Read Passage 1.

A Japanese construction company plans to build a huge independent city-state, akin to the legendary Atlantis, in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. The city, dubbed "Marinnation," would have about one million inhabitants, two airports, and possibly even a spaceport. Marinnation, if built, would be a separate country but could serve as a home for international organizations such as the United Nations and the World Bank.
Aside from the many political and social problems that would have to be solved, the engineering task envisaged is monumental. The initial stage requires the building of a circular dam 18 miles in diameter attached to the seabed in a relatively shallow place in international waters. Then, several hundred pumps, operating for more than a year would suck out the seawater from within the dam. When empty and dry, the area would have a city constructed on it. The actual land would be about 300 feet below sea level. According to designers, the hardest task from an engineering point of view would be to ensure that the dam is leak proof and earthquake proof.
If all goes well, it is hoped that Marinnation could be ready for habitation at the end of the second decade of the twenty-first century. Whether anyone would want to live in such an isolated and artificial community, however, will remain an open question until that time.


The word akin here means

Read Passage 2.

Until recently, growth hormone could only be obtained from the pituitary glands of dead people. This substance is used to treat children who did not produce enough of their own growth hormone and who would, therefore, grow up as dwarfs. The natural product was taken off the market after it was linked to a brain disease which attacked some of the children undergoing treatment with it. But now, a new synthetic growth hormone has been developed which, it is claimed, has no dangerous side effects. The new drug is called "Somatrem" and can be produced in unlimited quantities.
For children who are deficient in their own growth hormone, Somatrem is an important medical advance. The problem is that the drug may be abused by people who are not medically in need of its benefits. For example, athletes may take the drug in the belief that it will improve their physique and physical performance. Parents may want to obtain the drug for their children who are only marginally under average height. For such reasons, experts are recommending that registers be kept of Somatrem recipients. The implications of the use of Somatrem must be thoroughly understood before widespread distribution of the drug is undertaken.


The word gland here means

Read Passage 3.

Cole Porter was never regarded in his lifetime as socially conscious. Society-conscious, yes; he was born rich, and married richer, to Linda Lee Thomas, a wealthy divorcee. Songwriting made him a third fortune. He was not just rich and famous, he was famous for being rich. Though not a native New Yorker - he was a backcountry boy from Peru, Indiana - he and his work came to typify smart Manhattan society. His music was a highly personal mixture and had huge appeal. Porter, as an admiring contemporary remarked, made sophistication popular.

The word sophistication here means

Read Passage 4.

Yuzen dyeing is a Japanese art that produces a lavish, multicolored type of kimono design that dates from the seventeenth century. First, a pattern is sketched on a
kimono of plain, undyed silk. The garment is then taken apart and the design carefully painted onto the fabric with a paste that prevents the fabric from absorbing dye. Next, dyes are brushed over the silk, their colors penetrating only the untreated areas. After the paste is rinsed out, the strips of silk are again sewed into the kimono. Elaborate embroidery often completes the decoration.

The word rinse out here means