Gaokao Exam Gaokao English: Reading Comprehension 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Read the passage and answer the question. Passage: Urban farming is gaining popularity as cities grow more crowded. Growing food in rooftop gardens, vertical farms, and community plots helps reduce the distance food must travel from farm to table. Supporters argue this lowers carbon emissions and improves access to fresh produce. However, critics note that urban farms require significant investment in infrastructure and may not produce enough food to meaningfully supplement city supplies. What is the main idea of this passage?
- Urban farming is the best solution to food shortages.
- Urban farming has both potential benefits and notable limitations. (Correct answer)
- Critics have proven that urban farming is ineffective.
- Rooftop gardens are the most popular form of urban farming.
Correct answer: Urban farming has both potential benefits and notable limitations.
The passage presents both positive arguments (lower emissions, fresh produce) and criticisms (cost, limited scale), making the balanced evaluation the main idea.
Question 2: Read the passage and answer the question. Passage: The Arctic ice cap is melting at an accelerating rate. Scientists record that the extent of summer sea ice has declined by roughly 13% per decade since 1979. This melting contributes to rising sea levels, disrupts ecosystems that polar bears and seals depend on, and weakens the reflective surface that normally bounces sunlight back into space — a process known as the albedo effect. According to the passage, what is the 'albedo effect'?
- The process by which sea ice melts due to warmer temperatures.
- The disruption of polar ecosystems caused by ice loss.
- The reflection of sunlight back into space by the ice surface. (Correct answer)
- The rising of sea levels due to melting Arctic ice.
Correct answer: The reflection of sunlight back into space by the ice surface.
The passage explicitly defines the albedo effect as the reflective surface of ice bouncing sunlight back into space.
Question 3: Read the passage and answer the question. Passage: Libraries have traditionally been repositories of books. Yet modern libraries increasingly serve as community hubs: offering free internet access, hosting job-skill workshops, providing quiet study spaces, and even lending tools and seed collections. These changes reflect a shift in purpose from simply storing knowledge to actively serving community needs. The phrase 'repositories of books' most likely means:
- Places that sell books to the public.
- Places where books are stored and kept. (Correct answer)
- Places that produce and publish books.
- Places that review and rate books.
Correct answer: Places where books are stored and kept.
'Repository' means a place where things are stored; the contrast with active community services reinforces this meaning.
Question 4: Read the passage and answer the question. Passage: Thomas Edison is often credited with inventing the light bulb, but this is an oversimplification. Other inventors, including Humphry Davy and Joseph Swan, developed working electric lights before Edison. Edison's key contribution was creating a practical, long-lasting filament and building an entire power distribution system to make electric lighting commercially viable. What can be inferred about Edison from this passage?
- Edison stole his ideas from other inventors.
- Edison's real achievement was making electric lighting a practical commercial product. (Correct answer)
- Edison invented all major electrical devices of his era.
- Edison and Joseph Swan invented the light bulb at the same time.
Correct answer: Edison's real achievement was making electric lighting a practical commercial product.
The passage states Edison's key contribution was practicality and the supporting infrastructure, implying his greatness lay in commercialization rather than pure invention.
Question 5: Read the passage and answer the question. Passage: Sleep deprivation is a growing problem in modern society. Research shows that consistently sleeping fewer than seven hours per night is linked to increased risks of obesity, heart disease, and cognitive impairment. Despite this evidence, many people sacrifice sleep in favor of work or entertainment. Health experts argue that viewing sleep as a luxury rather than a necessity is a dangerous attitude. According to the passage, why do health experts find the current attitude toward sleep 'dangerous'?
- Because people who sleep less tend to work less productively.
- Because entertainment options keep people from sleeping.
- Because treating sleep as optional ignores serious health risks. (Correct answer)
- Because sleeping too much can also be harmful.
Correct answer: Because treating sleep as optional ignores serious health risks.
Experts warn against viewing sleep as a luxury because doing so ignores documented links to obesity, heart disease, and cognitive impairment.
Question 6: Read the passage and answer the question. Passage: The Amazon rainforest produces approximately 20% of the world's oxygen and absorbs vast amounts of carbon dioxide. It is home to an estimated 10% of all species on Earth. Despite its importance, deforestation driven by agriculture and logging removes millions of acres each year. Scientists warn that if deforestation continues at its current pace, the forest could reach a tipping point — beyond which it would no longer be able to sustain itself. What does the word 'tipping point' suggest in this context?
- A moment when the forest starts producing more oxygen.
- A critical threshold after which damage becomes irreversible. (Correct answer)
- The point at which loggers stop cutting down trees.
- A scientific term for the edge of a forest.
Correct answer: A critical threshold after which damage becomes irreversible.
In context, the 'tipping point' is the threshold beyond which the forest cannot sustain itself, implying irreversible collapse.
Question 7: Read the passage and answer the question. Passage: Volunteering offers individuals more than just a chance to help others. Studies show that people who volunteer regularly report higher levels of life satisfaction, lower rates of depression, and even improved physical health. Researchers attribute these benefits to the sense of purpose, social connection, and structured activity that volunteering provides. Which of the following best describes the author's purpose in this passage?
- To argue that volunteering should be made compulsory.
- To inform readers about the personal benefits of volunteering. (Correct answer)
- To criticize people who do not volunteer.
- To compare different types of volunteering activities.
Correct answer: To inform readers about the personal benefits of volunteering.
The passage presents research about benefits without making normative demands, so its purpose is informational — explaining personal benefits.
Gaokao Exam Gaokao English: Reading Comprehension 1
Read the passage and answer the question.
Passage: Urban farming is gaining popularity as cities grow more crowded.
Growing food in rooftop gardens, vertical farms, and community plots helps reduce the distance food must travel from farm to table.
Supporters argue this lowers carbon emissions and improves access to fresh produce.
However, critics note that urban farms require significant investment in infrastructure and may not produce enough food to meaningfully supplement city supplies.
What is the main idea of this passage?