Direction: In the following questions, there are six passages. Read each passage carefully and choose the best answer to the given questions out of the four alternatives.
Passage
In the past, man’s worst enemy was Nature. He lived under the continual threat of famine and pestilence, a wet summer could bring death to the whole Nation and every winter was a menace. Mountains stood like a barrier between people and sea was less a highway than an impassable division. Today Nature, though still an enemy, is an enemy almost completely conquered. Modern agriculture assures us of an ample food supply. Modern transportation has made the resources of the entire planet accessible to all its inhabitants. Modern medicine and sanitation allow dense populations to cover the ground without risk of pretence. True, we are still at the mercy of the more violent natural convulsions. Against earthquake, flood and hurricane man has, as yet, devised no adequate protection. At most times, Nature is no longer formidable, she has been subdued.
MEANINGS OF WORDS/PHRASES
(1) pestilence (N.) : any infectious disease that spreads quickly and kills a lot of people
(2) menace (N.) : a threat
(3) accessible (Adj.) : capable of being reached
(4) convulsions (N.) : disturbances
(5) formidable (Adj.) : inspiring fear
(6) subdued (Adj.) : brought under control