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Myanmar Matriculation English study materials
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Myanmar Matriculation English practice questions

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Question 1Reading comprehension

Read this sentence: 'Although the monsoon rains had flooded the low-lying fields, the farmers in the delta region managed to harvest most of their rice before the water rose further.' What is the main idea of the sentence?

  1. The monsoon rains destroyed all the rice in the delta region.
  2. The farmers succeeded in harvesting most of their rice despite the flooding. Correct answer.
  3. The farmers were forced to abandon their fields because of the water.
  4. The delta region rarely experiences monsoon flooding.

Explanation

The main clause states that the farmers 'managed to harvest most of their rice', and the concessive clause beginning with 'Although' shows that the flooding did not prevent this. The main idea is therefore the farmers' success in spite of the rains.

Question 2Reading comprehension

Read this passage: 'Ko Aung arrived at the interview thirty minutes early. He had rehearsed his answers the night before and had even researched the company's recent projects. When the interviewer asked about his weaknesses, he paused, smiled, and answered honestly.' Which word best describes Ko Aung's preparation?

  1. Accidental
  2. Thorough Correct answer.
  3. Careless
  4. Reluctant

Explanation

The passage lists several deliberate actions: arriving early, rehearsing answers, and researching the company. Together these details show careful, complete preparation, which 'thorough' describes.

Question 3Reading comprehension

Read this sentence: 'The new bridge, which took five years to complete, has reduced travel time between the two towns by nearly half.' Which detail is presented as additional information rather than as the main point?

  1. The bridge connects two towns.
  2. The bridge took five years to complete. Correct answer.
  3. The bridge reduced travel time by nearly half.
  4. Travel time between the towns was significant.

Explanation

The clause 'which took five years to complete' sits between commas as a non-defining relative clause, so it supplies extra detail. The main clause carries the central information about reduced travel time.

Question 4Reading comprehension

Read this passage: 'Daw Mya opened her small tea shop in 2010 with only two tables. Today she employs eight staff and serves more than three hundred customers each day.' What does the passage mainly show about Daw Mya's business?

  1. It has recently closed down.
  2. It has always been large.
  3. It has remained the same size.
  4. It has grown considerably over time. Correct answer.

Explanation

The passage contrasts the small beginning (two tables) with the present situation (eight staff, three hundred customers). This contrast signals significant growth.

Question 5Reading comprehension

Read this sentence: 'The teacher's instructions were so ambiguous that half the class began the exercise in the wrong way.' What does 'ambiguous' most nearly mean here?

  1. Open to more than one interpretation Correct answer.
  2. Extremely short
  3. Clearly written
  4. Very detailed

Explanation

The result clause tells us students started the exercise incorrectly, which suggests the instructions could be understood in more than one way. 'Ambiguous' means having more than one possible meaning.

Question 6Reading comprehension

Read this passage: 'Please note that the library will close at 4 p.m. on Friday for maintenance. Books borrowed before Friday may be returned on Monday without a fine.' What is the purpose of this notice?

  1. To inform users about a change in opening hours and a fine exemption Correct answer.
  2. To ask students to borrow more books
  3. To advertise new books in the library
  4. To complain about the maintenance work

Explanation

The notice gives practical information: an early closing time and a rule about returning books without a fine. Its purpose is therefore to inform library users about these arrangements.

Question 7Reading comprehension

Read this sentence: 'Neither the students nor the teacher was aware of the change in the timetable.' Why is the verb 'was' used rather than 'were'?

  1. Because the verb agrees with the nearer subject, 'the teacher' Correct answer.
  2. Because 'aware' is an adjective
  3. Because the sentence is in the past tense
  4. Because 'neither' always takes a plural verb

Explanation

With correlative conjunctions like 'neither...nor', the verb agrees with the subject closer to it. Here the nearer subject is the singular 'the teacher', so the singular 'was' is correct.

Question 8Reading comprehension

Read this passage: 'In many villages, plastic bags are now banned. Shoppers must bring cloth bags or baskets instead. Shopkeepers say the change was difficult at first, but most customers have adjusted well.' Which statement is best supported by the passage?

  1. Shopkeepers refused to follow the ban.
  2. Customers eventually adapted to the new rule. Correct answer.
  3. Plastic bags were never used in these villages.
  4. Cloth bags are more expensive than plastic bags.

Explanation

The final sentence states that 'most customers have adjusted well', which directly supports the idea that customers adapted to the change. The other statements add information the passage does not give.

Question 9Reading comprehension

Read this passage: 'The old clock in the town hall has stopped. For sixty years it marked every hour for the townspeople, and many say the silence now feels strange. The council has promised to repair it before the end of the year.' What can be inferred about the townspeople's attitude to the clock?

  1. They have never noticed it before.
  2. They feel a strong attachment to it. Correct answer.
  3. They believe it was never accurate.
  4. They want it removed permanently.

Explanation

The passage says the silence 'feels strange' after sixty years of service, which implies familiarity and emotional attachment. The council's promise to repair it also reflects public concern.

Question 10Reading comprehension

Read this sentence: 'Having finished his homework, Ko Min switched on the television.' What does the opening phrase tell us?

  1. Ko Min did not do his homework at all.
  2. Ko Min did his homework while watching television.
  3. Ko Min switched on the television and then did his homework.
  4. Ko Min finished his homework before he switched on the television. Correct answer.

Explanation

A perfect participle phrase like 'Having finished his homework' describes an action completed before the action of the main clause. The homework was therefore completed first.

Question 11Reading comprehension

Read this passage: 'The report notes that while urban unemployment fell last year, rural unemployment rose slightly. It concludes that job creation programmes have benefited cities more than villages.' Which is the writer's conclusion rather than a reported fact?

  1. Rural unemployment rose slightly.
  2. The report discusses unemployment.
  3. Urban unemployment fell last year.
  4. Job creation programmes have helped cities more than villages. Correct answer.

Explanation

The first two statements are data reported in the passage, but the final sentence presents the report's interpretive conclusion drawn from that data. Recognising the difference between evidence and conclusion is key here.

Question 12Reading comprehension

Read this sentence: 'The company's profits, which had been declining for three years, finally began to recover.' Which statement is true according to the sentence?

  1. Profits recovered after three years of decline. Correct answer.
  2. Profits are still declining.
  3. The company closed after three years.
  4. Profits never declined.

Explanation

The non-defining clause tells us profits had been falling for three years, and the main verb 'began to recover' shows a change for the better. Combining these gives the correct statement.

Question 13Reading comprehension

Read this passage: 'Although the new smartphone is expensive, it has sold well. Reviewers praise its camera, but many complain about its short battery life. The manufacturer has promised a software update to address the issue.' What is the reviewers' main criticism?

  1. The quality of the camera
  2. The price of the phone
  3. The software update
  4. The short battery life Correct answer.

Explanation

The passage states that 'many complain about its short battery life', which identifies this as the main criticism. The price is mentioned but not as a reviewer complaint.

Question 14Reading comprehension

Read this sentence: 'If the train had left on time, we would have reached the coast before sunset.' What does the sentence imply?

  1. The train will leave on time tomorrow.
  2. The train did not leave on time, so they did not arrive before sunset. Correct answer.
  3. The train left on time and they arrived early.
  4. They decided not to travel to the coast.

Explanation

This is a third conditional, which describes an unreal past situation. It implies the condition was not met (the train did not leave on time) and the result did not happen (they did not arrive before sunset).

Question 15Reading comprehension

Read this passage: 'The museum's collection includes ancient pottery, woven textiles, and hand-carved wooden figures. Each item was donated by local families who wished to preserve their heritage.' What is the main reason the families donated the items?

  1. To preserve their cultural heritage Correct answer.
  2. To avoid paying taxes
  3. To decorate the museum building
  4. To sell them for profit

Explanation

The passage states directly that the families 'wished to preserve their heritage'. The purpose is explicitly given, so no inference is needed.

Question 16Reading comprehension

Read this sentence: 'The scientist, together with her research assistants, presented the findings at the conference.' Which is the subject of the verb 'presented'?

  1. The findings
  2. The scientist Correct answer.
  3. Her research assistants
  4. The conference

Explanation

The phrase 'together with her research assistants' is parenthetical and does not change the subject. The true subject is the singular 'the scientist', which is why the singular verb 'presented' is used.

Question 17Reading comprehension

Read this passage: 'The essay argues that social media has weakened face-to-face communication. However, it fails to consider that many users now arrange meetings online and then meet in person.' What is the writer of this passage doing?

  1. Agreeing fully with the essay's argument
  2. Pointing out a weakness in the essay's argument Correct answer.
  3. Summarising the essay's main points
  4. Praising the essay's use of evidence

Explanation

The word 'However' signals a contrast, and the writer notes something the essay 'fails to consider'. This is the language of critique, so the writer is identifying a gap in the argument.

Question 18Reading comprehension

Read this sentence: 'The volunteers distributed food parcels to the families whose homes had been damaged.' The relative clause 'whose homes had been damaged' identifies:

  1. where the food parcels came from
  2. which volunteers distributed the parcels
  3. when the distribution took place
  4. which families received the parcels Correct answer.

Explanation

The relative clause modifies 'the families' and specifies that they are the ones whose homes were damaged. It restricts which families received the parcels.

Question 19Reading comprehension

Read this passage: 'Despite rising costs, the cooperative decided to keep the price of rice stable. Members argued that farmers and consumers alike would suffer if prices fluctuated during the harvest season.' What reason is given for keeping prices stable?

  1. To increase the cooperative's profits
  2. To reduce the quality of the rice
  3. To avoid hardship for both farmers and consumers Correct answer.
  4. To attract foreign buyers

Explanation

The members argue that both farmers and consumers 'would suffer if prices fluctuated'. The stated reason is therefore to protect both groups from hardship.

Question 20Reading comprehension

Read this sentence: 'No sooner had the bell rung than the students rushed out of the classroom.' Which rewrite keeps the same meaning?

  1. The students rushed out before the bell rang.
  2. The students waited a long time after the bell rang.
  3. The bell rang after the students had left.
  4. As soon as the bell rang, the students rushed out. Correct answer.

Explanation

'No sooner...than' means that the second event happened immediately after the first. The rewrite with 'As soon as' preserves this immediate sequence.

Question 21Reading comprehension

Read this passage: 'The writer describes the river as a 'patient teacher'. Throughout the essay, the river is shown shaping the stones, feeding the fields, and outlasting the villages on its banks.' What figure of speech is used in 'patient teacher'?

  1. Onomatopoeia
  2. Hyperbole
  3. Metaphor Correct answer.
  4. Simile

Explanation

Calling the river a 'patient teacher' states that one thing is another without using 'like' or 'as', which is the definition of a metaphor. The comparison is implied rather than explicitly signalled.

Question 22Reading comprehension

Read this passage: 'Some critics claim that examinations encourage only memorisation. Yet a well-designed examination can test analysis and evaluation as effectively as any coursework assignment, provided that the questions are carefully constructed.' Which best describes the writer's position?

  1. Coursework is always superior to examinations.
  2. Examinations should be abolished entirely.
  3. Memorisation is the only skill worth testing.
  4. Examinations can test higher-order skills if they are well designed. Correct answer.

Explanation

The writer concedes that some critics have a point but argues that well-designed examinations can test analysis and evaluation. The position is therefore qualified support for examinations rather than outright rejection.

Question 23Reading comprehension

Read this sentence: 'The proposal, having been rejected twice by the committee, was finally approved after its author revised the budget section.' What was the immediate cause of the approval?

  1. The proposal was submitted a third time.
  2. The committee changed its members.
  3. The author revised the budget section. Correct answer.
  4. The budget section was removed entirely.

Explanation

The main clause says the proposal 'was finally approved after its author revised the budget section'. The word 'after' marks the revision as the immediate preceding cause.

Question 24Reading comprehension

Read this passage: 'The narrator recalls the market of her childhood with warmth, describing the smells of spices and the calls of traders. Yet she admits that she rarely visits such markets today, preferring the convenience of supermarkets.' What does the contrast reveal about the narrator?

  1. She dislikes her childhood memories.
  2. She has never visited a market.
  3. She believes supermarkets are traditional.
  4. She values the past emotionally but chooses modern convenience. Correct answer.

Explanation

The passage sets warm memories of the market against her current preference for supermarkets. This contrast shows a tension between emotional attachment to the past and practical choices in the present.

Question 25Reading comprehension

Read this sentence: 'Only after the results had been checked by three independent laboratories did the researchers publish their findings.' Why is 'did the researchers publish' used rather than 'the researchers published'?

  1. Because the sentence is in the passive voice
  2. Because the results are plural
  3. Because 'only after' at the start requires subject-verb inversion in the main clause Correct answer.
  4. Because the sentence begins with a negative word

Explanation

When a sentence opens with a restrictive adverbial such as 'Only after...', the main clause normally takes inverted word order, so the auxiliary 'did' comes before the subject. This is a formal stylistic inversion, not a question.

Question 26Reading comprehension

Read this passage: 'U Aung grows rice on two acres near Bago. Last year he borrowed money from a cooperative to buy seed. When the harvest failed, the loan was rescheduled over three years. He now attends a weekly class on record-keeping.' What is the main reason the cooperative rescheduled U Aung's loan?

  1. He wanted to buy two more acres of farmland.
  2. His harvest failed, so he could not repay on the original schedule. Correct answer.
  3. He asked to attend a record-keeping class in Bago.
  4. The cooperative wanted him to grow a different crop.

Explanation

The passage states plainly that the harvest failed and that the loan was then rescheduled over three years, so the failed harvest is the stated cause of the new repayment schedule. The other details (the class, the two acres, the seed purchase) are background facts, not reasons for rescheduling.

Question 27Reading comprehension

Read this passage: 'Daw Mya sells thanaka at a stall in the market. She grinds the bark on a flat stone each morning before the first customers arrive. Her daughter, who studies at the university, helps on holidays.' Which statement is supported by the passage?

  1. Daw Mya's daughter has finished her university studies.
  2. Daw Mya's daughter works at the stall every day.
  3. Daw Mya grinds the bark before customers arrive. Correct answer.
  4. Daw Mya buys her thanaka from another seller.

Explanation

The passage says she grinds the bark on a flat stone each morning before the first customers arrive, so this statement is directly supported. The other statements contradict or go beyond the text, since the daughter only helps on holidays and is still studying.

Question 28Reading comprehension

Read this passage: 'The ferry leaves the jetty at six in the morning. Passengers should arrive fifteen minutes early because tickets are sold on board and the queue can be long. The crossing takes about forty minutes in calm weather.' According to the passage, why should passengers arrive early?

  1. Because tickets are sold on board and the queue may be long. Correct answer.
  2. Because the crossing takes forty minutes in calm weather.
  3. Because the jetty closes fifteen minutes before departure.
  4. Because the ferry sometimes leaves before six o'clock.

Explanation

The passage gives the reason explicitly: tickets are sold on board and the queue can be long, so passengers should come fifteen minutes early. The other options either misread the details or introduce information the passage does not contain.

Question 29Reading comprehension

Read this passage: 'The notice reads: "Students wishing to join the debating club should give their names to the secretary by Thursday. Trials will be held on Saturday morning in the assembly hall."' What should a student do to join the debating club?

  1. Go to the assembly hall on Saturday morning without registering.
  2. Write a debate speech and hand it to the club secretary.
  3. Speak to the secretary after the trials on Saturday.
  4. Give their name to the secretary by Thursday. Correct answer.

Explanation

The notice instructs interested students to give their names to the secretary by Thursday, and the Saturday trials follow that registration. The other options either skip the required registration or invent a task the notice does not mention.

Question 30Reading comprehension

Read this passage: 'Ko Zaw missed the last bus home. He had spent the afternoon at the library and had not noticed the time. A neighbour driving past recognised him and offered him a lift.' How did Ko Zaw get home?

  1. He walked from the library.
  2. He caught a later bus.
  3. He stayed at the library overnight.
  4. A neighbour gave him a lift. Correct answer.

Explanation

The passage says a neighbour driving past recognised him and offered him a lift, which answers how he got home. The other options are not stated and conflict with the sequence of events given.

Question 31Reading comprehension

Read this passage: 'The school library has added three hundred new titles this term. Most are in Burmese, but about a quarter are in English. The librarian says fiction is the most requested section among students.' Which section do students ask for most often?

  1. Fiction Correct answer.
  2. English-language titles
  3. Burmese-language titles
  4. Reference books

Explanation

The librarian states that fiction is the most requested section among students, so fiction is the answer. The language figures describe the new titles, not student demand, and reference books are not discussed.

Question 32Reading comprehension

Read this passage: 'Please be informed that the parent-teacher meeting scheduled for 10 May has been moved to 17 May. The time and venue remain unchanged. Parents who cannot attend on the new date should contact the class teacher.' What has changed about the meeting?

  1. The venue only
  2. Only the time
  3. The time and the venue
  4. Only the date Correct answer.

Explanation

The notice says the meeting has been moved to 17 May while the time and venue remain unchanged, so only the date has changed. Options naming the time or venue contradict the explicit statement that these stay the same.

Question 33Reading comprehension

Read this passage: 'The price of cooking oil rose sharply in June. Traders blamed the cost of imported raw materials. By August, however, prices had fallen back to their June level after two large shipments arrived.' What caused prices to fall in August?

  1. A decision by traders to lower their profits
  2. Reduced demand for cooking oil among households
  3. The arrival of two large shipments Correct answer.
  4. A fall in the cost of imported raw materials

Explanation

The passage attributes the fall to the arrival of two large shipments in August. The cost of imported raw materials is given as the earlier cause of the rise, not of the fall, and no change in demand or trader policy is mentioned.

Question 34Reading comprehension

Read this passage: 'In the past, most letters took weeks to reach distant towns. Today a message can cross the country in seconds. Yet many people say they now receive fewer personal letters than before.' Which contrast does the passage emphasise?

  1. People write more letters today than they did in the past.
  2. Messages travel faster now, but personal letters are less common. Correct answer.
  3. Distant towns are now easier to reach by road.
  4. Fewer messages are sent today than in the past.

Explanation

The passage sets the speed of modern messages against the decline in personal letters, which is the contrast it draws. The other options reverse the passage's points or introduce a topic, road travel, that is not discussed.

Question 35Reading comprehension

Read this passage: 'The village well was dug forty years ago. Since then the population has doubled, and in the dry season the water level drops so low that women must queue for an hour. The committee has applied for a second well.' What problem does the passage describe?

  1. Women are unwilling to queue at the well.
  2. The committee refuses to apply for a second well.
  3. The well was badly built forty years ago.
  4. One well is no longer enough for the growing population. Correct answer.

Explanation

The passage links a doubled population and a falling dry-season water level to long queues, and the committee's application for a second well confirms that one well is now insufficient. The other options misstate the facts: the well has served for forty years, the committee has applied, and the women do queue.

Question 36Reading comprehension

Read this passage: 'The author of the article claims that homework improves discipline. She offers no evidence from schools in Myanmar, relying instead on studies conducted abroad. Her conclusion may therefore be too broad.' What criticism does the passage make of the article?

  1. It relies on too many local studies of homework.
  2. It ignores the question of discipline entirely.
  3. Its evidence is drawn only from schools in Myanmar.
  4. Its conclusion may be too broad because the evidence comes from abroad. Correct answer.

Explanation

The passage says the author relies on foreign studies and that her conclusion may therefore be too broad, which is the criticism offered. The other options misreport the source of the evidence or the topic of the article.

Question 37Reading comprehension

Read this passage: 'The new bridge was completed two months ahead of schedule. Engineers credit careful planning during the monsoon season. The saving allowed the ministry to repair two rural roads before the end of the year.' What was one result of finishing the bridge early?

  1. The bridge was built without any planning.
  2. The engineers were able to work through the monsoon.
  3. Two rural roads could be repaired before the year ended. Correct answer.
  4. The ministry cancelled the repair of rural roads.

Explanation

The passage states that the saving allowed the ministry to repair two rural roads before the end of the year, which is a direct result of early completion. The other options either reverse this result or misread the reference to planning during the monsoon.

Question 38Reading comprehension

Read this passage: 'When the writer describes her grandmother's kitchen, she lists the copper pots, the smoke-blackened walls and the smell of garlic. She does not tell us what her grandmother looked like. Instead, she lets the objects speak for the person.' What technique does the writer use to portray her grandmother?

  1. Quoting her grandmother's own words at length
  2. Describing objects associated with her rather than her appearance Correct answer.
  3. Giving a detailed physical description of her face and clothes
  4. Comparing her grandmother with other family members

Explanation

The passage explains that the writer lists objects and lets them speak for the person instead of describing her grandmother's appearance, which is the technique identified. The other options name methods the passage explicitly says are not used or does not mention.

Question 39Reading comprehension

Read this passage: 'Although the new fertilizer increased yields in the first season, the cost of buying it reduced the farmers' profits. In the second season, when prices rose again, several farmers returned to traditional methods.' Why did some farmers return to traditional methods?

  1. Traditional methods always produce larger harvests.
  2. The fertilizer failed to increase yields at all.
  3. The government banned the use of the new fertilizer.
  4. The fertilizer's cost reduced the profit from higher yields. Correct answer.

Explanation

The passage explains that although yields rose, the cost of the fertilizer cut into profits, and when prices rose again some farmers went back to traditional methods. The other options contradict the text or introduce a ban that is never mentioned.

Question 40Reading comprehension

Read this passage: 'Thiha practises the violin for an hour every evening. His neighbours have never complained. Last month, however, he began lessons with a new teacher who insists on scales played at full volume before seven in the morning.' What does the passage suggest about the neighbours' tolerance?

  1. It has never been needed because he plays softly.
  2. It may be tested by the new morning practice. Correct answer.
  3. It has already ended because of his evening practice.
  4. It is based on a written agreement with Thiha.

Explanation

The neighbours have tolerated an hour of evening practice, but the new teacher's early, loud scales are presented as a fresh strain, so the passage implies their tolerance may now be tested. The other options contradict the statement that they have never complained or add facts not given.

Question 41Reading comprehension

Read this passage: 'The report notes that attendance at rural clinics improved after mobile teams began visiting monthly. However, it warns that the improvement may not last unless local staff are trained to continue the work.' What condition does the report set for lasting improvement?

  1. Rural clinics must be closed and rebuilt.
  2. Mobile teams must visit more often than monthly.
  3. Attendance figures must be collected every month.
  4. Local staff must be trained to continue the work. Correct answer.

Explanation

The report warns that improvement may not last unless local staff are trained to carry on the work, which is the condition it sets. The other options add measures the report does not propose.

Question 42Reading comprehension

Read this passage: 'Myanmar's tea shops serve as offices, meeting rooms and newsrooms. A customer may sit for an hour over a single cup, discussing prices, politics or the weather. Nobody hurries him out.' Which phrase best captures the role of the tea shop described here?

  1. A profit-making restaurant
  2. A quiet place for solitary study
  3. A public living room Correct answer.
  4. A formal government office

Explanation

The passage stresses that customers linger, talk and are never hurried out, which makes the tea shop function like a shared public living room. The other phrases misrepresent the emphasis on sociability and unhurried conversation.

Question 43Reading comprehension

Read this passage: 'The teacher returned the essays without marks. Instead, each student received three written comments and a question to consider. "Marks end the conversation," she explained. "Questions keep it going."' What does the teacher mean by 'Marks end the conversation'?

  1. Students argue with the teacher about their marks.
  2. A grade tends to stop students from thinking further about their work. Correct answer.
  3. Marks are not allowed in the school's assessment policy.
  4. Written comments are easier for teachers to produce.

Explanation

The teacher contrasts marks with questions, saying questions keep the conversation going, which implies that a grade closes off further reflection. The other options take the phrase literally or invent a policy that the passage does not mention.

Question 44Reading comprehension

Read this passage: 'The committee examined three proposals. The first was cheap but slow. The second was fast but costly. The third was neither cheap nor fast, but it was the only one that could be built without closing the main road.' Why was the third proposal chosen?

  1. It was the cheapest of the three.
  2. It was the fastest of the three.
  3. It required the least engineering work.
  4. It avoided closing the main road. Correct answer.

Explanation

The passage singles out the third proposal as the only one that could be built without closing the main road, which explains its selection. The other options repeat qualities the passage explicitly denies to the third proposal.

Question 45Reading comprehension

Read this passage: 'The writer begins by praising the city's new drainage system. He then lists the streets where water still stands after heavy rain. Finally, he asks who signed the completion certificate.' What is the writer's attitude towards the drainage system?

  1. Entirely approving of its performance
  2. Sceptical of the claims made about it Correct answer.
  3. Indifferent to whether it works
  4. Confused about where the streets are

Explanation

Praise followed by counter-examples and a pointed question about the completion certificate signals doubt about the claims made for the system. The other options miss the shift from praise to challenge or misread the final question.

Question 46Reading comprehension

Read this passage: 'Some historians argue that the railway transformed trade in the region. Others point out that most goods continued to travel by river for another twenty years. Both sides agree, however, that the railway changed how people thought about distance.' On what do the two sides agree?

  1. The railway changed people's sense of distance. Correct answer.
  2. River transport declined within twenty years.
  3. The railway immediately transformed trade.
  4. Historians have exaggerated the railway's importance.

Explanation

The passage states explicitly that both sides agree the railway changed how people thought about distance. The other options are positions held by one side only or are not attributed to either side.

Question 47Reading comprehension

Read this passage: 'The novelist never names the town where her story is set. Readers have identified the river, the pagoda on the hill and the market clock as features of several real towns. The effect is a place that feels familiar to many and belongs to none.' What is the effect of leaving the town unnamed?

  1. The novel is clearly set in one identifiable real town.
  2. Readers cannot picture the town at all.
  3. The novelist forgot to include the town's name.
  4. The setting feels recognisable to many readers yet belongs to no single place. Correct answer.

Explanation

The final sentence states the effect directly: a place that feels familiar to many and belongs to none, achieved by details shared across several real towns. The other options contradict this stated effect or speculate about the author's intention.

Question 48Reading comprehension

Read this passage: 'The editor rejected the article not because its facts were wrong but because its tone was certain where the evidence was thin. "Say what you know," she told the writer, "and let the reader see where knowledge stops."' What does the editor value most in the article?

  1. Accuracy about the limits of the evidence Correct answer.
  2. A confident and forceful style
  3. Agreement with the newspaper's opinion
  4. A longer list of facts and figures

Explanation

The editor objects to certainty where evidence is thin and urges the writer to show where knowledge stops, so she values honesty about the limits of the evidence. The other options run against her advice or are not mentioned.

Question 49Reading comprehension

Read this passage: 'The microcredit scheme was praised for reaching women who had no access to banks. A follow-up study found that many borrowers used the loans for household expenses rather than for the businesses the scheme intended to support. The scheme's supporters reply that household stability is itself a business asset.' How do the supporters defend the scheme?

  1. By proposing that loans should be given only to men
  2. By denying that borrowers spent the money on household expenses
  3. By claiming that the follow-up study used faulty figures
  4. By arguing that a stable household helps a business succeed Correct answer.

Explanation

The supporters respond that household stability is itself a business asset, which reframes the spending as consistent with the scheme's aims. The other options describe responses the passage does not attribute to them.

Question 50Reading comprehension

Read this passage: 'The poet repeats the word "again" at the end of each stanza. The word first suggests routine, then weariness, and finally, in the last line, a kind of stubborn hope. The repetition is not decoration; it is the argument of the poem.' What does the passage claim about the repeated word?

  1. Its meaning shifts across the poem and carries the poem's argument. Correct answer.
  2. It has the same meaning in every stanza.
  3. It is used mainly to make the poem sound musical.
  4. It appears only in the final line of the poem.

Explanation

The passage traces the word's changing sense from routine to weariness to stubborn hope and says the repetition is the argument of the poem. The other options contradict the idea of shifting meaning or the statement that the repetition is not mere decoration.