Soal 16
“Therefore, plant growth may be affected by either a deficiency of molybdenum or too much aluminium.” (Paragraph \( 4 \))
The underlined word is closest in meaning to ....
A. caused
B. supported
C. destroyed
D. empowered
E. influenced
Answer and Detailed Analysis
Answer: E. influenced
Detailed reasoning: In the sentence, “plant growth may be affected by ...” means plant growth may be changed or impacted by those conditions (deficiency or excess). The closest meaning among the options is “influenced,” because it expresses an impact on growth without necessarily meaning total damage.
Option-by-option analysis:
A. caused → “Affected by” does not mean “created by.” It means “impacted by,” which can be partial, not the origin of growth.
B. supported → Opposite direction; “supported” means helped, while “affected” can be positive or negative.
C. destroyed → Too strong; the sentence only says growth “may be affected,” not “ruined.”
D. empowered → Not the meaning; “empowered” means strengthened or given power.
E. influenced → Correct; matches the idea of being impacted/changed.
LaTeX note (required symbols): “Influenced” is \( \gt \) “destroyed” in accuracy because the sentence suggests impact, not total damage.
Reading Text for Soal 17 to Soal 19
There are a lot of discussions as to whether children should be given homework or not.
Some people claim that children do enough work in school already. They also argue that children have hobbies that they want to do after school, such as sports or music. A further point they make is that a lot of homework is pointless and doesn’t help the child learn at all.
However, there are also strong arguments against this point of view. Parents and teachers argue that it is important to find out whether children can work on their own without the support from the teacher. They say that the evening is a good time for children to sit down and think about what they have learned in school.
Furthermore they claim that the school day is too short to get anything done that needs doing and it makes sense to send home tasks like independent reading or further writing tasks that don’t need teacher’s support.
On balance, I think that some homework is a good idea but that it should only given at the weekend when children have more time.
Soal 17
By giving the homework to the students, they can ... in the evening.
A. prepare for the next lesson
B. review their lessons
C. enjoy their past time
D. do their hobbies
E. test them selves
Answer and Detailed Analysis
Answer: B. review their lessons
Detailed reasoning: The passage states that “the evening is a good time for children to sit down and think about what they have learned in school.” “Think about what they have learned” best matches the idea of reviewing lessons.
Option-by-option analysis:
A. prepare for the next lesson → Not stated; the text focuses on reflecting on what they learned, not preparing new material.
B. review their lessons → Correct; directly supported by “think about what they have learned.”
C. enjoy their past time → Opposite of the pro-homework argument; hobbies are mentioned by the anti-homework side.
D. do their hobbies → Mentioned as an argument against homework, not a benefit of giving homework.
E. test them selves → Not stated; there is no mention of testing.
LaTeX note (required symbols): “Think about what they have learned” is \( \gt \) “do their hobbies” as the intended evening activity in the pro-homework argument.
Soal 18
The third paragraph discusses ... for the students.
A. the disagreement of giving the homework
B. the function of doing the homework
C. the importance of the homework
D. the weakness of giving the homework
E. the benefit of the homework
Answer and Detailed Analysis
Answer: B. the function of doing the homework
Detailed reasoning: The third paragraph begins with “However...” and provides reasons from parents and teachers: checking whether children can work independently and using evening time to reflect on learning. These points explain what homework is for (its function/purpose), not its weakness.
Option-by-option analysis:
A. disagreement of giving homework → Disagreement is the overall debate across paragraphs, but paragraph 3 specifically gives supportive reasons (functions).
B. function of doing the homework → Correct; it explains purposes such as independent work and reflection.
C. importance of the homework → Close, but the paragraph explains purposes more than simply claiming “important.”
D. weakness of giving the homework → Opposite; weaknesses appear in the argument against homework.
E. benefit of the homework → Similar to B, but B is more precise because the paragraph explains purposes (what homework is used to do).
LaTeX note (required symbols): “Function/purpose” is \( \gt \) “weakness” in matching the third paragraph’s content.
Soal 19
What is the writer’s suggestion about homework?
A. Homework is pointless.
B. Homework is badly needed.
C. Homework should be given on weekend.
D. Student must frequently have homework.
E. Student should not be given any homework.
Answer and Detailed Analysis
Answer: C. Homework should be given on weekend.
Detailed reasoning: The final paragraph states: “On balance, I think that some homework is a good idea but that it should only given at the weekend when children have more time.” This is directly the writer’s suggestion.
Option-by-option analysis:
A. Homework is pointless → This is the opposing argument (some people claim), not the writer’s conclusion.
B. Homework is badly needed → Too strong; the writer says “some homework” is good, not that it is “badly needed.”
C. Homework should be given on weekend → Correct; directly stated in the writer’s balance conclusion.
D. Student must frequently have homework → Not stated; writer limits it to weekends.
E. Student should not be given any homework → Opposite; writer supports some homework.
LaTeX note (required symbols): “Only at the weekend” is \( \lt \) “frequently” in frequency, matching the writer’s limited suggestion.