PRACTICE TEST 30

October 1997

Question 1-7

Hotels were among the earliest facilities that bound the United States together. They

were both creatures and creators of communities, as well as symptoms of the frenetic

quest for community. Even in the first part of the nineteenth century, Americans were

Line already forming the habit of gathering from all corners of the nation for both public and

(5) private, business and pleasure purposes. Conventions were the new occasions, and

hotels were distinctively American facilities making conventions possible. The first

national convention of a major party to choose a candidate for President (that of the

National Republican party, which met on December 12, 1831, and nominated Henry

Clay for President) was held in Baltimore, at a hotel that was then reputed to be the

(10) best in the country. The presence in Baltimore of Barnum's City Hotel, a six-story

building with two hundred apartments, helps explain why many other early national

political conventions were held there.

In the longer run, too. American hotels made other national conventions not only

possible but pleasant and convivial. The growing custom of regularly assembling from

(15) afar the representatives of all kinds of groups - not only for political conventions, but

also for commercial, professional, learned, and avocational ones - in turn supported

the multiplying hotels. By mid-twentieth century, conventions accounted for over a

third of the yearly room occupancy of all hotels in the nation, about eighteen thousand

different conventions were held annually with a total attendance of about ten million

(20) persons.

Nineteenth-century American hotelkeepers, who were no longer the genial,

deferential "hosts" of the eighteenth-century European inn, became leading citizens.

Holding a large stake in the community, they exercised power to make it prosper. As

owners or managers of the local "palace of the public", they were makers and shapers

(25) of a principal community attraction. Travelers from abroad were mildly shocked by

this high social position.

1. The word "bound" in line 1 is closest in meaning to

(A) led (B) protected (C) tied (D) strengthened

2. The National Republican party is mentioned in line 8 as an example of a group

(A) from Baltimore (B) of learned people

3. The word "assembling" in line 14 is closest in meaning to

(A) announcing (B) motivating (C) gathering (D) contracting

4. The word "ones" in line 16 refers to

(A) hotels (B) conventions (C) kinds (D) representatives

5. The word "it" in line 23 refers to

(A) European inn (B) host (C) community (D) public

6. It can be inferred from the passage that early hotelkeepers in the United States were

(A) active politicians (B) European immigrants

7. Which of the following statements about early American hotels is NOT mentioned in the passage?

(A) Travelers from abroad did not enjoy staying in them.

(B) Conventions were held in them

(D) They were important to the community.

Question 8-17

Beads were probably the first durable ornaments humans possessed, and the

intimate relationship they had with their owners is reflected in the fact that beads are

among the most common items found in ancient archaeological sites. In the past, as

Line today, men, women, and children adorned themselves with beads. In some cultures

(5) still, certain beads are often worn from birth until death, and then are buried with their

owners for the afterlife. Abrasion due to daily wear alters the surface features of beads,

and if they are buried for long, the effects of corrosion can further change their

appearance. Thus, interest is imparted to the bead both by use and the effects of time.

Besides their wearability, either as jewelry or incorporated into articles of attire,

(10) beads possess the desirable characteristics of every collectible, they are durable,

portable, available in infinite variety, and often valuable in their original cultural

context as well as in today's market. Pleasing to look at and touch, beads come in

shapes, colors, and materials that almost compel one to handle them and to sort them.

Beads are miniature bundles of secrets waiting to be revealed: their history,

(15) manufacture, cultural context, economic role, and ornamental use are all points of

information one hopes to unravel. Even the most mundane beads may have traveled

great distances and been exposed to many human experiences. The bead researcher

must gather information from many diverse fields. In addition to having to be a

generalist while specializing in what may seem to be a narrow field, the researcher is

(20) faced with the problem of primary materials that have little or no documentation. Many

ancient beads that are of ethnographic interest have often been separated from their

original cultural context.

The special attractions of beads contribute to the uniqueness of bead research. While

often regarded as the "small change of civilizations", beads are a part of every culture,

(25) and they can often be used to date archaeological sites and to designate the degree of

mercantile, technological, and cultural sophistication.

8. What is the main subject of the passage?

(A) Materials used in making beads (B) How beads are made

9. The word "adorned" in line 4 is closest in meaning to

(A) protected (B) decorated (C) purchased (D) enjoyed

10. The word "attire" in line 9 is closest in meaning to

(A) ritual (B) importance (C) clothing (D) history

11. All of the following are given as characteristics of collectible objects EXCEPT

(A) durability (B) portability (C) value (D) scarcity.

12. According to the passage, all of the following are factors that make people want to touch beads
EXCEPT the

(A) shape (B) color (C) material (D) odor

13. The word "unravel" in line 16 is closest in meaning to

(A) communicate (B) transport (C) improve (D) discover

14. The word "mundane" in line 16 is closest in meaning to

(A) carved (B) beautiful (C) ordinary (D) heavy

15. It is difficult to trace the history of certain ancient beads because they

(A) are small in size

(B) have been buried underground

(D) are frequently lost

16. Knowledge of the history of some beads may be useful in the studies done by which of the following?

(A) Anthropologists (B) Agricultural experts

17. Where in the passage does the author describe why the appearance of beads may change?

(A) Lines 3-4 (B) Lines 6-8 (C) Lines 12-13 (D) Lines 20-22

Question 18-31

In the world of birds, bill design is a prime example of evolutionary fine-tuning.

Shorebirds such as oystercatchers use their bills to pry open the tightly sealed shells of

their prey; hummingbirds have stiletto-like bills to probe the deepest nectar-bearing

Line flowers; and kiwis smell out earthworms thanks to nostrils located at the tip of their

(5) beaks. But few birds are more intimately tied to their source of sustenance than are

crossbills. Two species of these finches, named for the way the upper and lower parts

of their bills cross, rather than meet in the middle, reside in the evergreen forests of

North America and feed on the seeds held within the cones of coniferous trees.

The efficiency of the bill is evident when a crossbill locates a cone. Using a lateral

(10) motion of its lower mandible, the bird separates two overlapping scales on the cone and

exposes the seed. The crossed mandibles enable the bird to exert a powerful biting

force at the bill tips, which is critical for maneuvering them between the scales and

spreading the scales apart. Next, the crossbill snakes its long tongue into the gap and

draws out the seed. Using the combined action of the bill and tongue, the bird cracks

(15) open and discards the woody seed covering action and swallows the nutritious inner kernel.

This whole process takes but a few seconds and is repeated hundreds of times a day.

The bills of different crossbill species and subspecies vary - some are stout and

deep, others more slender and shallow. As a rule, large-billed crossbills are better at

seeming seeds from large cones, while small-billed crossbills are more deft at

(20) removing the seeds from small, thin-scaled cones. Moreover, the degree to which cones

are naturally slightly open or tightly closed helps determine which bill design is the best.

One anomaly is the subspecies of red crossbill known as the Newfoundland

crossbill. This bird has a large, robust bill, yet most of Newfoundland's conifers

have small cones, the same kind of cones that the slender-billed white-wings rely on.

18. What does the passage mainly discuss?

(A) The importance of conifers in evergreen forests

(B) The efficiency of the bill of the crossbill

(D) The different techniques birds use to obtain food

19. Which of the following statements best represents the type of "evolutionary fine-turning" mentioned in line 1?

(A) Different shapes of bills have evolved depending on the available food supply

(B) White - wing crossbills have evolved from red crossbills

(D) Several subspecies of crossbills have evolved from two species

20. Why does the author mention oystercatchers, hummingbirds, and kiwis in lines 2-4?

(A) They are examples of birds that live in the forest

(B) Their beaks are similar to the beak of the crossbill

(D) They are closely related to the crossbill

21. Crossbills are a type of

(A) shorebird (B) hummingbird (C) kiwi (D) finch

22. Which of the following most closely resembles the bird described in lines 6-8?

Unable to find options for this question

23. The word "which" in line 12 refers to

(A) seed (B) bird (C) force (D) bill

24. The word "gap" in line 13 is closest in meaning to

(A) opening (B) flower (C) mouth (D) tree

25. The word "discards" in line 15 is closest in meaning to

(A) eats (B) breaks (C) finds out (D) gets rid of

26. The word "others" in line 18 refers to

(A) bills (B) species (C) seeds (D) cones

27. The word "deft" in line 19 is closest in meaning to

(A) hungry (B) skilled (C) tired (D) pleasant

28. The word "robust" in line 24 is closest in meaning to

(A) strong (B) colorful (C) unusual (D) sharp

29. In what way is the Newfoundland crossbill an anomaly?

(A) It is larger than the other crossbill species

(B) It uses a different technique to obtain food

(D) It does not live in evergreen forests.

30. The final paragraph of the passage will probably continue with a discussion of

(A) other species of forest birds

(B) the fragile ecosystem of Newfoundland

(D) how the Newfoundland crossbill survives with a large bill

31. Where in the passage does the author describe how a crossbill removes a seed from its cone?

(A) The first paragraph (B) The second paragraph

Question 32-38

If you look closely at some of the early copies of the Declaration of Independence,

beyond the flourished signature of John Hancock and the other 55 men who signed it,

you will also find the name of one woman, Mary Katherine Goddard. It was she, a

Line Baltimore printer, who published the first official copies of the Declaration, the first

(5) copies that included the names of its signers and therefore heralded the support of all

thirteen colonies.

Mary Goddard first got into printing at the age of twenty-four when her brother

opened a printing shop in Providence, Rhode Island, in 1762. When he proceeded to

get into trouble with his partners and creditors, it was Mary Goddard and her mother

(10) who were left to run the shop. In 1765 they began publishing the Providence Gazette, a

weekly newspaper. Similar problems seemed to follow her brother as he opened

businesses in Philadelphia and again in Baltimore. Each time Ms. Goddard was

brought in to run the newspapers. After starting Baltimore's first newspaper, The

Maryland Journal, in 1773, her brother went broke trying to organize a colonial postal

(15) service. While he was in debtor's prison. Mary Katherine Goddard's name appeared on

the newspaper's masthead for the first time.

When the Continental Congress fled there from Philadelphia in 1776, it

commissioned Ms. Goddard to print the first official version of the Declaration of

Independence in January 1777. After printing the documents, she herself paid the post

(20) riders to deliver the Declaration throughout the colonies.

During the American Revolution, Mary Goddard continued to publish Baltimore's

only newspaper, which one historian claimed was "second to none among the

colonies". She was also the city's postmaster from 1775 to 1789 - appointed by

Benjamin Franklin - and is considered to be the first woman to hold a federal position.

32. With which of the following subjects is the passage mainly concerned?

(A) The accomplishments of a female publisher

(B) The weakness of the newspaper industry

(D) The publishing system in colonial America

33. Mary Goddard's name appears on the Declaration of Independence because

(A) she helped write the original document (B) she published the document

34. The word "heralded" in line 5 is closest in meaning to

(A) influenced (B) announced (C) rejected (D) ignored

35. According to the passage, Mary Goddard first became involved in publishing when she

(A) was appointed by Benjamin Franklin (B) signed the Declaration of Independence.

36. The word "there" in line 17 refers to

(A) the colonies (B) the print shop (C) Baltimore (D) Providence

37. It can be inferred from the passage that Mary Goddard was

(A) an accomplished businesswoman (B) extremely wealthy

38. The word "position" in line 24 is closest in meaning to

(A) job (B) election (C) document (D) location

Question 39-50

Galaxies are the major building blocks of the universe. A galaxy is giant family of

many millions of stars, and it is held together by its own gravitational field. Most of the

material universe is organized into galaxies of stars together with gas and dust.

Line There are three main types of galaxy: spiral, elliptical, and irregular. The Milky

(5) Way is a spiral galaxy, a flattish disc of stars with two spiral arms emerging from its

central nucleus. About one-quarter of all galaxies have this shape. Spiral galaxies are

well supplied with the interstellar gas in which new stars form: as the rotating spiral

pattern sweeps around the galaxy it compresses gas and dust, triggering the formation

of bright young stars and in its arms. The elliptical galaxies have a symmetrical elliptical or

(10) spheroidal shape with no obvious structure. Most of their member stars are very old

and since ellipticals are devoid of interstellar gas, no new stars are forming in them.

The biggest and brightest galaxies in the universe are ellipticals with masses of about

1013 times that of the Sun, these giants may frequently be sources of strong radio

emission, in which case they are called radio galaxies. About two-thirds of all galaxies

(15) are elliptical. Irregular galaxies comprise about one-tenth of all galaxies and they come

in many subclasses.

Measurement in space is quite different from measurement on Earth. Some

terrestrial distances can be expressed as intervals of time, the time to fly from one

continent to another or the time it takes to drive to work, for example. By comparison

(25) with these familiar yardsticks, the distances to the galaxies are incomprehensibly large,

but they too are made more manageable by using a time calibration, in this case the

distance that light travels in one year. On such a scale the nearest giant spiral galaxy,

the Andromeda galaxy, is two million light years away. The most distant luminous

objects seen by telescopes are probably ten thousand million light years away. Their

(30) light was already halfway here before the Earth even formed. The light from the nearby

Virgo galaxy set out when reptiles still dominated the animal world.

39. The word "major" in line 1 is closest in meaning to

(A) intense (B) principal (C) huge (D) unique

40. What does the second paragraph mainly discuss?

(A) The Milky Way

(B) Major categories of galaxies

(D) Differences between irregular and spiral galaxies

41. The word "which" in line 7 refers to

(A) dust (B) gas (C) pattern (D) galaxy

42. According to the passage, new stars are formed in spiral galaxies due to

(A) an explosion of gas (B) the compression of gas and dust

43. The word "symmetrical" in line 9 is closest in meaning to

(A) proportionally balanced (B) commonly seen

44. The word "obvious" in line 10 is closest in meaning to

(A) discovered (B) apparent (C) understood (D) simplistic

45. According to the passage, which of the following is NOT true of elliptical galaxies?

(A) They are the largest galaxies.

(B) They mostly contain old stars.

(D) They have a spherical shape.

46. Which of the following characteristics of radio galaxies is mentioned in the passage?

(A) They are a type of elliptical galaxy.

(B) They are usually too small to be seen with a telescope.

(D) They are not as bright as spiral galaxies.

47. What percentage of galaxies are irregular?

(A) 10% (B) 25% (C) 50% (D) 75%

48. The word "they" in line 21 refers to

(A) intervals (B) yardsticks (C) distances (D) galaxies

49. Why does the author mention the Virgo galaxy and the Andromeda galaxy in the third paragraph?

(A) To describe the effect that distance has no visibility.

(B) To compare the ages of two relatively young galaxies.

(D) To explain why certain galaxies cannot be seen by a telescope.

50. The word "dominated" in line 26 is closest in meaning to

(A) threatened (B) replaced

PRACTICE TEST 31

December 1997

Questions 1-10

Before the mid-1860's, the impact of the railroads in the United States was limited,

in the sense that the tracks ended at the Missouri River, approximately the centers of the

country. At that point the trains turned their freight, mail, and passengers over to

Line steamboats, wagons, and stagecoaches. This meant that wagon freighting, stagecoaching

(5) and steamboating did not come to an end when the first train appeared; rather they

became supplements or feeders. Each new "end-of-track" became a center for animaldrawn

or waterborne transportation. The major effect of the railroad was to shorten the

distance that had to be covered by the older, slower, and more costly means. Wagon

freighters continued operating throughout the 1870's and 1880's and into the 1890's,

(10) although over constantly shrinking routes, and coaches and wagons continued to

crisscross the West wherever the rails had not yet been laid.

The beginning of a major change was foreshadowed in the later 1860's, when the

Union Pacific Railroad at last began to build westward from the Central Plaints city of

Omaha to meet the Central Pacific Railroad advancing eastward form California through

(15) the formidable barriers of the Sierra Nevada. Although President Abraham Lincoln

signed the original Pacific Railroad bill in 1862 and a revised, financially much more

generous version in 1864, little construction was completed until 1865 on the Central

Pacific and 1866 on the Union Pacific. The primary reason was skepticism that a

railroad built through so challenging and thinly settled a stretch of desert, mountain,

(20) and semiarid plain could pay a profit. In the words of an economist, this was a case of

"premature enterprise", where not only the cost of construction but also the very high

risk deterred private investment. In discussing the Pacific Railroad bill, the chair of the

congressional committee bluntly stated that without government subsidy no one would

undertake so unpromising a venture; yet it was a national necessity to link East and

(25) West together.

1. The author refers to the impact of railroads before the late 1860's as "limited" because

(A) the tracks did not take the direct route from one city to the next

(B) passenger and freight had to transfer to other modes of transportation to reach western destinations

(D) railroad travel was quite expensive

2. The word "they" in line 5 refers to

(A) tracks (B) trains

3. The word "supplements" in line 6 is closest in meaning to

(A) extensions (B) reformers (C) dependents (D) influences

4. What can be inferred about coaches and wagon freighters as the railroads expanded?

(A) They developed competing routes.

(B) Their drivers refused to work for the railroads.

(D) They were not used as much as before.

5. The word "crisscross" in line 11 is closest in meaning to

(A) lead the way (B) separate

6. Why does the author mention the Sierra Nevada in line 15?

(A) To argue that a more direct route to the West could have been taken

(B) To identify a historically significant mountain range in the West

(D) To give an example of an obstacle face by the Central Pacific

7. The word "skepticism" in line 18 is closest in meaning to

(A) doubt (B) amazement (C) urgency (D) determination

8. The Pacific railroads were considered a "premature enterprise" (line 21) because

(A) the technology of railroad cars was not fully developed

(B) there was not enough wood and steel for the tracks

(D) there were insufficient numbers of trained people to operate them

9. The word "subsidy" in line 23 is closest in meaning to

(A) persuasion (B) financing (C) explanation (D) penalty

10. Where in the passage does the author give example of geographical challenges to railroad construction?

(A) Lines 4-6 (B) Lines 8-11 (C) Lines 18-20 (D) Lines 22-25

Questions 11-22

Humanity's primal efforts to systematize the concepts of size, shapes, and number

are usually regarded as the earliest mathematics. However, the concept of number and

the counting process developed so long before the time of recorded history (there is

Line archaeological evidence that counting was employed by humans as far back as 50,000

(5) years ago) that the manner of this development is largely conjectural. Imaging how it

probably came about is not difficult. The argument that humans, even in prehistoric

times, had some number sense, at least to the extent of recognizing the concepts of

more and less when some objects were added to or taken away from a small group,

seems fair, for studies have shown that some animal possess such a sense.

(10) With the gradual evolution of society, simple counting became imperative. A tribe

had to know how many members it had and how many enemies, and shepherd needed

to know if the flock of sheep was decreasing in size. Probably the earliest way of keeping

a count was by some simple tally method, employing the principle of one-to-one

correspondence. In keeping a count of sheep, for example, one finger per sheep could

(15) be turned under. Counts could also be maintained by making scratches in the dirt or on

a stone, by cutting notches in a piece of wood, or by tying knots in a string.

Then, perhaps later, an assortment of vocal sounds was developed as a word tally

against the number of objects in a small group. And still later, with the refinement of

writing, a set of signs was devised to stand for these numbers. Such an imagined

(20) development is supported by reports of anthropologists in their studies of present-day

societies that are thought to be similar to those of early humans.

11. What does the passage mainly discuss?

(A) The efforts of early humans to care for herds of animals

(B) The development of writing

(D) Similarities in number sense between humans and animals

12. The word "conjectural" in line 5 is closest in meaning to

(A) complex (B) based on guessing

13. Why does the author mention animals in line 9?

(A) To support a theory about the behavior of early humans

(B) To identify activities that are distinctly human

(D) To establish that early human kept domesticated animals

14. The word "it" in line 11 refers to

(A) evolution (B) counting (C) tribe (D) shepherd

15. What is the basic principle of the tally method described in the second paragraph?

(A) The count is recorded permanently.

(B) Calculations provide the total count.

(D) Each marker represents a singly object.

16. The word "employing" in line 13 is closest in meaning to

(A) using (B) paying (C) focusing (D) hiring

17. Which of the following is NOT mentioned as an early methods of counting?

(A) Cutting notches (B) Bending fingers

18. The word "maintained" in line 15 is closest in meaning to

(A) justified (B) asserted (C) located (D) kept

19. The word "assortment" in line 17 is closest in meaning to

(A) instrument (B) variety (C) surplus (D) symbol

20. It can be inferred that research in other academic fields relates to research in the author's field in which of the following ways?

(A) It contributes relevant information

(B) It is carried out on a simpler level.

(D) It causes misunderstandings if applied to the author's field.

21. Which of the following conclusions is supported by the passage?

(A) Counting processes did not develop until after writing became widespread.

(B) Early counting methods required herds of animals.

(D) Early humans first counted because of necessity.

22. Where in the passage does the author mention the ability of animals to recognized small and large groups?

(A) Lines 1-2 (B) Lines 6-9 (C) Lines 10-12 (D) Lines 17-18

Questions 23-31

As the merchant class expanded in the eighteenth-century North American colonies,

the silversmith and the coppersmith businesses rose to serve it. Only a few silversmiths

were available in New York or Boston in the late seventeenth century, but in the

Line eighteenth century they could be found in all major colonial cities. No other colonial

(5) artisans rivaled the silversmiths' prestige. They handled the most expensive materials

and possessed direct connections to prosperous colonies merchants. Their products,

primarily silver plates and bowls, reflected their exalted status and testified to their

customers' prominence.

Silver stood as one of the surest ways to store wealth at a time before neighborhood

(10) banks existed. Unlike the silver coins from which they were made, silver articles were

readily identifiable. Often formed to individual specifications, they always carried the

silversmith's distinctive markings and consequently could be traced and retrieved.

Customers generally secured the silver for the silver objects they ordered. They

saved coins, took them to smiths, and discussed the type of pieces they desired.

(15) Silversmiths complied with these requests by melting the money in a small furnace,

adding a bit of copper to form a stronger alloy, and casting the alloy in rectangular

blocks. They hammered these ingots to the appropriate thickness by hand, shaped

them, and pressed designs into them for adornment. Engraving was also done by hand.

In addition to plates and bowls, some customers sought more intricate products, such as

(20) silver teapots. These were made by shaping or casting parts separately and then

soldering them together.

Colonial coppersmithing also came of age in the early eighteenth century and

prospered in northern cities. Copper's ability to conduct heat efficiently and to resist

corrosion contributed to its attractiveness. But because it was expensive in colonial

(25) America, coppersmiths were never very numerous. Virtually all copper worked by

smiths was imported as sheets or obtained by recycling old copper goods. Copper was

used for practical items, but it was not admired for its beauty. Coppersmiths employed

it to fashion pots and kettles for the home. They shaped it in much the same manner as

silver or melted it in a foundry with lead or tin. They also mixed it with zinc to make

(30) brass for maritime and scientific instruments.

23. According to the passage, which of the following eighteenth-century developments had a strong impact on silversmiths?

(A) a decrease in the cost of silver

(B) the invention of heat-efficient furnaces

(D) the development of new tools used to shape silver

24. The word "They" in line 5 refers to

(A) silversmiths (B) major colonial cities

25. The word "exalted" in line 7 is closest in meaning to

(A) unusual (B) uncertain (C) surprising (D) superior

26. In colonial America, where did silversmiths usually obtain the material to make silver articles?

(A) From their own mines (B) From importers

27. The word "ingots" in line 17 refers to

(A) coins that people saved (B) blocks of silver mixed with copper

28. The phrase "came of age" in line 22 is closest in meaning to

(A) established itself (B) declined

29. The passage mentions all of the following as uses for copper in colonial America EXCEPT

(A) cooking pots (B) scientific instruments

30. According to the passage, silversmiths and coppersmiths in colonial America were similar in which of the following ways?

(A) The amount of social prestige they had

(B) The way they shaped the metal they worked with

(D) The practicality of goods they made

31. Based on the information in paragraph 4, which of the following was probably true about copper in the colonies?

(A) The copper used by colonists was not effective in conducting heat.

(B) The copper items created by colonial coppersmiths were not skillfully made.

(D) The price of copper suddenly decreased.

Questions 32-40

Fossils are the remains and traces (such as footprints or other marks) of ancient

plant and animal life that are more than 10,000 years old. They range in size from

microscopic structures to dinosaur skeletons and complete bodies of enormous animals.

Line Skeletons of extinct species of human are also considered fossils.

(5) An environment favorable to the growth and later preservation of organisms is

required for the occurrence of fossils. Two conditions are almost always present:

(1) The possession of hard parts, either internal or external, such as bones, teeth,

scales, shells, and wood; these parts remain after the rest of the organism has decayed.

Organisms that lack hard parts, such as worms and jelly fish, have left a meager

(10) geologic record. (2) Quick burial of the dead organism, so that protection is afforded

against weathering, bacterial action, and scavengers.

Nature provides many situations in which the remains of animals and plants are

protected against destruction. Of these, marine sediment is by far the most important

environment for the preservation of fossils, owing to the incredible richness of marine

(15) life. The beds of former lakes are also prolific sources of fossils. The rapidly

accumulating sediments in the channels, floodplains, and deltas of streams bury

fresh-water organisms, along with land plants and animals that fall into the water. The

beautifully preserved fossil fish from the Green River soil shale of Wyoming in the

western United States lived in a vast shallow lake.

(20) The frigid ground in the far north acts as a remarkable preservative for animal

fossils. The woolly mammoth, along-haired rhinoceros, and other mammals have been

periodically exposed in the tundra of Siberia, the hair and red flesh still frozen in cold

storage.

Volcanoes often provide environments favorable to fossil preservation. Extensive

(25) falls of volcanic ash and coarser particles overwhelm and bury all forms of life, from

flying insects to great trees.

Caves have preserved the bones of many animals that died in them and were

subsequently buried under a blanket of clay or a cover of dripstone. Predatory animals

and early humans alike sought shelter in caves and brought food to them to the eater,

(30) leaving bones that paleontologists have discovered.

32. The passage primarily discusses which of the following?

(A) Types of fossils found in different climates

(B) What is learned from studying fossils

(D) How fossils are discovered

33. The word "traces" in line 1 is closest in meaning to

(A) structures (B) importance (C) skeletons (D) imprints

34. All of the following facts about fossils are refereed to by the author (paragraph 1) EXCEPT the fact that they can be

(A) microscopically small (B) skeletons of human ancestors

35. The fossil fish from the Green River (paragraph 3) were probably preserved because they were

(A) in a deep lake (B) covered by sediment

36. The word "exposed" in line 22 is closest in meaning to

(A) photographed (B) uncovered (C) located (D) preserved

37. Which of the following is LEAST likely to be found as a fossil, assuming that all are buried rapidly?

(A) a dinosaur (B) a woolly mammoth

38. It can be inferred that a condition that favors fossilization when volcanic ash falls to Earth is

(A) quick burial (B) cold storage (C) high temperature (D) lack of water

39. The word "them" in line 29 refers to

(A) predatory animals (B) early humans (C) caves (D) bones

40. Which of the following is true of the environments in which fossil are found?

(A) Very different environments can favor fossilization.

(B) There are few environments in which fossils are protected.

(D) Environments that favor fossilization support large populations of animals.

Questions 41-50

A useful definition of an air pollutant is a compound added directly or indirectly

by humans to the atmosphere in such quantities as to affect humans, animals

vegetations, or materials adversely. Air pollution requires a very flexible definition

Line that permits continuous change. When the first air pollution laws were established in

(5) England in the fourteenth century, air pollutants were limited to compounds that could

be seen or smelled-a far cry from the extensive list of harmful substances known

today. As technology has developed and knowledge of the health aspects of various

chemicals has increased, the list of air pollutants has lengthened. In the future,

even water vapor might be considered an air pollutant under certain conditions.

(10) Many of the more important air pollutants, such as sulfur oxides, carbon monoxide,

and nitrogen oxides, are found in nature. As the Earth developed, the concentrations

of these pollutants were altered by various chemical reactions; they became components

in biogeochemical cycle. These serve as an air purification scheme by allowing the

compounds to move from the air to the water or soil on a global basis, nature's

(15) output of these compounds dwarfs that resulting form human activities. However, human

production usually occurs in a localized area, such as a city.

In this localized regions, human output may be dominant and may temporarily overload

the natural purification scheme of the cycle. The result is an increased concentration

of noxious chemicals in the air. The concentrations at which the adverse effects

(20) appear will be greater than the concentrations that the pollutants would have

in the absence of human activities. The actual concentration need not be large for a

substance to be a pollutant; in fact the numerical value tells us little until we know

how much of an increase this represents over the concentration that would occur

naturally in the area. For example, sulfur dioxide has detectable health effects at

(25) 0.08 parts per million (ppm), which is about 400 times its natural level. Carbon

monoxide, however, ahs a natural level of 0.1 ppm and is not usually a pollutant

until its level reaches about 15 ppm.

41. What does the passage mainly discuss?

(A) The economic impact of air pollution

(B) What constitutes an air pollutant

(D) The effects of compounds added to the atmosphere

42. The word "adversely" in line 3 is closest in meaning to

(A) negatively (B) quickly (C) admittedly (D) considerably

43. It can be inferred from the first paragraph that

(A) water vapor is an air pollutant in localized areas

(B) most air pollutants today can be seen or smelled

(D) a substance becomes an air pollutant only in cities

44. The word "altered" in line 12 is closest in meaning to

(A) eliminated (B) caused (C) slowed (D) changed

45. Natural pollutants can play an important role in controlling air pollution for which of the following reasons?

(A) They function as part of a purification process.

(B) They occur in greater quantities than other pollutants.

(D) They have existed since the Earth developed.

46. According to the passage, which of the following is true about human-generated air pollution in localized regions?

(A) It can be dwarfed by nature's output of pollutants in the localized region.

(B) It can overwhelm the natural system that removes pollutants.

(D) It will react harmfully with naturally occurring pollutants.

47. The word "noxious' in line 19 is closest in meaning to

(A) harmful (B) noticeable (C) extensive (D) weak

48. According to the passage, the numerical valued of the concentration level of a substance is only useful if

(A) the other substances in the area are known

(B) it is in a localized area

(D) it can be calculated quickly

49. The word "detectable" in line 24 is closest in meaning to

(A) beneficial (B) special (C) measurable (D) separable

50. Which of the following is best supported by the passage?

(A) To effectively control pollution local government should regularly review their air pollution laws.

(B) One of the most important steps in preserving natural lands is to better enforce air pollution laws.

(D) Human activities have been effective in reducing air pollution.

PRACTICE TEST 32

January 1996

Questions 1-9

In science, a theory is a reasonable explanation of observed events that are related.

A theory often involves an imaginary model that helps scientists picture the way an

observed event could be produced. A good example of this is found in the kinetic

molecular theory, in which gases are pictured as being made up of many small particles

(5) that are in constant motion.

A useful theory, in addition to explaining past observations, helps to predict events

that have not as yet been observed. After a theory has been publicized, scientists design

experiments to test the theory. If observations confirm the scientists' predictions, the

theory is supported. If observations do not confirm the predictions, the scientists must

(10) search further. There may be a fault in the experiment, or the theory may have to be

revised or rejected.

Science involves imagination and creative thinking as well as collecting information

and performing experiments. Facts by themselves are not science. As the mathematician

Jules Henri Poincare said: "Science is built with facts just as a house is built with

(15) bricks, But a collection of facts cannot be called science any more than a pile of bricks

can be called a house."

Most scientists start an investigation by finding out what other scientists have

learned about a particular problem. After known facts have been gathered, the scientist

comes to the part of the investigation that requires considerable imagination. Possible

(20) solutions to the problem are formulated. These possible solutions are called hypotheses.

In a way, any hypothesis is a leap into the unknown. It extents the scientist's

thinking beyond the known facts. The scientist plans experiments, performs calculations

and makes observations to test hypotheses. For without hypotheses, further investigation

lacks purpose and direction. When hypotheses are confirmed, they are incorporated

into theories.

1. The word "related" in line 1 is closest in meaning to

(A) connected (B) described (C) completed (D) identified

2. The word "this" in line 3 refers to

(A) a good example (B) an imaginary model

3. According to the second paragraph, a useful theory is one that helps scientists to

(A) find errors in past experiments (B) make predictions

4. The word "supported" in line 9 is closest in meaning to

(A) finished (B) adjusted (C) investigated (D) upheld

5. Bricks are mentioned in lines 14-16 to indicate how

(A) mathematicinans approach science

(B) building a house is like performing experiments

(D) scientific experiments have led to improved technology

6. In the fourth paragraph, the author implies that imagination is most important to scientists when they

(A) evaluate previous work on a problem (B) formulate possible solutions to a problem

7. In line 21, the author refers to a hypotheses as "a leap into the unknown" in order to show that hypotheses

(A) are sometimes ill-conceived (B) can lead to dangerous resultss

8. In the last paragraph, what does the author imply a major function of hypotheses?

(A) Sifting through known facts

(B) Communicating a scientist's thoughts to others

(D) Linking together different theories

9. Which of the following statements is supported by the passage?

(A) Theories are simply imaginary models of past events.

(B) It is better to revise a hypothesis than to reject it.

(D) A good scientist needs to be creative.

Question 10-20

By the mid-nineteenth century, the term "icebox" had entered the American

language, but ice was still only beginning to affect the diet of ordinary citizens in the

United States. The ice trade grew with the growth of cities. Ice was used in hotels,

taverns, and hospitals, and by some forward-looking city dealers in fresh meat, fresh

(5) fish, and butter. After the Civil War (1860-1865), as ice used to refrigerate freight

cars, it also came into household use. Even before 1880, half the ice sold in New York,

Philadelphia, and Baltimore, and one-third of that sold in Boston and Chicago, went to

families for their own use. This had become possible because a new household

convenience, the icebox, a precursor of the modern refrigerator, had been invented.

(10) Making an efficient icebox was not as easy as we might now suppose. In the early

nineteenth century, the knowledge of the physics of heat, which was essential to a

science of refrigeration, was rudimentary. The commonsense notion that the best

icebox was one that prevented the ice from melting was of course mistaken, for it was

the melting of the ice that performed the cooling. Nevertheless, early efforts to

(15) economize ice included wrapping the ice in blankets, which kept the ice from doing its

job. Not until near the end of the nineteenth century did inventors achieve the delicate

balance of insulation and circulation needed for an efficient icebox.

But as early as 1803, an ingenious Maryland farmer, Thomas Moore, had been on

the right track. He owned a farm about twenty miles outside the city of Washington, for

(20) which the village of Georgetown was the market center. When he used an icebox of his

own design to transport his butter to market, he found that customers would pass up the

rapidly melting stuff in the tubs of his competitors to pay a premium price for his

butter, still fresh and hard in neat, one-pound bricks. One advantage of his icebox,

Moore explained, was that farmers would no longer have to travel to market at night in

order to keep their produce cool.

10. What does the passage mainly discuss?

(A) The influence of ice on the diet (B) The development of refrigeration

11. According to the passage, when did the word "icebox" become part of the language of the United States?

(A) In 1803 (B) Sometime before 1850

12. The phrase "forward-looking" in line 4 is closest in meaning to

(A) progressive (B) popular (C) thrifty (D) well-established

13. The author mentions fish in line 5 because

(A) many fish dealers also sold ice

(B) fish was shipped in refrigerated freight cars

(D) fish was not part of the ordinary person's diet before the invention of the icebox

14. The word "it" in line 6 refers to

(A) fresh meat (B) the Civil War (C) ice (D) a refrigerator

15. According to the passage, which of the following was an obstacle to the deveopment of the icebox?

(A) Competition among the owners of refrigerated freight cars

(B) The lack of a network for the distribution of ice

(D) Inadequate understanding of physics

16. The word "rudimentary" in line 12 is closest in meaning to

(A) growing (B) undeveloped (C) necessary (D) uninteresting

17. According to the information in the second paragraph, an ideal icebox would

(A) completely prevent ice from melting (B) stop air from circulating

18. The author describes Thomas Moore as having been "on the right track" (line 18-19) to indicate that

(A) the road to the market passed close to Moore's farm

(B) Moore was an honest merchant

(D) Moore's design was fairly successful

19. According to the passage, Moore's icebox allowed him to

(A) charge more for his butter (B) travel to market at night

20. The "produce" mentioned in line 25 could include

(A) iceboxes (B) butter (C) ice (D) markets

Question 21-30

Aside from perpetuating itself, the sole purpose of the American Academy and

Institute of Arts and Letters is to "foster, assist and sustain an interest" in literature,

music, and art. This it does by enthusiastically handing out money. Annual cash awards

are given to deserving artists in various categories of creativity: architecture, musical

(5) composition, theater, novels, serious poetry, light verse, painting, sculpture. One award

subsidizes a promising American writer's visit to Rome. There is even an award for a

very good work of fiction that fallen commercially-once won by the young John

Updike for The poorhouse Fair and, more recently, by Alice Walker for In Love and

Trouble.

(10) The awards and prizes total about $750,000 a year, but most of them range in size

from $5,000 to $12,500, a welcome sum to many young practitioners whose work may

not bring in that much in a year. One of the advantages of the awards is that

many go to the struggling artists, rather than to those who are already successful.

Members of the Academy and Institute are not eligible for any cash prizes. Another

(15) advantage is that, unlike the National Endowment for the Arts or similar institutions

throughout the world, there is no government money involved.

Awards are made by committee. Each of the three departments--Literature

(120 members), Art(83), Music(47)--has a committee dealing with its own field.

Committee membership rotates every year, so that new voices and opinions are

(20) constantly heard.

The most financially rewarding of all the Academy-Institute awards are the Mildred

and Harold Strauss Livings. Harold Strauss, a devoted editor at Alfred A. Knopf, the

New York publishing house, and Mildred Strauss, his wife, were wealthy any childless.

They left the Academy-Institute a unique bequest: for five consecutive years, two

(25) distinguished (and financially needy) writers would receive enough money so they

could devote themselves entirely to "prose literature" (no plays, no poetry, and no

paying job that might distract). In 1983, the first Strauss Livings of $35,000 a year

went to short-story writer Raymond Carver and novelist-essayist Cynthia Ozick. By

1988, the fund had grown enough so that two winners, novelists Diane Johnson and

Robert Stone, each got $50,000 a year for five years.

21. What does the passage mainly discuss?

(A) Award-winning works of literature (B) An organization that supports the arts

22. The word "sole" in line 1 is closest in meaning to

(A) only (B) honorable (C) common (D) official

23. The word "subsidizes" in line 6 is closest in meaning to

(A) assures (B) finances (C) schedules (D) publishes

24. Which of the following can be inferred about Alice Walker's book in Love and Trouble?

(A) It sold more copies than The Poorhouse Fair.

(B) It described the author's visit to Rome.

(D) It was published after The Poorhouse Fair.

25. Each year the awards and prizes offered by the Academy-Institute total approximately

(A) $12,500 (B) $53,000 (C) $50,000 (D) $750,000

26. The word "many" in line 13 refers to

(A) practitioners (B) advantages (C) awards (D) strugglers

27. What is one of the advantages of the Academy-Institute awards mentioned in passage?

(A) They are subsidized by the government.

(B)They are often given to unknown artists.

(C)They are also given to Academy-Institute members.

(D) They influence how the National Endowment for the Arts makes its award decisions.

28. The word "rotates" in line 19 is closest in meaning to

(A) alternates (B) participates (C) decides (D) meets

29. The word "they" in line 25 refers to

(A) Mildred and Harold Strauss (B) years

30. Where in the passage does the author cite the goal of the Academy-Institute?

(A) Lines 1-3 (B) Lines 12-13 (C) Line 19-20 (D) Line 22-23

Questions 31-41

Archaeological records-paintings, drawings and carvings of humans engaged in

activities involving the use of hands-indicate that humans have been predominantly

right-handed for more than 5,000 years. In ancient Egyptian artwork, for example, the

right hand is depicted as the dominant one in about 90 percent of the examples. Fracture

(5) or wear patterns on tools also indicate that a majority of ancient people were right-handed.

Cro-Magnon cave paintings some 27,000 years old commonly show outlines of human

hands made by placing one hand against the cave wall and applying paint with the

other. Children today make similar outlines of their hands with crayons on paper. With

few exceptions, left hands of Cro-Magnons are displayed on cave walls, indicating that

(10) the paintings were usually done by right-handers.

Anthropological evidence pushes the record of handedness in early human ancestors

back to at least 1.4 million years ago. One important line of evidence comes from

flaking patterns of stone cores used in tool making: implements flaked with a

clockwise motion (indicating a right-handed toolmaker) can be distinguished from

(15) those flaked with a counter-clockwise rotation (indicating a left-handed toolmaker).

Even scratches found on fossil human teeth offer clues. Ancient humans are thought

to have cut meat into strips by holding it between their teeth and slicing it with stone

knives, as do the present-day Inuit. Occasionally the knives slip and leave scratches on

the users' teeth. Scratches made with a left-to-right stroke direction (by right-handers)

(20) are more common than scratches in the opposite direction (made by left-handers).

Still other evidence comes from cranial morphology: scientists think that physical

differences between the right and left sides of the interior of the skull indicate subtle

physical differences between the two sides of the brain. The variation between the

hemispheres corresponds to which side of the body is used to perform specific

(25) activities. Such studies, as well as studies of tool use, indicate that right- or left-sided

dominance is not exclusive to modern Homo sapiens. Population of Neanderthals,

such as Homo erectus and Homo habilis, seem to have been predominantly

right-handed, as we are.

31. What is the main idea of the passage?

(A) Human ancestors became predominantly right-handed when they began to use tools.

(B) It is difficult to interpret the significance of anthropological evidence concerning tool use.

(D) Human ancestors were more skilled at using both hands than modern humans.

32. The word "other" in line 8 refers to

(A) outline (B) hand (C) wall (D) paint

33. What does the author say about Cro-Magnon paintings of hands?

(A) Some are not very old. (B) It is unusual to see such paintings.

34. The word "implements" in line 13 is closest in meaning to

(A) tools (B) designs (C) examples (D) pieces

35. When compared with implements "flaked with a counter-clockwise rotation" (line 15), it can be inferred that "implements flaked with a clock-wise motion" (line13-14) are

(A) more common (B) larger

36. The word "clues" in line 16 is closest in meaning to

(A) solutions (B) details (C) damage (D) information

37. The fact that the Inuit cut meat by holding it between their teeth is significant because

(A) the relationship between handedness and scratches on fossil human teeth can be verified

(B) it emphasizes the differences between contemporary humans and their ancestors

(D) it demonstrates that ancient humans were not skilled at using tools

38. The word "hemispheres" in line 24 is closest in meaning to

(A) differences (B) sides (C) activities (D) studies

39. Why does the author mention Homo erectus and Home habilis in line 27?

(A) To contrast them with modern humans

(B) To explain when human ancestors began to make tools

(D) To prove that the population of Neanderthals was very large

40. All of the follows are mentioned as types of evidence concerning handedness EXCEPT

(A) ancient artwork (B) asymmetrical skulls

41. Which of the following conclusions is suggested by the evidence from cranial morphology(line 21)?

(A) Differences in the hemispheres of the brain probably came about relatively recently.

(B) there may be a link between handedness and differences in the brain's hemispheres

(D) ariation between the brain hemispheres was not evident in the skill of Home erectus and Home Habilis

Questions 42-50

Plants are subject to attack and infection by a remarkable variety of symbiotic

species and have evolved a diverse array of mechanisms designed to frustrate the

potential colonists. These can be divided into preformed or passive defense mechanisms

and inducible or active systems. Passive plant defense comprises physical and chemical

(5) barriers that prevent entry of pathogens, such as bacteria, or render tissues unpalatable

or toxic to the invader. The external surfaces of plants, in addition to being covered by

an epidermis and a waxy cuticle, often carry spiky hairs known as trichomes, which

either prevent feeling by insects or may even puncture and kill insect Iarvae. Other

trichomes are sticky and glandular and effectively trap and immobilize insects.

(10) If the physical barriers of the plant are breached, then preformed chemicals may

inhibit or kill the intruder, and plant tissues contain a diverse array of toxic or

potentially toxic substances, such as resins, tannins, glycosides, and alkaloids, many of

which are highly effective deterrents to insects that feed on plants. The success of the

Colorado beetle in infesting potatoes, for example, seems to be correlated with its high

(15) tolerance to alkaloids that normally repel potential pests. Other possible chemical

defenses, while not directly toxic to the parasite, may inhibit some essential step in the

establishment of a parasitic relationship. For example, glycoproteins in plant cell walls

may inactivate enzymes that degrade cell walls. These enzymes are often produced by

bacteria and fungi.

(20) Active plant defense mechanisms are comparable to the immune system of

vertebrate animals, although the cellular and molecular bases are fundamentally

different. Both, however, are triggered in reaction to intrusion, implying that the host

has some means of recognizing the presence of a foreign organism. The most dramatic

example of an inducible plant defense reaction is the hypersensitive response. In the

(25) hypersensitive response, cells undergo rapid necrosis--that is, they become diseased

and die--after being penetrated by a parasite; the par a site itself subsequently ceases to

grow and is therefore restricted to one or a few cells around the entry site. Several

theories have been put forward to explain the basis of hypersensitive resistance.

42. What does the passage mainly discuss?

(A) The success of parasites in resisting plant defense mechanisms

(B) Theories on active plant defense mechanisms

(D) How the immune system of animals and the defense mechanisms of plants differ

43. The phrase "subject to" in line 1 is closest in meaning to

(A) susceptible to (B) classified by

44. The word "puncture" in line 8 is closest in meaning to

(A) pierce (B) pinch (C) surround (D) cover

45. The word "which" in line 13 refers to

(A) tissues (B) substances (C) barriers (D) insects

46. Which of the following substances does the author mention as NOT necessarily being toxic to the Colorado beetle?

(A) Resins (B) Tannins (C) Glycosides (D) Alkaloids

47. Why does the author mention "glycoproteins" in line 17?

(A) To compare plant defense mechaisms to the immune system of animals

(B) To introduce the discussion of active defense mechanisms in plants

(D) To emphasize the importance of physical barriers in plant defense

48. The word "dramatic" in line 23 could best be replaced by

(A) striking (B) accurate (C) consistent (D) appealing

49. Where in the passage does the author describe an active plant defense reaction ?

(A) lines 1-3 (B) lines 4-6 (C) lines 15-17 (D) lines 24-27

50. The passage most probably continues with a discussion of theories on

(A) the basis of passive plant defense

(B) how chemicals inhibit a parasitic relationship

(D) the principles of the hypersensitive response

PRACTICE TEST 33

March 1996

Questions 1-7

Joyce Carol Oates published her first collection of short stories, By The North Gate,

in 1963, two years after she had received her master's degree from the University of

Wisconsin and become an instructor of English at the University of Detroit. Her

productivity since then has been prodigious, accumulating in less than two decades to

(5) nearly thirty titles, including novels, collections of short stories and verse, play, and

literary criticism. In the meantime, she ahs continued to teach, moving in 1967 from

the University of Detroit to the University of Windsor, in Ontario, and, in 1978, to

Princeton University. Reviewers have admired her enormous energy, but find a

productivity of such magnitude difficult to assess.

(10) In a period characterized by the abandonment of so much of the realistic tradition by

authors such as John Barth, Donald Barthelme, and Thomas Pynchon, Joyce Carol

Oates has seemed at times determinedly old-fashioned in her insistence on the

essentially mimetic quality of her fiction. Hers is a world of violence, insanity,

fractured love, and hopeless loneliness. Although some of it appears to come from her

(15) own direct observations, her dreams, and her fears, much more is clearly from the

experiences of others. Her first novel, With Shuddering Fall (1964), dealt with stock

car racing, though she had never seen a race. In Them (1969) she focused on Detroit

from the Depression through the riots of 1967, drawing much of her material from the

deep impression made on her by the problems of one of her students. Whatever the

(20) source and however shocking the events or the motivations, however, her fictive world

remains strikingly akin to that real one reflected in the daily newspapers, the television

news and talk shows, and popular magazines of our day.

1. What is the main purpose of the passage?

(A) To review Oates' By the North Gate (B) To compare some modern writers

2. Which of the following does the passage indicate about Joyce Carol Oates' first publication?

(A) It was part of her master's thesis. (B) It was a volume of short fiction.

3. Which of the following does the passage suggest about Joyce Carol Oates in terms of her writing career?

(A) She has experienced long nonproductive periods in her writing.

(B) Her style is imitative of other contemporary authors.

(D) Most of her work is based on personal experience.

4. The word "characterized" in line 10 can best replaced by which of the following?

(A) shocked (B) impressed (C) distinguished (D) helped

5. What was the subject of Joyce Carol Oates' first novel?

(A) Loneliness (B) Insanity (C) Teaching (D) Racing

6. Why does the author mention Oates book In Them?

(A) It is a typical novel of the 1960's.

(B) It is her best piece of nonfiction.

(D) It is an autobiography.

7. Which of the following would Joyce Carol Oates be most likely to write?

(A) A story with an unhappy ending (B) A romance novel set in the nineteenth century

Questions 8-18

Certainly no creature in the sea is odder than the common sea cucumber. All living

creature, especially human beings, have their peculiarities, but everything about the

little sea cucumber seems unusual. What else can be said about a bizarre animal that,

among other eccentricities, eats mud, feeds almost continuously day and night but can

(5) live without eating for long periods, and can be poisonous but is considered supremely

edible by gourmets?

For some fifty million years, despite all its eccentricities, the sea cucumber has

subsisted on its diet of mud. It is adaptable enough to live attached to rocks by its tube

feet, under rocks in shallow water, or on the surface of mud flats. Common in cool

(10) water on both Atlantic and Pacific shores, it has the ability to such up mud or sand and

digest whatever nutrients are present.

Sea cucumbers come in a variety of colors, ranging from black to reddish-brown to

sand-color and nearly white. One form even has vivid purple tentacle. Usually the

creatures are cucumber-shaped-hence their name-and because they are typically

(15) rock inhabitants, this shape, combine with flexibility, enables them to squeeze

into crevices where they are safe from predators and ocean currents.

Although they have voracious appetites, eating day and night, sea cucumbers have

the capacity to become quiescent and live at a low metabolic rate-feeding sparingly

or not at all for long periods, so that the marine organisms that provide their food have

(20) a chance to multiply. If it were not for this faculty, they would devour all the food

available in a short time and would probably starve themselves out of existence.

But the most spectacular thing about the sea cucumber is the way it defends itself.

Its major enemies are fish and crabs, when attacked, it squirts all its internal organs

into the water. It also casts off attached structures such as tentacles. The sea cucumber

(25) will eviscerate and regenerate itself if it is attached or even touched; it will do the same

if the surrounding water temperature is too high or if the water becomes too polluted.

8. What does the passage mainly discuss?

(A) The reason for the sea cucumber's name

(B) What makes the sea cucumber unusual

(D) Places where the sea cucumber can be found

9. In line 3, the word "bizarre" is closest in meaning to

(A) odd (B) marine (C) simple (D) rare

10. According to the Passage, why is the shape of sea cucumbers important?

(A) It helps the to digest their food.

(B) It helps them to protect themselves from danger.

(D) It makes them attractive to fish.

11. The word "this faculty" in line 20 refer to the sea cucumber's ability to

(A) squeeze into crevices (B) devour all available food in a short time

12. The fourth paragraph of the passage primarily discuss

(A) the reproduction of sea cucumbers (B) the food sources of sea cucumbers

13. The phrase "casts off" in line 24 is closest in meaning to

(A) grows again (B) grabs

14. Of all the characteristics of the sea cucumber, which of the following seems to fascinate the author most?

(A) What it does when threatened (B) Where it lives

15. Compared with other sea creatures the sea cucumber is very

(A) dangerous (B) intelligent (C) strange (D) fat

16. What can be inferred about the defense mechanisms of the sea cucumber?

(A) They are very sensitive to surrounding stimuli.

(B) They are almost useless.

(D) They are similar to those of most sea creatures.

17. Which of the following would NOT cause a sea cucumber to release its internal organs into the water?

(A) A touch (B) Food

18. Which of the following is an example of behavior comparable with the sea cucumber living at a low metabolic rate?

(A) An octopus defending itself with its tentacles

(B) A bear hibernating in the wintering

(D) A parasite living on its host's blood

Questions 19-29

A fold culture is small, isolated, cohesive, conservative, nearly self-sufficient

group that is homogeneous in custom and race, with a strong family or clan structure

and highly developed rituals. Order is maintained through sanctions based in the

religion or family, and interpersonal relationships are strong. Tradition is paramount,

(5) and change comes infrequently and slowly. There is relatively little division of labor

into specialized duties. Rather, each person is expected to perform a great variety of

tasks, though duties may differ between the sexes. Most goods are handmade, and a

subsistence economy prevails. Individualism is weakly developed in folk cultures, as

are social classes. Unaltered folk cultures no longer exist in industrialized countries

(10) such as the United States and Canada. Perhaps the nearest modern equivalent in Anglo-

-America is the Amish, a German American farming sect that largely renounces the

products and labor saving devices of the industrial age. In Amish areas, horse-drawn

buggies till serve as a local transportation device, and the faithful are not permitted to

own automobiles. The Amish's central religious concept of Demut, "humility", clearly

(15) reflects the weakness of individualism and social class so typical of folk cultures, and

there is a corresponding strength of Amish group identity. Rarely do the Amish marry

outside their sect. The religion, a variety of the Mennonite faith, provides the principal

mechanism for maintaining order.

By contrast, a popular culture is a large heterogeneous group, often highly

(20) individualistic and constantly changing. Relationships tend to be impersonal, and a

pronounced division of labor exists, leading to the establishment of many specialized

professions. Secular institutions, of control such as the police and army take the place of

religion and family in maintaining order, and a money-based economy prevails.

Because of these contrasts, "popular" may be viewed as clearly different from "folk".

(25) The popular is replacing the folk in industrialized countries and in many developing

nations, Folk-made objects give way to their popular equivalent, usually because the

popular item is more quickly or cheaply produced, is easier or time saving to use, or

lends more prestige to the owner.

19. What does the passage mainly discuss?

(A) Two decades in modern society

(B) The influence of industrial technology

(D) The specialization of labor in Canada and the United States

20. The word "homogeneous" in line 2 is closest in meaning to

(A) uniform (B) general (C) primitive (D) traditional

21. Which of the following is typical of folk cultures?

(A) There is a money-based economy.

(B) Social change occurs slowly.

(D) Each person develops one specialized skill.

22. What does the author imply about the United States and Canada?

(A) They value folk cultures. (B) They have no social classes.

23. The phrase "largely renounces" in line 11 is closest in meaning to

(A) generally rejects (B) greatly modifies

24. What is the main source of order in Amish society?

(A) The government (B) The economy

25. Which of the following statements about Amish beliefs does the passages support?

(A) A variety of religious practices is tolerated.

(B) Individualism and competition are important.

(D) People are defined according to their class.

26. Which of the following would probably NOT be found in a folk culture?

(A) A carpenter (B) A farmer (C) A weaver (D) A banker

27. The word "prevails" in line 23 is closest in meaning to

(A) dominates (B) provides (C) develops (D) invests

28. The word "their" in line 26 refers to

(A) folk (B) nations (C) countries (D) objects

29. Which of following is NOT given as a reason why folk-made objects are replaced by mass-produced objects?

(A) Cost (B) Prestige (C) Quality (D) Convenience

Questions 30-40

Many of the most damaging and life-threatening types of weather-torrential rains,

severe thunderstorms, and tornadoes-begin quickly, strike suddenly, and dissipate

rapidly, devastating small regions while leaving neighboring areas untouched. One

such event, a tornado, struck the northeastern section of Edmonton, Alberta, in July 1987.

(5) Total damages from the tornado exceeded $ 250 million, the highest ever for any

Canadian storm. Conventional computer models of the atmosphere have limited value

in predicting short-live local storms like the Edmonton tornado, because the available

weather data are generally not detailed enough to allow computers to discern the subtle

atmospheric changes that precede these storms. In most nations, for example, weatherballoon

(10) observations are taken just once every twelve hours at locations typically

separated by hundreds of miles. With such limited data, conventional forecasting

models do a much better job predicting general weather conditions over large regions

than they do forecasting specific local events.

Until recently, the observation-intensive approach needed for accurate, very shortrange

(15) forecasts, or "Nowcasts", was not feasible. The cost of equipping and operating

many thousands of conventional weather stations was prohibitively high, and the

difficulties involved in rapidly collecting and processing the raw weather data from

such a network were insurmountable. Fortunately, scientific and technological

advances have overcome most of these problems. Radar systems, automated weather

(20) instruments, and satellites are all capable of making detailed, nearly continuous

observation over large regions at a relatively low cost. Communications satellites can

transmit data around the world cheaply and instantaneously, and modern computers can

quickly compile and analyzing this large volume of weather information. Meteorologists

and computer scientists now work together to design computer programs and video

(25) equipment capable of transforming raw weather data into words, symbols, and vivid

graphic displays that forecasters can interpret easily and quickly. As meteorologists

have begun using these new technologies in weather forecasting offices, Nowcasting

is becoming a reality.

30. What does the passage mainly discuss?

(A) Computers and weather (B) Dangerous storms

31. Why does the author mention the tornado in Edmonton, Canada?

(A) To indicate that tornadoes are common in the summer

(B) To give an example of a damaging storm

(D) To show that tornadoes occur frequently in Canada

32. The word "subtle" in line 8 is closest in meaning to

(A) complex (B) regular (C) imagined (D) slight

33. Why does the author state in line 10 that observations are taken "just once every twelve hours"?

(A) To indicate that the observations are timely

(B) To show why the observations are of limited value

(D) To give an example of international cooperation

34. The word "they" in line 13 refers to

(A) models (B) conditions (C) regions (D) events

35. Which of the following is NOT mentioned as an advance in short-range weather forecasting?

(A) Weather balloons (B) Radar systems

36. The word "compile" in line 23 is closest in meaning to

(A) put together (B) look up (C) pile high (D) work over

37. With Nowcasting, it first became possible to provide information about

(A) short-lived local storms (B) radar networks

38. The word "raw" in line 25 is closest in meaning to

(A) stormy (B) inaccurate (C) uncooked (D) unprocessed

39. With which of the following statements is the author most likely to agree?

(A) Communications satellites can predict severe weather.

(B) Meteorologists should standardize computer programs.

(D) Weather predictions are becoming more accurate.

40. Which of the following would best illustrate Nowcasting?

(A) A five-day forecast

(B) A warning about a severe thunderstorm on the radio.

(D) A list of temperatures in major cities

Questions 41-50

People in the United States in the nineteenth-century were haunted by the prospect

that unprecedented change in the nation's economy would bring social chaos. In the

years following 1820, after several decades of relative stability, the economy entered a

Line period of sustained and extremely rapid growth that continued to the end of the

(5) nineteenth century. Accompanying that growth was a structural change that featured

increasing economic diversification and a gradual shift in the nation's labor force from

agriculture to manufacturing and other nonagricultural pursuits.

Although the birth rate continued to decline from its high level of the eighteenth and

early nineteenth century, the population roughly doubled every generation during the rest

(10) of the nineteenth centuries. As the population grew, its makeup also changed.

Massive waves of immigration brought new ethnic groups into the country. Geographic

and social mobility-downward as well as upward-touched almost everyone. Local

studies indicate that nearly three-quarters of the population-in the north and South,

in the emerging cities of the northeast, and in the restless rural countries of the

(15) West-changed their residence each decade. As a consequence, historian David

Donald has written, "Social atomization affected every segment of society", and it

seemed to many people that "all the recognized values of orderly civilization were

gradually being eroded".

Rapid industrialization and increased geographic mobility in the nineteenth century

(20) had special implications for women because these changes tended to magnify social

distinctions. As the roles men and women played in society became more rigidly

defined, so did the roles they played in the home. In the context of extreme

competitiveness and dizzying social change, the household lost many of its earlier

functions and the home came to serve as a haven of tranquility and order. As the size

(25) of families decreased, the roles of husband and wife became more clearly differentiated

than ever before. In the middle class especially, men participated in the productive

economy while women ruled the home and served as the custodians, of civility and

culture. The intimacy of marriage that was common in earlier periods was rent, and a

gulf that at times seemed unbridgeable was created between husbands and wives.

41. What does the passage mainly discuss?

(A) The economic development of the United States in the eighteenth century

(B) Ways in which economic development led to social changes in the United States

(D) The increasing availability of industrial jobs for women in the United States

42. The word "Prospect" in line 1 is closest in meaning to

(A) regret (B) possibility (C) theory (D) circumstance

43. According to the passage, the economy of the United States between 1820 and 1900 was

(A) expanding (B) in sharp decline (C) stagnate (D) disorganized

44. The word "roughly" in line 9 is closest in meaning to

(A) harshly (B) surprisingly (C) slowly (D) approximately

45. The word "its" in line 10 refers to

(A) century (B) population (C) generation (D) birth rate

46. According to the passage, as the nineteenth century progressed, the people of the United States

(A) emigrated to other countries

(B) often settled in the West

(D) had a higher rate of birth than ever before

47. Which of the following best describes the society about which David Donald wrote?

(A) A highly conservative society that was resistant to new ideas

(B) A society that was undergoing fundamental change

(D) A nomadic society that was starting permanent settlements

48. The word "magnify" in line 20 is closest in meaning to

(A) solve (B) explain (C) analyze (D) increase

49. Which of the following is NOT mentioned as an example of the social changes occurring in the United States after 1820?

(A) Increased social mobility (B) Increased immigration

50. The word "distinctions" in line 21 is closest in meaning to

(A) differences (B) classes

PRACTICE TEST 34

May 1996

Question 1-12

Orchids are unique in having the most highly developed of all blossoms, in which

the usual male and female reproductive organs are fused in a single structure called the

column. The column is designed so that a single pollination will fertilize hundreds of

Line thousands, and in some cases millions, of seeds, so microscopic and light they are easily

(5) carried by the breeze. Surrounding the column are three sepals and three petals, sometimes easily

recognizable as such, often distorted into gorgeous, weird, but always functional

shapes. The most noticeable of the petals is called the labellum, or lip. It is often

dramatically marked as an unmistakable landing strip to attract the specific insect the

orchid has chosen as its pollinator.

(10) To lure their pollinators from afar, orchids use appropriately intriguing shapes,

colors, and scents. At least 50 different aromatic compounds have been analyzed in the

orchid family, each blended to attract one, or at most a few, species of insects or birds.

Some orchids even change their scents to interest different insects at different times.

Once the right insect has been attracted, some orchids present all sorts of one-way

(15) obstacle courses to make sure it does not leave until pollen has been accurately placed

or removed. By such ingenious adaptations to specific pollinators, orchids have

avoided the hazards of rampant crossbreeding in the wild, assuring the survival of

species as discrete identities. At the same time they have made themselves irresistible

to collectors.

1. What does the passage mainly discuss?

(A) Birds (B) Insects (C) Flowers (D) Perfume

2. The orchid is unique because of

(A) the habitat in which it lives

(B) the structure of its blossom

(D) the length of its life

3. The word "fused" in line 2 is closest in meaning to

(A) combined (B) hidden (C) fertilized (D) produced

4. How many orchid seeds are typically pollinated at one time?

(A) 200 (B) 2,000 (C) 20,000 (D) 200,000

5. Which of the following is a kind of petal?

(A) The column (B) The sepal (C) The stem (D) The labellum

6. The labellum (line7) is most comparable to

(A) a microscope (B) an obstacle course

7. The word "lure" in line 10 is closest in meaning to

(A) attract (B) recognize (C) follow (D) help

8. Which of the following is NOT mentioned as a means by which an orchid attracts insects?

(A) Size (B) Shape (C) Color (D) Perfume

9. The word "their" in line 13 refers to

(A) orchids (B) birds (C) insects (D) species

10. Which of the following statements about orchids scents does the passage support?

(A) They are effective only when an insect is near the blossom.

(B) Harmful insects are repelled by them.

(D) They may change at different times.

11. The word "placed" in line 15 is closest in meaning to

(A) estimated (B) measured (C) deposited (D) identified

12. The word "discrete" in line 18 is closest in meaning to

(A) complicated (B) separate (C) inoffensive (D) functional

Question 13-22

One of the most important social developments that helped to make possible a shift

in thinking about the role of public education was the effect of the baby boom of the

1950's and 1960's on the schools. In the 1920's, but especially in the Depression

Line conditions of the 1930's, the United States experienced a declining birth rate -every

(5) thousand women aged fifteen to forty-four gave birth to about 118 live children in

1920, 89.2 in 1930, 75.8 in 1936, and 80 in 1940. With the growing prosperity brought

on by the Second World War and the economic boom that followed it, young people

married and established households earlier and began to raise larger families than had

their predecessors during the Depression. Birth rates rose to 102 per thousand in 1946,

(10) 106.2 in 1950, and 118 in 1955. Although economics was probably the most important

determinant, it is not the only explanation for the baby boom. The increased value

placed on the idea of the family also helps to explain this rise in birth rates. The baby

boomers began streaming into the first grade by the mid-1940's and became a flood by

1950. The public school system suddenly found itself overtaxed. While the number of

(15) schoolchildren rose because of wartime and postwar conditions, these same conditions

made the schools even less prepared to cope with the flood. The wartime economy

meant that few new schools were built between 1940 and 1945. Moreover, during the

war and in the boom times that followed, large numbers of teachers left their profession

for better-paying jobs elsewhere in the economy.

(20) Therefore, in the 1950's and 1960's, the baby boom hit an antiquated and inadequate

school system. Consequently, the "custodial rhetoric" of the 1930's and early 1940's

no longer made sense; that is, keeping youths aged sixteen and older out of the labor

market by keeping them in school could no longer be a high priority for an institution

unable to find space and staff to teach younger children aged five to sixteen. With the

(25) baby boom, the focus of educators and of laymen interested in education inevitably

turned toward the lower grades and back to basic academic skills and discipline. The

system no longer had much interest in offering nontraditional, new, and extra services

to older youths.

13. What does the passage mainly discuss?

(A) The teaching profession during the baby boom

(B) Birth rates in the United States in the 1930's and 1940

(D) The role of the family in the 1950's and 1960's

14. The word "it" in line 11 refers to

(A) 1955 (B) economics (C) the baby boom (D) value

15. The word "overtaxed" in line 14 is closest in meaning to

(A) well prepared (B) plentifully supplied

16. The public school of the 1950's and 1960's faced all of the following problems EXCEPT

(A) a declining number of students (B) old-fashioned facilities

17. According to the passage, why did teachers leave the teaching profession after the outbreak of the war?

(A) The needed to be retrained (B) They were dissatisfied with the curriculum.

18. The word "inadequate" in line 20 is closest in meaning to

(A) deficient (B) expanded (C) innovative (D) specialized

19. The "custodial rhetoric" mentioned in line 21 refers to

(A) raising a family (B) keeping older individuals in school

20. The word "inevitably" in line 25 is closest in meaning to

(A) unwillingly (B) impartially (C) irrationally (D) unavoidably

21. Where in the passage does the author refer to the attitude of Americans toward raising a family in the 1950's and 1960's?

(A) Lines 1-3 (B) Lines 11-12 (C) Lines 20-21 (D) Lines 24-26

22. Which of the following best characterizes the organization of the passage?

(A) The second paragraph presents the effect of circumstances described in the first paragraph.

(B) The second paragraph provides a fictional account to illustrate a problem presented in the first paragraph.

(D) The second paragraph introduces a problem not mentioned in the first paragraph.

Questions 23-32

Nineteenth-century writers in the United States, whether they wrote novels, short

stories, poems, or plays, were powerfully drawn to the railroad in its golden year. In

fact, writers responded to the railroads as soon as the first were built in the 1830's. By

Line the 1850's, the railroad was a major presence in the life of the nation. Writers such as

(5) Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau saw the railroad both as a boon to

democracy and as an object of suspicion. The railroad could be and was a despoiler of

nature; furthermore, in its manifestation of speed and noise, it might be a despoiler of

human nature as well. By the 1850's and 1860's, there was a great distrust among writer

and intellectuals of the rapid industrialization of which the railroad was a leading force.

(10) Deeply philosophical historians such as Henry Adams lamented the role that the new

frenzy for business was playing in eroding traditional values. A distrust of industry and

business continued among writers throughout the rest of the nineteenth century and into

the twentieth.

For the most part, the literature in which the railroad plays an important role belong

(15) to popular culture rather than to the realm of serious art. One thinks of melodramas,

boys' books, thrillers, romances, and the like rather than novels of the first rank. In the

railroads' prime years, between 1890 and 1920, there were a few individuals in the

United States, most of them with solid railroading experience behind them, who made

a profession of writing about railroading-works offering the ambience of stations,

(20) yards, and locomotive cabs. These writers, who can genuinely be said to have created a

genre, the "railroad novel." are now mostly forgotten, their names having faded from

memory. But anyone who takes the time to consult their fertile writings will still find a

treasure trove of information about the place of the railroad in the lift of the United

States.

23. With which of the following topics is the passage mainly concerned?

(A) The role of the railroad in the economy of the United States.

(B) Major nineteenth-century writers.

(D) The railroad as a subject for literature.

24. The word "it" in line 7 refers to

(A) railroad (B) manifestation (C) speed (D) nature

25. In the first paragraph, the author implies that writers' reactions to the development of railroads were

(A) highly enthusiastic (B) both positive and negative

26. The word "lamented" in line 10 is closest in meaning to

(A) complained about (B) analyzed (C) explained (D) reflected on

27. According to the passage, the railroad played a significant role in literature in all of the following kinds of books EXCEPT

(A) thrillers (B) boys' books (C) important novels (D) romances

28. The phrase "first rank" in line 16 is closest in meaning to

(A) largest category (B) highest quality

29. The word "them" in line 18 refers to

(A) novels (B) years (C) individuals (D) works

30. The author mentions all of the following as being true about the literature of railroads EXCEPT that

(A) many of its writers had experience working on railroads

(B) many of the books were set in railroad stations and yards

(D) quite a few of the books are still popular today.

31. The words "faded from" in line 21 are closest in meaning to

(A) grew in (B) disappeared from

32. What is the author's attitude toward the "railroad novels" and other books about railroads written between 1890 and 1920?

(A) They have as much literary importance as the books written by Emerson, Thoreau, and Adams.

(B) They are good examples of the effects industry and business had on the literature of the United States.

(D) They are worth reading as sources of knowledge about the impact of railroads on life in the United States.

Questions 33-44

By the 1820's in the United States, when steamboats were common on western

waters, these boats were mostly powered by engines built in the West (Pittsburgh,

Cincinnati, or Louisville), and of a distinctive western design specially suited to

Line western needs. The first steam engines in practical use in England and the United

(5) States were of low-pressure design. This was the type first developed by James Watt,

then manufactured by the firn of Boulton and Watt, and long the standard industrial

engine. Steam was accumulated in a large, double-acting vertical cylinder, but the

steam reached only a few pounds of pressure per square inch. It was low-pressure

engines of this type that were first introduced into the United States by Robert Fulton.

(10) He imported such a Boulton and Watt engine from England to run the Clermont. But

this type of engine was expensive and complicated, requiring many precision-fitted

moving parts.

The engine that became standard on western steamboats was of a different and

novel design. It was the work primarily of an unsung hero of American industrial

(15) progress, Oliver Evans(1755-1819). The self-educated son of a Delaware farmer.

Evans early became obsessed by the possibilities of mechanized production and steam

power. As early as 1802 he was using a stationary steam engine of high-pressure

design in his mill. Engines of this type were not unknown, but before Evans they were

generally considered impractical and dangerous.

(20) Within a decade the high-pressure engine, the new type, had become standard on

western waters. Critics ignorant of western conditions often attacked it as wasteful and

dangerous. But people who really knew the Ohio, the Missouri, and the Mississippi

insisted, with good reasons, that it was the only engine for them. In shallow western

rivers the weight of vessel and engine was important; a heavy engine added to the

(25) problem of navigation. The high-pressure engine was far lighter in proportion to

horsepower, and with less than half as many moving parts, was much easier and

cheaper to repair. The main advantages of low-pressure engines were safe operation

and economy of fuel consumption, neither of which meant much in the West.

33. What is the passage mainly about?

(A) Steamboat engines in the western United States

(B) River travel in the western United States

(D) The world's first practical steamboat

34. What was the Clermont (line 10)?

(A) A river (B) A factory (C) A boat (D) An engine

35. Who developed the kind of steam engine used on western steamboats?

(A) Watt (B) Boulton (C) Fulton (D) Evans

36. The word "novel" in line 14 is closest in meaning to

(A) fictional (B) intricate (C) innovative (D) powerful

37. What opinion of Evans is suggested by the use of the term "unsung hero" in line 14?

(A) More people should recognize the importance of his work .

(B) More of his inventions should be used today.

(D) More should be learned about his early lift.

38. What does the author imply about Evans?

(A) He went to England to learn about steam power.

(B) He worked for Fulton.

(D) He taught himself about steam engines.

39. The work "stationary" in line 17 is closest in meaning to

(A) single (B) fixed (C) locomotive (D) modified

40. The word "they" in line 18 refers to

(A) engines (B) mechanized production and steam power

41. What does the author imply about the western rivers?

(A) It was difficult to find fuel near them. (B) They flooded frequently.

42. The word "it" in line 23 refers to

(A) decade (B) high-pressure engine

43. The word "vessel" in line 24 is closest in meaning to

(A) fuel (B) crew (C) cargo (D) craft

44. Which of the following points was made by the critics of high-pressure engines?

(A) They are expensive to import.

(B) They are not powerful enough for western waters.

(D) They weigh too much.

Questions 45-50

Volcanic fire and glacial ice are natural enemies. Eruptions at glaciated volcanoes

typically destroy ice fields, as they did in 1980 when 70 percent of Mount Saint Helens

ice cover was demolished. During long dormant intervals, glaciers gain the upper hand

Line cutting deeply into volcanic cones and eventually reducing them to rubble. Only rarely

(5) do these competing forces of heat and cold operate in perfect balance to create a

phenomenon such as the steam caves at Mount Rainier National Park.

Located inside Rainier's two ice-filled summit craters, these caves form a labyrinth

of tunnels and vaulted chambers about one and one-half miles in total length. Their

creation depends on an unusual combination of factors that nature almost never brings

(10) together in one place. The cave-making recipe calls for a steady emission of volcanic

gas and heat, a heavy annual snowfall at an elevation high enough to keep it from

melting during the summer, and a bowl-shaped crater to hold the snow.

Snow accumulating yearly in Rainier's summit craters is compacted and compressed

into a dense form of ice called firn, a substance midway between ordinary ice and the

(15) denser crystalline ice that makes up glaciers. Heat rising from numerous openings (called

fumaroles) along the inner crater walls melts out chambers between the rocky walls

and the overlying ice pack. Circulating currents of warm air then melt additional opening

in the firm ice, eventually connecting the individual chambers and, in the larger of

Rainier's two craters, forming a continuous passageway that extends two- thirds of the

(20) way around the crater's interior.

To maintain the cave system, the elements of fire under ice must remain in equilibrium.

Enough snow must fill the crater each year to replace that melted from below. If too much

volcanic heat is discharged, the crater's ice pack will melt away entirely and the caves

will vanish along with the snow of yesteryear. If too little heat is produced, the ice,

(25) replenished annually by winter snowstorms, will expand, pushing against the enclosing

crater walls and smothering the present caverns in solid firm ice.

45. With what topic is the passage primarily concerned?

(A) The importance of snowfall for Mount Rainier.

(B) The steam caves of Mount Rainier.

(D) The eruption of Mount Saint Helens in 1980.

46. The word "they" in line 2 refers to

(A) fields (B) intervals (C) eruptions (D) enemies

47. According to the passage long periods of volcanic inactivity can lead to a volcanic cone's

(A) strongest eruption (B) sudden growth (C) destruction (D) unpredictability

48. The second paragraph mentions all of the following as necessary elements in the creation of steam caves EXCEPT

(A) a glacier (B) a crater (C) heat (D) snow

49. According to the passage, heat from Mount Rainier's summit craters rises from

(A) crystalline ice (B) firns (C) chambers (D) fumaroles

50. In line 26 "smothering" the caverns means that they would be

(A) eliminated (B) enlarged (C) prevented (D) hollowed

PRACTICE TEST 35

August 1996

Question 1-10

The word laser was coined as an acronym for Light Amplification by the Stimulated

Emission of Radiation. Ordinary light, from the Sun or a light bulb, is emitted

spontaneously, when atoms or molecules get rid of excess energy by themselves, without

Line any outside intervention. Stimulated emission is different because it occurs when an

(5) atom or molecule holding onto excess energy has been stimulated to emit it as light.

Albert Einstein was the first to suggest the existence of stimulated emission in a

paper published in 1917. However, for many years physicists thought that atoms and

molecules always were much more likely to emit light spontaneously and that stimulated

emission thus always would be much weaker. It was not until after the Second World

(10) War that physicists began trying to make stimulated emission dominate. They sought

ways by which one atom or molecule could stimulate many other to emit light ,

amplifying it to much higher powers.

The first to succeed was Charles H.Townes, then at Colombia University in New

York . Instead of working with light, however, he worked with microwaves, which have

(15) a much longer wavelength, and built a device he called a "maser" for Microwave

Amplification by the Stimulated Emission of Radiation. Although he thought of the

key idea in 1951, the first maser was not completed until a couple of years later. Before

long, many other physicists were building masers and trying to discover how to produce

stimulated emission at even shorter wavelength.

(20) The key concepts emerged about 1957. Townes and Arthur Schawlow, then at Bell

Telephone Laboratories, wrote a long paper outlining the conditions needed to amplify

stimulated emission of visible light waves. At about the same time, similar ideas

crystallized in the mind of Gordon Gould, then a 37-year-old graduate student at

Columbia, who wrote them down in a series of notebooks. Townes and Schawlow

(25) published their ideas in a scientific journal, Physical Review Letter, but Gould filed a

patent application. Three decades later, people still argue about who deserves the credit

for the concept of the laser.

1. The word "coin" in line 1 could be replaced by

(A) created (B) mentioned (C) understood (D) discovered

2. The word "intervention" in line 4 can best be replaced by

(A) need (B) device (C) influence (D) source

3. The word "it" in line 5 refers to

(A) light bulb (B) energy (C) molecule (D) atom

4. Which of the following statements best describes a laser?

(A) A device for stimulating atoms and molecules to emit light

(B) An atom in a high-energy state

(D) An instrument for measuring light waves

5. Why was Towne's early work with stimulated emission done with microwaves?

(A) He was not concerned with light amplification

(B) It was easier to work with longer wavelengths.

(D) The laser had already been developed

6. In his research at Columbia University, Charles Townes worked with all of the following EXCEPT

(A) stimulated emission (B) microwaves

7. In approximately what year was the first maser built?

8. The word "emerged" in line 20 is closest in meaning to

(A) increased (B) concluded (C) succeeded (D) appeared

9. The word "outlining" in line 21 is closest in meaning to

(A) assigning (B) studying (C) checking (D) summarizing

10. Why do people still argue about who deserves the credit for the concept of the laser?

(A) The researchers' notebooks were lost.

(B) Several people were developing the idea at the same time.

(D) The work is still incomplete.

Question 11-21

Panel painting, common in thirteenth -and fourteenth -century Europe, involved a

painstaking, laborious process. Wooden planks were joined, covered with gesso to

prepare the surface for painting , and then polished smooth with special tools. On this

Line perfect surface, the artist would sketch a composition with chalk, refine it with inks,

(5) and then begin the deliberate process of applying thin layers of egg tempera paint (egg

yolk in which pigments are suspended) with small brushes. The successive layering of

these meticulously applied paints produced the final, translucent colors.

Backgrounds of gold were made by carefully applying sheets of gold leaf, and then

embellishing of decorating the gold leaf by punching it with a metal rod on which a

(10) pattern had been embossed. Every step in the process was slow and deliberate. The

quick-drying tempera demanded that the artist know exactly where each stroke be

placed before the brush met the panel, and it required the use of fine brushes. It was,

therefore, an ideal technique for emphasizing the hard linear edges and pure, fine areas

of color that were so much a part of the overall aesthetic of the time. The notion that an

(15) artist could or would dash off an idea in a fit of spontaneous inspiration was

completely alien to these deliberately produced works.

Furthermore, making these paintings was so time-consuming that it demanded

assistance. All such work was done by collective enterprise in the workshops. The

painter or master who is credited with having created painting may have designed

(20) the work and overseen its production, but it is highly unlikely that the artist's hand

applied every stroke of the brush. More likely, numerous assistants, who had been

trained to imitate the artist's style, applied the paint. The carpenter's shop probably

provided the frame and perhaps supplied the panel, and yet another shop supplied the

gold. Thus, not only many hands, but also many shops were involved in the final

(25) product.

In spite of problems with their condition, restoration, and preservation many panel

paintings have survived, and today many of them are housed in museum collections.

11. What aspect of panel paintings does the passage mainly discuss?

(A) Famous examples (B) Different styles

12. According to the passage, what does the first step in making a panel painting ?

(A) Mixing the paint (B) Preparing the panel

13. The word "it" in line 4 refers to .

(A) chalk (B) composition (C) artist (D) surface

14. The word "deliberate" in line 5 is closest in meaning to

(A) decisive (B) careful (C) natural (D) unusual

15. Which of the following processes produced the translucent colors found on panel paintings?

(A) Joining wooden planks to form large sheets

(B) Polishing the gesso

(D) Covering the background with gold leaf

16. What characteristic of tempera paint is mentioned in the passage ?

(A) It dries quickly (B) It is difficult to make

17. The word "demanded" in line 17 is closest in meaning to

(A) ordered (B) reported (C) required (D) questioned

18. The "collective enterprise" mentioned in line 18 includes all of the following EXCEPT

(A) supplying the gold leaf (B) building the panels

19. The word "imitate" in line 22 is closest in meaning to

(A) copy (B) illustrate (C) promote (D) believe in

20. The author mentions all of the following as problems with the survival of panel painting EXCEPT

(A) condition (B) theft (C) preservation (D) restoration

21. The word "them" in line 27 refers to

(A) problems (B) condition, restoration, preservation

Question 22-32

Crows are probably the most frequently met and easily identifiable members of the

native fauna of the United States. The great number of tales, legends, and myths about

these birds indicates that people have been exceptionally interested in them for a long

Line time. On the other hand, when it comes to substantive -- particularly behavioral --

(5) information, crows are less well known than many comparably common species and,

for that matter, not a few quite uncommon ones: the endangered California condor, to

cite one obvious example. There are practical reasons for this.

Crows are notoriously poor and aggravating subjects for field research. Keen

observers and quick learners, they are astute about the intentions of other creatures,

including researchers, and adept at avoiding them. Because they are so numerous,

(11) active, and monochromatic, it is difficult to distinguish one crow from another. Bands,

radio transmitters, or other identifying devices can be attached to them, but this of

course requires catching live crows, who are among the wariest and most untrappable

of birds.

(15) Technical difficulties aside, crow research is daunting because the ways of these

birds are so complex and various. As preeminent is generalists, members of this species

ingeniously exploit a great range of habitats and resources, and they can quickly adjust

to changes in their circumstances. Being so educable, individual birds have markedly

different interests and inclinations, strategies and scams. For example, one pet crow

(20) learned how to let a dog out of its kennel by pulling the pin on the door. When the dog

escaped, the bird went into the kennel and ate its food.

22. What is the main topic of the passage?

(A) The ways in which crows differ from other common birds

(B) The myths and legends about crows

(D) The existing methods for investigating crow behavior

23. According to the first paragraph, what evidence is there that crows have interested people for a long time?

(A) The large number of stories about crows.

(B) The frequency with which crows are sighted

(D) The ease with which crows are identified

24. The word "comparable" in line 5 is closest in meaning to

(A) interestingly (B) similar (C) otherwise (D) sometimes

25. In line 6, the author mention the endangered California condor as an example of a species that is

(A) smaller than the crow (B) easily identifiable

26. The word "them" in line 10 refers to

(A) crows (B) subjects (C) intentions (D) researchers

27. According to the second paragraph, crows are poor subjects for field research for all of the following reasons EXCEPT

(A) They can successfully avoid observers. B) They are hard to distinguish from one another

28. In the second paragraph, the author implies that using radio transmitters would allow a researcher who studies crow to

(A) identify individual crows

(B) follow flocks of crows over long distances

(D) help crows that become sick or injured

29. According to the third paragraph, which of the following is true about crows?

(A) They seldom live in any one place for very long.

(B) They thrive in a wide variety of environments.

(D) They use up the resources in one area before moving to another.

30. In line 19,the word "inclinations" is closest in meaning to

(A) tricks (B) opportunities (C) preferences (D) experiences

31. In lines 19-21, the author mentions a pet crow to illustrate which of the following?

(A) The clever ways that crows solve problems

(B) The differences between pet crows and wild crows

(D) The affection that crows show to other creatures

32. Which of the following statements is supported by the passage?

(A) Crows have relatively long lives. (B) Crows have keen vision

Questions 33-41

In the early days of the United States, postal charges were paid by the recipient and

charges varied with the distance carried. In 1825, the United States Congress permitted

local postmasters to give letters to mail carriers for home delivery, but these carriers

Line received no government salary and their entire compensation depended on what they

(5) were paid by the recipients of individual letters.

In 1847 the United States Post Office Department adopted the idea of a postage stamp,

which of course simplified the payment for postal service but caused grumbling by

those who did not like to prepay. Besides, the stamp covered only delivery to the post

office and did not include carrying it to a private address. In Philadelphia, for example,

(10) with a population of 150,000, people still had to go to the post office to get their mail.

The confusion and congestion of individual citizens looking for their letters was itself

enough to discourage use of the mail. It is no wonder that, during the years of these

cumbersome arrangements, private letter-carrying and express businesses developed.

Although their activities were only semilegal, they thrived, and actually advertised that

(15) between Boston and Philadelphia they were a half-day speedier than the government

mail. The government postal service lost volume to private competition and was not

able to handle efficiently even the business it had.

Finally, in 1863, Congress provided that the mail carriers who delivered the mail

from the post offices to private addresses should receive a government salary, and that

(20) there should be no extra charge for that delivery. But this delivery service was at first

confined to cities, and free home delivery became a mark of urbanism. As late as 1887,

a town had to have 10,000 people to be eligible for free home delivery. In 1890, of the

75 million people in the United States, fewer than 20 million had mail delivered free

to their doors. The rest, nearly three-quarters of the population, still received no mail

unless they went to their post office.

33. What does the passage mainly discuss?

(A) The increased use of private mail services

(B) The development of a government postal system

(D) The history of postage stamps.

34. The word "varied" in line 2 could best be replaced by

(A) increased (B) differed (C) returned (D) started

35. Which of the following was seen as a disadvantage of the postage stamp?

(A) It had to be purchased by the sender in advance.

(B) It increased the cost of mail delivery.

(D) It was easy to counterfeit.

36. Why does the author mention the city of Philadelphia in line 9?

(A) It was the site of the first post office in the United States.

(B) Its postal service was inadequate for its population.

(D) It was commemorated by the first United States postage stamp.

37. The word "cumbersome" in line 13 is closest in meaning to

(A) burdensome (B) handsome (C) loathsome (D) quarrelsome

38. The word "they" in line 15 refers to

(A) Boston and Philadelphia (B) businesses

39. The private postal services of the nineteenth century claimed that they could do which of the following better than the government?

(A) Deliver a higher volume of mail. (B) Deliver mail more cheaply.

40. In 1863 the United States government began providing which of the following to mail carriers?

(A) A salary (B) Housing

41. The word "Confined" in line 21 is closest in meaning to

(A) granted (B) scheduled (C) limited (D) recommended

Questions 43-50

Archaeology has long been an accepted tool for studying prehistoric cultures.

Relatively recently the same techniques have been systematically applied to studies of

the more immediate past. This has been called "historical archaeology," a term that is

Line used in the United States to refer to any archaeological investigation into North

(5) American sites that postdate the arrival of Europeans.

Back in the 1930's and 1940's, when building restoration was popular, historical

archaeology was primarily a tool of architectural reconstruction. The role of archaeologists

was to find the foundations of historic buildings and then take a back seat to architects.

The mania for reconstruction had largely subsided by 1950's. Most

(10) people entering historical archaeology during this period came out of university

anthropology departments, where they had studied prehistoric cultures. They were, by

training social scientists, not historians, and their work tended to reflect this bias. The

questions they framed and the techniques they used were designed to help them

understand, as scientists, how people behaved. But because they were treading on

(15) historical ground for which there was often extensive written documentation and because

their own knowledge of these periods was usually limited, their contributions to American

history remained circumscribed. Their reports, highly technical and sometimes poorly

written, went unread.

More recently, professional archaeologists have taken over. These researchers have

(20) sought to demonstrate that their work can be a valuable tool not only of science but also

of history, providing fresh insights into the daily lives of ordinary people whose existences

might not otherwise be so well documented. This newer emphasis on archaeology as

social history has shown great promise, and indeed work done in this area has lead to a

reinterpretation of the United States past.

(25) In Kingston, New York, for example, evidence has uncovered that indicates that

English goods were being smuggled into that city at a time when the Dutch supposedly

controlled trading in the area. And in Sacramento an excavation at site of a fashionable

nineteenth-century hotel revealed that garbage had been stashed in the building's

basement despite sanitation laws to the contrary.

42. What does the passage mainly discuss?

(A) Why historical archaeology was first developed

(B) How the methods and purpose of historical archaeology have changed

(D) The attitude of professional archaeologists toward historical archaeology

43. According to the first paragraph, what is a relatively new focus in archaeology?

(A) Investigating the recess past

(B) Studying prehistoric cultures

(D) Comparing ancient sites in what is now the United States.

44. According to the passage, when had historical archaeologists been trained as anthropologists?

(A) Prior to the 1930's (B) During the 1930's and 1940's

45. The word "framed" in line 13 is closest in meaning to

(A) understood (B) read (C) avoided (D) posed

46. In the third paragraph, the author implies that the techniques of history and the techniques of social science are

(A) quite different from each other

(B) equally useful in studying prehistoric cultures

(D) both based on similar principles

47. The phrase "their contributions" in line 16 refers to the contributions of

(A) social scientists (B) prehistoric cultures

48. The author mentions an excavation at the site of a hotel in Sacramento in order to give an example of

(A) a building reconstruction project

(B) the work of the earliest historical archaeologists

(D) the kind of information that historians routinely examine

49. The word "supposedly" in line 26 is closest in meaning to

(A) ruthlessly (B) tightly (C) barely (D) seemingly

50. The word "sanitation" in line 29 is closest in meaning to

(A) city (B) housing (C) health (D) trade

GHÉT TRUNG QUỐC

Wednesday, 20 August 2014

Reading Coprehention 1