Part 1 – Reading Comprehension (20 Marks – 1 Mark for Each)

Section 1 – Read the following text then answer the questions below.

Excerpt from "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" by Lewis Carroll

Alice was beginning to get very tired of sitting by her sister on the bank, and of having nothing to do: once or twice she had peeped into the book her sister was reading, but it had no pictures or conversations in it, "and what is the use of a book," thought Alice "without pictures or conversations?"

So she was considering in her own mind (as well as she could, for the hot day made her feel very sleepy and stupid), whether the pleasure of making a daisy chain would be worth the trouble of getting up and picking the daisies when suddenly a White Rabbit with pink eyes ran close by her.

There was nothing so very remarkable in that; nor did Alice think it so very much out of the way to hear the Rabbit say to itself, "Oh dear! Oh dear! I shall be late!" (when she thought it over afterward, it occurred to her that she ought to have wondered at this, but at the time it all seemed quite natural); but when the Rabbit actually took a watch out of its waistcoat-pocket, and looked at it and then hurried on, Alice started to her feet, for it flashed across her mind that she had never before seen a rabbit with either a waistcoat-pocket, or a watch to take out of it, and burning with curiosity, she ran across the field after it, and fortunately was just in time to see it pop down a large rabbit-hole under the hedge.

In another moment down went Alice after it, never once considering how in the world she was to get out again. The rabbit hole went straight on like a tunnel for some way and then dipped suddenly down, so suddenly that Alice had not a moment to think about stopping herself before she found herself falling down what seemed to be a very deep well.

Section 2 – Read the following text then answer the questions below.

Recently, human activities have polluted the Earth, leading to many consequences. One significant consequence is what we now refer to as “Climate Change.” In return, climate change damaged the Earth and resulted in serious effects. One major effect of climate change is noticed in the polar ice caps. The increasing temperatures lead to the melting of the ice in the Antarctic region. Unfortunately, the negative effects of this issue do not affect the local ecosystems but extend globally, such as through rising sea levels.

In recent decades, scientists have observed a continuous decrease in the ice in the Arctic area. This had negative impacts on sea animals. Seals, penguins, polar bears, and other species lost their habitats and now must travel long distances to find a better place for hunting and breeding.

The situation is a bit different in Antarctica. While the Antarctic Ice Sheet is still stable in the eastern part of the continent, rapid ice loss and melting glaciers are threatening the whole globe with a sea level rise.

In addition, weather patterns are changing in the entire plane due to the melting of the polar ice caps. It is known that polar ice caps reflect the sunlight and heat; when the ice caps melt, water absorbs more solar energy, warming the ocean. Consequently, different weather patterns appear and climate change speeds up.

In conclusion, climate change is a serious global problem that requires international cooperation to find solutions and save the planet. Otherwise, climate change will intensify, leading to more disastrous impacts in the future.