to do her M.A. in Paris.
a) has been studying c) studied
b) had been studying d) was studying

16. It is necessary that she ________ her career no matter what difficulties lie ahead of her.
a) pursue c) pursued
b) must pursue d) will pursue

17. If I'd accepted the job, I ________ earning a good salary now.
a) would be c) would have been
b) were d) had been

18. Not having any time to spare, we couldn't visit all the places we ________ to.
a) would like c) will like
b) would have liked d) could have liked

19. The local restaurant serves ________ food that people go there from miles away.
a) such a good c) such good
b) very good d) so good

20. Scott Joplin is clearly the world's __________ composer of ragtime music.
a) very famous c) more famous
b) famous d) most famous

21. A discussion of group personality would ________ be complete without a consideration of national
character.
a) hardly c) nearly
b) almost d) rarely

22. ________ of the accident, the police rushed to the scene immediately.
a) Informing c) Having informed
b) Having been informed d) Been informed

23. I am not sure whether ________ present will make her as happy as ________.
a) your/my c) their/our
b) them/mine d) my/yours
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METU School of Foreign Languages

24. In order to proceed, we must agree ________ a plan of action.

a) with c) at
b) on d) in

25. By the time he ________ home, his children will have gone to bed.
a) had gotten c) gets
b) will get d) got

26. I prefer writing a term paper ________ taking an examination.

a) than c) instead
b) to d) from

27. It was in 1492 ________ Christopher Columbus arrived in the New World.
a) which c) when
b) that d) in which

28. Ride sharing ________ more popular ever since the government ________ making frequent
increases in gasoline prices.
a) became .... has started c) has become .... started
b) became .... started d) has become .... has started

29. The businessman had his store ________ up so that he could collect the insurance.
a) blow c) to blow
b) blowing d) blown

30. Only after they themselves become parents, _______ the difficulties of raising children.
a) people realise c) did people realise
b) do people realise d) people realised

31. ________ Americans, who seem to prefer coffee, the English drink a lot of tea.
a) Unlike c) While
b) Whereas d) Despite

32. His score on the exam was __________ to qualify him for a graduate program.
a) so good c) very good
b) too good d) good enough
33. Let's invite them to dinner some time, _______ ?
a) will we c) don't we
b) shall we d) won't we

34. ________ physical gestures and body language have different meanings in different cultures
is a commonly-accepted phenomenon.
a) That c) There are
b) Whether d) The

35. __________ may sometimes appear that children are crying when they are actually laughing.
a) They c) He
b) It d) There

36. Almost everyone in the class got a high grade on the exam. They all ________ hard.
a) might have studied c) must have studied
b) should have studied d) had to study
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METU School of Foreign Languages

It was almost dark when we arrived ___37__ the hotel ___38__ we were planning to spend the night.
37. a) to 38. a) which
b) at b) what
c) __ c) that
d) in d) where

Virtually ___39__ improvement in plumbing systems was made __40__ the time of the Romans until the
19th century.
39. a) not 40. a) from
b) no b) since
c) none c) during
d) not only d) by

The baby ___41___ from drowning by a quick-thinking teenager is making good progress and ___42___
to go home soon.

41. a) having saved 42. a) is allowing

b) being saved b) will be allowed
c) saved c) allows
d) was saved d) is being allowed

Studies show that students with high self-esteem get ___43___ ratings from both themselves and their
teachers than ___44___ with low self-esteem.
43. a) high 44. a) those
b) higher b) that
c) very high c) ones
d) the highest d) others

A group of scientists working in eastern Kazakhstan ___45___ an extraordinary discovery in the frozen
wastes: a tiny tooth less than 2 mm across. It belongs to a pouched mammal, or marsupial, which makes it
the first remains of a marsupial ever ___46___ in Asia.
45. a) reporting 46. a) to be found
b) has reported b) been found
c) is reporting c) having found
d) to report d) being found

It's a pity you ___47___ come to the picnic on Sunday. The weather was ___48___ cold but we
___49___ warm by eating Sarah's wonderful homemade soup. The picnic basket was quite heavy on the
way there, but it was ___50___ lighter when we carried it home. We played volleyball on the beach until
it started raining and ___51___ we came home – tired and wet, but feeling great.

47. a) hadn't 48. a) rather 49. a) had to keep

b) shouldn't b) much b) would keep
c) wouldn't c) enough c) have kept
d) couldn't d) too d) were able to keep

50. a) a lot 51. a) when

b) lots b) after
c) a lot of c) then
d) lots of d) before
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METU School of Foreign Languages

A speaker delivering a persuasive speech can make use of the testimonial technique. The speaker chooses
a person ___52___ by the audience. Sometimes the person is local, ___53___ more often he/she is a
national figure. Names __54___ Abraham Lincoln, Susan B. Anthony, Dwight Eisenhower, and Martin
Luther King inspire good feelings in the audience. The speaker then implies that if one of these heroic
people ___55___ there, that person would do something this way or that way. There is ___56___ any
evidence that these people ever spoke about the particular issue, but the speaker claims he or she knows
___57___ these famous people would feel.

52. a) admiring 53. a) because 54. a) for example

b) admired b) indeed b) similar to
c) admiringly c) but c) as
d) admirable d) also d) like
55. a) would have been 56. a) seldom 57. a) however
b) were b) sometimes b) that
c) had been c) yet c) how
d) would be d) still d) why

It is widely believed that medical science has been gradually and systematically reducing civilisation's
diseases. In the past, ___58___ ignorance and superstition that resulted in epidemics like the medieval
plagues. However, during the 19th and 20th centuries, scientists finally managed to discover ___59___
infectious diseases and began to cure them with drugs and immunisation. Above all, improved technology
and advances in anaesthesia enabled surgeons to carry out sophisticated operations; penicillin and
antibiotics helped complete the advance. And yet, some people disagree. ___60___ point out that more
credit ought to be given to social reformers ___61___ for purer water and better sewage disposal so that
___62___. It is their opinion that the drugs and antibiotics merely speeded up the process. ___63___ this
contribution was valuable, it did not lower the level of disease in general.

58. a) that the combination of 59. a) that caused 60. a) Those

b) it was the combination of b) causing b) They
c) the combination of c) whichever caused c) Some
d) there was the combination of d) what caused d) Others
61. a) whose campaigns 62. a) to improve living standards 63. a) In spite of
b) campaigned b) it improves living standards b) Nonetheless
c) who campaigned c) living standards should be improved c) While
d) being campaigned d) living standards could be improved d) Even so

The origins of baseball probably stretch back to 1839, ___64___ Abner Doubleday, a civil engineering
student, laid out a diamond-shaped field at Cooperstown, New York and attempted ___65___ the rules
governing the playing of ___66___ games as 'town ball' and 'four old cats', the ancestors of baseball. By
the end of the Civil War, interest ___67 _ the game had grown rapidly. There were over 200 teams or
clubs, ___68___ toured the country playing rivals. They belonged to a national association of ' Baseball
Players' that had proclaimed a set of standard rules. These teams were amateurs or semi-professionals, but
as the game waxed in popularity, it offered opportunities for profit, and the first professional team, the
Cincinnati Red Stockings, ___69___ in 1869. Other cities soon fielded professional teams, and in 1876
the present National League ___70___.

64. a) at which 65. a) standardizing 66. a) the

b) then b) to standardize b) same
c) when c) standardization c) some
d) in that d) standardize d) such
67. a) in 68. a) some 69. a) appeared
b) for b) those of which b) had appeared
c) about c) some of which c) was appearing
d) with d) of which d) has appeared
70. a) organised
b) was organised
c) had been organised
d) had organised
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METU School of Foreign Languages

PART II
COMPREHENSION
(1 pt. each; 65 pts.)

SECTION 1 : VOCABULARY

Questions 71-80
On your answer sheet, mark the alternative which is closest in meaning to the underlined word or
phrase.

71. He devised a folding toothbrush for travellers.

a) sold c) invented
b) brought d) described

72. Before landing the plane, the pilot checked with the tower for verification of her location.
a) information about c) mention of
b) guidance on d) confirmation of

73. Eagles deliberately position their nests in high trees or on cliffs away from other animals.
a) intentionally c) conveniently
b) independently d) constantly

74. Rhythm, although associated most often with music, is a component of poetry as well.
a) an element c) a virtue
b) an attraction d) a material

75. Most of the conversation between the men was intelligible.

a) rapid c) understandable
b) disagreeable d) negotiable

76. Proper insulation prevents heat loss during the winter and allows the building to remain cool in
summer.
a) aids c) reduces
b) stops d) produces

77. It is inevitable that smoking will damage your health.

a) invading c) unavoidable
b) unhealthy d) intriguing

78. Do you think your question is pertinent to the matter we are discussing?
a) perceptive c) discriminating
b) relevant d) apparent

79. The teacher asked the student to eliminate all the long sentences from the text.
a) replace c) cut down
b) take out d) substitute

80. Fish have lived on the earth longer than any other backboned animal and have shown great diversity
throughout their lifespan.
a) variation c) evolution
b) adaptation d) satisfaction
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METU School of Foreign Languages

Questions 81-90
On your answer sheet, mark the alternative which best completes the meaning of each sentence.

81. A politician's private life should be _______ with his political beliefs so that people won't accuse him
of having double standards.
a) reasonable c) constant
b) considerate d) consistent

82. I can't possibly ________ with such behaviour in class so try to control yourselves.
a) get away c) put up
b) get on d) put away

83. The governor faxed a message to the Ministry of Interior Affairs and demanded a(n) ________ reply
so that he could take action immediately.
a) urgent c) genuine
b) accurate d) rational

84. The girl's ________ in Spanish made her a valuable translator.

a) competition c) eagerness
b) competence d) encouragement

85. People work very hard all their lives to ________ as many material possessions as possible.
a) accumulate c) require
b) acknowledge d) realise

86. Aspirin has become a widespread drug due to its ability to ________ all kinds of pain.
a) devastate c) accelerate
b) alleviate d) enhance

87. Jack _______ needs to be looked after. He cannot possibly continue his life as a bachelor.
a) exceptionally c) indefinitely
b) in particular d) desperately

88. The long-term _______ of the break up of the Soviet Union are still far from clear.
a) reasons c) implications
b) interactions d) solutions

89. Some people compare the ________ of a second language to the way a baby learns his first language.
a) experience c) adoption
b) exception d) acquisition

90. Being so hard-working and efficient, he ________ a promotion.

a) deserves c) supports
b) avoids d) invites
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METU School of Foreign Languages

SECTION 2 : LOGICAL SEQUENCE

Questions 91-98
On your answer sheet, mark the alternative which best completes each sentence or thought.

91. Corporations are starting to reach the conclusion that desk-bound jobs constitute occupational
hazards, so they are spending large sums of money on medical care to keep their employees
physically and mentally healthy and productive. _______

a) The cause and cure of backaches are not always easy to pinpoint, even though thousands of
employees are afflicted with back ailments.
b) Such expenditures have shaken large corporations into a realisation that drastic measures need
to be taken to get desk-bound employees out of their seats.
c) In ten years' time, most companies will have abandoned such programs due to their adverse
effects on the health of employees.
d) An official report has been released blaming corporations for the back ailments of their
employees.

92. Many people who have to start the day early find it difficult to wake up properly. For some of
them, the solution is to drink two cups of coffee. Taken in reasonable amounts, the stimulating
caffeine can _______.

a) only be found in tea, coffee and cola

b) produce certain unpleasant side effects
c) help some people to work more efficiently
d) give the feeling of being wide awake

93. It is undeniable that TV has very adverse effects on child psychology. Nevertheless, _______.

a) many parents are very selective when choosing the right programs to watch
b) they can learn a great deal from TV in spite of the harm it causes to their eyes
c) parents seem to be quite reluctant to choose the right programs for their children
d) many people just can't give up watching violent movies on TV

94. Plastic furniture is light-weight and comfortable. Furthermore, _______.

a) it is less expensive than wood furniture

b) it is rarely used for interior decoration
c) detergents change its colour
d) it breaks under excessive weight

95. When a man competes, it seems winning becomes his primary objective. _______

a) Therefore, competition is the motivating feature of the modern capitalistic system.

b) In fact, in the effort to avoid losing, he may ignore the moral aspects of competition.
c) Similarly, the competitive structure of American society is responsible for the pressure felt by the
average male.
d) Indeed, on certain occasions, a man would favour his family, leisure-time activities and arts to
competition.

96. We think of learning and memory as somehow separate functions. On the contrary, _______.

a) studies on memory show that it has a distinct function

b) there is interaction between the two
c) they are stimulated by external factors
d) the brain coordinates all parts of the human body
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METU School of Foreign Languages
ODTÜ YabancI Diller Yüksek Okulu
METU School of Foreign Languages

97. Men tend to be attracted by the speed of their computers. On the other hand, _______.

a) women are much more interested in the machine's utility

b) technology means everything to them
c) women imitate men in their pursuit of speed
d) they are aware that computers are only machines

98. It is a well-known fact that divorce is an unpleasant experience for all the members of a family. As
a result, _______.

a) whether or not to get a divorce should be the choice of the couple involved, not other people
b) people who do not love each other should never attempt such a thing
c) the children of divorced parents suffer from psychological problems
d) such a decision should not be made without considerable thought

SECTION 3 : SUPPORTING IDEAS

Questions 99-101
In the following items, three of the alternatives support the main statement or idea and one does
not. Mark the alternative that D O E S N O T support the given topic statement.

99. DNA tests seem to solve many problems.

a) They can determine fatherhood.
b) Institutes have to have costly lab equipment to conduct them.
c) Criminals can easily be identified by DNA tests.
d) The probability of certain diseases can be detected by such tests.

100. Apart from being a means of communication, human language is one of the principal means of all
mental activities.
a) Human language is, among other things, a means of thought, introspection and problem
solving.
b) Along with other peculiarly human capacities, language is involved in the most important
human characteristic - foresight.
c) Language keeps us aware of past and future, of continuity of existence and its extension beyond
what is immediately sensed.
d) Human language, which is a system of interpersonal communication, is absolutely distinct from
any system of communication used by other animals.

101. No matter how broad minded and modern we become, we cannot get rid of the tendency to see
women as second-class citizens.
a) Even though today's woman has become a member of the work force, her primary role
continues to be that of homemaker.
b) In business life, there still seems to be discrimination against women.
c) Many working women complain that even though they contribute to the family budget, they
don't have a say in making decisions as far as purchases are concerned.
d) More and more women are experiencing the privilege of being helped by their husbands despite
the negative reactions from other men in the society.
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METU School of Foreign Languages

SECTION 4 : PARAGRAPH COMPLETION

Questions 102-105
Mark the alternative which best completes each paragraph.

102. The wild turkey existed in great numbers when the settlers first arrived in America. _________ The
axe, the plough and the gun are blamed for the decline of the wild turkey. Recent game propagation
laws prohibit the shooting of anything but the bearded animals, usually males, to protect the
brooding hens.
a) This great number seems to be a result of a combination of factors.
b) These days, however, their numbers have decreased so much that they can no longer be found
in some states.
c) It is said that this particular breed of turkey is still found in abundance in many states of
America.
d) This breed of turkey owes a lot to the settlers who attempted to increase the size of its
population.

103. The fundamental components of the environment are plants, animals, minerals and water. When
their inter-relationship does not change much from year to year, we observe a balance of nature.
_________ As an example, the minerals taken from the soil are restored, and the plants that die
are replaced by similar plants.

a) That is, the addition of plants, animals, minerals and water is equivalent to the quantity that
has been removed.
b) After the balance of nature is disturbed, a period of rehabilitation must occur.
c) Sometimes, however, the balance of nature is disturbed either by a geological change or a local
agitation.
d) The first life to appear is called pioneer flora and fauna, which is very temporary and soon
replaced by other forms of life.

104. Balloons have recently been used in a new medical procedure, known as balloon valvuloplasty, to
open up stiffened heart valves in aging adults. The four valves in the heart keep the blood going in
the right direction, and if the valves become stiff, the result can be deadly. ___________ The
inflated balloon will split the valves apart, allowing them to open and close more freely.

a) In the past, several other procedures were used to open stiff valves.
b) This procedure has been done since 1979 in children with valve disease, but it has just
recently been done with adults.
c) In this procedure, a small balloon is inserted into the heart and then inflated with a saline
solution for up to forty seconds.
d) After this procedure, the patient can be given a local painkiller and can leave the hospital
in a few days.

105. Earthquakes are caused by the movement of 50-mile-thick plates that comprise the earth's crust.
More than two thousand earthquakes occur daily somewhere on our planet, but about 95 percent of
them are too weak to be felt except by sensitive seismometers. ___________ Each year, however,
about ten powerful earthquakes strike somewhere on earth, causing extensive damage and loss of life.

a) A strong earthquake can virtually destroy a city in seconds, leaving thousands of people dead,
injured or homeless.
b) Of those that are felt by humans, most cause relatively little damage, particularly if they occur
in sparsely populated areas.
c) A mild earthquake may do no more than rattle windows; a severe earthquake can devastate
a city and reduce it to a pile of debris.
d) Scientists have observed that certain phenomena seem to occur before an earthquake as the
pressure within the plates intensifies.
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METU School of Foreign Languages

SECTION 5 : TEXT COMPREHENSION

Questions 106- 135

On your answer sheet, mark the alternative which best answers the question or completes the
statement about the text.

Deliberate car-wrecking exhibitions, known as demolition derbies, may be safer than you think. The cars
used are reinforced in places that might give way on impact, injuring the driver, so now the process of
wrecking cars while keeping the person inside safe has practically been reduced to a science.
106. According to the text, _________.
a) demolition derbies appear to be more dangerous than they actually are
b) it is against the rules of the derbies to make any changes in the car
c) if the car is wrecked, the driver always has at least minor injuries
d) scientific studies indicate that demolition derbies should be prohibited

Our New Pacific Budget Fares:

Just $690 round trip to Manila
3 Just $698 round trip to Hong Kong or Taipei from San Francisco or Los Angeles.

You can fly to the Orient on one of our daily 747 flights with confirmed reservations and at big discount
off Economy Fare, too. To qualify for our special fare you must buy your ticket at least 21 days in advance
6 of when you plan to leave. Your flight will be confirmed seven to fourteen days before the week you take
off. Fifty percent rebates in the case of change or cancellation.

107. According to the text, the flights _________.

a) leave three times a day c) are cheaper than Economy Fare
b) are sometimes on 747s d) are confirmed 21 days in advance

108. To arrange for a flight, the passenger must _________.

a) buy a ticket one month in advance
b) notify the airline of the exact date he will leave
c) give seven to fourteen days' notice if he wants all his money back
d) be willing to take the flight assigned to him

Writers of advertisements are amateur psychologists. They know just what will appeal to our instincts and
emotions. In general, there are three major areas in our nature at which advertising aims – preservation,
3 pride and pleasure. Preservation, for example, relates to our innate desire to live longer, know more, and
look better than our forefathers did. Pride encompasses all sorts of things - our desire to show off, to brag
about our prosperity or our good taste, to be one of the elite. We all want to enjoy the fruits of our
6 labours, and this is where the pleasure principle comes in. We want to be entertained, to eat and drink
well, and to relax in comfortable surroundings.

109. An advertisement about the effects of vitamins on our body would probably appeal to our sense of
_________.
a) preservation c) pleasure
b) pride d) all of the above

110. Based on the information given in the text, in which of the following situations would you feel
proud?
a) Sitting by a poolside drinking cocktails c) Owning three expensive cars
b) Looking 35 at the age of 50 d) Sleeping in a water bed

111. Successful advertisers _________.

a) are aware of human nature c) satisfy all our desires
b) have strong instincts and emotions d) try to entertain us
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METU School of Foreign Languages PAGE 12

Joan is fourteen years old, a bright student, and suffering from self-imposed starvation. She has
anorexia nervosa. Anorexia means 'without appetite' and nervosa means 'of nervous origin'. One
morning six months ago Joan looked at herself in the mirror and decided she needed to lose some
weight. Then 1.65 meters tall and weighing 50 kilos, she presently weighs 37 kilos and is in the
5 hospital where she is undergoing psychiatric treatment and being fed intravenously.

What happened to Joan? Why has she ruthlessly starved herself nearly to death? Joan is a typical
anorexic - an adolescent girl who refuses to eat for the purpose of rebelling against the pressures
imposed upon her by the adult environment. Family members - sometimes the mother, sometimes the
father, sometimes both - require her to achieve more than they have in their lives. In her mind, school
10 unites with her family to push her forward. Submissive for years, what does she finally do? She refuses
food, says no to the two forces that are pushing her. Instead of growing into a mature woman, she
holds back her physical growth by self-imposed starvation. In fact, she regresses to childhood, to the
stage when she lacked curves. No one expected much from her then, and she was dependent upon adults
who gave her love and approval without demanding anything from her in return.

15 Anorexia nervosa, formerly not recognised as a disease, has become common among adolescent girls.
Today the cure is prolonged treatment by a psychiatrist who initiates discussion among family members
and the patient to determine the causes and ways to eliminate them in the future.

112. In line 1, 'self-imposed' means _________ oneself.

a) evaluated by c) impressed by
b) participated in d) forced on

113. In line 17, 'them' refers to the _________.

a) family members c) causes
b) family members and the patient d) causes and ways

114. The root of anorexia nervosa is _________.

a) lack of appetite c) adolescence
b) psychological problems d) physical deficiencies

115. It can be inferred from the text that those who have anorexia nervosa _________.
a) generally have ambitious parents
b) were fat in their childhood
c) want to look more attractive
d) can be cured by a short treatment

116. According to the text, _________.

a) the origin of anorexia nervosa lies in a happy childhood
b) anorexia nervosa is a reaction against neglectful parents
c) anorexic adolescents prefer life at school to family life
d) anorexic adolescents do not want to take on the responsibilities of adulthood

117. The main idea of paragraph 2 is that _________.

a) an anorexic is most likely to be an adolescent
b) an anorexic is in rebellion against the pressures in her environment
c) Joan regressed to childhood because she thought she looked prettier then
d) Joan's parents wanted her to succeed in doing the things they couldn't do
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METU School of Foreign Languages

America has tried to combat its epidemic alcohol problem with everything from expensive therapies to
prohibition. By contrast, the Chinese have long relied on a simple and inexpensive remedy, an extract of
kudzu root. Now American researchers confirm that it appears to be extraordinarily effective. A recent
survey revealed that 80 percent of Chinese alcoholics who took Radix Puerariae for two to four weeks
5 stopped craving a cold one. The herb, sold over the counter like aspirin, not only kills the desire for
liquor, but according to Chinese herbalists, also improves the function of vital organs adversely affected by
alcohol.

So why isn't this miracle herb being used in the United States? The Food and Drug Administration requires
a more convincing proof than a billion Chinese. And they may soon have it. A team of Harvard
10 researchers reports that the kudzu extract apparently works on another group of alcoholics - hamsters.
The furry rodents are among nature's most natural drunks; given the choice between alcohol and water,
they'll choose the booze every time. But, according to a paper published by the National Academy of
Sciences, the hamsters cut their alcohol consumption in half after sipping a synthetic form of kudzu
extract. And it had no effect on their other eating or drinking habits. "They reacted to it in the same
15 way the Chinese herbalists say their patients do," says Bert Valee, a Harvard Medical School biochemist.

The researchers don't know why the kudzu works. But they're planning to move quickly to human trials.
A successful test could result in an anti-alcohol treatment being made widely available in the United States
within a few years. And then your hamster will have no excuse for his hangover.

118. According to the text, _________.

a) America has more advanced and effective therapies for alcoholism than elsewhere in the
world
b) the kudzu root cure for alcoholism is more popular in America than in China
c) there is more than one positive effect of the kudzu root
d) the kudzu root actually worked on 20% of the Chinese alcoholics

119. In line 5, the expression 'craving a cold one' possibly means _________.
a) wanting to drink liquor
b) eating kudzu root
c) having colds
d) giving up alcoholic beverages

120. It can be understood from the text that the US Food and Drug Administration _________.
a) has already licensed kudzu root in the US
b) is extremely cautious about giving licenses to new products
c) has been influenced by the experiences of a billion Chinese
d) is acting on some Harvard researchers' reports

121. Hamsters are small, grass eating animals which _________.

a) love to drink alcohol
b) hate water
c) are unaffected by the kudzu root
d) are used by the Food and Drug Administration for tests

122. According to the text, which of the following statements is NOT TRUE?
a) Lab experiments using kudzu root on human beings have not yet been made in the US.
b) Both the Chinese herbalists and the Harvard researchers use kudzu root in treating humans.
c) In the near future, kudzu root may be used in the US for treating alcoholism.
d) The Chinese and the American approaches to medicine are quite different.
 ODTÜ YabancI Diller Yüksek Okulu
PAGE 14
METU School of Foreign Languages

Before the Nobel Prize in literature was awarded to John Steinbeck in 1962, only five Americans had been
previously thus honoured, the most recent being Ernest Hemingway in 1954 and William Faulkner in
5 1949. Steinbeck had been considered on those occasions and also in 1945. As the honour is by far the
greatest any writer can receive, Steinbeck was elated. The feeling of elation was tempered slightly,
however, by the observation expressed by Steinbeck in 1956, that recipients of the Nobel Prize seldom
write anything of value afterwards. He cited Hemingway and Faulkner as examples, minimizing the point
that by the time of their selection most writers had already written their best work. At the age of sixty,
10 when he received the award himself, Steinbeck wrote to a friend that he would not have accepted the award
had he not believed that he would continue to write well, that he "could beat the rap." Like his
contemporaries, and others as well, however, he did not.

There was no expectation or need that the writer do so, for Steinbeck had long since made his remark in
modern American literature.

123. According to the passage, Steinbeck observed that authors who receive the Nobel Prize for literature
_________.
a) had already finished writing popular works
b) should follow the examples of Hemingway and Faulkner
c) rarely write significant works afterwards
d) are among the greatest contemporary writers

124. Steinbeck was sixty years old in _________.

a) 1949 c) 1956
b) 1954 d) 1962

125. According to the passage, Steinbeck wrote his best work _________.
a) before receiving the Nobel Prize c) while he was feeling elated
b) in an expressive style d) guided by his contemporaries

126. Before 1949, how many Americans had received the Nobel prize for literature?
a) Two c) Four
b) Three d) Five

127. In the second paragraph, the phrase 'do so' refers to _________.
a) feel elated at receiving the Nobel Prize
b) accept the Nobel Prize if nominated
c) write well after receiving the Nobel Prize
d) honour Nobel Prize winners of the past

128. The author's attitude toward John Steinbeck is that he _________.

a) was an exceptionally different author
b) should have received the Nobel Prize earlier
c) wrote equally well throughout his life
d) earned his reputation well before 1962
 ODTÜ YabancI Diller Yüksek Okulu
METU School of Foreign Languages PAGE 15

The Indians of the Andes call it Camanchaca, the wetting fog. When the cold air rising from the icy
Humboldt current collides with the warm air over the sunbaked Chilean coast, it forms a thick, white
ribbon of mist that hugs the high ridge above Chungungo, 600 kilometers north of Santiago. But the
Camanchaca clouds never burst into rain - by afternoon, the sun burns them away and the landscape
5 remains arid as any desert. The lack of rainfall made agriculture almost impossible, and even basic needs
like drinking water and sanitation became luxuries. A shower was a rare luxury, and vegetables came
from the market 80 kilometers away.

But fortunes have changed for Chungungo's 320 residents. It was no sudden climatic shift – the village
still receives only about 40 centimeters of rain a year – but rather the adaptation of traditional
10 technologies to harvest the Camanchaca. High on the ridge overlooking the town, near the abandoned
El Tofo iron mine, several dozen pairs of wooden posts have been planted in the ground. Strung
between them are giant nets made of fine polypropylene. Like great spider webs, these nets capture the
fog, trapping pearls of water in the fine mesh. The droplets slowly trickle down the mesh into a plastic
trough, and gravity does the rest. The troughs drain into rubber tubing, which transports the water
15 through a series of small tanks and filters and finally to a 25,000-gallon storage tank 2,000 feet below,
where it is treated with chlorine to kill germs. On a good day, the 'fog harvest' supplies 2,500 gallons of
fresh water - all the water Chungungo can drink plus some for bathing and gardening. Flower and
vegetable gardens have appeared in patches that were once only dust and gravel. Now, the residents
wash clothes every day, grow their vegetables and take a bath any time they want.

20 Reaping the fog is hardly new. For centuries, the Quechua placed bowls below tree trunks to harvest fog
water, and there is evidence that the practice dates back thousands of years. In the 1960s, Chilean
scientists began to research ways to use the fog to help restore forests that had been levelled to stoke
the wood-burning furnaces of iron mines like El Tofo. "But we never imagined supplying drinking
water," said Waldo Canto Veras, director of the Chilean Forestry Agency, Conaf. With a $150,000
25 grant and technical help from Canada, Conaf succeeded in reaping the fog. The water is not only clean
but half as expensive as hauling water over the mountain by truck, the only way to supply the village
since an electrical train line that served the iron mine shut down when the mine closed in the 1960s.
'This project has shown them that there are cheap, practical, environmentally friendly ways to bring
water to poor communities.

30 That message is resonating worldwide. Some 47 coastal locations in 30 countries have conditions
similar to Chungungo's. Officials in Asia, Africa and other regions of Latin America have visited the
town, which can supply a population of about 1,000, and begun research into their own coastal fog
systems. In Chungungo, the ready supply of water has brought not only new uses like gardening and ice-
making but also newcomers, increasing the strain on the new system. But that seems a small price to a
35 people whose hopes, like their lands, dried up long ago.

129. In line 2 'it' refers to the _________

a) wetting fog c) cold air
b) warm air d) Humboldt current

130. In the past, the village of Chungungo suffered from _________.

a) a dense fog which made life difficult
b) lack of water for drinking and sanitation
c) the remoteness of the region from Santiago
d) not eating any vegetables

131. The technology to harvest water from fog is applied in Chungungo because _________.
a) the yearly rainfall has dropped to only 40 cm lately
b) water from the fog is contaminated
c) the system which is used is very cheap
d) the fog itself does not precipitate as rain
ODTÜ YabancI Diller Yüksek Okulu
METU School of Foreign Languages PAGE 16

132. It can be inferred from the text that the most important component of the fog harvesting system is
the _________.
a) wooden posts c) polypropylene nets
b) plastic trough d) rubber tubing

133. Obtaining water from fog _________.

a) is both economical and efficient with the new system
b) had been used in the past in iron mines
c) is a new practice for the Chileans
d) cannot yield drinking water for poor communities

134. Conaf's project was initiated in order to _________.

a) supply drinking water c) restore the Chilean forests
b) clean the water supply d) reap the fog

135. According to the text, which statement is NOT TRUE about the fog harvesting system?
a) It has set an example for other countries.
b) It can supply water for a very big town.
c) It has made new uses of water possible.
d) It has attracted the attention of authorities from areas with similar conditions.

THE END OF THE EXAM