Section Three: Reading Comprehension

 

 

 

Questions 1-10

Potash (the old name for potassium carbonate) is one of the two alkalis (the other

being soda, sodium carbonate) that were used from remote antiquity in the making of

glass, and from the early Middle Ages in the making of soap: the former being the

product of heating a mixture of alkali and sand, the latter a product of alkali and

(5)      vegetable oil. Their importance in the communities of colonial North America need

hardly be stressed.

Potash and soda are not interchangeable for all purposes, but for glass-or soap-

making either would do. Soda was obtained largely from the ashes of certain

Mediterranean sea plants, potash from those of inland vegetation. Hence potash was

(10)     more familiar to the early European settlers of the North American continent.

The settlement at Jamestown in Virginia was in many ways a microcosm of the

economy of colonial North America, and potash was one of its first concerns. It was

required for the glassworks, the first factory in the British colonies, and was produced

in sufficient quantity to permit the inclusion of potash in the first cargo shipped out of

(15)     Jamestown. The second ship to arrive in the settlement from England included among

its passengers experts in potash making.

The method of making potash was simple enough. Logs was piled up and burned

in the open, and the ashes collected. The ashes were placed in a barrel with holes in the

bottom, and water was poured over them. The solution draining from the barrel was

(20)     boiled down in iron kettles. The resulting mass was further heated to fuse the mass

into what was called potash.

In North America, potash making quickly became an adjunct to the clearing of land

for agriculture, for it was estimated that as much as half the cost of clearing land could

be recovered by the sale of potash. Some potash was exported from Maine and New

(25)     Hampshire in the seventeenth century, but the market turned out to be mainly domestic,

consisting mostly of shipments from the northern to the southern colonies. For despite

the beginning of the trade at Jamestown and such encouragements as a series of acts

"to encourage the making of potash," beginning in 1707 in South Carolina, the

softwoods in the South proved to be poor sources of the substance.

 

1. What aspect of potash does the passage mainly discuss?

(A) How it was made

(B) Its value as a product for export

(C) How it differs from other alkalis

(D) Its importance in colonial North America

 

2. All of the following statements are true of both potash and soda EXPECT:

(A) They are alkalis.

(B) They are made from sea plants.

(C) They are used in making soap.

(D) They are used in making glass.

 

3.They phrase "the latter" in line 4 refers to

(A) alkali

(B) glass

(C) sand

(D) soap

 

4.The word "stressed" in line 6 is closest in meaning to

(A) defined

(B) emphasized

(C) adjusted

(D) mentioned

 

5. The word "interchangeable" in line 7 is closest in meaning to

(A) convenient

(B) identifiable

(C) equivalent

(D) advantageous

 

6. It can be inferred from the passage that potash was more common than soda in colonial North America because

(A) the materials needed for making soda were not readily available

(B) making potash required less time than making soda

(C) potash was better than soda for making glass and soap

(D) the colonial glassworks found soda more difficult to use

 

7. According to paragraph 4, all of the following were needed for making potash EXCEPT

(A) wood

(B) fire

(C) sand

(D) water

 

8. The word "adjunct" in line 22 is closest in meaning to

(A) addition

(B) answer

(C) problem

(D) possibility

 

9. According to the passage, a major benefit of making potash was that

(A) it could be exported to Europe in exchange for other goods

(B) it helped finance the creation of farms

(C) it could be made with a variety of materials

(D) stimulated the development of new ways of glassmaking

 

10. According to paragraph 5, the softwoods in the South posed which of the following problems for southern settles?

(A) The softwoods were not very plentiful.

(B) The softwoods could not be used to build houses.

(C) The softwoods were not very marketable.

(D) The softwoods were not very useful for making potash.

 

 

 

 

Questions 11-21

The first flying vertebrates were true reptiles in which one of the fingers of the

front limbs became very elongated, providing support for a flap of stretched skin

that served as a wing. These were the pterosaurs, literally the "winged lizards." The

earliest pterosaurs arose near the end of the Triassic period of the Mesozoic Era, some

(5)      70 million years before the first known fossils of true birds occur, and they presumably

dominated the skies until they were eventually displaced by birds. Like the dinosaurs,

some the pterosaurs became gigantic; the largest fossil discovered is of an individual

that had a wingspan of 50 feet or more, larger than many airplanes. These flying

reptiles had large, tooth-filled jaws, but their bodies were small and probably without

(10)    the necessary powerful muscles for sustained wing movement. They must have been

expert gliders, not skillful fliers, relying on wind power for their locomotion.

Birds, despite sharing common reptilian ancestors with pterosaurs, evolved quite

separately and have been much more successful in their dominance of the air. They

are an example of a common theme in evolution, the more or less parallel development

(15)     of different types of body structure and function for the same reason-in this case,

for flight. Although the fossil record, as always, is not complete enough to determine

definitively the evolutionary lineage of the birds or in as much detail as one would

like, it is better in this case than for many other animal groups. That is because of the

unusual preservation in a limestone quarry in southern Germany of Archaeopteryx, a

(20)     fossil that many have called the link between dinosaurs and birds. Indeed, had it not

been for the superb preservation of these fossils, they might well have been classified

as dinosaurs. They have the skull and teeth of a reptile as well as a bony tail, but in the

line-grained limestone in which these fossils occur there are delicate impressions of

206 feathers and fine details of bone structure that make it clear that Archaeopteryx was a

(25)     bird. All birds living today, from the great condors of the Andes to the tiniest wrens,

race their origin back to the Mesozoic dinosaurs.

 

11. What does the passage mainly discuss?

(A) Characteristics of pterosaur wings

(B) The discovery of fossil remains of Archaeopteryx

(C) Reasons for the extinction of early flying vertebrates

(D) The development of flight in reptiles and birds

 

12. Which of the following is true of early reptile wings?

(A) They evolved from strong limb muscles.

(B) They consisted of an extension of skin.

(C) They connected the front and back limbs.

(D) They required fingers of equal length.

 

13. The word "literally" in line 3 is closest in meaning to

(A) creating

(B) meaning

(C) related to

(D) simplified

 

14. It can be inferred from the passage that birds were probably dominant in the skies

(A) in the early Triassic period

(B) before the appearance of pterosaurs

(C) after the decline of pterosaurs

(D) before dinosaurs could be found on land.

 

15. The author mentions airplanes in line 8 in order to

(A) illustrate the size of wingspans in some pterosaurs

(B) compare the energy needs of dinosaurs with those of modern machines

(C) demonstrate the differences between mechanized flight and animal flight

(D) establish the practical applications of the study of fossils

 

16. The word "They" in line 10 refers to

(A) powerful muscles

(B) bodies

(C) jaws

(D) flying reptiles

 

17. According to the passage, pterosaurs were probably "not skillful fliers" (line 11) because

(A) of their limited wingspan

(B) of their disproportionately large bodies

(C) they lacked muscles needed for extended flight

(D) climate conditions of the time provided insufficient wind power

 

18. In paragraph 2, the author discusses the development of flight in birds as resulting from

(A) a similarity in body structure to pterosaurs

(B) an evolution from pterosaurs

(C) the dominance of birds and pterosaurs over land animals

(D) a separate but parallel development process to that of pterosaurs

 

19. The word "classified" in line 21 is closest in meaning to

(A) perfected

(B) replaced

(C) categorized

(D) protected

 

20. Which of the following helped researchers determine that Archaeopteryx was not a dinosaurs?

(A) Its tail

(B) Its teeth

(C) The shape of its skull

(D) Details of its bone structure

 

21. What is the significance of the discovery that was made in southern Germany?

(A) It is thought to demonstrate that birds evolved from dinosaurs.

(B) It is proof that the climate and soils of Europe have changed over time.

(C) It suggests that dinosaurs were dominant in areas rich in limestone.

(D) It supports the theory that Archaeopteryx was a powerful dinosaur.

 

 

 

 

Questions 22-31

In July of 1994, an astounding series of events took place. The world anxiously

watched as, every few hours, a hurtling chunk of comet plunged into the atmosphere

of Jupiter. All of the twenty-odd fragments, collectively called comet Shoemaker-

Levy 9 after its discoverers, were once part of the same object, now dismembered and

(5)      strung out along the same orbit. This cometary train, glistening like a string of pearls,

had been first glimpsed only a few months before its fateful impact with Jupiter, and

rather quickly scientists had predicted that the fragments were on a collision course

with the giant planet. The impact caused an explosion clearly visible from Earth, a

bright flaming fire that quickly expanded as each icy mass incinerated itself. When

(10)     each fragment slammed at 60 kilometers per second into the dense atmosphere, its

immense kinetic energy was transformed into heat, producing a superheated fireball

that was ejected back through the tunnel the fragment had made a few seconds earlier.

The residues from these explosions left huge black marks on the face of Jupiter, some

of which have stretched out to form dark ribbons.

(15)          Although this impact event was of considerable scientific import, it especially

piqued public curiosity and interest. Photographs of each collision made the evening

television newscast and were posted on the Internet. This was possibly the most open

scientific endeavor in history. The face of the largest planet in the solar system was

changed before our very eyes. And for the very first time, most of humanity came to

(20)     fully appreciate the fact that we ourselves live on a similar target, a world subject to

catastrophe by random assaults from celestial bodies. That realization was a surprise

to many, but it should not have been. One of the great truths revealed by the last few

decades of planetary exploration is that collisions between bodies of all sizes are

relatively commonplace, at least in geologic terms, and were even more frequent in

(25)     the early solar system.

 

22. The passage mentions which of the following with respect to the fragments of comet Shoemaker-Levy 9?

(A) They were once combine in a larger body.

(B) Some of them burned up before entering

(C) Some of them are still orbiting Jupiter.

(D) They have an unusual orbit.

 

23. The word "collectively" in line 3 is closest in meaning to

(A) respectively

(B) popularly

(C) also

(D) together

 

24. The author compares the fragments of comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 to all of the following EXCEPT

(A) a dismembered body

(B) a train

(C) a pearl necklace

(D) a giant planet

 

25. Before comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 hit Jupiter in July 1994, scientists

(A) had been unaware of its existence

(B) had been tracking it for only a few months

(C) had observed its breakup into twenty-odd fragments

(D) had decided it would not collide with the planet

 

26.Before the comet fragments entered the atmosphere of Jupiter, they were most likely

(A) invisible

(B) black

(C) frozen

(D) exploding

 

27. Superheated fireballs were produced as soon as the fragments of comet shoemaker- Levy 9

(A) hit the surface of Jupiter

(B) were pulled into Jupiter's orbit the atmosphere of Jupiter.

(C) were ejected back through the tunnel

(D) entered the atmosphere of Jupiter

28. The phrase "incinerated itself" in line 9 is closest in meaning to

(A) burned up

(B) broke into smaller pieces

(C) increased its speed

(D) grew in size

 

29. Which of the following is mentioned as evidence of the explosions that is still visible on Jupiter?

(A) fireballs

(B) ice masses

(C) black marks

(D) tunnels

 

30. Paragraph 2 discusses the impact of the comet Shoemaker-levy 9 primarily in terms of

(A) its importance as an event of-great scientific significance

(B) its effect on public awareness of the possibility of damage to Earth

(C) the changes it made to the surface of Jupiter

(D) the effect it had on television broadcasting

 

31. The "target" in line 20 most probably referred to

(A) Earth

(B) Jupiter

(C) the solar system

(D) a comet

 

 

 

 

Questions 32-42

The year 1850 may be considered the beginning of a new epoch in America art,

with respect to the development of watercolor painting. In December of that year, a

group of thirty artists gathered in the studio of John Falconer in New York City and

drafted both a constitution and bylaws, establishing The Society for the Promotion

(5)     of Painting in Water Color. In addition to securing an exhibition space in the Library

Society building in lower Manhattan, the society founded a small school for the

instruction of watercolor painting Periodic exhibitions of the members' paintings

also included works by noted English artists of the day, borrowed from embryonic

private collections in the city. The society's activities also included organized

(10)     sketching excursions along he Hudson River. Its major public exposure came in 1853,

when the society presented works by its members in the "Industry of All Nations"

section of the Crystal Palace Exposition in New York.

The society did not prosper, however, and by the time of its annual meeting in

1854 membership had fallen to twenty-one. The group gave up its quarters in the

(15)     Library Society building and returned to Falconer's studio, where it broke up amid

dissension. No further attempt to formally organize the growing numbers of watercolor

painters in New York City was made for more than a decade. During that decade,

though, Henry Warren's Painting in Water Color was published in New York City

in 1856-the book was a considerable improvement over the only other manual of

(20)     instruction existing at the time, Elements of Graphic Art, by Archibald Roberson,

published in 1802 and by the 1850's long out of print.

In 1866 the National Academy of Design was host to an exhibition of watercolor

painting in its elaborate neo-Venetian Gothic building on Twenty-Third Street in

New York City. The exhibit was sponsored by an independent group called The Artists

(25)     Fund Society. Within a few months of this event, forty-two prominent artists living in

and near New York City founded The American Society of Painters in Water Colors.

 

32. This passage is mainly about

(A) the most influential watercolor painters in the mid-1800's

(B) efforts to organize watercolor painters in New York City during the mid-1800's

(C) a famous exhibition of watercolor paintings in New York City in the mid-1800's

(D) styles of watercolor painting in New York City during the mid-1800's

 

33. The year 1850 was significant in the history of watercolor painting mainly because

(A) a group of artists established a watercolorpainting society

(B) watercolor painting was first introduced to New York City

(C) John Falconer established his studio for watercolor painters

(D) The first book on watercolor painting was published

 

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

(A) locking

(B) creating

(C) constructing

(D) acquiring

 

35. All of the following can be inferred about the Society for the promotion of Painting in

Water Color EXCEPT:

(A) The society exhibited paintings in lower Manhattan.

(B) Instruction in watercolor painting was offered by members of the society

(C) The society exhibited only the paintings of its members.

(D) Scenes of the Hudson River appeared often in the work of society members.

 

36. The exhibition at the Crystal Palace of the works of the Society for the Promotion of Painting in Water Color was significant for which of the following reasons?

(A) It resulted in a dramatic increase in the popularity of painting with watercolor.

(B) It was the first time an exhibition was funded by a private source.

(C) It was the first important exhibition of the society's work.

(D) It resulted in a large increase in the membership of the society.

 

37. The word "it" in line 15 refers to

(A) time

(B) group

(C) building

(D) studio

 

38. Which of the following is true of watercolor painters in New York City in the late 1850's?

(A) They increased in number despite a lack of formal organization.

(B) They were unable to exhibit their paintings because of the lack of exhibition space.

(C) The Artists Fund Society helped them to form The American Society of Painters in Water Colors.

(D) They formed a new society because they were not allowed to join groups run by other kinds of artists.

 

39. Henry Warren's Painting in Water Color was important to artists because it

(A) received an important reward

(B) was the only textbook published that taught painting

(C) was much better than an earlier published

(D) attracted the interest of art collectors

 

40. The word "considerable" in line 19 is closest in meaning to

(A) sensitive

(B) great

(C) thoughtful

(D) planned

 

41. The year 1866 was significant for watercolor painting for which of the following reasons?

(A) Elements of Graphic Art was republished.

(B) Private collections of watercolors were first publicly exhibited.

(C) The neo-Venetian Gothic building on Twenty-Third Street in New York City was built.

(D) The National Academy of Design held an exhibition of watercolor paintings.

 

42. The word "prominent" in line 25 is closest in meaning to

(A) wealthy

(B) local

(C) famous

(D) organized

 

 

 

 

Questions 42-50

Pennsylvania's colonial ironmasters forged iron and a revolution that had both

industrial and political implications. The colonists in North America wanted the right

to the profits gained from their manufacturing. However, England wanted all of the

colonies' rich ores and raw materials to feed its own factories, and also wanted the

(5)      colonies to be a market for its finished goods. England passed legislation in 1750 to

prohibit colonists from making finished iron products, but by 1771, when entrepreneur

Mark Bird established the Hopewell blast furnace in Pennsylvania, iron making had

become the backbone of American industry. It also had become one of the major issues

that fomented the revolutionary break between England and the British colonies. By

(10)    the time the War of Independence broke out in 1776, Bird, angered and determined,

was manufacturing cannons and shot at Hopewell to be used by the Continental Army.

After the war, Hopewell, along with hundreds of other "iron plantations," continued

to form the new nation's industrial foundation well into the nineteenth century. The

rural landscape became dotted with tall stone pyramids that breathed flames and

(15)    smoke, charcoal-fueled iron furnaces that produced the versatile metal so crucial to

the nation's growth. Generations of ironmasters, craftspeople, and workers produced

goods during war and peace-ranging from cannons and shot to domestic items such

as cast-iron stoves, pots, and sash weights for windows.

The region around Hopewell had everything needed for iron production: a wealth

(20)    of iron ore near the surface, limestone for removing impurities from the iron, hardwood

forests to supply the charcoal used for fuel, rushing water to power the bellows that

pumped blasts of air into the furnace fires, and workers to supply the labor. By the

1830's, Hopewell had developed a reputation for producing high quality cast-iron

stoves, for which there was a steady market. As Pennsylvania added more links to its

(25)     transportation system of roads, canals, and railroads, it became easier to ship parts

made by Hopewell workers to sites all over the east coast. There they were assembled

into stoves and sold from Rhode Island to Maryland as the "Hopewell stove". By the

time the last fires burned out at Hopewell ironworks in 1883, the community had

produced some 80,000 cast-iron stoves.

 

43. The word "implications" in line 2 is closest in meaning to

(A) significance

(B) motives

(C) foundations

(D) progress

 

44. It can be inferred that the purpose of the legislation passed by England in 1750 was to

(A) reduce the price of English-made iron goods sold in the colonies

(B) prevent the outbreak of the War of Independence

(C) require colonists to buy manufactured

(D) keep the colonies from establishing new markets for their raw materials.

 

45. The author compares iron furnaces to which of the following?

(A) Cannons

(B) Pyramids

(C) Pots

(D) Windows

 

46. The word "rushing" in line 21 is closest in meaning to

(A) reliable

(B) fresh

(C) appealing

(D) rapid

 

47. Pennsylvania was an ideal location for the Hopewell ironworks for all of the following reasons EXCEPT

(A) Many workers were available in the area.

(B) The center of operations of the army was nearby.

(C) The metal ore was easy to acquire

(D) There was an abundance of wood.

 

48. The passage mentions "roads, canals, and railroads" in line 25 in order to explain that

(A) improvements in transportation benefited the Hopewell ironworks

(B) iron was used in the construction of various types of transportation

(C) the transportation system of Pennsylvania was superior to that of other states.

(D) Hopewell never became a major transportation center

 

49. The word "they" in line 26 refers to

(A) links

(B) parts

(C) workers

(D) sites

 

50. The word "some" in line 29 is closest in meaning to

(A) only

(B) a maximum of

(C) approximately

(D) a variety of