Câu 9:
Mã câu hỏi: 151236
Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate correct answer to each of the questions.
Scientists know that there were wolves on Earth about one million years ago. Dogs, on the other hand, have not been on Earth nearly as long. The oldest dog remains, found in Germany, are about 14,000 years old. Scientists have proven that dogs are descended from wolves. Though wolves and dogs share some of the same genes, they are not exactly alike. In fact, there are as many differences as there are similarities between the two.
First, there are physical differences between the two. Wolves have longer legs, larger feet, and a broader skull than dogs. They also walk differently from dogs. A wolf runs on its toes with its heels raised up from the ground. This is more similar to a cat's walk than a dog's.
Second, there are mental differences between the two. Dogs have been domesticated. This means that dogs have been brought under the control of humans in order to provide companionship. Wolves have not been domesticated. They are wild animals. Having a dog as a pet is like having a juvenile wolf. A young wolf will turn into a mature adult, while a young dog does not mature. A dog might seem smart by performing tricks for people. Wolves need to be smart to survive in the wild. While it may not be impossible to have a wolf as a pet, scientists are of the opinion that a wolf could never be domesticated in the same way as a dog.
It's important to keep in mind that the differences between the two are great, and each should be appreciated in its own habitat or home.
(Source: Paul Edmunds, Nancie McKinnon, Developing skills for TEOFL iBT)
The passage mainly discusses ___________
Câu 14:
Mã câu hỏi: 151241
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.
Employees in many countries change jobs more often than previous generations of workers. They don't expect to find a job with a company that will take care of them for the rest of their lives. But what is the cause of this trend? Is it a new economy, new ways of doing business, or the employees themselves?
A more globalized economy has had an effect on employment. A large number of companies are now international, and one of them may decide that moving from its offices from Germany to Poland, for example, is in its best interest. That means employees who live and work in Germany may be asked to relocate their families to a new country or be told that their jobs are simply eliminated.
Companies have also responded to economic pressure by restructuring for greater efficiency. This sort of change within a company usually means that unnecessary jobs are cut, or that fewer employees must do more work. In their case, some employees find themselves looking for new jobs.
New technology has also had an impact on workplaces. The increasing use of personal computers has meant fewer jobs for office secretaries, as their former bosses do their own words processing and letter writing, and for travel agents, as more travelers make their own reservations online. Automation, including the use of robotic devices, has replaced workers in clothing factories, post offices, and telephone companies, to name just a few.
Besides these economic and technological reasons, today's employees are also responsible for more frequent job changes. Workers in the past were less likely to leave a company because they were dissatisfied with working conditions or because they didn't get along well with their fellow employees. People today expect to enjoy their work and have personal satisfaction from what they do for a living.
Employees may also leave a job because they have learned all they can learn from their current job. Getting a new job means gaining new skills and making new contracts, and these skills and relationships could bring them a step closer to their “dream job”, the one that is challenging, emotionally and financially rewarding, and preferably closer to home or their children's school.
Finally, companies start up and close down more quickly than they once did. Employees who suspect that their employer is not doing well may decide to start looking for a new position before the company closes its doors.
(Source: Active Skills for Reading: Book 2 by Neil J. Anderson Thompson)
The passage is mainly about ___________
