Reading passages

209 -According to the passage, further research into the plants' distress calls is necessary in order for scientists ----
A) to act promptly when plants need help
B) to develop new chemicals to be used against pests
C) to understand whether plants really have this ability
D) to distinguish between useful and harmful insects
E) to make use of them in the fight against pests
210 -One can understand from the passage that "pest" means a ---- .
A) microscopic ambulance
B) specific signal
C) harmful insect
D) type of researcher
E) helpful insect

Not so long ago, most companies were family affairs, owned by different members of the same family. Some still are, but now many companies have survived the founding families and grown into big organisations which own smaller, or subsidiary companies. These companies work in other countries to form multi -national groups, such as the big oil companies like Shell or Esso, and the big car manufacturers like Ford. The big multi -national companies each control more money than many countries do. These companies only exist to make profits for their owners, or shareholders.

211 -According to the passage, most companies --- .
A) used to belong to a single family
B) are subsidiary companies belonging to larger organisations
C) have larger budgets than some countries do
D) are owned by the oil companies
E) have now been taken over by multi -nationals


212 -The author states that ----- .
A) multi -national companies usually belong to a single family
B) some multi -nationals are richer than some nations
C) there are no longer any family -owned large companies
D) the biggest organisations are called subsidiary companies
E) the big oil companies are usually owned by single families
213 -The author believes that multi -national companies ---- .
A) are a positive force in the world
B) are largely controlled by the countries where they work
C) sometimes become too involved in family affairs
D) have no other purpose but to make money
E) employ many people from the original founding families

The "dead cities" of Syria are coming alive and archaeologists are seriously concerned. Pushed by a booming population, farmers are moving into the hills of northern Syria and making homes in villages that have been deserted but nearly intact for a millennium. The government is trying to limit the destruction of archaeological sites by barring people from moving into hundreds of deserted ancient villages and imposing fines for destroying antiquities. In some cases, officials can pull down newly -built houses that are too close to the dead cities. This has outraged the new villagers; mostly poor Muslim farmers and shepherds who feel little connection to antiquities from Syria's Christian past.