15. The following extract was taken from Focus on Malaysia published by Progress International. Read the passage and then answer the questions below.

Wherever one looks in the world, there is the threat of confrontation, guerrilla or urban warfare, clashing ideologies. It is so in Africa, or in the Middle East, even in Europe, and in South East Asia. But in those same regions there are always the countries of strength, stability and progress. Malaysia is certainly one such.

Few countries with racial or religious divisions can boast of so steady a progress towards national unity and one has only to visit Malaysia to appreciate that, though there is no under-estimating of the situation, it is well under control and that confidence in the country's future, far from being diminished, is stronger than ever.

It is in fact business as usual. And what a business it is proving to be.

Last year, the real growth of the economy was around 3.5 per cent, remarkable in a year of painful international depression - especially when one considers that in the US and the leading countries of Europe real output actually declined.

What has to be borne in mind is that though Malaysia is regarded as a developing country, its economy is controlled in a sophisticated way.

The major product sectors, such as rubber, tin, timber, palm oil, are controlled as efficiently as anywhere in the world.

This is a well-blessed country, with its considerable range of raw materials and its rapidly growing manufacturing and construction sectors. On top of all else, Malaysia has the benefit of oil reserves. The final figure of reserves and the optimum contribution to the economy remain to be seen, but what is unarguable is that Malaysia's oil is going to save it a lot of money.

(a) Explain the meaning, as used in the passage, of the following expressions:

confrontation; appreciate; sophisticated; optimum.

(b) What reasons are given in the passage for the author's confidence in the country's future?

(c) What two possible political difficulties does the author imply that Malaysia may have to face?

(d) The author's style of writing might be described as 'journalistic'.

Comment on any two features of his writing which might justify such a description.