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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.
Architecture has social purposes and meets practical needs by means of combining art and technological innovations. In building construction, however, an emergence of new materials does not make its precursors obsolete, and architectural knowledge is cumulative. The fact that today much is constructed from prefabricated concrete does not do away with brick. Furthermore, despite dramatic changes and increased technological sophistication of architectural design and construction, the essential apparatus of erecting a building has remained rooted in preindustrial traditional practices passed down during the millennia. The social and utilitarian expectations of structures are largely based on elemental demands of keeping out elements and enemies, ameliorating the extremes of heat, and avoiding the instruction of wind, precipitation, and pests. Gravity, air pressure, and earthquakes can induce tensions that have to be accounted for when constructing functional enclosed space. Vertical stacking of masonry materials causes compression that can lead to important problems when a structure is spanned to build a roof and connect walls. Arches, vaults, and domes were specifically developed to alleviate the compression by directing the spanning element along a curve rather than a straight line. Building suspension structures, dams, and tunnels became possible in the nineteenth century with the increased availability of steel that could reinforce structural frames and enable them to withstand natural forces previously believed to be insurmountable.Functional evolutions of modern buildings create new demands on the analysis of structural behavior and engineering. Few occupants of skyscrapers view elevators as elaborate systems of vertical transportation. Humidity and temperature control, forced ventilation, natural and artificial lighting, sanitation and disposal of waste, electrical wiring, and fire prevention make very tall constructions engineering marvels that also must be aesthetically pleasing and physically convenient.Erecting a structure involves a great deal more than merely attending to the aesthetics and psychological experience of architectural space. The shape, size, and incombustibility of locally available construction materials fostered developments of specific technologies, and brick and stone masonry have evolved in response to the need for structural durability. Advances in civil engineering and knowledge associated with properties of building materials combine to lead to innovations in architectural design. Tools and skills required to exploit easily obtainable materials have continued to inform the development of modern industrialized technologies.
The purpose of paragraph 3 is to suggest that ________.
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The oceans are so vast and deep that until fairly recently, it was widely assumed that no matter how much trash and chemicals humans dumped into them, the effects would be negligible. Proponents of dumping in the oceans even had a catchphrase: "The solution to pollution is dilution."Today, we need look no further than the New Jersey-size dead zone that forms each summer in the Mississippi River Delta, or the thousand-mile-wide swath of decomposing plastic in the northern Pacific Ocean to see that this "dilution" policy has helped place a once flourishing ocean ecosystem on the brink of collapse.There is evidence that the oceans have suffered at the hands of mankind for millennia. But recent studies show that degradation, particularly of shoreline areas, has accelerated dramatically in the past three centuries as industrial discharge and run-off from farms and coastal cities have increased. Pollution is the introduction of harmful contaminants that are outside the norm for a given ecosystem. Common man-made pollutants reaching the oceans include pesticides, herbicides, chemical fertilizers, detergents, oil, sewage, plastics, and other solids. Many of these pollutants collect at the ocean's depths, where they are consumed by small marine organisms and introduced into the global food chain.Many ocean pollutants are released into the environment far upstream from coastlines. Nitrogen-rich fertilizers applied by farmers inland, for example, end up in local streams, rivers, and groundwater and are eventually deposited in estuaries, bays, and deltas. These excess nutrients can spawn massive blooms of algae that rob the water of oxygen, leaving areas where little or no marine life can exist.Solid wastes like bags, foam, and other items dumped into the oceans from land or by ships at sea are frequently consumed, with often fatal effects, by marine mammals, fish, and birds that mistake them for food. Discarded fishing nets drift for many years, ensnaring fish and mammals. In certain regions, ocean currents corral trillions of decomposing plastic items and other trash into gigantic, swirling garbage patches. One in the North Pacific, known as the Pacific Trash Vortex, is estimated to be the size of Texas.Pollution is not always physical. In large bodies of water, sound waves can carry undiminished for miles. The increased presence of loud or persistent sounds from ships, sonar devices, oil rigs, and even from natural sources like earthquakes can disrupt the migration, communication, and reproduction patterns of many marine animals, particularly aquatic mammals like whales and dolphins.
What does the passage mainly discuss?
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Think for a moment about the last music album you bought. Most likely, you’ll think of the singer or band that made you want to buy the album. You might even know the name of the guitar player or the drummer. Those talented performers, however, are only some of the people in the music industry work behind the scenes, but the roles they play in the musical progress are very important.Songwriters: Songs begin with the songwriter. Some songwriters work alone, but many work in teams that combine the talents of a lyricist, who writes the words to songs, and an instrumentalist, often a piano player or guitarist, who writes the music. Many of today’s pop stars work with songwriters. For example, some of Lady Gaga’s biggest hits were written by Nadir Khayat, also known “RedOne”. Some songwriting teams have become very famous, such as Mike Stock, Matt Aitken, and Pete Waterman, who were responsible for many big 1980s pop hits. Arrangers: After a song has been written, music arrangers make it more appealing by deciding which instruments will be used, what tempo, or speed, the song will have, and whether the song should have a lower or higher pitch. A good arrangement can bring a song to life and make it a classic. Studio Musicians: Not every singer or instrumentalist can be a star, and many work in the background as studio musicians. These artists are not a part of any one musical group. Instead, they are hired for recording sessions that eventually become the albums you buy, as well as soundtracks for television shows, movies, and radio ads. Recording Engineers: Recording engineers also play a major role in creating the final sound that you hear. First, these engineers set up the recording studio, the room where the performers play, placing musicians and microphones in exactly the right places to get the best sound. Next, they use electronic equipment, such multi-track recorders, to capture the music. Finally, long after the musicians have gone home, recording engineers use a mixing board to balance the melodies and rhythms of each musician, and sometimes to incorporate special sound effects or additional tracks. Many people make a living with music. You may not recognize all of their names, but all of them work together to create the songs you love to listen to.
Which piece of equipment is used at the end of the recording process?
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Global warming could cause drought and possibly famine in China, the source of much of Hong Kong’s food, by 2050, a new report predicts. Hong Kong could also be at risk from flooding as sea levels rose. The report recommends building sea-walls around low-lying areas such as the new port and airport reclamations. Published by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), the report, which includes work by members of the Chinese Academy of Meteorological Sciences, uses the most recent projections on climate change to point to a gloomy outlook for China. By 2050, about 30 to 40 per cent of the country will experience changes in the type of vegetation it supports, with tropical and subtropical forest conditions shifting northward and hot desert conditions rising in the west where currently the desert is temperate. Crop-growing areas will expand but any benefit is expected to be negated by increased evaporation of moisture, making it too dry to grow crops such as rice. The growing season also is expected to alter, becoming shorter in southern and central China, the mainland’s breadbasket. The rapid changes make it unlikely that plants could adapt. “China will produce smaller crops. In the central and northern areas, and the southern part, there will be decreased production because of water limitations”, Dr. RikLeemans, one of the authors of the report, said during a brief visit to the territory yesterday. Famine could result because of the demands of feeding the population - particularly if it grows - and the diminished productivity of the land. “It looks very difficult for the world as a whole”, he said. Global warming is caused by the burning of large amounts of fossil fuels, such as coal and oil, which release gases that trap heal in the atmosphere. World temperatures already have increased this century by about 6 degrees Celsius and are projected to rise by between 1.6 degrees and 3.8 degrees by 2100. Dr. Leemans said China’s reliance on coal-fired power for its industrial growth did not bode well for the world climate. “I think the political and economic powers in China are much greater than the environmental powers, and [greenhouse gas emissions] could accelerate,” Dr. Leemans said. “China is not taking the problem seriously yet, although it is trying to incorporate this kind of research to see what is going to happen.” The climate change repot, which will be released tomorrow, focuses on China but Mr. David Melville of WWF-Hong Kong said some of the depressing scenarios could apply to the territory. Food supplies, for instance, could be affected by lower crop yields. “Maybe we could afford to import food from elsewhere but you have to keep in mind that the type of changes experienced in southern China will take place elsewhere as well,” he said. Sea levels could rise as glaciers melted and the higher temperatures expanded the size of the oceans, threatening much of developed Hong Kong which is built on reclaimed land. Current projections are that sea levels worldwide will rise by 15 to 90 centimetres by 2100, depending on whether action is taken to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. “Hong Kong has substantial areas built on reclaimed land and sea level rises could impact on that, not only on Chek Lap Kok but the West Kowloon Reclamation and the Central and Western Reclamation - the whole lot,” Mr. Melville said, adding that sea walls would be needed. Depleted fresh water supplies would be another problem because increased evaporation would reduce levels. Mr. Melville said the general outlook could be helped if Hong Kong used water less wastefully and encouraged energy efficiency to reduce fuel-burning. He also called on the West to help China improve its efficiency.
Overall, what sort of picture is painted of the future effects of global warming?