Reading passages

48 -The author predicts that ---- .
A) there will be no harmful effects from so many species dying
B) the world might be turned upside down by colliding with an asteroid
C) mankind will find a solution to the problem
D) more species may die out this time than ever before
E) the human population will soon reach six billion

Rays of sunlight travel from 150 million kilometres away, and when they reach the Earth, they are parallel rays. The curve of the Earth means that the rays are vertical at the Equator but at quite a low angle when they reach temperate latitudes. As the rays lose heat passing through the atmosphere, the more direct the journey, the greater the heat which penetrates through to the surface of the Earth. The vertical rays in equatorial latitudes mean that it is much hotter at the Equator than it is in the regions where the sun's rays strike at a low angle. It is these variations in temperature that are largely responsible for the changes in weather.

49 -The purpose of this passage is to explain ---- .
A) the distance between the Earth and the Sun
B) why sun -rays travel in a vertical position
C) why the weather is different in different parts of the Earth
D) why sun -rays are parallel when they reach the Earth
E) the way in which the Earth goes around the Sun
50 -From the information given in the passage, it is clear that ---- .
A) temperate regions are cooler than equatorial regions as sun -rays travel through more atmosphere to reach them
B) it is hotter in equatorial regions because they are closer to the Sun
C) when it is summer in the northern hemisphere. It is winter in the southern hemisphere
D) sun -rays lose heat in passing through space
E) summer is when the Earth is closest to the Sun
51 -The angle at which the sun's rays strike the surface of the Earth is determined by -----.
A) the density of the Earth's atmosphere
B) the parallel nature of the sun -rays
C) the direct journey which the sun -rays make to equatorial regions
D) the curvature of the Earth
E) the variations in temperature on the Earth

The concept of a national library is a recent one in the developing countries. In the developed countries, national libraries have existed since at least the sixteenth century. By the nineteenth century, most countries in Europe had already established national libraries. The typical national library is meant to be the finest collection of books in the country, the national book archive, and a source of national pride. Although it is important for a national library in a developing country to collect the national literature, and any other literature pertaining to that country, it is also important for the library to collect a wide range of scholarly literature published in other countries.