PASSAGE 2 – Questions 11–20

MY FIRST BIKE

My biking beginnings can be summed up in two words: teenage love. My first girlfriend was small with short blonde hair, and I was mad about her. Our romance came to an abrupt end, however, when she started going out with another guy in my hometown, Crieff. He rode a 50 cc road motorbike first and then a 125. And whereas I had always walked my girlfriend home, suddenly she was going back with this guy.

I was nearly sixteen by then and already heartbroken. Then one day, on the way back from a shopping trip to Perth with my mum, we passed Buchan’s, the local bike shop. There was a light blue 50 cc bike on display right at the front of the shop. I didn’t know what make it was, or if it was any good. Such trivialities were irrelevant to me. All I knew was that I could get it in three months’ time when I was sixteen and allowed to ride it. Maybe I could even get my girlfriend back.

I’d ridden my first bike when I was about six. My father organised a tiny red Honda 50 cc and we headed off to a field that belonged to a family friend. I clambered on and shot off. I thought it was just the best thing. There was one large heap of straw. I thought I would have a go. I came racing towards the adults, shot right through the gap in the straw. I was thrilled to hear the adults scream and elated that it had frightened them. It was my first time on a motorbike. It was exciting and I wanted more.

So when I looked through Buchan’s window in Perth that day, it suddenly all made sense to me. I can’t remember whether it was to win back my ex-girlfriend’s heart or not, but more than anything else it meant that, instead of having to walk everywhere, I could ride my motorbike to school and the games fields at the bottom of Crieff and when I went out at weekends.

I started to fantasise about it. I spent all my waking hours thinking about getting on and starting up the bike, putting on the helmet and riding around Crieff. I couldn’t sleep. Driven to desperation by my desire for a bike, I made a series of promises to my mum: I won’t leave town, I’ll be very safe, I won’t take any risks, I won’t do anything stupid. But in fact I was making the promises up – I never thought about keeping them.

Crieff is a small town and my whole childhood was spent walking around the town. It was great, but I was getting to that age when children become aware of the possibilities of venturing further afield. Unless, like us, you went everywhere by bicycle. With so many beautiful places nearby, the idea of getting a motorbike was too much to resist.

11. The word "romance" in paragraph 1 could be best replaced by:

PASSAGE 3 – Questions 21–30

THE BEATLES

The Beatles became the most popular group in rock music history. This quartet of extraordinarily talented musicians generated a phenomenal number of pieces that won gold records. They inspired a frenzy that transcended countries and economic strata. While all of them sang, John Lennon and Paul McCartney wrote the majority of their songs. Originally, Lennon and two others formed a group called the Quarrymen in 1956, with McCartney joining them later that year. George Harrison, John Lennon, and Paul McCartney, together with Stuart Sutcliffe, who played the bass guitar, and Pete Best on the drums, performed together in several bands for a few years, until they finally settled on the Silver Beatles in 1960. American rock musicians such as Chuck Berry and Elvis Presley influenced Lennon’s and McCartney’s music, whose first hits consisted of simple tunes and lyrics about young love — “Love Me Do” and “Please Please Me.” The Beatles’ U.S. tour propelled them to stardom and led to two movies, A Hard Day’s Night and Help!, filmed in 1964 and 1965. This so-called British invasion of the United States was in full swing when they took the top five spots on the singles charts, followed by the release of their first film.

During the 1960s, their music matured and acquired a new sense of melody. The lyrics of their songs became deeper and gained in both imagination and meaning. Their popularity continued to grow as the Beatles turned their attention to social problems and political issues in “Nowhere Man” and “Eleanor Rigby.” Loneliness and nostalgia come through in their ballads “Michelle” and “Yesterday,” which fully displayed the group’s professional development and sophistication. Lennon’s sardonic music with lyrics written in the first person, and McCartney’s songs that created scenarios with offbeat individuals, contributed to the character of the music produced by the group. In addition to their music, the Beatles set a social trend that popularized long hair, Indian music, and mod dress.

For a variety of reasons, the musicians began to drift apart, and their last concert took place in San Francisco in 1966. The newspapers and tabloids publicized their quarrels and lawsuits, and the much-idolized group finally disbanded in 1970. However, their albums had outsold those of any other band in history. Although all of the Beatles continued to perform solo or form new rock groups, none could achieve the recognition and success that they had been able to win together.

21. What does the passage mainly discuss?

PASSAGE 4 – Questions 31–40

THE UNITED NATIONS

When the United Nations was first formed in 1945, only 51 countries were members. Now, however, the United Nations is truly a world organization. In fact, today almost every nation in the world is a member of the UN. The main goal of the United Nations is to bring different nations together to promote peace and justice in the world. The UN also works to make the world a safe and secure place.

It is important to remember that the UN is not a “world government.” This means that the UN does not make laws for different countries to follow, nor does it enforce laws made by governments. However, the UN does hold regular votes on global policies and issues. Like a government, the UN is divided into different branches, or sections. Considering that the UN is such a large organization, it makes sense that it needs to be separated into different pieces to be effective. There are six branches in the United Nations. Below, the first three branches of the UN are discussed.

The main branch is called the “General Assembly.” In this branch, all members of the United Nations are represented. Each member country has one vote. These votes are counted when the UN has meetings about world issues. For example, if there is a problem in a certain area of the world or in a particular country, the UN will vote on how to best solve the problem. At least two-thirds of all member countries, that is 67 percent, must agree on how to resolve the problem in order for the UN to take action. If less than two-thirds of the voting countries agree, no immediate action is taken.

Another branch of the UN is the Security Council. (A) The main purpose of this department is to maintain international peace and keep the world secure. (B) In this branch, there are only fifteen members. Five of these members are permanent: China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. (C) The other ten members are elected by the General Assembly for two-year terms. (D)

The third important branch of the UN is the Economic and Social Council. This branch works to help monitor the world economy. It also works to resolve social issues around the world. For example, issues of concern for the Economic and Social Council include violations of human rights, the fight against international crime such as selling illegal drugs, and destruction of the environment. There are 54 government representatives serving on this council. These members are elected by the General Assembly to serve for three-year terms. Council members are elected to represent certain areas of the world, so the council has fourteen members from Africa, eleven from Asia, ten from South America, and nineteen from Europe and North America.

31. The word "branches" in paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to