READING
COMPRREHENSION
TIME
– 55 MINUTES
(Including
the reading of the directions)
This section is designed to measure your
ability to read and understand passages.
Directions: In this section you will
read several passages. Each one is followed by anumber
of questions about it. You are to choose the one best answer; (A) (B) (C) or
(D) to each question. Then, on your answer sheet, find the number of the
question and fill in the space that corresponds to the letter of the answer you
have chosen.
Answer all questions about the
information in a passage
on the basis what is implied of stated in that passage.
Now begin work on the questions.
Question 1-9
The canopy ,the
upper level of the trees in the rain forest, holds a plethora of climbing
mammals of
moderately large size, which may include monkeys, cats, civets, and
porcupines.
Smaller species, including such rodents as mice and small squirrels
,are not
Line as prevalent overall in high tropical
canopies as they are in most habitats globally.
(5) Small mammals, being warm blooded, suffer
hardship in the exposed and turbulent
environment of
the uppermost trees. Because a small body has more surface area per unit
of
weight than a large one of similar shape, it gains or loses
heat more swiftly. Thus, in
the
trees, where shelter from heat and cold may be scarce and conditions may
fluctuate, a
small
mammal may have trouble maintaining its body temperature.
(10) Small size makes it easy to scramble
among twigs and branches in the canopy for
insects,
flowers, or fruit, but small mammals are surpassed, in the competition for
food,
by
large ones that have their own tactics for browsing among food-rich twigs. The
weight
of a
gibbon (a small ape) hanging below a branch arches the terminal leaves down so
that
fruit-bearing
foliage drops toward the gibbon’s face. Walking or leaping species of a
(15) similar or even
larger size access the outer twigs either by snapping off and retrieving the
whole
branch or by clutching stiff branches with the feet or tail and plucking food
with
their
hands.
Small climbing animals may reach
twigs readily, but it is harder for them than for large
climbing
animals to cross the wide gaps from on tree crown to the next that typify the
(20) high canopy. A
macaque or gibbon can hurl itself farther than a mouse can: it can achieve
a
running start, and it can more effectively use a branch as a springboard, even
bouncing
on a
climb several times before jumping. The forward movement of a small animal is
seriously
reduced by the air friction against the relatively large surface area of its
body.
Finally, for the
many small mammals that supplement their insect diet with fruits or seeds
(25) an inability to span
open gaps between tree crowns may be problematic, since trees that
yield
these foods can be sparse.
1. The
passage answers which of the following questions?
(A)
How is the rain forest different from other habitats?
(B)
How does an animal’s body size influence an animal’s need for food?
(C)
Why does the rain forest provide an unusual variety of food for animals?
(D)
Why do large animals tend to dominate the upper canopy of the rain forest?
2. Which
of the following animals is less common in the upper canopy than in other
environments?
(A)
Monkeys (B) Cats (C) Porcupines (D) Mice
3. The
word “they” in line 4 refers to
(A) trees (B)
climbing mammals of moderately large size
(C) smaller species (D)
high tropical canopies
4. According
to paragraph 2, which of the following is true about the small mammals in the
rain forest?
(A)
They have body shapes that are adapted to life in the canopy.
(B)
They prefer the temperature and climate of the canopy to that of other
environments.
(C)
They have difficulty with the changing conditions in the canopy.
(D)
They use the trees of the canopy for shelter from heat and cold.
5. In
discussing animal size in paragraph 3, the author indicates that
(A) small animals require proportionately more food than larger
animals do
(B) a large animal’s size is an advantage in obtaining food in
the canopy
(C) small animals are often attacked by large animals in the
rain forest
(D) small animals and large animals are equally adept at
obtaining food in the canopy
6. The
word “typify” in line 19 is closest in meaning to
(A) resemble (B)
protect (C)
characterize (D) divide
7. According
to paragraph 4, what makes jumping from one tree crown to another difficult for
small mammals?
(A)
Air friction against the body surface (B)
The thickness of the branches
(C)
The dense leaves of the tree crown (D)
The inability to use the front feet as hands
8. The
word ‘supplement” in line 24 is closest in meaning to
(A) control (B)
replace (C) look for (D) add to
9. Which
of the following terms is defined in the passage?
(A) canopy(line 1) (B)
warm blooded(line 5)
(C) terminal leaves(line13) (D)
springboard(line 21)
Question
10-19
During the seventeenth and eighteenth
centuries, almost nothing was written about the
contributions of
women during the colonial period and the early history of the newly
formed
United States. Lacking the right to vote and absent from the seats of power,
women
Line were not considered
an important force in history. Anne Bradstreet wrote some significant
(5) poetry in the
seventeenth century, Mercy Otis Warren produced the best contemporary
history of
the American Revolution, and Abigail Adams penned important letters showing
she
exercised great political influence over her husband, John, the second
President of the
United States.
But little or no notice was taken of these contributions. During these
centuries,
women remained invisible in history books.
(10) Throughout the nineteenth century,
this lack of visibility continued, despite the efforts
of
female authors writing about women. These writers, like most of their male
counterparts,
were
amateur historians. Their writings were celebratory in nature, and they were
uncritical
in
their selection and use of sources.
During the nineteenth century,
however, certain feminists showed a keen sense of
(15) history by keeping
records of activities in which women were engaged. National, regional,
and
local women’s organizations compiled accounts of their doings. Personal
correspondence,
newspaper clippings, and souvenirs were saved and stored. These sources
from the
core of the two greatest collections of women’s history in the United States
one at
the
Elizabeth and Arthur Schlesinger Library at Radcliffe College, and the other
the Sophia
(20) Smith Collection at Smith College. Such
sources have provided valuable materials for later
Generations
of historians.
Despite the gathering of more
information about ordinary women during the nineteenth
Century, most of
the writing about women conformed to the “great women” theory of
History, just as
much of mainstream American history concentrated on “great men.” To
(25) demonstrate that
women were making significant contributions to American life, female
authors
singled out women leaders and wrote biographies, or else important women
produced
their autobiographies. Most of these leaders were involved in public life as
reformers,
activists working for women’s right to vote, or authors, and were not
representative at
all of the great of ordinary woman. The lives of ordinary people
(30) continued, generally,
to be untold in the American histories being published.
10. What does the
passage mainly discuss?
(A)
The role of literature in early American histories
(B)
The place of American women in written histories
(C)
The keen sense of history shown by American women
(D)The
“great women” approach to history used by American historians
11. The word
“contemporary” in line 5 means that the history was
(A) informative (B)
written at that time
(C) thoughtful (D)
faultfinding
12. In the first
paragraph, Bradstreet, Warren, and Adams are mentioned to show that
(A) a woman’s status was changed by marriage
(B) even the contributions of outstanding women were ignored
(C) only three women were able to get their writing published
(D) poetry produced by women was more readily accepted than
other writing by women
13. The word
“celebratory” in line 12 means that the writings referred to were
(A) related to parties (B)
religious (C) serious (D) full of praise
14. The word “they”
in line 12 refers to
(A) efforts (B)
authors (C)
counterparts (D) sources
15. In the second
paragraph, what weakness in nineteenth-century histories does the author point
out?
(A)
They put too much emphasis on daily activities
(B)
They left out discussion of the influence of money on politics.
(C)
The sources of the information they were based on were not necessarily
accurate.
(D)
They were printed on poor-quality paper.
16. On the basis of
information in the third paragraph, which of the following would most likely
have been collected by nineteenth-century feminist organizations?
(A)
Newspaper accounts of presidential election results
(B)
Biographies of John Adams
(C)
Letters from a mother to a daughter advising her how to handle a family problem
(D)
Books about famous graduates of the country’s first college
17. What use was
made of the nineteenth-century women’s history materials in the Schlesinger
Library and the Sophia Smith Collection?
(A)
They were combined and published in a multivolume encyclopedia
(B)
They formed the basis of college courses in the nineteenth century.
(C)
They provided valuable information for twentieth—century historical
researchers.
(D)
They were shared among women’s colleges throughout the United States.
18. In the last
paragraph, the author mentions all of the following as possible roles of nineteenth-century
“great women” EXCEPT
(A) authors (B)
reformers
(C) activists for women’s rights (D)
politicians
19. The word
“representative” in line 29 is closest in meaning to
(A) typical (B)
satisfied (C) supportive (D) distinctive
Question 20-29
The end of the nineteenth century and
the early years of the twentieth century were
marked by
the development of an international Art Nouveau style, characterized by sinuous
lines,
floral and vegetable motifs, and soft evanescent coloration. The Art Nouveau
style
Line was an eclectic one, bringing together
elements of Japanese art, motifs of ancient cultures,
(5) and natural forms.
The glass objects of this style were elegant in outline, although often
deliberately
distorted, with pale or iridescent surfaces. A favored device of the style was
to
imitate the
iridescent surface seen on ancient glass that had been buried. Much of the Art
Nouveau glass
produced during the years of its greatest popularity had been generically
termed “art
glass.” Art glass was intended for decorative purposes and relied for its
effect
(10) on carefully chosen
color combinations and innovative techniques.
France produced a number of
outstanding exponents of the Art Nouveau style; among
the most
celebrated was Emile Galle (1846-1904). In the United States, Louis Comfort
Tiffany
(1843-1933) was the most noted exponent of this style, producing a great
variety of
glass
forms and surfaces, which were widely copied in their time and are highly
prized
(15) today. Tiffany was a
brilliant designer, successfully combining ancient Egyptian, Japanese,
and
Persian motifs.
The Art Nouveau style was a major
force in the decorative arts from 1895 until 1915,
although its
influence continued throughout the mid-1920’s. It was eventually to be
overtaken by a
new school of thought known as Functionalism that had been present since
(20) the turn of the
century. At first restricted to a small avant-garde group of architects and
designers,
Functionalism emerged as the dominant influence upon designers after the First
World
War.
The basic tenet of the movement-that function should determine from-was
not a
new concept. Soon a distinct aesthetic code evolved: from should be simple,
surfaces
plain, and
any ornament should be based on geometric relationships. This new design
(25) concept, coupled with
the sharp postwar reactions to the styles and conventions of the
preceding
decades, created an entirely new public taste which caused Art Nouveau types of
glass to
fall out of favor. The new taste demanded dramatic effects of contrast, stark
outline
and
complex textural surfaces.
20. What does
paragraph 1 mainly discuss?
(A)
Design elements in the Art Nouveau style
(B)
The popularity of the Art Nouveau style
(C) Production
techniques for art glass
(D)
Color combinations typical of the Art Nouveau style
21. The word “one”
in line 4 refers to
(A) century (B)
development (C) style (D) coloration
22. Para.1 mentions
that Art Nouveau glass was sometimes similar to which aspect of ancient buried
glass
(A)
The distortion of the glass (B)
The appearance of the glass surface
(C)
The shapes of the glass objects (D)
The size of the glass objects
23. What is the main
purpose of paragraph 2?
(A)
To compare different Art Nouveau styles
(B)
To give examples of famous Art Nouveau artists
(C)
To explain why Art Nouveau glass was so popular in the United States
(D)
To show the impact Art Nouveau had on other cultures around the world
24. The word
“prized” in line 14 is closest in meaning to
(A) valued (B)
universal (C) uncommon (D) preserved
25. The word
“overtaken” in line 19 is closest in meaning to
(A) surpassed (B)
inclined (C) expressed (D) applied
26. What does the
author mean by stating that “function should determine form” (line 22)?
(A) A
useful object should not be attractive.
(B)
The purpose of an object should influence its form.
(C)
The design of an object is considered more significant than its function.
(D)
The form of an object should not include decorative elements.
27. It can be
inferred from the passage that one reason Functionalism became popular was that
it
(A) clearly distinguished between art and design
(B) appealed to people who liked complex painted designs
(C) reflected a common desire to break from the past
(D) was easily interpreted by the general public
28. Paragraph 3
supports which of the following statements about Functionalism?
(A)
Its design concept avoided geometric shapes.
(B)
It started on a small scale and then spread gradually.
(C)
It was a major force in the decorative arts before the First World War.
(D)
It was not attractive to architects all designers.
29. According to the
passage, an object made in the Art Nouveau style would most likely include
(A) a flowered design (B)
bright colors
(C) modern symbols (D)
a textured surface
Question 30-40
During most of their lives, surge
glaciers behave like normal glaciers, traveling perhaps
only a
couple of inches per day. However, at intervals of 10 to 100 years, these
glaciers
move
forward up to 100 times faster than usual. The surge often progresses along a
glacier
line like a great wave, proceeding from one
section to another. Subglacial streams of meltwater
(5) water pressure
under the glacier might lift it off its bed, overcoming the friction between
ice
and
rock, thus freeing the glacier, which rapidly sliders downhill Surge glaciers
also might
be
influenced by the climate, volcanic heat, or earthquakes. However, many of
these
glaciers
exist in the same area as normal glaciers, often almost side by side.
(10) Some 800 years ago, Alaska’s Hubbard
Glacier advanced toward the sea, retreated, and
advanced
again 500 years later. Since 1895, this seventy-mile-long river of ice has been
flowing
steadily toward the Gulf of Alaska at a rate of approximately 200 feet per
year. In
June 1986,
however, the glacier surged ahead as much as 47 feet a day. Meanwhile, a
western
tributary, called Valerie Glacier, advanced up to 112 feet a day. Hubbard’s
surge
(15) closed off Russell
Fiord with a formidable ice dam, some 2,500 feet wide and up to 800
feet
high, whose caged waters threatened the town of Yakutat to the south.
About 20 similar glaciers around the
Gulf of Alaska are heading toward the sea. If
enough
surge glaciers reach the ocean and raise sea levels, West Antarctic ice shelves
could
rise off
the seafloor and become adrift. A flood of ice would then surge into the
Southern
(20) Sea. With the continued rise in sea level,
more ice would plunge into the ocean, causing sea
levels to
rise even higher, which in turn would release more ice and set in motion a
vicious
cycle. The
additional sea ice floating toward the tropics would increase Earth’s Albedo and
lower
global temperatures, perhaps enough to initiate a new ice age. This situation
appears
to have
occurred at the end of the last warm interglacial (the time between glacations),
(25) called the Sangamon,
when sea ice cooled the ocean dramatically, spawning the beginning
of the
Ice Age.
30. What is the main
topic of the passage?
(A)
The classification of different types of surge glaciers
(B)
The causes and consequences of surge glaciers
(C)
The definition of a surge glacier
(D)
The history of a particular surge glacier
31. The word
“intervals” in line 2 is closest in meaning to
(A) records (B)
speeds (C) distances (D) periods
32. The author
compares the surging motion of a surge glacier to the movement of a
(A) fish (B)
wave (C) machine (D) boat
33. Which of the
following does the author mention as a possible cause of surging glaciers?
(A)
The decline in sea levels
(B)
The occurrence of unusually large ocean waves
(C)
The shifting Antarctic ice shelves
(D)
The pressure of meltwater underneath the glacier
34. The word
“freeing” in line 7 is closest in meaning to
(A) pushing (B)
releasing (C)
strengthening (D) draining
35. According to the
passage, the Hubbard Glacier
(A) moves more often than the Valerie Glacier
(B) began movement toward the sea in 1895
(C) is 800 feet wide
(D) has moved as fast as 47 feet per day
36. Yakutat is the
name of
(A) an Alaskan town (B)
the last ice age
(C) a surge glacier (D)
an Antarctic ice shelf
37. The word
“plunge” in line 20 is closest in meaning to
(A)
drop (B) extend (C) melt (D) drift
38. The term
“vicious cycle” in lines 21-22 refers to the
(A)
movement pattern of surge glaciers
(B) effect surge glaciers could have on the temperature of
tropical areas
(C) effect that repeated rising sea levels might have on glacial
ice
(D) constant threat surge glaciers could pose to the Gulf of
Alaska
39. The author
provides a definition for which of the following terms?
(A)
Tributary (line 14) (B)
Ice dam (line 15)
(C) Albedo (line 22) (D)
Interglacial (line 24)
40. Which of the
following statements is supported by the passage?
(A)
The movement of surge glaciers can be prevented.
(B)
The next ice age could be caused by surge glaciers.
(C)
Surge glaciers help to support Antarctic ice shelves.
(D)
Normal glaciers have little effect on Earth’s climate.
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