Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the
correct answer to each of the questions from 28 to 34.
There are many African tribes but, for many people, the Masai are the most well-known. They
are famous for their bright red clothing and their ceremonies with lots of music and dancing.
Probably, one of the most colorful ceremonies is the festival of "Eunoto," when the teenage boys of
the Masai become men.
Eunoto lasts for many days and Masai people travel across the region to get to a special place near
the border between Kenya and Tanzania. The teenage boys who travel with them are called "warriors ."
This is a traditional name from the past when young men fought with other tribes.
At the beginning of the ceremony, the teenagers paint their bodies while their mothers start to build
a place called the "Osingira," a sacred room in the middle of the celebrations. Later, the senior elders
from different tribes will sit inside this place and, at different times, the boys go inside to meet them.
Later in the day, the boys run around the Osingira, going faster and faster each time.
The teenagers also have to alter their appearance at Eunoto. Masai boys' hair is very long before
the ritual but they have to cut it off. In Masai culture, hair is an important symbol. For example, when a
baby grows into an infant, the mother cuts the child's hair and gives the child a name. At a Masai
wedding, the hair of the bride is also cut off as she becomes a woman. And so, at Eunoto, the teenage
boy's mother cuts his hair off at sunrise.
On the final day, the teenagers meet the senior elders one more time. They get this advice: "Now
you are men, use your heads and knowledge." Then, people start to travel back to their homes and
lands. The teenagers are no longer warriors. They are adult men and now they will get married and
have children. Later in life, they will be the leaders of their communities.
(Adapted from "Life" by John Hughes, Helen Stephenson and Paul Dummett)
Question 28: What is the passage mainly about?
A. The ceremony that marks the beginning of Masai boys' adulthood
B. The journey by Masai teenage boys to the festival of Eunoto
C. The importance of Eunoto in African people's lives
D. The reasons for the Masai's popularity over other African tribes
Question 29: The word " " in paragraph 2 mostly means ______. warriors
A. dancers B. fighters C. musicians D. travellers
Question 30: The word " " in paragraph 3 refers to ______. them
A. different tribes B. their mothers C. the boys D. the senior elders
Question 31: According to paragraph 3, the Osingira is built by ______.
A. the Masai senior elders B. Masai teenagers
C. the Masai teenage boys' mothers . Masai men D
Question 32: The word " " in paragraph 4 is closest in meaning to ______. alter
A. differ . change B C. maintain D. distinguish
Question 33: According to the passage, what do the teenage boys do at Eunoto?
A. Painting their bodies B. Receiving new names
C. Changing their clothes D. Fighting with other tribes
Question 34: According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE?
A. The Masai teenage boys are given advice from senior elders before attending Eunoto.
B. The Masai teenage boys will become adults and get married after attending Eunoto.
C. Eunoto lasts for a day across the region between Kenya and Tanzania.
D. Eunoto is the ceremony for both Masai teenage boys and girls.