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

Direction: Read the following passages carefully and choose the most appropriate answer to the question out of the four alternatives.
Passage
Marie Curie was one of the most accomplished scientists in history. Together with her husband, Pierre, she discovered radium, an element widely used for treating cancer, and studied uranium and other radio active substances. Pierre and Marie’s amicable collaboration later helped to unlock the secrets of the atom.
Marie was born in 1867 in Warsaw, Poland, where her father was a Professor of Physics. At an early age, she displayed a brilliant mind and a casual personality. Her great exuberance for learning prompted her to continue with her studies after high school. She became disgruntled, however, when she learned that the university in Warsaw was closed to women. Determined to receive a higher education, she defiantly left Poland in 1891 entered the Sorbonne, a French University, where she earned her master's degree and Doctorate in Physics.
MEANINGS OF WORDS/PHRASES
(1) accomplished (Adj.) : highly skilled
(2) amicable (Adj.) : friendly
(3) exuberance (N.) : joyful enthusiasm
(4) disgruntled (V.) : put into a bad mood; annoyed
(5) defiantly (Adv.) : in a rebellious manner