(I) According to ancient Egyptian beliefs, having a well-preserved dead body was very important in order to ensure a blissful afterlife. (II) For this reason, one of the most elaborate burial customs that was practised by the Egyptians was the act of mummication; that is, the preservation of a dead body by using several substances. (III) After a few preliminary steps, the bod y would be thoroughly dried out by the heat of the s and which eliminated all fungi and bacteria from the body, thus making it immune to decay. (IV) Grave robbery has been very popular, because the dead were buried along with many valuable items. (V) However, it was reserved for the richest and most powerful in Egyptian society for the process was long and expensive.

Several EU member states enjoy long-standing political and economic links with Latin America. In fact, it was in the 1960s and 1970s that the EU rst began expanding its ties to the region through a series of diplomatic initiatives and agreements aimed at promoting democracy, addressing development issues, and boosting trade and investment. Moreover, the EU actively worked for peace in the troubled Central American region in the 1980s. In the meantime, the accession in 1986 of Spain and Portugal to the EU further strengthened region-toregion ties. EU engagement in Latin America increased during the 1990s as a formal political dialogue was put in place to advance issues of common interest, including how the EU and Latin America together can act in concert with other nations and international organizations to address global issues and challenges.

 According to the passage, the EU’s relations with Latin America ----.

Several EU member states enjoy long-standing political and economic links with Latin America. In fact, it was in the 1960s and 1970s that the EU rst began expanding its ties to the region through a series of diplomatic initiatives and agreements aimed at promoting democracy, addressing development issues, and boosting trade and investment. Moreover, the EU actively worked for peace in the troubled Central American region in the 1980s. In the meantime, the accession in 1986 of Spain and Portugal to the EU further strengthened region-toregion ties. EU engagement in Latin America increased during the 1990s as a formal political dialogue was put in place to advance issues of common interest, including how the EU and Latin America together can act in concert with other nations and international organizations to address global issues and challenges.

 It is clearly emphasized in the passage that one of the EU’s primary aims in establishing ties with Latin America was to ----.

Several EU member states enjoy long-standing political and economic links with Latin America. In fact, it was in the 1960s and 1970s that the EU rst began expanding its ties to the region through a series of diplomatic initiatives and agreements aimed at promoting democracy, addressing development issues, and boosting trade and investment. Moreover, the EU actively worked for peace in the troubled Central American region in the 1980s. In the meantime, the accession in 1986 of Spain and Portugal to the EU further strengthened region-toregion ties. EU engagement in Latin America increased during the 1990s as a formal political dialogue was put in place to advance issues of common interest, including how the EU and Latin America together can act in concert with other nations and international organizations to address global issues and challenges.

In the passage, attention is drawn to the fact that ----.

Several EU member states enjoy long-standing political and economic links with Latin America. In fact, it was in the 1960s and 1970s that the EU rst began expanding its ties to the region through a series of diplomatic initiatives and agreements aimed at promoting democracy, addressing development issues, and boosting trade and investment. Moreover, the EU actively worked for peace in the troubled Central American region in the 1980s. In the meantime, the accession in 1986 of Spain and Portugal to the EU further strengthened region-toregion ties. EU engagement in Latin America increased during the 1990s as a formal political dialogue was put in place to advance issues of common interest, including how the EU and Latin America together can act in concert with other nations and international organizations to address global issues and challenges.

In the passage, the author describes ---- ----.

For the past 300 years, musicians and scientists have puzzled over the unparalleled quality of classical Cremonese violins made by the Italian master Antonio Stradivari. These classical violins have become the benchmark against which the sound of all other violins is compared. There are many theories as to the “secret” of Stradivarius violins. What was obviously rst explored was the exact size of the violins and ratio of the parts to each other. Although instrument makers have disassembled their violins, calibrated every dimension of the pieces to within the hundredth of an inch, and replicated the measurements perfectly in new instruments, they have failed to duplicate the Stradivarius magic. It is also well-known that the density of the material through which a sound propagates influences signicantly the vibration eciency of the material, therefore the tonal qualities of the instrument. It is also a widely held belief that Stradivari’s well-guarded va rnish formula was not just a protective coating of the instrument, but actually the most important secret to his violins.

 It is stressed in the passage that ----.

For the past 300 years, musicians and scientists have puzzled over the unparalleled quality of classical Cremonese violins made by the Italian master Antonio Stradivari. These classical violins have become the benchmark against which the sound of all other violins is compared. There are many theories as to the “secret” of Stradivarius violins. What was obviously rst explored was the exact size of the violins and ratio of the parts to each other. Although instrument makers have disassembled their violins, calibrated every dimension of the pieces to within the hundredth of an inch, and replicated the measurements perfectly in new instruments, they have failed to duplicate the Stradivarius magic. It is also well-known that the density of the material through which a sound propagates influences signicantly the vibration eciency of the material, therefore the tonal qualities of the instrument. It is also a widely held belief that Stradivari’s well-guarded va rnish formula was not just a protective coating of the instrument, but actually the most important secret to his violins.

 We understand from the passage that ----.

For the past 300 years, musicians and scientists have puzzled over the unparalleled quality of classical Cremonese violins made by the Italian master Antonio Stradivari. These classical violins have become the benchmark against which the sound of all other violins is compared. There are many theories as to the “secret” of Stradivarius violins. What was obviously rst explored was the exact size of the violins and ratio of the parts to each other. Although instrument makers have disassembled their violins, calibrated every dimension of the pieces to within the hundredth of an inch, and replicated the measurements perfectly in new instruments, they have failed to duplicate the Stradivarius magic. It is also well-known that the density of the material through which a sound propagates influences signicantly the vibration eciency of the material, therefore the tonal qualities of the instrument. It is also a widely held belief that Stradivari’s well-guarded va rnish formula was not just a protective coating of the instrument, but actually the most important secret to his violins.

 It is clearly pointed out in the passage that the quality of Stradivarius violins ----.

For the past 300 years, musicians and scientists have puzzled over the unparalleled quality of classical Cremonese violins made by the Italian master Antonio Stradivari. These classical violins have become the benchmark against which the sound of all other violins is compared. There are many theories as to the “secret” of Stradivarius violins. What was obviously rst explored was the exact size of the violins and ratio of the parts to each other. Although instrument makers have disassembled their violins, calibrated every dimension of the pieces to within the hundredth of an inch, and replicated the measurements perfectly in new instruments, they have failed to duplicate the Stradivarius magic. It is also well-known that the density of the material through which a sound propagates influences signicantly the vibration eciency of the material, therefore the tonal qualities of the instrument. It is also a widely held belief that Stradivari’s well-guarded va rnish formula was not just a protective coating of the instrument, but actually the most important secret to his violins.

 According to the passage, there is a close relationship between ----.