Read the passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the best answer to each of the following questions from 3...

Read the passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the best answer to each of the following questions from 31 to 40.

Earth’s climate has never been a static backdrop to human history; rather, it has oscillated continuously under the influence of forces both celestial and terrestrial. Long before industrial smokestacks pierced the skyline, temperatures rose and fell in measured cycles, paced largely by variations in Earth’s orbit and axial tilt. [I] These subtle astronomical shifts, unfolding over tens of thousands of years, regulated the advance and retreat of ice sheets and governed the rhythm of glacial and interglacial periods. Crucially, even at their most extreme, such natural fluctuations remained confined within relatively narrow thermal boundaries.

In popular discourse, the Sun is frequently portrayed as the prime suspect behind contemporary warming. Yet this narrative collapses under scrutiny. Satellite measurements spanning several decades reveal that solar output follows predictable cycles without exhibiting a sustained upward trend. Meanwhile, global average temperatures continue their steady ascent. The implication is difficult to ignore: although solar energy establishes the baseline conditions for life on Earth, it cannot account for the rapid and persistent warming observed in the modern era. [II] The Sun, it seems, has become a convenient distraction rather than a credible explanation.

Equally influential is the planet’s surface itself, which determines how incoming energy is absorbed or reflected. Ice and snow, with their high reflectivity, deflect a significant portion of sunlight back into space. As these surfaces diminish, darker land and ocean areas absorb more heat, intensifying warming through a self-reinforcing feedback loop. Volcanic eruptions occasionally interrupt this process by injecting aerosols into the atmosphere, temporarily dimming sunlight and cooling the planet. However, such episodes are fleeting, their climatic fingerprints fading within a few years. [III] They are interruptions, not drivers, of long-term change.

Carbon dioxide occupies a more complex position in Earth’s climatic history. Ice core records show that its concentration has risen and fallen in tandem with temperature, often amplifying changes initiated by orbital shifts. In the past, carbon responded; today, it leads. Human activities—chiefly fossil fuel combustion and deforestation—have propelled atmospheric carbon dioxide levels far beyond their natural range, and at a pace unmatched in geological records. [IV] This abrupt forcing has tilted the climate system away from its historical equilibrium, underscoring a critical distinction: while climate change itself is ancient, the current trajectory is both anomalous and overwhelmingly anthropogenic.

Adapted from: https://www.epa.gov

Question 31. According to paragraph 1, natural climate fluctuations were characterised by ____________.

        A. slow swings within the limited temperature ranges

        B. measurable oscillations exceeding historical climate bounds

        C. irregular shifts causing extreme environmental events

        D. gradual variations without predictable cyclic patterns

Question 32. The word “prime” in paragraph 2 is CLOSEST in meaning to ____________.

        A. intentional                B. initial                        C. principal                        D. optimal

Question 33. Which of the following best summarises paragraph 2?

A. Satellite measurements show solar output follows predictable cycles, yet global warming continues steadily today.

B. Solar output cycles are regular, partially explaining the observed increases in global temperatures currently.

C. The Sun’s predictable cycles influence climate patterns, whereas temperature rises independently continue worldwide.

D. Satellite data confirm solar energy variations, while average global temperatures steadily rise over decades.

Question 34. What does the author imply by calling the Sun “a convenient distraction”?

        A. It is a distraction in climate science discussions.

        B. It diverts attention from human-caused climate change.

        C. It complicates satellite measurements.

        D. It exaggerates climate change driven by natural cycles.

Question 35. According to paragraph 3, which of the following statements about volcanic eruptions is NOT TRUE?

A. They inject aerosols that temporarily reduce sunlight, leading to short-lived global cooling effects worldwide.

B. Their climatic influence fades within several years, leaving no permanent alteration to temperatures patterns.

C. They drive long-term climate change by sustaining continuous atmospheric warming over centuries on Earth.

D. They interrupt warming trends briefly but do not replace dominant forces shaping modern climate.

Question 36. The word “fleeting” in paragraph 3 is OPPOSITE in meaning to ____________.

        A. confusing                B. momentary                        C. permanent                        D. periodic

Question 37. Which of the following best paraphrases the underlined sentence in paragraph 4?

“In the past, carbon responded; today, it leads.”

A. Historically carbon reacted to temperature changes, whereas today it actively drives climate trends.

B. Carbon emissions previously followed warming patterns, but currently warming responds to carbon increases.

C. In earlier climates carbon and temperature changed together, while modern patterns show carbon dominance.

D. Past climate shifts involved carbon responses, yet present carbon levels independently initiate warming.

Question 38. What can be inferred from the passage?

A. Human activity accelerated climate change beyond natural rhythms, overwhelming historical climatic regulatory mechanisms.

B. Natural cycles continue affecting climate, while human emissions increasingly shape recent warming patterns.

C. Current warming resembles certain past climate shifts, though differing significantly in pace and underlying drivers.

D. Feedback processes amplify warming, though similar mechanisms operated comparably during previous climate periods.

Question 39. Where does the following sentence best fit?

This contrast marks a fundamental break from the climatic patterns of the past.

        A. [I]                        B. [II]                                C. [III]                                D. [IV]

Question 40. Which of the following best summarises the passage?

A. Earth’s climate naturally fluctuated through long-term cycles, yet modern warming is anomalous, rapid, and driven largely by anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions.

B. Earth’s climate has always fluctuated through natural cycles, with modern warming reflecting a rapid phase shaped by both long-standing patterns and rising carbon dioxide levels.

C. Natural climate cycles historically governed temperature change, while recent warming represents an anomalous acceleration of these cycles alongside increased carbon dioxide concentrations.

D. Earth’s climate system experienced recurring natural fluctuations, and present warming combines rapid temperature rise with familiar mechanisms involving carbon dioxide.