SOFTSKILL MEETING 3

1. Which of the following is NOT true ?

A.   Winners placed olive wreaths on their own heads.

B.   The games were held in Greece every four years.

C.   Battles were interrupted to participate in the games.

D.   Poem glorified the winners in song.

Answer :

C. Battles were interrupted to participate in the games.

Reason :

In the first paragraph is written “…and the wars in progress were halted to allow the games to take place”, so the battles were not interrupted to parcipate in the games, but the true is the battles were stopped.

2. The word “elite” in line 5 is closest in meaning to…

A.   Aristocracy

B.   Brave

C.   Intellectuals

D.   Muscular

Answer :

A. aristocracy

Reason :

Elite and aristocracy have the same meaning which is the most powerful members of a society.

3. Why were the Olympic Games held?

A.   To stop wars

B.   To honor Zeus

C.   To crown the best athletes

D.   To sing songs about the athletes

Answer :

B. To honor Zeus

Reason :

In the first paragraph and first sentence is written “In 778 B.C., the first Olympic Games were held at the foot of Mount Olympus to honor the Greek’s chief god, Zeus”

4. Approximately how many years ago did these games originate?

A.   800 years

B.   1200 years

C.   2300 years

D.   2800 years

Answer :

D. 2800 years

Reason :

In the first paragraph and first sentence is written “In 776 B.C., the first Olympic Games were held at the foot of Mount Olympus to honor the Greek’s chief god, Zeus”. If we count from the first year of Olympic Games in 776 B.C. until now, 2012, it’s approximately 2800 years ago.

5. What conclusion can we draw about the ancient Greeks?

A.   They were pacifists

B.   They believed athletic events were important

C.   They were very simple

D.   They couldn’t count, so they used “Olympiads” for dates

Answer :

B. They believed athletic events were important

Reason :

In the first paragraph is written “The Greeks emphasized physical fitness and strength to their education of youth”. So they believed athletic event like Olympic games were important.

6. What is the main idea of this passage?

A.   Physical fitness was an integral part of the lives of the ancient Greeks

B.   The Greeks severely punished those who did not participate in physical fitness programs

C.   The Greeks had always encouraged everyone to participate in the games

D.   The Greeks had the games coincide with religious festivities so that they could go back to war when the games were over

Answer :

A.   Physical fitness was an integral part of the lives of the ancient Greeks.

Reason :

The story is telling about Olympic Games and physical fitness which important for the ancient Greeks.

7. In line 14, the word “deeds” is closest in meaning to…

A.   Accomplishments

B.   Ancestors

C.   Documents

D.   Property

Answer :

A.   Accomplishments

Reason :

In the first paragraph is written “the winners of Olympic were having poems sung about their deeds”. In Indonesian, deeds is meaning to ‘perbuatan’. In this sentence ‘deeds’ is meaning to “kemenangan” and the word “deeds” is closest in meaning to ‘accomplishments’ that meaning to ‘prestasi/pencapaian’.

8. Which of the following was ultimately required of all athletes competing in the Olympics?

A.   They must have completed military service.

B.   They had to attend special training sessions

C.   They had to be Greek males with no criminal record

D.   They had to be very religious

Answer :

C.   They had to be Greek males with no criminal record

Reason :

In the first paragraph is written “…the games were open to all free Greek males who had no criminal record”

9. The word “halted” in line 16 means most nearly the same as…

A.   Encourages

B.   Started

C.   Curtailed

D.   Fixed

Answer :

C.   Curtailed

Reason :

In the first paragraph is written “any wars in progress were halted to allow the games to take place”, the word “halted” is meaning to “berhenti” and closest in meaning to curtailed that’s meaning to “berkurang”.

10. What is an “Olympiad”?

A.   The time it took to finish the games

B.   The time between games

C.   The it took to finish a war

D.   The time it took the athletes to train

Answer :

B.   The time between games

Reason :

In the second paragraph is written “The Greeks attached so much importance to the games that they calculated time in four-year cycles called “Olympiads” dating from 776 B.C.”.

STYLISTIC  PROBLEMS

1. The defendant refused to answer the prosecutor’s questions…..

A.   Because he was afraid it would incriminate him

B.   For fear that they will incriminate him

C.   Because he was afraid that his answers would incriminate him

D.   Fearing that he will be incriminated by it

Answer :

C.   Because he was afraid that his answers would incriminate him

Reason :

To fill in the blanks we can add the dependent clause that is explain the reason why the defendant refused to answer the prosecutor’s question and the best answer is C. because he was afraid that his answer would incriminate him. The tense of clauses is match.

2. Mrs. Walker has returned…..

A.   A wallet back to its original owner

B.   To its original owner the wallet

C.   The wallet to its originally owner

D.   The wallet to its original owner

Answer :

D.   The wallet to its original owner

Reason : 

The word “originally” is a adverb. To give information on the noun “owner” we should use an adjective which is original.

3. The hospital owes……for the construction of the new wing.

A.   The government twenty million dollars

B.   For the government twenty million dollars

C.   To the government twenty million dollars

D.   Twenty million of dollars to the government

Answer :

D.   Twenty million of dollars to the government

Reason :

To fill in the blanks we can add the dependent clause that is explained what is the hospital owes. The best dependent clause is D. twenty million of dollars to the government.

4. Sarah…..that she could not attend classes next week

A.   Told to her professors

B.   Said her professors

C.   Told her professors

D.   Is telling her professors

Answer :

C.   Told her professors

Reason :

The sentence is an indirect speech which is use a past tense.

5. The artist was asked to show some paintings at the contest because…

A.   He painted very good

B.   They believed he painted well

C.   Of their belief that he was an good artist

D.   The judges had been told of his talents

Answer :

A.   He painted very good

Reason :

There is a sequence of tense. “The artist was asked to show some paintings at the contest” is simple past tense and “because he painted very good” is simple past tense too. The dependent clause “he painted very good” is compatible with previous clause and “he” in the clause is meaning to “the artist”.

6. If motorists do not observe the traffic regulations, they will be stopped, ticketed, and have to pay a fine.

The correct sentence:

If motorists do not observe the traffic regulations, they will be stopped, ticketed, and fined.

Reason:

The sentence must be parallelism. Stopped and ticketed are verb, but have to pay a fine is a clause, so it must be change with verb too, such as fined.

7. Fred, who usually conducts the choir rehearsals, did not show up last night because he had  an accident on his way to the practice

The correct sentence:

Fred, who usually conducts the choir rehearsals, did not show up last night because he had had an accident on his way to the practice.

Reason:

Because the accident is already happen before his show up, we should use the past perfect tense. 

8. A short time before her operation last month, Mrs. Carlyle dreams of her daughter who lives overseas.

The correct sentence:

A short time before her operation last month, Mrs. Carlyle had dreamed of her daughter who lives overseas.

Reason:

Because the dream process is already happen before her operation, we should use the past perfect tense.

9. The atmosphere in Andalucia is open, warm, and gives a welcome feeling to all who have the good fortune to visit there.

The correct sentence:

The atmosphere in Andalucia is open, warm, and welcome to all who have the good fortune to visit there.

Reason:

The sentence must be parallelism. Open and warm are an adjective.  So must be following with adjective too. Gives a welcome feeling is a new clause. We should change it with welcome.

10. Some of the people were standing in the street watched the parade, while others were singing songs.

The correct sentence:

Some of the people were standing in the street watching the parade, while others were singing songs.

Reason:

The sentence must be parallelism. Standing and Singing are verb in past continuous, so the word watched must be change with the same tenses too that is watching.

Masa Pancaroba, Hujan Lebat & Angin Kencang Masih Landa Jakarta

 Nurvita Indarini - detikNews Rabu, 04/04/2012 10:27 WIB

Jakarta Wilayah Indonesia tengah memasuki masa pancaroba dari musim hujan ke kemarau. Nah, di masa transisi ini hujan dengan intensitas sedang dan lebat masih akan melanda. Warga Jakarta harus tetap waspada, karena ada daerah-daerah yang berpotensi banjir.

"Sebelum memasuki musim kemarau, otomatis ada pancaroba atau transisi. Di masa ini biasanya potensi hujan intensitas sedang-lebat yang disertai petir dan angin kencang, frekuensinya masih banyak," kata Kepala Sub Bidang Informasi Badan Meteorologi Klimatologi dan Geofisika (BMKG), Hari Tirto, saat dihubungi detikcom, Rabu (4/3/2012).

Meski demikian, menurut dia, frekuensi hujan ini tidak sebanyak saat musim hujan. Jika sejumlah wilayah di Jakarta mengalami banjir, hal itu dikarenakan curah hujan ditambah kiriman dari hulu dan bisa jadi karena terhambatnya aliran air di sungai.

"Masih ada potensi hujan sedang hingga lebat disertai angin kencang dan petir di barat, selatan dan timur," lanjut Hari.

Ini masih akan berlanjut hingga kapan? "Kami mohon masyarakat mengakses situs bmkg.go.id karena di situ ada perkiraan untuk hari ini dan esok hari," kata Hari.

Menurut BMKG sejumlah wilayah di Indonesia berbeda-beda awal musim kemaraunya. Ada yang mulai pada Februari, Maret, April, Mei dan bahkan Juni. Fenomena yang mempengaruhi iklim di Indonesia yakni El Nino dan La Nina, dipole mode (fenomena pasangan antara lautan-atmosfer yang terdapat di lautan India tropis), sirkulasi monsun (angin yang berhembus dan berganti arah dua kali atau polanya berlawanan sepanjang tahun) Asia - Australia, daerah pertemuan angin antar tropis, dan suhu permukaan laut di wilayah Indonesia.

Sumber:

http://news.detik.com/read/2012/04/04/102715/1884678/10/masa-pancaroba-hujan-lebat-angin-kencang-masih-landa-jakarta?nd992203605

My opinion:

In this transition period, heavy rain and strong winds are still going to happen. So, the people should be careful because heavy rain and strong winds can cause a negative things such as flood, electricity and telephone connection disconnected, the viruses of illness can be evolve, and the worst possibility is people may die because of lightning. If you are going to go out, you should bring an umbrella because the rain can come anytime. Turn of your electronic items if heavy rains are accompanied by strong winds and lightning and when you was out of home while it is raining, you should be stayed at a safe place, stay away from the place that is potentially being struck by lightning as under a tree. The most important is don’t forget to keep healthy and always pray whenever and wherever.

ALL ABOUT ME

Me and Family

      Hello, I want to introduce myself. My name is Nike Miharja. You can call me Nike or Keke. My friends in campus usually call me Keke. I’m twenty one years old. I was born on October 5th. I’m the youngest daughter in my family. I have four sisters and two brothers. My parents are not complete. My mother was passed away four years ago. She was passed away because of diabetes. I miss her so much. However I keep the spirit because seven months ago I had a nephew. His name is Ryo Dylan Ismanto. I call him Iyo. He is so cute, sweet, and adorable. Everybody loves him. I love my family.

            

My favorite comics

        My daily activity is studying at the college. If I have no class, I usually stay at home, reading a comics, and listening the music. That is my hobbies. My favorite comic is Hai,Miiko!. I love it so much. It is so funny, nice, and interesting story. In addition to the Hai, Miiko!, I also love Detective Conan and Ninja Rantaro. My hobby besides read comic is listening the music. I like Coldplay, One Republic and Adele. Coldplay is a famous band whose song is so good to be heard such as Yellow, The Scientist, Viva La Vida, and the latest is Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall and Paradise. The vocalist, Chris Martin, have a unique voice and different with other. One Republic also have a good song and nice to be heard. Adele, the familiar name right now since she wins six Grammy Awards 2012, it’s amazing. Her song is beautiful and touching. In Indonesia, I like Sammy Simorangkir and Raisa, their voice is wonderful, soft and sonorous. Actually, my hobby is so many, hehe… Like the other girls, I like shopping. I also like travelling, watching a movie, and playing the videogames.

Me and Friends

            

 Now, I want to focus on my study. I'm studying at Gunadarma University, majoring in Management. I hope I will graduate with all my friends this year, ameeennn…

TOEFL EXERCISE 1-3

Choose the letter of the color word or group of word that is not correct.

Each color of word is representatives the option, Red (A), Blue (B) , Pink (C), Green (D)

1.        Nobody know when the process of glass-making was invented.

The incorrect word:

A. know

The reason:

Nobody is a singular subject that agrees with the singular verb, so the verb must be followed by s/es.

The correct sentence:

Nobody knows when the process of glass-making was invented.

2.        The languages of the world presents a vast array of structural similarities and differences.

The incorrect word:

A. presents

The reason:

The languages is a plural subject that agree with the plural verb (doesn’t need to be followed by s/es)

The correct sentence:

The languages of the world present a vast array of structural similarities and differences.

3.  The rise of multinationals have resulted in a great deal of legal ambiguity because multinationals can operate in so many jurisdictions.

       The incorrect word:

A. have

       The reason:

The rise is a singular subject that agrees with auxiliary verb has, not have.

       The correct sentence:

The rise of multinationals has resulted in a great deal of legal ambiguity because multinationals can operate in so many jurisdictions.

4.  All of the east-west interstate highways in the United States has even numbers, while north-south interstate highways are odd-numbered.

The incorrect word:

A. has

The reason:

All of the east-west interstate highways is a plural subject that agrees with auxiliary verb have, not has.

The correct sentence:

All of the east-west interstate highways in the United States have even numbers,while north-south interstate highways are odd-numbered.

5.   When a massive star in the large Magellanic Cloud exploded in 1987, a wave of neutrinos were defected on Earth.

The incorrect word:

C. were

The reason:

A wave of neutrinos is a singular subject that agrees with auxiliary verb was, not were.

The correct sentence:

When a massive star in the large Magellanic Cloud exploded in 1987, a wave of neutrinos was defected on Earth.

6.   Every open space in the targeted area that has grass and a few bushes are occupied by the white-crowned sparrow.

The incorrect word:

C. are

The reason:

Every open space is a singular subject that agrees with the singular verb is, not are.

The correct sentence:

Every open space in the targeted area that has grass and a few bushes is occupied by the white-crowned sparrow.

7.  Krakatoa is remembered as the volcano that put so much ash into the air that sunsets around the world was affected for two years afterward.

The incorrect word:

B. put

The reason:

Krakatoa is a singular subject that agrees with the singular verb, so the verb must be followed by s/es.

The correct sentence:

Krakatoa is remembered as the volcano that puts so much ash into the air that sunsets around the world was affected for two years afterward.

8.   The term “Yankee” was originally a nickname for people from New England, but now anyone from the United States are referred to as a Yankee.

The incorrect word:

B. are

The reason:

Anyone is a singular subject that agrees with the singular verb is, not are.

The correct sentence:

The term “Yankee” was originally a nickname for people from New England, but now anyone from the United States is referred to as a Yankee.

9.  A network of small arteries, mostly sandwiched between the skin and the underlying muscles, supply blood to the face and scalp.

The incorrect word:

C. supply

The reason:

A network of small arteries is a singular subject that agrees with the singular verb, so the verb must be followed by s/es.

The correct sentence:

A network of small arteries, mostly sandwiched between the skin and the underlying muscles, supplies blood to the face and scalp.

10.  Mesquite is a small tree in the Southwest who can withstand the severest drought.

The incorrect word:

D. withstand

The reason:

Mesquite is a singular subject that agrees with the singular verb, so the verb must be followed by s/es.

The correct sentence:

Mesquite is a small tree in the Southwest who can withstands the severest drought.