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Reading passage 1

A. TheAlaska class cruisers were a class of six very large cruisers ordered

prior to World War II for the United States Navy. Although often called

battle cruisers, officially the Navy classed them as Large Cruisers (CB).

Their intermediate status is reflected in their names relative to typical U.S.battleship and cruiser naming practices, all were named after "territories

or insular areas" of the United States. Of the six that were planned, only

three were laid down; two were completed, and the third's construction

was suspended on 16 April 1945 when she was 84% complete. The

finished two,Alaska and Guam, served with the U.S. Navy for the last two

years of World War II as bombardment ships and fast carrier escorts. They

were both decommissioned in 1947 after spending only 32 and 29 months

in service, respectively.

B. The idea for a large cruiser class originated in the early 1930s, when theU.S. Navy wanted a counter to the "pocket battleships" (Deutschland

class) that were being launched and commissioned by Germany. Though

nothing resulted immediately, planning for ships that eventually evolved

into theAlaska class began in the later 1930s after the deployment of

Germany's Scharnhorstclass and rumours that Japan was constructing a

new battlecruiser class. TheAlaska class were intended to serve as

"cruiser-killers", capable of seeking out and destroying these post-Treaty

heavy cruisers. To facilitate their purpose, the class was given large guns

of a new and expensive design, limited armour protection against 12-inch

shells, and machinery capable of speeds of about 3133 knots (3638 mph, 5861 km/h).

C. Heavy cruiser development was steadied between World War I and World

War II by the terms of the Washington Naval Treaty and successor treaties

and conferences. In this treaty, the United States, Britain, Japan, France,

and Italy had agreed to limit heavy cruisers to 10,000 tons displacement

with 8-inch main armament. Up until theAlaska class, U.S. cruisers

designed between the wars followed this pattern.

D. The initial impetus for the design of theAlaska class came from the

deployments of the so-called pocket battleships in the early 1930s.Though no actions were taken immediately, plans were revived in the late

1930s when intelligence reports indicated Japan was planning or building

"super cruisers" which were much more powerful than U.S. heavy cruisers.

The Navy responded in 1938, when a request from the General Board was

sent to the Bureau of Construction and Repair for a "comprehensive study

of all types of naval vessels for consideration for a new and expanded

building program". The U.S. President at the time, Franklin Delano

Roosevelt, may have taken a lead role in the development of the class

with his desire to have a counter to raiding abilities of Japanese cruisers

and German pocket battleships, which had led to them being called"politically motivated", but these claims are difficult to verify.

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E. One historian described the design process of theAlaska class as

"torturous" due to the numerous changes and modifications made to the

ships' layouts by numerous departments and individuals. Indeed, plans

resulted in at least nine different layouts, ranging from 6,000-tonAtlanta-

class antiaircraft cruisers to "overgrown" heavy cruisers and a 38,000-ton

mini-battleship that would have been armed with twelve 12-inch and

sixteen 5-inch guns. The General Board, in an attempt to keep the

displacement under 25,000 tons, allowed the designs to offer only limited

underwater protection. As a result, theAlaska class, when built, were

vulnerable to torpedoes and shells that fell short of the ship. The final

design chosen was a scaled-up Baltimore class that had the same

machinery as the Essex-class aircraft carriers. This ship combined a main

armament of nine 12-inch guns with protection against 10-inch gunfire

into a hull that was capable of 33 knots.

F. The new class was officially ordered in September 1940 along with aplethora of other ships as a part of the Two-Ocean Navy Act. The new

ships' role had been altered slightly; in addition to their surface-to-surface

role, they were planned to protect carrier groups. Because of their bigger

guns, greater size and increased speed, they would be more valuable in

this role than heavy cruisers, and they would also provide insurance

against reports that Japan was building super cruisers more powerful than

U.S. heavy cruisers.

G. Yet another drastic change was considered during the "carrier panic" of

early 1942. At this point, with Saratoga out until at least May for repairs

after torpedo damage and Lexington lost in the Battle of the Coral Sea, the

Navy and the President realized that the United States needed more

aircraft carriers as quickly as possible. As a result, the Bureau of Ships

decided to convert a few hulls that were currently under construction to

carriers. At different times during 1942, they considered converting parts

or all of the Cleveland-class light cruisers, the Baltimore-class heavy

cruisers, theAlaska class, or even one of the Iowa-class battleships; in the

end, they chose the Clevelands, resulting in the conversion of nine ships

under construction at the New York Shipbuilding Corporation shipyard,

Camden, New Jersey as the light aircraft carriers comprising the

Independence-class.

Questions

You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 1 to 14 which are based on

Reading Passage 1

Questions 1 to 7

Reading Passage 1 has seven paragraphs A G.

From the list of headings below, choose the most suitable heading for each

paragraph.

Write the appropriate numbers I ix in boxes 1 7 on your answer sheet.

i. The origin of the idea.

ii. The technical details.

iii. TheAlaska class cruisers.

iv. The Washington Naval

Treaty.

v. The strategy and its effect.

vi. The initial impetus.

vii. The Two-Ocean Navy Act.

viii. The conversion of the

cruisers.

ix. Carrier panic.

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1 Paragraph A

2 Paragraph B

3 Paragraph C4 Paragraph D

5 Paragraph E

6 Paragraph F

7 Paragraph G

Questions 8 10

Choose the correct letters, A, B, C or D

Write your answers in boxes 8 10 on your answer sheet.

8 The U.S. President at the time was

A. Ronald Regan.

B. George W Bush.

C. John F Kennedy.

D. Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

9 TheAlaska class cruisers were

A. Passenger fleet.

B. Battleships.C. Containers.

D. Burges.

10 One historian described the design process of theAlaska class as

A. Torturous.

B. Miracle.

C. Heavy.

D. Faulty.

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Questions 11 14

Complete each of the following statements (questions 11 14) with the best

endingsA G from the box below

Write the appropriate lettersA G in boxes 11 14 on your answer sheet.

11 The General Board allowed the designs to offer

12 The Bureau of Ships decided to convert a few hulls13 The new class was officially ordered in

14 The initial impetus for the design of theAlaska class came from the

deployments

Reading passage 2

A. Herald Square is formed by the intersection of Broadway, Sixth Avenue(officially named Avenue of the Americas) and 34th Street in the boroughof Manhattan in New York City. It was named for the New York Herald, anewspaper originally headquartered there. The Square also gives its nameto the surrounding area. The intersection is a typical Manhattan bow-tiesquare that consists of two named sections: Herald Square to the north(uptown) and Greeley Square to the south (downtown). Most non-New

Yorkers know of it from the song Give My Regards to Broadwaywhere thesinger asks "remember me to Herald Square", or from the fact that HeraldSquare is the terminus for the annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade,broadcast nationally each year by NBC-TV.

B. Greeley Square lies between West 32nd Street and West 33rd Street andbetween Broadway and Sixth Avenue, and is taken up almost entirely by atriangular park. It is named after Horace Greeley, who was the publisher ofthe New York Tribune, the Herald's rival newspaper. (The two papers latermerged to form the New York Herald Tribune.) There is a statue of Greeleyinside the park, created in 1890 by Alexander Doyle The small park hasgreat deal of charm, it is planted with trees and shrubbery, enclosed by awrought-iron fence, and provided with inviting chairs, tables and a

restaurant kiosk.

C. Herald Square itself is the north end of the square between West 34thStreet and West 35th Street. The old New York Herald Building was locatedon the square. The square contains a huge mechanical clock whosemechanical structures were constructed in 1895 by the sculptor Antonin

Jean Carles.

D. Since 1992, Herald and Greeley Squares have been operated by the 34thStreet Partnership, a Business Improvement District (BID) operating over31 blocks in midtown Manhattan. The 34SP provides sanitary and securityservices, maintains a horticultural program that includes trees, gardens,

and planters, and produces events, product launches, and photo shoots.34SP also added movable chairs, tables, and umbrellas, to the parks. In

A September 1945.

B Among early designs.

C September 1940.

D That were currently under construction to

carriers.

E Is not going to win the game for them.

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1999, the parks were completely renovated by 34SP. Since 2008, eachpark has had a food kiosk operated by 'wichcraft, the highly regardedsandwich, soup and salad purveyor owned by Tom Collichio of "Top Chef"fame. In 2009, 34SP converted the parks' Automated Pay Toilets into freepublic facilities, a rarity in New York City.

E. With the introduction of "Broadway Boulevard", a project by the NYCDepartment of Transportation to close Broadway to vehicles on the stretchbetween 33rd and 35th Streets, the passive space provided by Herald andGreeley Squares more than doubled, radically changing the character ofthe area. The parks' operators, 34SP, filled the newly-pedestrianized spacewith chairs, tables, umbrellas, and free public programs such as chesstables, dance lessons, and exercise classes.

F. Herald and Greeley Squares stand today as rest areas for the thousands ofshoppers that flood the neighbourhood, as a lunchroom for thousands ofmidtown office workers, and as a stage for product launches, musicalperformances, and photo and film shoots.

G. The area around Herald Square along Broadway and 34th Street is a retailhub. The most notable attraction is the Macy's flagship department store,the largest in the United States (and according to Guinness World Recordsthe largest in the world). In 2007, Macy's, Inc. moved its corporateheadquarters to that store after renaming from Federated. Macy's arch-rival Gimbels was also located in the neighbourhood until 1984; in 1986the building became the Manhattan Mall. Other past retailers in the areaincluded E.J. Korvette, Stern's, and Abraham & Straus. J.C. Penney openedits first Manhattan flagship store in August 2009 at the former A&Slocation inside the Manhattan Mall. The square is roughly equidistant

between Madison Square to the south, and Times Square to the north.Herald Square's south side borders Korea town, at West 32nd Street.

Source: Wikipedia.com

Questions

You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 15 27 which are based on

Reading Passage 2

Questions 15 19

Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading

Passage 2?

In boxes 15 -19 in your answer sheet write

TRUE if the statement agrees with the information

FALSE if the statement contradicts the information

NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this

15. Greeley Square lies between West 32nd Street and West 34th Street.

16. Herald and Greeley Squares have been very popular parks.

17. The Macy's flagship department store is the largest in the United

States.

18. The old New York Herald Building was located on the Herald square.

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19. Since 2008, each park has had a food kiosk operated by the park

authority.

Question 20 23

Look at the following persons (questions 20 23) and the list of statements

below.

Match each person to the correct statement.

Write the correct letterA G in boxes 1 4 on your answer sheet.

20. Antonin Jean Carles

21. Horace Greeley

22. Alexander Doyle

23. Thousands of shoppers

Questions 24 27

Complete the following statements with the correct alternative from the box.Write the correct letterA F in boxes 24 27 on your answer sheet.

24. "Broadway Boulevard" is a project by

25. The area around Herald Square along Broadway and 34th Street

26. The parks' operators, 34SP, filled the newly-pedestrianized space

with

27. Other past retailers in the area included

A There is a statue of Greeley inside the park.

B Was a nineteenth century sculptor.

C Herald and Greeley Squares stand today as rest

areas.

D Was the publisher of the New York Tribune.

E Was the founder of the Herald Square.

A Is a retail hub.

B The NYC Department of Transportation.

C Chairs, tables, umbrellas.

D New York governor.

E E.J. Korvette, Stern's, and Abraham & Straus.

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Reading Passage 3

A. If NASA ever gets a clear directive for interplanetary exploration, a new

Hundred-Year Starship could be their version of the Mayflower. And like

the first pilgrims, Martian explorers might set sail with the knowledge they

would never return home. NASA and DARPA have joined forces to build

something called a Hundred-Year Starship, according to the director of

NASAs Ames Research Centre. Simon Pete Worden said NASA

contributed $100,000 to the project and DARPA kicked in $1 million.

B. The human space program is now really aimed at settling other worlds,

Worden said, according to a Singularity University blog that covered the

event. Twenty years ago you had to whisper that in dark bars and get

fired. (Worden added that he was fired by President George W. Bush.)

Beyond that, there are no details. But the prospect of a DARPA-NASA

spaceship collaboration for Star Trek-esque exploration sounds thrilling

even if by definition, a 100-year ship means leaving Earth and nevercoming back.

C. Incidentally, thats exactly the proposal in a new paper in press in the

Journal of Cosmology, a relatively new, peer-reviewed open access journal.

Dirk Schulze-Makuch and Paul Davies suggest sending astronauts to Mars

with the intention of staying for the rest of their lives, as trailblazers for a

permanent Mars colony.

D. They would get periodic supply missions, but they would be expected to

fend for themselves for water, shelter, nutrients and mineral/chemical

processing. They would be expected to develop some kind of home-grownMartian industry, which could ultimately serve as a hub for an expanded

colonization program. Plus, leaving some people on another planet would

probably ensure that wed want to go back, to visit them and see what

they created.

E. Such a mission would save money, the authors say, because the

prohibitive costs (in dollars and payload) of a manned Mars mission are

mostly associated with bringing the astronauts home. Eliminating the

need for returning early colonists would cut the costs several fold and at

the same time ensure a continuous commitment to the exploration ofMars and space in general, they write. In a news release, Davies, a

cosmologist at Arizona State Universitys Beyond Centre, compared would-

be Mars colonists to swashbuckling explorers like Columbus and

Amundsen. It would really be little different from the first white settlers of

the North American continent, who left Europe with little expectation of

return, he said.

F. Still, getting there would require an advanced propulsion system that

could get off the ground with minimal fuel and land safely. At the weekend

event, a Long Now Foundation-funded conference in San Francisco,

Worden also said NASA is also exploring electric propulsion systems. He

believes we should go to the moons of Mars first, and believes it can

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happen by 2030. (Google cofounder) Larry Page asked me a couple

weeks ago how much it would cost to send people one way to Mars and I

told him $10 billion, and his response was, Can you get it down to 1 or 2

billion? So now were starting to get a little argument over the price,

Worden said.

G. Of course, that price tag does not include the inestimable cost of saying

goodbye forever. NASA has worked with several psychologists and

psychiatrists to study future astronauts' response to isolation and long-

term absence from loved ones but a permanent absence is even more

complicated. Schulze-Makuch, a Washington State University associate

professor, said he would do it but only after his kids are grown.

Source: Newsweek

Questions

You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 28 40 which are based on

Reading Passage 3.

Questions 28 32

The passage has seven paragraphs labelledAG.

Which paragraph contains the following information?

Write the correct letter A-G in boxes 28-32 on your answer sheet.

NB: You may use any letter more than once.

28. NASA is planning for a civilization in Mars.

29. NASA has worked with several psychologists and psychiatrists.

30. The astronauts once gone will never come back.

31. The Martian project is a very costly affair.

32. The project can be realised by 2030.

Questions 33 36

Complete the sentences below with words taken from Reading Passage 3.

Use NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS for each answer.

Write your answers in boxes 33-36 on your answer sheet.

33. Leaving some people on another planet would probably ensure .

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34. Twenty years ago you had to whisper that in dark bars and .

35. The astronauts would be expected to fend for themselves for .

36. Eliminating the need for returning early colonists would cut .

Questions 37 40

Complete the summary of the paragraphs A C below.

Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each answer.

Write your answers in boxes 37-40 on your answer sheet.

NASA and DARPA have joined forces to build something called 37 ..

The human space program is now really aimed 38 The prospect

of a DARPA-NASA spaceship collaboration for Star Trek-esque 39

. Dirk Schulze-Makuch and Paul Davies suggest sending

astronauts to Mars with 40 .