UTBK/SNBT Bahasa Inggris: Pertanyaan, Jawaban, Latihan Soal & Pembahasan

            Despite its name, heartburn has nothing to do with the heart. Some of the symptoms, however, are similar to those of a heart attack or heart disease. Heartburn is an irritation of the esophagus that is caused by stomach acid, which can create a burning discomfort in the upper abdomen or below the breast bone.

           With gravity’s help, a muscular valve called the lower esophageal sphincter, or LES, keeps stomach acid in the stomach. The LES is located where the esophagus meets the stomach – below the rib cage and slightly left of center. Normally it opens to allow food into the stomach or to permit belching, and the closes again. If, however, the LES opens too often or does not close tight enough, stomach acid can reflux, or seep, into the esophagus and cause the burning sensation. Occasional heartburn is not dangerous, but chronic heartburn or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) can sometimes lead to serious problems.

           The basic cause of heartburn is a lower esophageal sphincter, or LES, that does not tighten as it should. Two excesses often contribute to this problem: to o much food in the stomach (overeating) or too much pressure on the stomach (frequently from obesity, pregnancy, or constipation). Certain foods commonly relax the LES, including tomatoes, citrus fruits, garlic, onions, chocolate, coffe, alcohol, caffeinated products, and peppermint. Meals high in fats and oils (animal or vegetable) often lead to heartburn, as di certain medications. Stress and lack of sleep can increase acid production and can cause heartburn. Smoking, which relaxes the LES and stimulates stomach acid, is a major contributor.

           How does heartburn happen? When you eat, food goes from your mouth down a tube called the esophagus into your stomach. In between the esophagus and the stomach is an opening called the lower esophageal sphincter. This muscular valve acts like a door to let food into your stomach. It normally closes quickly behind the food to keep stomach acids – which break down the food – from backing up into your esophagus.

           If that valve does not close all the way, stomach acid backs up, or refluxes, into the esophagus. Stomach acid irritates the lining of the esophagus and causes a painful burning sensation. The feeling may be worse after bending over or when you lie down.

        Certain foods and drinks – like tomato products, alcohol, citrus, cofe, and fatty or spicy foods – may be more likely to irritate the lower esophageal sphincter and make heartburn worse. Being overweight, eating big meals, wearing clothes that are tight around the waist, and smoking also raise your risk for heartburn. Learning what triggers your heartburn can help you ease the burn.

(Diadaptasi dari http://www.gghospital.in/blog/heartburn-cause-and-cure/)

The paragraph following the passage most likely discusses ....

            Despite its name, heartburn has nothing to do with the heart. Some of the symptoms, however, are similar to those of a heart attack or heart disease. Heartburn is an irritation of the esophagus that is caused by stomach acid, which can create a burning discomfort in the upper abdomen or below the breast bone.

           With gravity’s help, a muscular valve called the lower esophageal sphincter, or LES, keeps stomach acid in the stomach. The LES is located where the esophagus meets the stomach – below the rib cage and slightly left of center. Normally it opens to allow food into the stomach or to permit belching, and the closes again. If, however, the LES opens too often or does not close tight enough, stomach acid can reflux, or seep, into the esophagus and cause the burning sensation. Occasional heartburn is not dangerous, but chronic heartburn or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) can sometimes lead to serious problems.

           The basic cause of heartburn is a lower esophageal sphincter, or LES, that does not tighten as it should. Two excesses often contribute to this problem: to o much food in the stomach (overeating) or too much pressure on the stomach (frequently from obesity, pregnancy, or constipation). Certain foods commonly relax the LES, including tomatoes, citrus fruits, garlic, onions, chocolate, coffe, alcohol, caffeinated products, and peppermint. Meals high in fats and oils (animal or vegetable) often lead to heartburn, as di certain medications. Stress and lack of sleep can increase acid production and can cause heartburn. Smoking, which relaxes the LES and stimulates stomach acid, is a major contributor.

           How does heartburn happen? When you eat, food goes from your mouth down a tube called the esophagus into your stomach. In between the esophagus and the stomach is an opening called the lower esophageal sphincter. This muscular valve acts like a door to let food into your stomach. It normally closes quickly behind the food to keep stomach acids – which break down the food – from backing up into your esophagus.

           If that valve does not close all the way, stomach acid backs up, or refluxes, into the esophagus. Stomach acid irritates the lining of the esophagus and causes a painful burning sensation. The feeling may be worse after bending over or when you lie down.

        Certain foods and drinks – like tomato products, alcohol, citrus, cofe, and fatty or spicy foods – may be more likely to irritate the lower esophageal sphincter and make heartburn worse. Being overweight, eating big meals, wearing clothes that are tight around the waist, and smoking also raise your risk for heartburn. Learning what triggers your heartburn can help you ease the burn.

(Diadaptasi dari http://www.gghospital.in/blog/heartburn-cause-and-cure/)

Which of the following reflect the author's attitude toward the topic of the passage?

               Over the last two decades, the use of ICT has been an important topic in education. On the one hand, studies have shown that ICT can enhance teaching and learning outcomes. For example, in science and mathematics education scholars have documented that the use of ICT can improve students’ conceptual understanding, problem solving, and team working skills. Consequently, most curriculum documents state the importance of ICT and encourage school teachers to use them. However, teachers need to be specifically trained in order to integrate ICT in their teaching.

                Schools are known to be resistant to innovation and change. However, the spread of ICT is beginning to affect how teachers teach. One of the current issues about the use of ICT is how it is integrated into the curriculum. The curriculum documents provide arguments for introducing ICT in the school setting. Therefore, schools expect that graduates from teacher education programs have a reasonable knowledge of how to use ICT. However, this may not be the case because most current teachers’ preservice preparation, and subsequent in-service courses were designed by using traditional eduvational technology and settings. Thus, the participants in these courses are not familiar with the processes, interaction patterns, features and possibilities of teaching learning processes based on ICT.

                This issue becomes complicated because the students’ thinking skills are often weak. Also, they typically lack information literacy skills although they were born in or after 1982. In addition, they belong to the “Net Generation”. Furthermore, they are accustomed to operating in a digital environment for communication, information gathering, and analysis. The problem is that students do not have to understand how their use of technology affects their habits of learning.

                Effective development of pre-service teachers’ ICT proficiency does not seem to be a direct process, but is the one asking for a careful, complex approach. First, a needs assessment is important to find out what ICT skills and knowledge teachers need at schools. Second, designers of teachers education programs should know the pre-service teachers’ perceptions of ICT and their attitudes toward ICT integration into curriculum. Third, teacher education programs need to consider the two typical arguments that support the ICT use in schools.

(Diadaptasi dari http://www.cjlt.ca/index.php/cjlt/article/view/498/229)

Which lines of the passage illustrate the ideal ICT teacher education programs most effectively? 

        Over the last two decades, the use of ICT has been an important topic in education. On the one hand, studies have shown that ICT can enhance teaching and learning outcomes. For example, in science and mathematics education scholars have documented that the use of ICT can improve students’ conceptual understanding, problem solving, and team working skills. Consequently, most curriculum documents state the importance of ICT and encourage school teachers to use them. However, teachers need to be specifically trained in order to integrate ICT in their teaching.

                Schools are known to be resistant to innovation and change. However, the spread of ICT is beginning to affect how teachers teach. One of the current issues about the use of ICT is how it is integrated into the curriculum. The curriculum documents provide arguments for introducing ICT in the school setting. Therefore, schools expect that graduates from teacher education programs have a reasonable knowledge of how to use ICT. However, this may not be the case because most current teachers’ preservice preparation, and subsequent in-service courses were designed by using traditional eduvational technology and settings. Thus, the participants in these courses are not familiar with the processes, interaction patterns, features and possibilities of teaching learning processes based on ICT.

                This issue becomes complicated because the students’ thinking skills are often weak. Also, they typically lack information literacy skills although they were born in or after 1982. In addition, they belong to the “Net Generation”. Furthermore, they are accustomed to operating in a digital environment for communication, information gathering, and analysis. The problem is that students do not have to understand how their use of technology affects their habits of learning.

                Effective development of pre-service teachers’ ICT proficiency does not seem to be a direct process, but is the one asking for a careful, complex approach. First, a needs assessment is important to find out what ICT skills and knowledge teachers need at schools. Second, designers of teachers education programs should know the pre-service teachers’ perceptions of ICT and their attitudes toward ICT integration into curriculum. Third, teacher education programs need to consider the two typical arguments that support the ICT use in schools.

(Diadaptasi dari http://www.cjlt.ca/index.php/cjlt/article/view/498/229)

The assumption the author has about teacher education programs is that ....

   

        Over the last two decades, the use of ICT has been an important topic in education. On the one hand, studies have shown that ICT can enhance teaching and learning outcomes. For example, in science and mathematics education scholars have documented that the use of ICT can improve students’ conceptual understanding, problem solving, and team working skills. Consequently, most curriculum documents state the importance of ICT and encourage school teachers to use them. However, teachers need to be specifically trained in order to integrate ICT in their teaching.

                Schools are known to be resistant to innovation and change. However, the spread of ICT is beginning to affect how teachers teach. One of the current issues about the use of ICT is how it is integrated into the curriculum. The curriculum documents provide arguments for introducing ICT in the school setting. Therefore, schools expect that graduates from teacher education programs have a reasonable knowledge of how to use ICT. However, this may not be the case because most current teachers’ preservice preparation, and subsequent in-service courses were designed by using traditional eduvational technology and settings. Thus, the participants in these courses are not familiar with the processes, interaction patterns, features and possibilities of teaching learning processes based on ICT.

                This issue becomes complicated because the students’ thinking skills are often weak. Also, they typically lack information literacy skills although they were born in or after 1982. In addition, they belong to the “Net Generation”. Furthermore, they are accustomed to operating in a digital environment for communication, information gathering, and analysis. The problem is that students do not have to understand how their use of technology affects their habits of learning.

                Effective development of pre-service teachers’ ICT proficiency does not seem to be a direct process, but is the one asking for a careful, complex approach. First, a needs assessment is important to find out what ICT skills and knowledge teachers need at schools. Second, designers of teachers education programs should know the pre-service teachers’ perceptions of ICT and their attitudes toward ICT integration into curriculum. Third, teacher education programs need to consider the two typical arguments that support the ICT use in schools.

(Diadaptasi dari http://www.cjlt.ca/index.php/cjlt/article/view/498/229)

The author's idea of the relationship between the use of ICT and learning outcome is analogous with ....

            

       

        Over the last two decades, the use of ICT has been an important topic in education. On the one hand, studies have shown that ICT can enhance teaching and learning outcomes. For example, in science and mathematics education scholars have documented that the use of ICT can improve students’ conceptual understanding, problem solving, and team working skills. Consequently, most curriculum documents state the importance of ICT and encourage school teachers to use them. However, teachers need to be specifically trained in order to integrate ICT in their teaching.

                Schools are known to be resistant to innovation and change. However, the spread of ICT is beginning to affect how teachers teach. One of the current issues about the use of ICT is how it is integrated into the curriculum. The curriculum documents provide arguments for introducing ICT in the school setting. Therefore, schools expect that graduates from teacher education programs have a reasonable knowledge of how to use ICT. However, this may not be the case because most current teachers’ preservice preparation, and subsequent in-service courses were designed by using traditional eduvational technology and settings. Thus, the participants in these courses are not familiar with the processes, interaction patterns, features and possibilities of teaching learning processes based on ICT.

                This issue becomes complicated because the students’ thinking skills are often weak. Also, they typically lack information literacy skills although they were born in or after 1982. In addition, they belong to the “Net Generation”. Furthermore, they are accustomed to operating in a digital environment for communication, information gathering, and analysis. The problem is that students do not have to understand how their use of technology affects their habits of learning.

                Effective development of pre-service teachers’ ICT proficiency does not seem to be a direct process, but is the one asking for a careful, complex approach. First, a needs assessment is important to find out what ICT skills and knowledge teachers need at schools. Second, designers of teachers education programs should know the pre-service teachers’ perceptions of ICT and their attitudes toward ICT integration into curriculum. Third, teacher education programs need to consider the two typical arguments that support the ICT use in schools.

(Diadaptasi dari http://www.cjlt.ca/index.php/cjlt/article/view/498/229)

With the statement 'One of the current issues about the use of ICT is how it is intergrated into the curriculum.' in line 7, the author intends to ....

                    Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) are a group oh highly inheritable behavioral disorders that pose major personal and public health concerns. Patients with ASDs have mild to severe communication difficulties, repetitive behavior and social challenges. Such disorders significantly challenge an individual’s ability to conduct daily activities and function normally in society. Currently there are very few medication options that effectively treat ASDs.

                Recognizing a need to better understand the biology that produces ASD symptoms, scientists at Duke-NUS and NNI, Singapore, have identified a novel mechanism that potensially links abnormal brain development to the cause of ASDs. This new knowledge will help to improve the diagnosis and development of therapeutic interventions for ASDs.

                The study has shown how one brain-specific microRNA (miR-128) plays a key role in causing abnormal brain development. MicroRNAs are small molecules that regulated gene expression in the human body to ensure proper cellular functions. Although it was known that miR-128 is misregulated in some patients with autism, what that meant and how it functioned was not known.

                The research team showed that miR-128 targets a protein called PCM1 that is critical to the cell division of neutral precursor cell (NPCs). NPCs during early brain development have two fates-they either  stay as NPCs abd undergo self-renewal or become neurons through differentiation. The dysfunctional regulation of PCM1 by misregulated miR-128 impairs brain development, which my underlie brain size changes in people with ASDs.

                For the first time, the researchers have managed to show that miR-128 is a mechanism that regulates early naeronal behavior during brain development. They believe that targeting this mechanism may be the answer to diagnose and treat ASDs that are caused by abnormal brain development.

                This important study suggests a link between a key neurogical disease gene and regulation of microRNAs in the brain. However , the researchers are just starting to understand how misregulated miR-128 expression can damage our brain activities. Much more work needs to be done in this area.

(Diadaptasi dari http://www.duke-nus.edu.sg/news/explaining -autism-study-identifies-novel-mechanism-causes-abnormal-brain-development)

What do  the researchers expect to be able to do as a result of their findings? 

   Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) are a group oh highly inheritable behavioral disorders that pose major personal and public health concerns. Patients with ASDs have mild to severe communication difficulties, repetitive behavior and social challenges. Such disorders significantly challenge an individual’s ability to conduct daily activities and function normally in society. Currently there are very few medication options that effectively treat ASDs.

                Recognizing a need to better understand the biology that produces ASD symptoms, scientists at Duke-NUS and NNI, Singapore, have identified a novel mechanism that potensially links abnormal brain development to the cause of ASDs. This new knowledge will help to improve the diagnosis and development of therapeutic interventions for ASDs.

                The study has shown how one brain-specific microRNA (miR-128) plays a key role in causing abnormal brain development. MicroRNAs are small molecules that regulated gene expression in the human body to ensure proper cellular functions. Although it was known that miR-128 is misregulated in some patients with autism, what that meant and how it functioned was not known.

                The research team showed that miR-128 targets a protein called PCM1 that is critical to the cell division of neutral precursor cell (NPCs). NPCs during early brain development have two fates-they either  stay as NPCs abd undergo self-renewal or become neurons through differentiation. The dysfunctional regulation of PCM1 by misregulated miR-128 impairs brain development, which my underlie brain size changes in people with ASDs.

                For the first time, the researchers have managed to show that miR-128 is a mechanism that regulates early naeronal behavior during brain development. They believe that targeting this mechanism may be the answer to diagnose and treat ASDs that are caused by abnormal brain development.

                This important study suggests a link between a key neurogical disease gene and regulation of microRNAs in the brain. However , the researchers are just starting to understand how misregulated miR-128 expression can damage our brain activities. Much more work needs to be done in this area.

(Diadaptasi dari http://www.duke-nus.edu.sg/news/explaining -autism-study-identifies-novel-mechanism-causes-abnormal-brain-development)

The word impairs in line 13 means ....

                   

   Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) are a group oh highly inheritable behavioral disorders that pose major personal and public health concerns. Patients with ASDs have mild to severe communication difficulties, repetitive behavior and social challenges. Such disorders significantly challenge an individual’s ability to conduct daily activities and function normally in society. Currently there are very few medication options that effectively treat ASDs.

                Recognizing a need to better understand the biology that produces ASD symptoms, scientists at Duke-NUS and NNI, Singapore, have identified a novel mechanism that potensially links abnormal brain development to the cause of ASDs. This new knowledge will help to improve the diagnosis and development of therapeutic interventions for ASDs.

                The study has shown how one brain-specific microRNA (miR-128) plays a key role in causing abnormal brain development. MicroRNAs are small molecules that regulated gene expression in the human body to ensure proper cellular functions. Although it was known that miR-128 is misregulated in some patients with autism, what that meant and how it functioned was not known.

                The research team showed that miR-128 targets a protein called PCM1 that is critical to the cell division of neutral precursor cell (NPCs). NPCs during early brain development have two fates-they either  stay as NPCs abd undergo self-renewal or become neurons through differentiation. The dysfunctional regulation of PCM1 by misregulated miR-128 impairs brain development, which my underlie brain size changes in people with ASDs.

                For the first time, the researchers have managed to show that miR-128 is a mechanism that regulates early naeronal behavior during brain development. They believe that targeting this mechanism may be the answer to diagnose and treat ASDs that are caused by abnormal brain development.

                This important study suggests a link between a key neurogical disease gene and regulation of microRNAs in the brain. However , the researchers are just starting to understand how misregulated miR-128 expression can damage our brain activities. Much more work needs to be done in this area.

(Diadaptasi dari http://www.duke-nus.edu.sg/news/explaining -autism-study-identifies-novel-mechanism-causes-abnormal-brain-development)

What is the topic of the passage?

Different forms of energy sources have helped us in many ways from running our vehicles to cooking at home or generating electricity. There are two types of energy sources-renewable and non-renewable energy resources. The former is where the energy resources do not get depleted and they can be used repeatedly whereas non-renewable energy resources cannot be used again and again.

We cannot even imagine a life without the existence of fossil fuels like crude oil; coal and natural gas. But, usage of these energy resources creates lot of problems. Global warming, increase in prices of fossil fuels, and the threat of peak oil are major concerns around the globe but what steps are we taking to overcome all these issues? If we stop consuming fossil fuels, we can stop global warming and save non renewable energy resources for our future generations to deploy. But, at the same time we need to seek an alternative to meet our requirements. We come across these topics on television, internet, and magazines and there is a lot of debate going on with regards to these topics. Is it possible for us to overcome the crisis? Only alternative energy solutions can help us as well as our environment to some extent.

Industries that deal with alternative energy solutions like solar and wind power thrive hard to save our environment. Even though modern technologies are being implemented to extract crude oil from places. Which were not reachable earlier, it is still nor possible to meet the growing demand. The demand for fossil fuels is increasing due to the rapid increase in population growth. Alternative energy -solutions have lot of benefits when compared to non-renewable energy resources. Industries have started investing their time and money in researching as well as setting up power plants.

Certain home users hesitate to go for alternative energy solutions as initial investment needs to be made. However, once the equipment is installed, there will be no maintenance costs or other repetitive costs. Apart from the set up cost, energy from the sun and the wind will always be free in any part of the country and there is no need for being dependent upon other countries. On the other hand, the prices of renewable energy resources keep increasing and certain countries have to dependent upon major oil producing countries. Home users who consume alternative energy resources can cut down on their electricity bills.

Every system has its own pros and cons but the best and wise thing to do is weigh the options that are available and choose the energy resources that offers long-term benefits. When it comes to alternative energy solutions, setting up solar plants and building windmills is a huge and complicated process but once they are set up, they offer endless benefits. In case of fossil fuels, oil companies need to locate the proven reserves, dig oil wells, extract oil, and convert into a more usable from so that it can reach the end consumer.

 

Based on the passage, it can be hypothesized that we cannot stop global warming and save non-renewable energy reources for our future generations if ...