LITERASI BAHASA INGGRIS

Chinese scientists had been playing with saltpeter — a common name for the powerful oxidizing agent potassium nitrate — in medical compounds for centuries when one industrious individual thought to mix it with sulfur and charcoal. The result was a mysterious powder from which, observers remarked in a text dated from the mid-9th century, "smoke and flames result, so that [the scientists'] hands and faces have been burnt, and even the whole house where they were working burned down." Gunpowder was quickly put to use by the reigning Sung dynasty against the Mongols, whose constant invasions into the country plagued the Chinese throughout the period. The Mongols were the first to be subject to flying fire — an arrow fixed with a tube of gunpowder that ignited and would propel itself across enemy lines. More gunpowder-based weapons were invented by the Chinese and perfected against the Mongols in the next centuries, including the first cannons and grenades. Gunpowder somehow remained a monopoly of the Chinese until the 13th century, when the science was passed along the ancient silk trade route to Europe and the Islamic world, where it became a deciding factor in many Middle Age skirmishes. By 1350, rudimentary gunpowder cannons were commonplace in the English and French militaries, which used the technology against each other during the Hundred Years' War. The Ottoman Turks also employed gunpowder cannons with abandon during their successful siege of Constantinople in 1453.

The main idea of the passage is…

• The history of gunpowder and its power to win the wars

• Chinese use gunpowder to conquer Mongols

• Chinese scientist mixed power oxidizing agent potassium nitrate

• Gunpowder technology cannon win the siege of Constantinople

• Gunpowder as the heart of fireworks and basis for modern weapons

Chinese scientists had been playing with saltpeter — a common name for the powerful oxidizing agent potassium nitrate — in medical compounds for centuries when one industrious individual thought to mix it with sulfur and charcoal. The result was a mysterious powder from which, observers remarked in a text dated from the mid-9th century, "smoke and flames result, so that [the scientists'] hands and faces have been burnt, and even the whole house where they were working burned down." Gunpowder was quickly put to use by the reigning Sung dynasty against the Mongols, whose constant invasions into the country plagued the Chinese throughout the period. The Mongols were the first to be subject to flying fire — an arrow fixed with a tube of gunpowder that ignited and would propel itself across enemy lines. More gunpowder-based weapons were invented by the Chinese and perfected against the Mongols in the next centuries, including the first cannons and grenades. Gunpowder somehow remained a monopoly of the Chinese until the 13th century, when the science was passed along the ancient silk trade route to Europe and the Islamic world, where it became a deciding factor in many Middle Age skirmishes. By 1350, rudimentary gunpowder cannons were commonplace in the English and French militaries, which used the technology against each other during the Hundred Years' War. The Ottoman Turks also employed gunpowder cannons with abandon during their successful siege of Constantinople in 1453.

The word ’propel’ in paragraph 2 means ...

• Pull

• Push

• Raise

• Ignite

• Drag

Chinese scientists had been playing with saltpeter — a common name for the powerful oxidizing agent potassium nitrate — in medical compounds for centuries when one industrious individual thought to mix it with sulfur and charcoal. The result was a mysterious powder from which, observers remarked in a text dated from the mid-9th century, "smoke and flames result, so that [the scientists'] hands and faces have been burnt, and even the whole house where they were working burned down." Gunpowder was quickly put to use by the reigning Sung dynasty against the Mongols, whose constant invasions into the country plagued the Chinese throughout the period. The Mongols were the first to be subject to flying fire — an arrow fixed with a tube of gunpowder that ignited and would propel itself across enemy lines. More gunpowder-based weapons were invented by the Chinese and perfected against the Mongols in the next centuries, including the first cannons and grenades. Gunpowder somehow remained a monopoly of the Chinese until the 13th century, when the science was passed along the ancient silk trade route to Europe and the Islamic world, where it became a deciding factor in many Middle Age skirmishes. By 1350, rudimentary gunpowder cannons were commonplace in the English and French militaries, which used the technology against each other during the Hundred Years' War. The Ottoman Turks also employed gunpowder cannons with abandon during their successful siege of Constantinople in 1453.

The best summary for paragraph 3 is…

• French military cannon used in 1350

• Gunpowder role winning the Siege of Constantinople

• Gunpowder as a deciding factor in middle age skirmishes

• Gunpowder use outside of China in the middle age

• China’s monopoly to gunpowder before the 13th century

Chinese scientists had been playing with saltpeter — a common name for the powerful oxidizing agent potassium nitrate — in medical compounds for centuries when one industrious individual thought to mix it with sulfur and charcoal. The result was a mysterious powder from which, observers remarked in a text dated from the mid-9th century, "smoke and flames result, so that [the scientists'] hands and faces have been burnt, and even the whole house where they were working burned down." Gunpowder was quickly put to use by the reigning Sung dynasty against the Mongols, whose constant invasions into the country plagued the Chinese throughout the period. The Mongols were the first to be subject to flying fire — an arrow fixed with a tube of gunpowder that ignited and would propel itself across enemy lines. More gunpowder-based weapons were invented by the Chinese and perfected against the Mongols in the next centuries, including the first cannons and grenades. Gunpowder somehow remained a monopoly of the Chinese until the 13th century, when the science was passed along the ancient silk trade route to Europe and the Islamic world, where it became a deciding factor in many Middle Age skirmishes. By 1350, rudimentary gunpowder cannons were commonplace in the English and French militaries, which used the technology against each other during the Hundred Years' War. The Ottoman Turks also employed gunpowder cannons with abandon during their successful siege of Constantinople in 1453.

The word ‘which’ in paragraph 3 refers to…

• Gunpowder

• Tube of gunpowder

• English and French Militaries

• Middle Age skirmishes

• Rudimentary gunpowder cannon

Tyrannosaurus rex may have been the world's first power-walker, using its lengthy legs to relentlessly pursue fleeing prey, new research has found. Walking, the scientists discovered, would have been an energy-efficient hunting strategy for big dinosaurs like tyrannosaurs. To better understand walking and running in T. rex and other theropods, or meat-eating dinosaurs, scientists measured metrics such as relative limb size, posture and body mass in 93 individual dinosaurs from 71 theropod species, in order to calculate how those factors may have affected the animals' maximum speeds. They found that while long-leggedness made some theropods fast runners, that wasn't always the case. In very large dinosaurs, such as T. rex, long limbs came with a different advantage, allowing the predator to keep up a slower but steady pace long after a speedier animal would have grown tired and given up the chase. "The assumption tends to be that animals with adaptations for running, such as long legs, are adapted for a higher maximum speed, but this paper shows that there's more to running than top speed," said study co-author Thomas Holtz, a principal lecturer in the University of Maryland's Department of Geology. Theropods were a highly successful group of terrestrial dinosaurs that dominated the Mesozoic era (252 million to around 66 million years ago), and bipedalism — walking on two legs — is thought to have played a big part in their success, the scientists wrote. In the study, they looked at theropods in a range of sizes: from pipsqueaks that weighed less than 11 lbs. (5 kilograms) to T.rex behemoths that weighed more than 20,000 lbs. (9,000 kg).

Paragraph 3 implies that …

• Long leg is not the only factor that makes theropod run fast

• Theropods’ legs adapted for a higher maximum speed

• Long leg can chase the speedier animal better

• Long leg is an advantage for theropods

• Theropods’ leg adapted more to running than top speed

Tyrannosaurus rex may have been the world's first power-walker, using its lengthy legs to relentlessly pursue fleeing prey, new research has found. Walking, the scientists discovered, would have been an energy-efficient hunting strategy for big dinosaurs like tyrannosaurs. To better understand walking and running in T. rex and other theropods, or meat-eating dinosaurs, scientists measured metrics such as relative limb size, posture and body mass in 93 individual dinosaurs from 71 theropod species, in order to calculate how those factors may have affected the animals' maximum speeds. They found that while long-leggedness made some theropods fast runners, that wasn't always the case. In very large dinosaurs, such as T. rex, long limbs came with a different advantage, allowing the predator to keep up a slower but steady pace long after a speedier animal would have grown tired and given up the chase. "The assumption tends to be that animals with adaptations for running, such as long legs, are adapted for a higher maximum speed, but this paper shows that there's more to running than top speed," said study co-author Thomas Holtz, a principal lecturer in the University of Maryland's Department of Geology. Theropods were a highly successful group of terrestrial dinosaurs that dominated the Mesozoic era (252 million to around 66 million years ago), and bipedalism — walking on two legs — is thought to have played a big part in their success, the scientists wrote. In the study, they looked at theropods in a range of sizes: from pipsqueaks that weighed less than 11 lbs. (5 kilograms) to T.rex behemoths that weighed more than 20,000 lbs. (9,000 kg).

The main reason for author to write the passage is…

• Explaining the factors why and how tyrannosaurus unique feet can make them run faster

• Distinct the various type of tyrannosaurus feet

• Explaining the research from University of Maryland's Department of Geology

• Distinct the domination terrestrial dinosaurs in the Mesozoic era

• Assuming that Tyrannosaurus adaptations for running is to get a higher maximum speed

Tyrannosaurus rex may have been the world's first power-walker, using its lengthy legs to relentlessly pursue fleeing prey, new research has found. Walking, the scientists discovered, would have been an energy-efficient hunting strategy for big dinosaurs like tyrannosaurs. To better understand walking and running in T. rex and other theropods, or meat-eating dinosaurs, scientists measured metrics such as relative limb size, posture and body mass in 93 individual dinosaurs from 71 theropod species, in order to calculate how those factors may have affected the animals' maximum speeds. They found that while long-leggedness made some theropods fast runners, that wasn't always the case. In very large dinosaurs, such as T. rex, long limbs came with a different advantage, allowing the predator to keep up a slower but steady pace long after a speedier animal would have grown tired and given up the chase. "The assumption tends to be that animals with adaptations for running, such as long legs, are adapted for a higher maximum speed, but this paper shows that there's more to running than top speed," said study co-author Thomas Holtz, a principal lecturer in the University of Maryland's Department of Geology. Theropods were a highly successful group of terrestrial dinosaurs that dominated the Mesozoic era (252 million to around 66 million years ago), and bipedalism — walking on two legs — is thought to have played a big part in their success, the scientists wrote. In the study, they looked at theropods in a range of sizes: from pipsqueaks that weighed less than 11 lbs. (5 kilograms) to T.rex behemoths that weighed more than 20,000 lbs. (9,000 kg).

The next paragraph most likely will discuss about…

• Kinds of theropods which can run fast

• Evolution of theropods

• Advantages of having long legs to theropods

• Running capability from theropod

• Theropods ability make them a great predator

Tyrannosaurus rex may have been the world's first power-walker, using its lengthy legs to relentlessly pursue fleeing prey, new research has found. Walking, the scientists discovered, would have been an energy-efficient hunting strategy for big dinosaurs like tyrannosaurs. To better understand walking and running in T. rex and other theropods, or meat-eating dinosaurs, scientists measured metrics such as relative limb size, posture and body mass in 93 individual dinosaurs from 71 theropod species, in order to calculate how those factors may have affected the animals' maximum speeds. They found that while long-leggedness made some theropods fast runners, that wasn't always the case. In very large dinosaurs, such as T. rex, long limbs came with a different advantage, allowing the predator to keep up a slower but steady pace long after a speedier animal would have grown tired and given up the chase. "The assumption tends to be that animals with adaptations for running, such as long legs, are adapted for a higher maximum speed, but this paper shows that there's more to running than top speed," said study co-author Thomas Holtz, a principal lecturer in the University of Maryland's Department of Geology. Theropods were a highly successful group of terrestrial dinosaurs that dominated the Mesozoic era (252 million to around 66 million years ago), and bipedalism — walking on two legs — is thought to have played a big part in their success, the scientists wrote. In the study, they looked at theropods in a range of sizes: from pipsqueaks that weighed less than 11 lbs. (5 kilograms) to T.rex behemoths that weighed more than 20,000 lbs. (9,000 kg).

Which of the following is the best summary of the passage …

• Tyrannosaurus Rex bipedalism — walking on two legs — is thought to have played a big part in their success

• Tyrannosaurus Rex is a ferocious animal dominated Mesozoic era

• New discovery by scientist about physical features from theropods like Tyrannosaurus Rex to dominate Mesozoic era

• Very large dinosaurs, such as T. rex, long limbs came with a different advantage, allowing the predator to keep up a slower but steady pace long after a speedier animal

• Scientists measured metrics such as relative limb size of Tyrannosaurus Rex in order to calculate how those factors may have affected the animals' maximum speeds

Many people in Singapore (and perhaps the rest of Asia and the wider world) cannot sleep without hugging their bolsters at night. The humble bolster has come a long way and it actually has some history (or even origins) in our region. Back during the days when Southeast Asia was mostly colonised by the Europeans, a special bolster that was made of rattan or wicker woven into the shape of a modern day bolster, and wrapped in linen, was invented. It helped people to sleep better at night in the region's tropical heat by allowing them to hug it and throw a leg over it while lying on their side. The hollow insides of the pillow allowed the user to keep cool in the tropical heat. This pillow would come to be known in English as the "Dutch wife" because the popular story goes that it was invented by Dutch colonialists in Indonesia a few hundred years ago. But there is also more to the origin on how the Dutch wife got its English name. Britain and Holland had fought a series of Anglo-Dutch wars in the 17th century and were rival powers in Southeast Asia acquiring colonies for their respective empires. It was from this rivalry, that the British used the word "Dutch" to describe things that are false or fake, such as Dutch courage, Dutch auction, and of course Dutch wife.

What is the topic of the text…

• Brief history of Dutch wife

• Conflict between Britain and Holland

• Describe Dutch as a hypocrite

• Hollow inside the pillow to keep cool in the tropical heat

• Southeast Asia mostly colonized by the Europeans

Many people in Singapore (and perhaps the rest of Asia and the wider world) cannot sleep without hugging their bolsters at night. The humble bolster has come a long way and it actually has some history (or even origins) in our region. Back during the days when Southeast Asia was mostly colonised by the Europeans, a special bolster that was made of rattan or wicker woven into the shape of a modern day bolster, and wrapped in linen, was invented. It helped people to sleep better at night in the region's tropical heat by allowing them to hug it and throw a leg over it while lying on their side. The hollow insides of the pillow allowed the user to keep cool in the tropical heat. This pillow would come to be known in English as the "Dutch wife" because the popular story goes that it was invented by Dutch colonialists in Indonesia a few hundred years ago. But there is also more to the origin on how the Dutch wife got its English name. Britain and Holland had fought a series of Anglo-Dutch wars in the 17th century and were rival powers in Southeast Asia acquiring colonies for their respective empires. It was from this rivalry, that the British used the word "Dutch" to describe things that are false or fake, such as Dutch courage, Dutch auction, and of course Dutch wife.

Paragraph 2 implies that…

• The pillow keeping the user cool in the tropical heat

• Popular story about Dutch wife

• The pillow called Dutch wife helped people sleep at night

• Dutch wife reference name based on the Dutch Colonialist in Indonesia

• Pillow hugged by people while lying on their side