The changes in the American home mentioned in this passage may ...............

It used to be that people would drink coffee or tea in the morning to pick them up and get them going for the day. Then cola drinks hit the market. With lots of caffeine and sugar, these beverages soon became the pick-me-up of choice for many adults and teenagers. Now drink companies are putting out so-called "energy drinks." These beverages have the specific aim of giving tired consumers more energy. One example of a popular energy drink is Red Bull. The company that puts out this beverage has stated in interviews that Red Bull is not a thirst quencher. Nor is it meant to be a fluid replacement drink for athletes. Instead, the beverage is meant to revitalize a tired consumer’s body and mind. In order to do this, the makers of Red Bull, and other energy drinks, typically add vitamins and certain chemicals to their beverages. The added chemicals are like chemicals that the body naturally produces for energy. The vitamins, chemicals, caffeine, and sugar found in these beverages all seem like a sure bet to give a person energy. Health professionals are not so sure, though. For one thing, there is not enough evidence to show that all of the vitamins added to energy drinks actually raise a person’s energy level. Another problem is that there are so many things in the beverages. Nobody knows for sure how all of the ingredients in energy drinks work together. Dr. Brent Bauer, one of the directors at the Mayo Clinic in the US, cautions people about believing all the claims energy drinks make. He says, - It is plausible if you put all these things together, you will get a good result.” However, Dr. Bauer adds the mix of ingredients could also have a negative impact on the body. - We just don’t know at this point,” he says. (Source: -Reading Challenge 2, Casey Malarcher & Andrea Janzen, Compass Publishing) 

The beverages mentioned in the first paragraph aim to give consumers .............

The word "Here" in line 9 refers to……………

The word “surreptitiously” is closest in meaning to .............

When did Tolkien begin to create this trilogy?

The word "derived" in line 13 is closest in meaning to ..............

According to the passage, which of the following sentence is NOT true?

What can the word adorning be best replaced by?

A Japanese construction company plans to create a huge independent city-state, akin to the legendary Atlantis, in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. The city, dubbed “Marinnation”, would have about one million inhabitants, two airports, and possibly even a space port. Marinnation, if built, would be a separate country but could serve as a home for international organisations such as the United Nations and the World Bank. Aside from the many political and social problems that would have to be solved, the engineering task envisaged is monumental. The initial stage requires the building of a circular dam eighteen miles in diameter attached to the sea bed in a relatively shallow place in international waters. Then, several hundred powerful pumps, operating for more than a year, would suck out the sea water from within the dam. When empty and dry, the area would have a city constructed on it. The actual land would be about 300 feet below the sea level. According to designers, the hardest task from an engineering point of view would be to ensure that the dam is leak proof and earthquake proof. If all goes well, it is hoped that Marinnation could be ready for habitation at the end of the second decade of the twenty-first century. Whether anyone would want to live in such an isolated and artificial community, however, will remain an open question until that time. 

According to the text, Marrination, when built, will be a(an) .............. city

The Hindu culture celebrates marriage as a pure and pristine rite enabling two individuals start their journey of life together. It puts emphasis on the values of happiness, harmony and growth and could be traced back from the Vedic times. Months before the wedding ceremony, an engagement is held which is called “magni”. The couple is blessed here with gifts, jewelry and clothes. Another important ritual is the “mehendi” which is a paste made from the leaves of henna plant. It is the traditional art of adorning the hands and the feet of the bride with mehendi and the name of the groom is also hidden in the design. On the day of marriage, the couple exchanges garlands as a gesture of acceptance of one another and a pledge to respect one another as partners which is known as «jaimala». This is followed by «jaimala», where the father of the bride places her hand in the groom’s hand requesting him to accept her as an equal partner. Another ritual is the «havan» in which the couple invokes Agni, the god of Fire, to witness their commitment to each other. Crushed sandalwood, herbs, sugar rice and oil are offered to the ceremonial fire. The “gath bandhan” takes place where scarves of the bride and groom are tied together symbolizing their eternal bond. This signifies their pledge before God to love each other and remain loyal. The couple then takes four “mangal pheras” or walk around the ceremonial fire, representing four goals in life: “Dharma”, religious and moral duties; “Artha”, prosperity; “Kama” earthly pleasures; “Moksha”, spiritual salvation. The couple also takes seven steps together to begin their journey, called the “saptapardi”. Then the ritual of “sindoor” takes place where the groom applies a small dot of vermilion, a red powder to the bride’s forehead and welcomes her as his partner for life. This signifies the completion of the marriage. The parents of the bride and the groom then give their blessings, “ashirwad” to the newly wed couple as they touch the feet of their parents. 

What might be the most suitable title for this reading passage?

It is mentioned in the passage that before the electric lamp was invented, ...........