Reading Section 1

READING SECTION 1

Read the passage below and answer the questions that follow. You should spend 60 minutes on the Reading section. You may write your answers on the question paper, but you MUST transfer your answers to the answer sheet before the 60 minutes are over. You will NOT be given any extra time at the end to do this.

A

There have been many famous leaders in history, but one of the most famous must be Alexander the Great. Alexander was a king,acommander, and a conqueror and he built a vast empire that that stretched from the Mediterranean Sea to India.

B

Alexanderwasbornin Macedonia in 356 bc. His father, King Philip II was murdered by a body-guard and Alexander became king. At the age of only twenty Alexander had to deal with many threats. These came from people who plotted against him and from Greek cities ruled by Macedonia that tried to become independent. Alexander dealt with these threats by being completely ruthless. When people plotted against him he simply ordered the executions of the plotters. When cities fought for independence, he crushed the rebellions.

C

Then when Alexander was sure his throne was safe at home, he turned his attention toward the Persian Empire (now Iran) in southwest Asia,in334bc. He led Macedonian and Greek soldiers to attack Darius III, Persia’s king. Their armies met at Issus in Syria in 333 bc, and fought a fierce battle. Alexander won, and Darius fled.

D

Alexanderthenledhis soldiers south, into Egypt, and seized power from the pharaoh, who ruled Egypt on behalf of the Persians. The grateful Egyptians saw Alexander as a person who freed them, and they crowned him pharaoh. At the mouth of the River Nile in northern Egypt, Alexander founded a new city. He named the city Alexandria, and it became a famous centre of learning. With a city named after him, Alexanderled his troops back north into Persia in331bcand fought Darius again in another great battle, this time at Gaugamela. Once again, Alexander won. The battle at Gaugamela ended centuries of Persian rule in Asia.

E

Alexanderwasamilitary genius and a great explorer, but he also had a huge ambition. He wanted to rule a world empire where people could live in peace with one another. From 330 to 327 bc, Alexander led his soldiers east, through Afghanistan and into Central Asia. As he travelled, he built more cities. He recruited soldiers, merchants, and scholars from many lands to settle there. However, in 326 BC Alexanderturned south, into Indiaand by then his men were tired and weak. They were far from home in an unknown land. The soldiers rebelled and refused to go further. Reluctantly, Alexander turned back. By 323 bc, he had reachedBabylon in Iraq. While there, he caught a fever and died at the age of 33. His empire was then divided among his generals.

Questions 1 to 4

The Reading passage has five paragraphs, A-E.

From the following headings 1-5 choose a suitable title for each paragraph. Write the correct number on your answer sheet. The first one has been done for you. (WRITE ONLY THE CORRECT NUMBER)

Headings

1. One of history’s most well-known leaders

2. Alexander’s harsh response to opposition

3. An early death after great achievements

4. Alexander’s first victory over the Persian ruler

5. Two enemies defeated and a new city established

Paragraphs

Example: A = 1

1. / B / =
2. / C / =
3. / D / =
4. / E / =

Questions 5 to 10

Do the following statements agree with the information given in the Reading Passage?

In the correct space on your answer sheet, write

TRUE (T) if the statement agrees with the information

FALSE (F) if the statement contradicts the information

NOT GIVEN (NG) if there is no information on this

5. / The empire Alexander created covered a huge area.
6. / Alexander came to the throne after he murdered his father.
7. / More Macedonian than Greek soldiers attacked Darius.
8. / The people of Egypt were glad Alexander defeated the pharaoh.
9. / The battle at Gaugamela put an end to hundreds of years of Persian control.
10. / Alexander’s troops were pleased to arrive in India.

Questions 11 to 15

Complete the text below with words or a number from the box. The items are from the passage. Choose NO MORE THAN ONE WORD OR A NUMBER from the passage for each answer. There is one extra word.

Write the words in the correct space on your answer sheet.

cities 20 plotters king plotted ruled

When he was only 11. ______years old Alexander the Great became the Macedonian 12. ______after a body-guard murdered his father. Alexander was then threatened in a number of ways. One threat was from individuals in Macedonia who 13. ______against him, while another came from attempts at independence by Greek 14. ______that Macedonia ruled. Alexander dealt with these threats ruthlessly. He had 15. ______executed and he crushed the Greek rebellions against his rule.

READING SECTION 2

Read the passage below and answer the questions that follow. You may write your answers on the question paper, but you MUST transfer your answers to the answer sheet before the Reading test is over. You will NOT be given any extra time at the end to do this.

RECYCLING

Peoplerecycleformany reasons. One of the main reasons is to conserve resources. For example when we make new aluminum soft- drink cans out of old ones this means less aluminum is needed for new cans.
Asecond reason people recycle is to save energy. Recycling old aluminum cans takes a lot less energy than making new aluminum. To make new aluminum, we need to mine metal ore from the ground, remove the impurities, and refine it into a finished metal.
Recyclingalsoconserves valuable land. By recycling, we produce less garbage. That means fewer landfills are needed for dumping our trash.
The world’s most recycled materials are metals. For instance, about 60% of all steel is recycled.
Steelcansandscrapsteel go to recycling plants where the steel is melted down. The steel is then treated with chemicals to make it pure again. Finally, it is formed into sheets or bars. These are shipped to companies that manufacture new cans and other steel objects.

Questions 16 to 18

Choose the correct letter, A, B or C.

Write only the correct letter on your answer sheet.

16. Human beings recycle

A for only one reason.

B for a large number of reasons.

C to waste resources.

17. Recycling beverage cans means we use

A more aluminium.

B a smaller amount of aluminium.

C more energy.

18. According to the passage, the process of making aluminium consists of

A one step.

B many steps.

C three stages.

Questions 19 to 20

Write no more than TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.

Write the answer in the correct space on your answer sheet.

19. Which materials are recycled more than any other globally?

20. What percentage of the world’s steel is recycled?

Questions 21 to 25

Complete the table below

WriteNO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each answer

RECYCLING OF STEEL
Stage One / Steel cans and scrap steel are taken to 21)______
Stage Two / In the recycling plants the steel is 22) ______
Stage Three / 23) ______are used to purify the steel.
Stage Four / When the steel is pure again, it is made into 24) ______
Stage Five / The sheet and bars of steel now go to 25) ______which make new steel products.

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New Level 3 Reading Practice Material