Ques: Read the article and select the best answer. Article: Speak confidently and think logically. Year 13 schoolboy Arunabh Prakash can't agree more. Anmabh is one of the five students that will represent New Zealand at the 26th World Schools Debating Championships (WSDC) to be held in Thailand from August 5 to l5 this year. "You've got to be persuasive, regardless of the fact that you believe in a topic or not," says the 17-year-old. "There are a lot of speakers who are eloquent but find it difficult to think logically and then there are those who have a good argument but can't deliver." Endurance is another quality he says one must have in the heated arena of expressing opinions and ideas. "There are times when you have to debate for five hours at a go and are completely exhausted. It's quite intense. You must have the energy to debate for long hours," says Arunabh, who began debating in year 10. The WSDC is a debating competition in the world for high school students from different countries. It involves four prepared debates and four impromptu debates -- debates without specific preparations. To gain selection for the national team for the global final, Arunabh had to compete with regional teams. Despite the mounting pressure, he says he was confident of winning. "We didn't loose a debate in the first two days. And we had a very strong team. We were confident of our ability to win," he says. Question: What can we know about Arunabh from the text? Options: A: He started debating at the age of ten. B: He is on his country's national debating team. C: He argues only on the topics that he believes in. D: He is unsure of winning the debating competition.
Ans: B

Ques: Read the article and select the best answer. Article: Many animal and plant species have become extinct and many more are in critical danger. Finding ways to protect the earth's wildlife and conserve the natural world they inhabit is now more important than ever. Dodo The Dodo is a classic example of how human caused damage to the earth's biology. The flightless Dodo was native to the Island of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean. It lived off fruit fallen from the island's trees and lived unthreatened until humans arrived in 1505. The easily controlled bird became a source of food for sailors and was attacked by animals introduced to the island by humans such as pigs, monkeys and rats. The population of Dodos rapidly decreased and last one was killed in 1681. Rhinos The Rhino horn is a highly priced item for Asian medicine. This has led to the animal being hunted in its natural habitat. Once widespread in Africa and Eurasia, most rhinos now live in protected natural parks and reserves . Their numbers have rapidly decreased in the last 50 years, and the animals remain under constant threat from poachers . The Giant Panda The future of the World Wildlife Fund's symbol is far from certain. As few as 1000 remain in the wild. The Chinese government has set up 33 panda reserves to protect these beautiful animals and made poaching them punishable with 20 years in prison. However, The panda's distinct black and white patched coat fetches a high price on the black market and determined poachers still pose one of the most serious threats to the animals continued existence. Whales The International Whaling Commission is fighting to ensure the survival of the whale species. Despite the fact that one-third the world's oceans have been declared whale sanctuaries , 7 out of 13 whale species remain endangered. Hunted for their rich supply of oil, their numbers have decreased to just 300. Collisions with ships, poisonous pollution and being caught in fishing nets are other major causes of whale deaths. Tigers The last 100 years has seen a 95% reduction in the numbers of... Question: Which of the following statements is NOT true? Options: A: The number of South China tigers has reached crisis point. B: Many animals are threatened with extinction as a result of human activity. C: People hunt for the endangered animals for high profit. D: The Whale is the representing mark for the World Wildlife Fund.
Ans: D

Ques: Read the article and select the best answer. Article: Kiss crisis, hug horrors and the UK's handshake headaches Greeting someone, saying goodbye - these situations fill me with unease. You have a second to make a dangerous decision. One peck ? Two pecks? Three? No kisses at all? Why, I think, as I crash into the other person's face, why can't it be as simple as a handshake? A survey by the soap company Radox in May showed one in five Brits now feels a handshake is "too formal", according to the Daily Mail. Some 42 percent said they never shook hands when greeting friends. For one third of people the alternative was a hug, for 16 percent a kiss on the cheek. British people are known to be reserved - unfriendly, some would say. Handshakes used to work for us because we didn't have to get too close. But the super-British handshake is no longer fashionable. We want to be more like our easygoing Mediterranean neighbors who greet each other with kisses and hugs. The trouble is, we still find it a bit awkward. What does a married man do when greeting a married female friend, for example? How should someone younger greet someone older? Guys don't tend to kiss one another; my male friends in Britain go for the "manly hug", taking each other stiffly in one arm and giving a few thumps on the back with words like "Take it easy, yeah?". The biggest questions, if you do decide to kiss, are how many times and which cheek first. Unlike the French, who comfortably deliver three, our cheek-pecks usually end in embarrassed giggling : "Oh, gosh, sorry, I didn't mean to kiss you on the lips, I never know where to aim for first!" But then it's never been easy for us poor, uncomfortable Brits. Even the handshake had its problems: don't shake too hard, but don't hold the other person's hand too limply either, and definitely don't go in with sweaty hands. Maybe it's better to leave it at a smile and a nod. Question: What did the survey by the soap company Radox show? Options: A: It is now considered unfriendly to greet friends with a handshake in Britain. B: A kiss on the cheek is becoming the most popular form of greeting in Britain. C: Most Brits no longer offer to shake hands with those they meet. D: More and more Brits prefer to be greeted with a hug or kiss.
Ans:
D