Dentistry English Test

Instanbul

1 More than 14 million people live in Istanbul, and the population grows by 1.5% every year. With a population of nearly 14 million people, Istanbul is Turkey’s biggest city. It has played an important role in history since its creation in 657 BCE. Its first name was Byzantium, but its name changed to Constantinople in 330 CE, after the Roman Emperor Constantine decided to make it his capital. In 1453, a Turkish sultan, Mehmed II, captured the city and made it the capital of his own empire. The Turks gave the city its third name, Istanbul.

2 One of Istanbul’s best-known places is the Grand Bazaar, one of the world’s oldest and largest covered markets. Visitors can also visit the Hagia Sophia, the city’s most famous building. It was the world’s largest church for more than a thousand years, and it is now an important museum. There are also many beautiful mosques in the city, including the famous Blue Mosque.

3 Istanbul sits on the Bosporus, a waterway that is 2.3 miles (3.7 kilometers) across at is widest point and that connects the Black Sea to the Mediterranean Sea. It is also the border between Europe and Asia. About two thirds of the city is on the European side, and one third is on the Asian side. Until recently, only two bridges connected the two parts of the city, with 400,000 vehicles crossing them every day. But in 2016, a new bridge was completed, so traffic jams are not as terrible as they once were. And in 2013, the first railway tunnel opened beneath the Bosporus.

A. Use the article to answer the questions below.

The Consequences of Climate Change on Glaciers

1 Glaciers are important to our world. They cover about 10% of the earth and hold 75% of the world’s fresh water. These huge moving masses of ice start as snow, turn to ice, and eventually crash into the sea.

2 Across the globe glaciers are melting, leading to an increase in water and a rise in sea levels. Melting mountain glaciers are responsible for one-third of the increase in sea levels. Twenty-five percent of that increase is from Alaska’s mountain glaciers, which are melting because of climate change. In fact, for the past 19 years, 75 billion tons of water pour into the sea from the melting glaciers in Alaska every year.

3 To better understand the impact of climate change on Alaska’s glaciers, scientists have followed the streams that run through these slowly disappearing mountains of ice. These fast rivers of freezing water are formed as glaciers melt and are an important measure of the health of a glacier. Every glacier is in a careful balance. The amount of snow falling in winter must equal the amount that melts in the summer. If that balance changes, and there is less snow than the amount that melts in the summer, the glacier will begin to disappear. Right now, that is what is happening. These glaciers are melting faster than they are growing, and when a glacier disappears, it is gone for good.

4 As the glaciers melt, the rise in sea level threatens our world’s ecosystems. Already, many of the world’s islands are in danger of flooding. In addition, fish and other sea life depend on water temperatures which are also changing. The effects of global warming threaten human and animal life. We cannot predict the future, but we know the consequences of climate change are serious.

B. Choose the correct answer according to the article.

Antibiotics: Helpful or Harmful?

1 According to a recent government report, one of the biggest dangers currently facing the world today comes from a medicine that has saved millions of lives: antibiotics. The widespread use of antibiotics has resulted in the growth of drug-resistant bacteria. Scientists warn us that infections caused by these new bacteria could become a catastrophic global threat in the near future.

2 Antibiotics revolutionized medicine when they were first discovered in the first half of the 20th century. Alexander Fleming was the first scientist to conduct research into antibiotics when he discovered penicillin in 1929. Since 1945, antibiotics have been widely used in the fight against potentially fatal infections, and this medicine has helped countless people around the world.

3 However, according to many researchers, antibiotics are now being overused. Doctors often prescribe them to patients even though they may not be necessary or even effective. In addition, farmers routinely add antibiotics to the feed they give their animals in the belief that this keeps their livestock healthy. These antibiotics eventually find their way into the human food supply, with sometimes dangerous results.

4 Despite the fact that antibiotics are unquestionably very effective against a number of diseases and have saved many lives, there is a risk involved in taking them, according to recent research. The problem is that every time a person takes antibiotics to combat an infection—or eats meat containing antibiotics—some bacteria are destroyed, but some also remain. These surviving bacteria can quickly grow and multiply, resulting in what scientists call superinfections. Superinfections, also known as superbugs, are caused by bacteria that have evolved to be resistant to some of the most common antibiotics.

5 Doctors in many parts of the world have seen the rise of new forms of tuberculosis and E-coli bacteria in the past ten years. Doctors warn that these new and very dangerous bacteria are becoming much more common, and that they may be much more difficult, or even impossible, to treat. According to some scientists, drug-resistant bacteria could become an even bigger problem for mankind than climate change unless we stop overusing antibiotics.

C. Use the article above to answer the questions below. Choose the best answer.

The Native American Land Conservancy

1 The Native Americans who live in present-day California are the descendants of the indigenous peoples who lived in the area before the arrival of European settlers. According to a recent United States census report, over 300,000 people living in California today have Native American heritage. Despite this, most areas in the state that have cultural and historical significance for Native American tribes are not owned or controlled by tribes. Ongoing plans made by property developers, as well as pollution, threaten to destroy places that have historically been important to native people. Because many Native American communities do not have access to their sacred sites and find it difficult to protect their own traditional cultures, groups like the Native American Land Conservancy (NALC) have been formed. The NALC started in 1998 as an inter-tribal group focused on protecting sacred sites in Southern California. A review of some examples of the work that the NALC does demonstrates the organization’s importance and shows why it should have the support of all Americans.

2 In 2004, the NALC collaborated with tribal representatives and conservation groups to acquire and protect an area called Horse Canyon in the Santa Rosa Mountains. This area is part of the Colorado Desert, which contains evidence of the societies of early native peoples. This includes ancient trails, rock shelters, quarry sites, and examples of rock art. In the past, tribes would use the area for ritual hunting activities. If it were not for the support of the NALC, this area might now be a housing development.

3 The Cahuilla Fish Traps Program is another example of the good work that the NALC does. Working with an organization called the Trust for Public Lands, they monitor an ancient Native American site and act as tribal representatives. The Salton Sea is the name of a lake in Southern California where ancient fish traps were carved into the rocks by members of the Cahuilla tribe. This site has long been of cultural and historical importance to the local Native American community. However, because of the extensive use of off-road vehicles, the archeological evidence has been vulnerable to pollution. By monitoring this site, the NALC and other groups can both register and record those who use the area and encourage protective measures. They also maintain an informational facility on the property.

4 Finally, the NALC has been instrumental in conserving the area called Old Woman Mountains Preserve in San Bernardino County. This area surrounds a group of mountains, and it includes a large granite rock that is thought to resemble an old woman. The 2,560-acre preserve contains many places with historical and cultural ties to various Native American tribes. In 2002, the NALC purchased it with the goal of improving hiking trails, protecting the landscape, and running educational programs. They now conduct scientific surveys of the plants and animals found on the property. Especially important is the Learning Landscape program for tribal young people, which teaches them about their own cultural traditions.

5 It is plain to see that the NALC is helping to conserve both the environment and Native American culture with such projects just as the National Park Service preserves Alcatraz Island and Muir Woods for the good of the country. After all, the history of the native people in California is just as important as any other history of the region, and we must support groups like the NALC in their goals. It is abundantly clear that, without the assistance of groups like the NALC, places of cultural and historical importance to Native American tribes in California would not be maintained and conserved. All United States citizens must remember that the legacy of the native tribes and the land they have lived on is part of our shared history.

D. Use the article above to answer the questions. Choose the best answer to each question.