Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the word(s) OPPOSITE in meaning to the underlined word(s) in each of the following questions.

Evolutionary adaptation is the adjustment of organisms to their environment in order to improve their chances at survival in that environment.

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 from 36 to 42.

      Throughout history, various people have demonstrated a high degree of confidence in the ability of certain animals to predict the weather. It may seem surprising today in view of the complex equipment now involved in weather forecasting to understand that in certain cases, the behavior of animals does indeed provide an indication of inclement weather. Sensitivity of certain animals to falling air pressure or to low-frequency sound waves that humans cannot hear, which are indicators of approaching storms, causes behaviors in animals that certain societies have come to recognize as predictors of storms.

A number of animals are remarkably sensitive to variations in air pressure, and some of these animals show consistent, noticeable, and predictable behaviors as air pressure drops before a storm hits. Where the air pressure drops before a storm, some animals move closer to the ground to equalize the pressure in their ears: some birds such as swallows tend to stay on the ground or roost in trees instead of soaring in the skies when a storm is imminent because of the decreasing air pressure. Other animals make more noise than usual as air pressure drops: an unusual amount of quacking by ducks and a high volume of croaking by frogs are both indicators that are believed to occur because of the high degree of sensitivity of ducks and frogs to the change in pressure. Finally, still other animals become more active before storms as a reaction to the falling air pressure: dolphins and porpoises seem to be taking part in a frenzied sort of play, and bees and ants become more active prior to storms, most likely because of their sensitivity to lower pressure.

There is good reason to believe that the fact that these animal behaviors seem to occur regularly prior to storms may have a scientific basis and that the animals demonstrating these behaviors may actually be good short-range weather forecasters. However, their ability to predict long-range weather patterns is rather suspect. Certain proverbs, for example, are based on what is most likely the idea that squirrels are good indicators of long-range weather patterns. One proverb indicates that, if a squirrel seems busier than usual in gathering nuts, then a long and cold winter is on its way; however, this behavior in squirrels is more likely due to a large supply of nuts available for gathering, which occurs because of earlier good weather, and is not an indicator of cold weather to come. Another proverb about squirrels indicates that if a squirrel grows a long and bushy tail in the fall, then a particularly harsh winter is on its way; in this case too, the squirrel develops a long and bushy tail because of earlier good weather and not as a warning of bad weather to come.

(Adapted from TOEFL Reading Practice by Deborah Philips)

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Only one of the workers_______ to do this difficult task.

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 from 26 to 30.

Just as people have altered their skin’s color to (26)______ wealth and beauty, some cultures around the globe marked their skin to indicate cultural identity or community status. Tattooing, for example, has been carried out for thousands of years. Leaders in places including ancient Egypt, Peru and Britain wore tattoos to mark their status, or their bravery.

In Japan, tattooing has been practiced since around the fifth century B.C. The government made tattooing illegal in 1870 and (27)______ there are no laws against it, tattoos are still strongly associated with criminals – particularly the yakuza, or Japanese mafia,(28)______ are known for their full-body tattoos. The complex design of a yakuza member’s tattoo usually includes symbols of character (29)______ that wearer wants to have.

Not (30)_____ skin markings are permanent, though. In countries such as Morocco and India, women decorate their skin with colorful henna designs for celebrations such as weddings and important religious holidays. The henna coloring, which comes from a plant, fades and disappears over time

(Adapted from Reading Explorer 3 by Nancy Douglas)

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            The Chinese government has removed pangolin scales from its 2020 list of approved ingredients used in traditional Chinese medicine, a move campaigners describe as a "critical step" towards saving the world's most trafficked mammal.

Pangolins are highly valued in Asia for scales, which many people believe can improve blood circulation and reduce inflammation. Last year alone, authorities confiscated more than 130 tons of illegal pangolin related products. There are eight species of pangolin found in Asia and Africa. To date, three species are listed as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, while the remaining five are listed as either vulnerable or endangered.

According to Chinese media, the latest edition of Chinese Pharmacopoeia - an official government list of drugs covering approved traditional Chinese and Western medicines - no longer includes pangolin scales. The decision to remove the pangolin from the official list comes just days after China's State Forestry and Grassland Bureau announced that the Chinese pangolin would be upgraded to a "first-level protected wild animal," the highest possible protection status alongside pandas and tigers.

While conservationists from China and other countries have praised the actions of Chinese authorities, some still felt that they came a bit too late. "Many years have passed. How many pangolins have already been hunted and killed?" said Sophia Zhang, director of the Pangolin Working Group at the China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation.

                                      (Adapted from edition.cnn.com)

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