Reading passage 1

A. The Alaska 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 the U.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 the Alaska class began in the later 1930s after the deployment of Germany's Scharnhorst class and rumours that Japan was constructing a new battlecruiser class. The Alaska 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 (36 38 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 the Alaska class, U.S. cruisers designed between the wars followed this pattern. D. The initial impetus for the design of the Alaska 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.

E. One historian described the design process of the Alaska 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-ton Atlantaclass 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, the Alaska 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 a plethora 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, the Alaska 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. i. The origin of the idea. Questions ii. The technical details. You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 1 to 14 which are based on iii. The Alaska class cruisers. Reading Passage 1 Questions 1 to 7 The Washington Naval Reading Passage 1 has seven iv. paragraphs A G. Treaty. From the list of headings below, choose the most suitable heading for each paragraph. v. The strategy and its effect. Write the appropriate numbers I ix in boxes 1 7 on your answer sheet. vi. The initial impetus. vii. viii. ix. The Two-Ocean Navy Act. The conversion of the cruisers. Carrier panic.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Paragraph Paragraph Paragraph Paragraph Paragraph Paragraph Paragraph

A B C D E F 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. B. C. D. 9 A. B. C. D. 10 A. B. C. D. Ronald Regan. George W Bush. John F Kennedy. Franklin Delano Roosevelt. The Alaska class cruisers were Passenger fleet. Battleships. Containers. Burges. One historian described the design process of the Alaska class as Torturous. Miracle. Heavy. Faulty.

Questions 11 14 Complete each of the following statements (questions 11 14) with the best endings A G from the box below Write the appropriate letters A 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 hulls 13 The new class was officially ordered in 14 The initial impetus for the design of the Alaska class came from the deployments

A September 1945. B Among early designs. C September 1940. D That were currently under construction to Reading passage 2 carriers. A. Herald Square is formed by the intersection of Broadway, Sixth Avenue (officially named Avenue of the Americas) and 34th Street in the borough E Is not going to win the game for them. of Manhattan in New York City. It was named for the New York Herald, a newspaper originally headquartered there. The Square also gives its name to the surrounding area. The intersection is a typical Manhattan bow-tie square 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 Broadway where the singer asks "remember me to Herald Square", or from the fact that Herald Square 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 and between Broadway and Sixth Avenue, and is taken up almost entirely by a triangular park. It is named after Horace Greeley, who was the publisher of the New York Tribune, the Herald's rival newspaper. (The two papers later merged to form the New York Herald Tribune.) There is a statue of Greeley inside the park, created in 1890 by Alexander Doyle The small park has great deal of charm, it is planted with trees and shrubbery, enclosed by a wrought-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 34th Street and West 35th Street. The old New York Herald Building was located on the square. The square contains a huge mechanical clock whose mechanical structures were constructed in 1895 by the sculptor Antonin Jean Carles. D. Since 1992, Herald and Greeley Squares have been operated by the 34th Street Partnership, a Business Improvement District (BID) operating over 31 blocks in midtown Manhattan. The 34SP provides sanitary and security services, 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

1999, the parks were completely renovated by 34SP. Since 2008, each park has had a food kiosk operated by 'wichcraft, the highly regarded sandwich, soup and salad purveyor owned by Tom Collichio of "Top Chef" fame. In 2009, 34SP converted the parks' Automated Pay Toilets into free public facilities, a rarity in New York City. E. With the introduction of "Broadway Boulevard", a project by the NYC Department of Transportation to close Broadway to vehicles on the stretch between 33rd and 35th Streets, the passive space provided by Herald and Greeley Squares more than doubled, radically changing the character of the area. The parks' operators, 34SP, filled the newly-pedestrianized space with chairs, tables, umbrellas, and free public programs such as chess tables, dance lessons, and exercise classes. F. Herald and Greeley Squares stand today as rest areas for the thousands of shoppers that flood the neighbourhood, as a lunchroom for thousands of midtown office workers, and as a stage for product launches, musical performances, and photo and film shoots. G. The area around Herald Square along Broadway and 34th Street is a retail hub. The most notable attraction is the Macy's flagship department store, the largest in the United States (and according to Guinness World Records the largest in the world). In 2007, Macy's, Inc. moved its corporate headquarters to that store after renaming from Federated. Macy's archrival Gimbels was also located in the neighbourhood until 1984; in 1986 the building became the Manhattan Mall. Other past retailers in the area included E.J. Korvette, Stern's, and Abraham & Straus. J.C. Penney opened its first Manhattan flagship store in August 2009 at the former A&S location 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.

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 letter A G in boxes 1 4 on your answer sheet. 20. Antonin Jean Carles 21. Horace Greeley 22. Alexander Doyle 23. Thousands of shoppers 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.

Questions 24 27 Complete the following statements with the correct alternative from the box. Write the correct letter A F in boxes 24 27 on your answer sheet. 24. 25. 26. with 27. "Broadway Boulevard" is a project by The area around Herald Square along Broadway and 34th Street The parks' operators, 34SP, filled the newly-pedestrianized space Other past retailers in the area included

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.

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 never coming 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-grown Martian 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 of Mars and space in general, they write. In a news release, Davies, a cosmologist at Arizona State Universitys Beyond Centre, compared wouldbe 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

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 longterm 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 labelled AG. 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. 29. 30. 31. 32. NASA is planning for a civilization in Mars. NASA has worked with several psychologists and psychiatrists. The astronauts once gone will never come back. The Martian project is a very costly affair. 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 .

34. 35. 36.

Twenty years ago you had to whisper that in dark bars and . The astronauts would be expected to fend for themselves for . 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 .