Reading Comprehension

The nearest meaning of the word ”footloose” is

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From the remote northern province of Britannia, around the year 390, came Pelagius: a fat, self–possessed cleric who called himself a monk (though he had never been ordained). He landed footloose in Rome, preaching about the human capacity for redemption. God did not choose who was saved, he said.  Salvation was the result of human effort. If we could reach within ourselves and draw forth the core of natural purity that God had put there – for why would He create us without it? - we could remake the world during our lifetimes. The role of the church, Pelagius said, was to help its members fruitfully exercise the will to be good. Followers gathered around the British monk.  He often stood quietly on summer evenings as small groups of passionate would–be reformers of the church, including several of the younger bishops, talked excited about doing away with baptism or encouraging good works. He attacked the nonsensical idea, as he called it, that Adam’s sin had been transmitted to the rest of humanity. He argued that people were perfectible; that human actions and human will, guided by God, could create a kind of echo of heaven on earth. The prayer groups that gathered to hear Pelagius were like reflecting pools, in which the members could see their faith and aspiration echoed in the shape of the conversation.  
 
Far away, in his cell outside Carthage, the solemn bishop Augustine of Hippo turned his attention to the Pelagian gatherings. He had spent his life branding and fighting heretics; Pelagius would be his last great opponent. He was a supreme logician, and he rested his argument against Pelagius on the innate corruption twined within the animal core of human nature. We are all fundamentally flawed – all tagged with our own limited view of the world. Every time we think that we have turned the corner and mastered our fate, our pride contains the seeds of its own collapse. How can we presume to declare that we will create heaven, when we can’t even predict the effects of the everyday exercise of our will?    
Saint Augustine won the ear of the emperor, of the Pope, and of the church leaders. Some say they found his doctrine more palatable because it legitimized their authority; if humans were innately damned, then they needed the church to intervene. Others say Augustine’s strictures fit the spirit of the times. And still others say simply that Augustine was right. Fearing for this life, Pelagius fled to Jerusalem. Twenty years later, he was finally tried for heresy there. Despite Augustine’s objections, he was acquitted, but he died shortly thereafter. His death inspired riots in Rome. All followers of Pelagianism were banished from Christian lands.

That was fifteen centuries ago. Ever since, Augustinians and Pelagians have battled for the soul of Western human beings. How arrogant, say the Augustinians, to presume that we can draw forth our full potential without God’s direction. How hopeless, say the Pelagians, to deny our inner beauty and our capacity to help ourselves. (“There are no bad children, only bad parents,” is a Pelagian sentiment.) The arguments echo in every sidelong glance that one human being gives another. Can our neighbors be trusted? Will they rise to meet our trust, or betray it? How much can we have faith in our–selves?

What could the statement: “There are no bad children, only bad parents” mean in the context of the passage?

Read the passage and answer the question that follows.
From the remote northern province of Britannia, around the year 390, came Pelagius: a fat, self–possessed cleric who called himself a monk (though he had never been ordained). He landed footloose in Rome, preaching about the human capacity for redemption. God did not choose who was saved, he said.  Salvation was the result of human effort. If we could reach within ourselves and draw forth the core of natural purity that God had put there – for why would He create us without it? - we could remake the world during our lifetimes. The role of the church, Pelagius said, was to help its members fruitfully exercise the will to be good. Followers gathered around the British monk.  He often stood quietly on summer evenings as small groups of passionate would–be reformers of the church, including several of the younger bishops, talked excited about doing away with baptism or encouraging good works. He attacked the nonsensical idea, as he called it, that Adam’s sin had been transmitted to the rest of humanity. He argued that people were perfectible; that human actions and human will, guided by God, could create a kind of echo of heaven on earth. The prayer groups that gathered to hear Pelagius were like reflecting pools, in which the members could see their faith and aspiration echoed in the shape of the conversation.  
 
Far away, in his cell outside Carthage, the solemn bishop Augustine of Hippo turned his attention to the Pelagian gatherings. He had spent his life branding and fighting heretics; Pelagius would be his last great opponent. He was a supreme logician, and he rested his argument against Pelagius on the innate corruption twined within the animal core of human nature. We are all fundamentally flawed – all tagged with our own limited view of the world. Every time we think that we have turned the corner and mastered our fate, our pride contains the seeds of its own collapse. How can we presume to declare that we will create heaven, when we can’t even predict the effects of the everyday exercise of our will?    
Saint Augustine won the ear of the emperor, of the Pope, and of the church leaders. Some say they found his doctrine more palatable because it legitimized their authority; if humans were innately damned, then they needed the church to intervene. Others say Augustine’s strictures fit the spirit of the times. And still others say simply that Augustine was right. Fearing for this life, Pelagius fled to Jerusalem. Twenty years later, he was finally tried for heresy there. Despite Augustine’s objections, he was acquitted, but he died shortly thereafter. His death inspired riots in Rome. All followers of Pelagianism were banished from Christian lands.

That was fifteen centuries ago. Ever since, Augustinians and Pelagians have battled for the soul of Western human beings. How arrogant, say the Augustinians, to presume that we can draw forth our full potential without God’s direction. How hopeless, say the Pelagians, to deny our inner beauty and our capacity to help ourselves. (“There are no bad children, only bad parents,” is a Pelagian sentiment.) The arguments echo in every sidelong glance that one human being gives another. Can our neighbors be trusted? Will they rise to meet our trust, or betray it? How much can we have faith in our–selves?

The main idea of the passage is that

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The intention of the author seems to be

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What is the theme of the passage?

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The student should not habitually think that the problems with which he believes himself beset are really as grave as they appear. If he can surrender his entire life with all its circumstances, and even all its aspirations, to the Higher Power, he should then patiently await the outcome of this surrender, in whatever form it manifests itself.

What is the main idea conveyed by the passage?

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The opening line of the paragraph has been deleted. Which among the following constitutes the opening statement?

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According to the passage, what do worldly pleasures lead us to?

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What will help our argument 'see light', according to the passage?

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What is the central idea of the passage?

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What is he meaning of the word “repatriate” in Passage A?

Directions: Read the passage and answer the following question.

Passage A

Most Icelanders have suffered this year during one of the worst winters ever, but one native who recently returned actually enjoys the weather. Keiko, a killer whale who has spent most of his life in captivity in North America, is adapting well to the semi-wild in a secluded bay and could be released into the open sea as early as this summer. Critics predicted the star of the hit movie "Free Willy" would experience frostbite when he returned to the frigid waters in September. But the rehabilitating whale has proved them wrong. "He's thriving," said Bob Ratliffe of the Free Willy Keiko Foundation. "He's actually energized by the weather the worse it gets. He jumps out of water to get sprayed by the salt spray." Keiko still does tricks or receives handouts occasionally, reminders of life in captivity since 1979. He was captured at the age of 1 or 2. Since then a long odyssey has taken the black and white seafarer from Canada to Mexico to the United States. In 1982 he was moved to an amusement park in Ontario. Three years later another park took him to Mexico City. There, the 6.4-meter (21-foot) sea mammal reportedly lived in a cramped pen with an excessively warm temperature. The 1993 film drew attention to his plight, and in 1996 the Free Willy Keiko Foundation moved him to a facility in Newport, Oregon. The foundation has spent over \$12 million on its efforts to repatriate Keiko, and late last year flew the roughly 40,000-pound (18,100-kilogram) creature aboard a C-17 transport plane to his aquatic halfway house near the Wesman Islands. Since his return, he increasingly has shown characteristics of a wild whale, diving more frequently, eating more live fish and generally becoming more active. Keiko still must clear some hurdles before he can be released into the open sea. Trainers plan to give him a simulated stay in the wild this summer. They hope to enclose a larger bay, outfit Keiko with a satellite transmitter, and then take him for a walk. "We'll boat train him so he'll follow a target, and then we can recall him back to the boat if necessary," says Jeff Foster, also of the foundation. "That gives us access out to deeper water." Keiko has had limited contact with other marine mammals, but none of the encounters were close enough to learn much about his ability to interact in the wild. A harbor seal wandered into the pen, but quickly exited after spotting Keiko. "We've had pilot whales and mink whales and harbor porpoises, and we do see a change in behavior," Foster says. "He becomes a lot more vocal. He's a lot more active when these animals do show." The question remains; however, can Keiko relate with other animals in such a way as to ensure his survival? "There's the possibility that freedom may come this summer, but we're not going to do this in a cavalier fashion. It may very well be the following summer," Ratliffe says.  And if Keiko can't adapt, the foundation is prepared to take care of the famous leviathan for remainder of his life at an annual cost of about \$1 million.

Passage B

Cavorting with his trainers Keiko spent his last day at the Oregon Coast aquarium seemingly unaware of the long journey ahead. His handlers had worried that Keiko might balk at going into his medical pool, but shortly after noon he breezed through the door. There were also concerns that he might be nervous about getting into the sling used to raise him out of the pool. To the relief of all Keiko couldn't have been more accommodating. Dave Phillips of the Free Willy Keiko Foundation says, "He's calm, not been vocalizing very much, no wiggling in the sling, a dream come true to see him go in so well, ready to take it home”. Once he was loaded into his so called cradle, the ice brigade got underway. More than a ton of ice was dumped in with Keiko as soon as he was loaded onto the truck. Keeping him cool was one of the most important missions of his handlers on the flight. Through the entire nine hour flight Keiko will be watched closely. 
Dave Phillips says, " We're gonna be monitoring his heart rate, his temperature. His skin has Lanolin to keep it from drying out on the plane." The seven and a half million dollar tank built especially for Keiko is now empty. The aquarium says it will turn it into an alternative attraction now that their biggest star is gone. Hillman Luedderman is a board member of the Oregon Coast Aquarium and he relates his feelings about Keiko leaving, "I have mixed emotions. I think the right thing's being done for Keiko, but we've grown to love him" They're ready to love him in Iceland. Some Icelandic kids were here to see Keiko off. One said, "It's great...it's fantastic" As Keiko's caravan made it's way down the highway, loyal fans lined up to bid a final farewell. Then he was loaded into the mammoth Air force C-17 jet. The plane had a smooth takeoff enroute to the long journey to Iceland. For the world’s most famous whale, a journey some hope is the final chapter of Keiko's captivity.

Directions: Read the passage and answer the following question.

Passage A

Most Icelanders have suffered this year during one of the worst winters ever, but one native who recently returned actually enjoys the weather. Keiko, a killer whale who has spent most of his life in captivity in North America, is adapting well to the semi-wild in a secluded bay and could be released into the open sea as early as this summer. Critics predicted the star of the hit movie "Free Willy" would experience frostbite when he returned to the frigid waters in September. But the rehabilitating whale has proved them wrong. "He's thriving," said Bob Ratliffe of the Free Willy Keiko Foundation. "He's actually energized by the weather the worse it gets. He jumps out of water to get sprayed by the salt spray." Keiko still does tricks or receives handouts occasionally, reminders of life in captivity since 1979. He was captured at the age of 1 or 2. Since then a long odyssey has taken the black and white seafarer from Canada to Mexico to the United States. In 1982 he was moved to an amusement park in Ontario. Three years later another park took him to Mexico City. There, the 6.4-meter (21-foot) sea mammal reportedly lived in a cramped pen with an excessively warm temperature. The 1993 film drew attention to his plight, and in 1996 the Free Willy Keiko Foundation moved him to a facility in Newport, Oregon. The foundation has spent over \$12 million on its efforts to repatriate Keiko, and late last year flew the roughly 40,000-pound (18,100-kilogram) creature aboard a C-17 transport plane to his aquatic halfway house near the Wesman Islands. Since his return, he increasingly has shown characteristics of a wild whale, diving more frequently, eating more live fish and generally becoming more active. Keiko still must clear some hurdles before he can be released into the open sea. Trainers plan to give him a simulated stay in the wild this summer. They hope to enclose a larger bay, outfit Keiko with a satellite transmitter, and then take him for a walk. "We'll boat train him so he'll follow a target, and then we can recall him back to the boat if necessary," says Jeff Foster, also of the foundation. "That gives us access out to deeper water." Keiko has had limited contact with other marine mammals, but none of the encounters were close enough to learn much about his ability to interact in the wild. A harbor seal wandered into the pen, but quickly exited after spotting Keiko. "We've had pilot whales and mink whales and harbor porpoises, and we do see a change in behavior," Foster says. "He becomes a lot more vocal. He's a lot more active when these animals do show." The question remains; however, can Keiko relate with other animals in such a way as to ensure his survival? "There's the possibility that freedom may come this summer, but we're not going to do this in a cavalier fashion. It may very well be the following summer," Ratliffe says.  And if Keiko can't adapt, the foundation is prepared to take care of the famous leviathan for remainder of his life at an annual cost of about \$1 million.

Passage B

Cavorting with his trainers Keiko spent his last day at the Oregon Coast aquarium seemingly unaware of the long journey ahead. His handlers had worried that Keiko might balk at going into his medical pool, but shortly after noon he breezed through the door. There were also concerns that he might be nervous about getting into the sling used to raise him out of the pool. To the relief of all Keiko couldn't have been more accommodating. Dave Phillips of the Free Willy Keiko Foundation says, "He's calm, not been vocalizing very much, no wiggling in the sling, a dream come true to see him go in so well, ready to take it home”. Once he was loaded into his so called cradle, the ice brigade got underway. More than a ton of ice was dumped in with Keiko as soon as he was loaded onto the truck. Keeping him cool was one of the most important missions of his handlers on the flight. Through the entire nine hour flight Keiko will be watched closely. 
Dave Phillips says, " We're gonna be monitoring his heart rate, his temperature. His skin has Lanolin to keep it from drying out on the plane." The seven and a half million dollar tank built especially for Keiko is now empty. The aquarium says it will turn it into an alternative attraction now that their biggest star is gone. Hillman Luedderman is a board member of the Oregon Coast Aquarium and he relates his feelings about Keiko leaving, "I have mixed emotions. I think the right thing's being done for Keiko, but we've grown to love him" They're ready to love him in Iceland. Some Icelandic kids were here to see Keiko off. One said, "It's great...it's fantastic" As Keiko's caravan made it's way down the highway, loyal fans lined up to bid a final farewell. Then he was loaded into the mammoth Air force C-17 jet. The plane had a smooth takeoff enroute to the long journey to Iceland. For the world’s most famous whale, a journey some hope is the final chapter of Keiko's captivity.

Directions: Read the passage and answer the following question.

Passage A

Most Icelanders have suffered this year during one of the worst winters ever, but one native who recently returned actually enjoys the weather. Keiko, a killer whale who has spent most of his life in captivity in North America, is adapting well to the semi-wild in a secluded bay and could be released into the open sea as early as this summer. Critics predicted the star of the hit movie "Free Willy" would experience frostbite when he returned to the frigid waters in September. But the rehabilitating whale has proved them wrong. "He's thriving," said Bob Ratliffe of the Free Willy Keiko Foundation. "He's actually energized by the weather the worse it gets. He jumps out of water to get sprayed by the salt spray." Keiko still does tricks or receives handouts occasionally, reminders of life in captivity since 1979. He was captured at the age of 1 or 2. Since then a long odyssey has taken the black and white seafarer from Canada to Mexico to the United States. In 1982 he was moved to an amusement park in Ontario. Three years later another park took him to Mexico City. There, the 6.4-meter (21-foot) sea mammal reportedly lived in a cramped pen with an excessively warm temperature. The 1993 film drew attention to his plight, and in 1996 the Free Willy Keiko Foundation moved him to a facility in Newport, Oregon. The foundation has spent over \$12 million on its efforts to repatriate Keiko, and late last year flew the roughly 40,000-pound (18,100-kilogram) creature aboard a C-17 transport plane to his aquatic halfway house near the Wesman Islands. Since his return, he increasingly has shown characteristics of a wild whale, diving more frequently, eating more live fish and generally becoming more active. Keiko still must clear some hurdles before he can be released into the open sea. Trainers plan to give him a simulated stay in the wild this summer. They hope to enclose a larger bay, outfit Keiko with a satellite transmitter, and then take him for a walk. "We'll boat train him so he'll follow a target, and then we can recall him back to the boat if necessary," says Jeff Foster, also of the foundation. "That gives us access out to deeper water." Keiko has had limited contact with other marine mammals, but none of the encounters were close enough to learn much about his ability to interact in the wild. A harbor seal wandered into the pen, but quickly exited after spotting Keiko. "We've had pilot whales and mink whales and harbor porpoises, and we do see a change in behavior," Foster says. "He becomes a lot more vocal. He's a lot more active when these animals do show." The question remains; however, can Keiko relate with other animals in such a way as to ensure his survival? "There's the possibility that freedom may come this summer, but we're not going to do this in a cavalier fashion. It may very well be the following summer," Ratliffe says.  And if Keiko can't adapt, the foundation is prepared to take care of the famous leviathan for remainder of his life at an annual cost of about \$1 million.

Passage B

Cavorting with his trainers Keiko spent his last day at the Oregon Coast aquarium seemingly unaware of the long journey ahead. His handlers had worried that Keiko might balk at going into his medical pool, but shortly after noon he breezed through the door. There were also concerns that he might be nervous about getting into the sling used to raise him out of the pool. To the relief of all Keiko couldn't have been more accommodating. Dave Phillips of the Free Willy Keiko Foundation says, "He's calm, not been vocalizing very much, no wiggling in the sling, a dream come true to see him go in so well, ready to take it home”. Once he was loaded into his so called cradle, the ice brigade got underway. More than a ton of ice was dumped in with Keiko as soon as he was loaded onto the truck. Keeping him cool was one of the most important missions of his handlers on the flight. Through the entire nine hour flight Keiko will be watched closely. 
Dave Phillips says, " We're gonna be monitoring his heart rate, his temperature. His skin has Lanolin to keep it from drying out on the plane." The seven and a half million dollar tank built especially for Keiko is now empty. The aquarium says it will turn it into an alternative attraction now that their biggest star is gone. Hillman Luedderman is a board member of the Oregon Coast Aquarium and he relates his feelings about Keiko leaving, "I have mixed emotions. I think the right thing's being done for Keiko, but we've grown to love him" They're ready to love him in Iceland. Some Icelandic kids were here to see Keiko off. One said, "It's great...it's fantastic" As Keiko's caravan made it's way down the highway, loyal fans lined up to bid a final farewell. Then he was loaded into the mammoth Air force C-17 jet. The plane had a smooth takeoff enroute to the long journey to Iceland. For the world’s most famous whale, a journey some hope is the final chapter of Keiko's captivity.

Directions: Read the passage and answer the following question.

War brings out the best - and the worst - in human nature. Of course it does. There is no doubt about it. War is clearly a test of human nature. We have war heroes and we have war criminals and we also have war cowards. The heroes obviously bringing out the best in human nature and the criminals bringing out the worst.

It's really quite simple. All that we need to do is look at war mongrels. People such as Hitler need to be analyzed. Some of Hitler's ideas as a civil activist were, on a political level only, well thought of. Hitler's ideas of ethnic cleansing are what makes him a bad person and therefore brought out the worst in him. Hitler's followers had no idea of how powerful he would become and when he got all the power, he did not use it appropriately.

When talking about soldiers, bringing out the best would be running through a field and picking up a wounded soldier. This shows the best in human nature and that humans are caring and sensible people. When soldiers follow unlawful commands or commit mass genocide and brutal murders, that's when we see the worst in human nature. As of the end of World War II, obeying orders was no longer a defense for soldiers because they should know the difference between right and wrong.

I think it would be safe to say that war brought out the best in Robert Ross. He understood that thousands of lives were depending on him and he came through. He showed that humans can be compassionate, caring, and emotional people. He also died saving all the horses.

There are so many events that can bring out the best or worst in humans. It's not only war, but any time or high stress situation. I think that a time of civil disobedience would bring out the best and worst. I think we find though as humans, we have our own fine line of what's right and wrong and usually this line takes us in the right direction.

What are the keywords that divide the two group of hackers?

Directions: Read the passage and answer the following question.

Today's information is highly interconnected by the Internet. With this interconnection of computer systems through the Internet comes computer crime. Breaking into computer systems, damaging information on computer systems, and stealing information on computer systems, more commonly known as hacking, has become extremely common on the Internet. As hacking becomes more frequent, and as some would say, more of a problem, should we consider hacking a criminal activity?

Information from across the world is stored on computer systems-most of which are connected, networked, to other computer systems through the Internet. In the ideal situation, this interconnection of information enables others from outside a specific computer network to access that specific computer network and its information. This has created a world in which information is extremely important and extremely easy to access, which in turn has created a government, business, and personal society that is dependant on and successful from the networked information.

But this network also has its drawbacks. Besides enabling people who need to use the information for legitimate business or personal use to gain access, the network also-often unknowingly-enables unauthorized people to gain access to the information in one way or another, no matter what kind of network security they have implemented. Gaining access to a computer system that does not intentionally allow you access is called hacking.

Hacking causes many problems for networked information. Hackers can change and damage information. They can sell information. They can destroy information. They can destroy the computer systems in which the information is stored. It is estimated that hackers have caused between \$145 million and \$5 billion in damage to hacked systems annually in the United States (Skinner 1). The destruction or damaging of information is why it is important to determine whether hacking should be considered a criminal activity.

But along with hacking comes the terms to prevent hacking. Some suggest creating strict Internet laws that could be used to make and prove hacking a crime. Some suggest that the government sniff-a type of eavesdropping of the Internet-Internet traffic and monitor such things as e-mail. But both of these actions to prevent hacking, to make it a crime, also infringe on the privacy rights of everyone who uses the Internet. This is another reason why it is important to determine whether hacking should be considered a criminal activity, because if it is, it could affect a lot more people than just the hackers.

There are two primary sides to the hacking controversy: the hackers and the non-hackers. The hackers believe that what they are doing does not constitute a crime. One argument is that they provide a service to organizations by breaking into them. Specifically, by hackers breaking into an organization's network, they are showing the organization what their security holes are so that they can fix them.

Hackers also believe that hacking shouldn't be a crime because it is not the hacker's fault if the organization does not have a strong security system for their network. Hackers believe that if they can get into the network, it is the organization's fault, not theirs.

Hackers also believe that the Internet is free. They believe that the Internet does not belong to anyone. And for this reason, anything that is found on the Internet or on a network connected to the Internet is open to the public.

Hackers argue that if they can do it-break in to a network-they should be allowed to do it. Hackers take great pride in their computer skills and see breaking into a network as an intellectual accomplishment that few can do, so they should be awarded for it.

Non-hackers, whether they are government officials, businesses, or the general public, believe that hackers infringe on their privacy. They believe that hackers break in to their computers or computer networks and look at, change, destroy, and steal their private information.

Non-hackers believe that hackers are criminals. They are breaking into computer networks that contain private information. They liken it to a burglar breaking into a person's house. Even if that burglar does not steal or destroy anything in the house, it is still illegal for them to be there.

Some of the non-hackers believe that the Internet needs more regulation to ward off hackers. But this is where the group of non-hackers becomes divided, because with more regulation of the Internet comes less freedom of the Internet, and, probably the most important result that divides this group, less privacy. With more regulation comes more policing, and with more policing less freedom and privacy.

Other non-hackers believe that hackers need to be caught and punished, but without taking away the freedom and privacy that the Internet offers now. They do not want the government or law enforcement to monitor the Internet. They only want better laws to prosecute the hackers after they are caught and better ways of catching the hackers without infringing on the general public's privacy.