Reading
PASSAGE ONE (Questions 1-2)
Common types of calendars can be based on the Sun or on the Moon. The solar calendar is based on the solar year. Since the solar year is 365.2422 days long, solar calendars consist of regular years of 365 days and have an extra day every fourth year, or leap year, to make up for the additional fractional amount. In a solar calendar, the waxing and waning of the Moon can take place at various stages of each month.
The lunar calendar is synchronized to the lunar month rather than the solar year. Since the lunar month is twenty-nine and a half days long, most lunar calendars have alternating months of twenty-nine and thirty days. A twelve-month lunar year thus has 354 days, 1 1 days shorter than a solar year.
1. What is the main idea of the passage?
(A) All calendars are the same.
(B) The solar calendar is based on the Sun.
(C) Different calendars have dissimilar bases.
(D) The lunar month is twenty-nine and a half days long.
(C) Different calendars have dissimilar bases.
The railroad was not the first institution to impose regularity on society, or to draw attention to the importance of precise timekeeping. For as long as merchants have set out their wares at daybreak and communal festivities have been celebrated, people have been in rough agreement with their neighbors as to the time of day. The value of this tradition is today more apparent than ever. Were it not for public acceptance of a single yardstick of time, social life would be unbearably chaotic: the massive daily transfers of goods, services, and information would proceed in fits and starts; the very fabric of modern society would begin to unravel.
What is the main idea of the passage?
C. An accepted way of measuring time is essential for the smooth functioning of society.
Why does the man go to see the registrar?
(A) To find out why he is not on the list of graduating students
(B) To explain why he has not fulfilled his graduation requirements
(C) To find out the exact requirements for graduation
(D) To submit a document required for graduation
(D) To submit a document required for graduation
What is the lecture mainly about?
(A) How animals emit ultrasonic pulses
(B) How bats use acoustical signals
(C) A comparison of echolocation and radar
(D) Variations among bats in the use of ultrasound
(B) How bats use acoustical signals
A __________ question ask you for the general idea of the main topic of the lecture or conversation.
purpose
detail
main idea
inferences
main idea
In 1970 geologists Kenneth J. Hsu and William B. F. Ryan were collecting research data while aboard the oceanographic research vessel Glomar Challenger. An objective of this particular cruise was to investigate the floor of the Mediterranean and to resolve questions about its geologic history. One question was related to evidence that the invertebrate fauna (animals without spines) of the Mediterranean had changed abruptly about 6 million years ago. Most of the older organisms were nearly wiped out, although a few hardy species survived. A few managed to migrate into the Atlantic. Somewhat later, the migrants returned, bringing new species with them. Why did the near extinction and migrations occur?
The word “objective” in the passage is closest in meaning to
(A) achievement
(B) requirement
(C) purpose
(D) feature
(C) purpose
The railroad was not the first institution to impose regularity on society, or to draw attention to the importance of precise timekeeping. For as long as merchants have set out their wares at daybreak and communal festivities have been celebrated, people have been in rough agreement with their neighbors as to the time of day. The value of this tradition is today more apparent than ever. Were it not for public acceptance of a single yardstick of time, social life would be unbearably chaotic: the massive daily transfers of goods, services, and information would proceed in fits and starts; the very fabric of modern society would begin to unravel.
In line 7, the phrase "this tradition" refers to
D. people's agreement on the measurement of time
According to the registrar, what step is currently taken to ensure that students fulfill their graduation requirements?
(A) Academic records are regularly checked by the registrar’s office.
(B) Students meet with a department chairperson to plan their course work.
(C) Students receive letters listing the courses that they still need to take.
(D) Warning letters are sent to students who have fallen behind in their course work
(B) Students meet with a department chairperson to plan their course work.
Why does the professor decide NOT to add more information to the diagram on the board?
(A) She wants students to complete the diagram themselves as an assignment.
(B) She needs to look up some information in order to complete the diagram accurately.
(C) The additional information is not relevant to the topic that she wants to discuss next.
(D) Students already have the additional information in their textbook.
(D) Students already have the additional information in their textbook.
What is the conversation mainly about? is an example of a __________ question.
main idea
purpose
attitude
organization
main idea
In 1970 geologists Kenneth J. Hsu and William B. F. Ryan were collecting research data while aboard the oceanographic research vessel Glomar Challenger. An objective of this particular cruise was to investigate the floor of the Mediterranean and to resolve questions about its geologic history. One question was related to evidence that the invertebrate fauna (animals without spines) of the Mediterranean had changed abruptly about 6 million years ago. Most of the older organisms were nearly wiped out, although a few hardy species survived. A few managed to migrate into the Atlantic. Somewhat later, the migrants returned, bringing new species with them. Why did the near extinction and migrations occur?
Which of the following is NOT mentioned in paragraph 1 as a change that occurred in the fauna of the Mediterranean?
(A) Most invertebrate species disappeared during a wave of extinctions.
(B) A few hardy species wiped out many of the Mediterranean’s invertebrates.
(C) Some invertebrates migrated to the Atlantic Ocean.
(D) New species of fauna populated the Mediterranean when the old migrants returned.
(B) A few hardy species wiped out many of the Mediterranean’s invertebrates.
The Alaska pipeline starts at the frozen edge of the Arctic Ocean. It stretches southward across the largest and northernmost state in the United States, ending at a remote ice-free seaport village nearly 800 miles from where it begins. It is massive in size and extremely complicated to operate. The steel pipe crosses windswept plains and endless miles of delicate tundra that tops the frozen ground. It weaves through crooked anyons, climbs sheer mountains, plunges over rocky crags, makes its way through thick forests, and passes over or under hundreds of rivers and streams. The pipe is 4 feet in diameter, and up to 2 million barrels (or 84 million gallons) of crude oil can be pumped through it daily. Resting on H-shaped steel racks called "bents," long sections of the pipeline follow a zigzag course high above the frozen earth. Other long sections drop out of sight beneath spongy or rocky ground and return to the surface later on. The pattern of the pipeline's up-and-down route is determined by the often harsh demands of the arctic and subarctic climate, the tortuous lay of the land, and the varied compositions of soil, rock, or permafrost (permanently frozen ground). A little more than half of the pipeline is elevated above the ground.The remainder is buried anywhere from 3 to 12 feet, depending largely upon the type of terrain and the properties of the soil. One of the largest in the world, the pipeline cost approximately $8 billion and is by far the biggest and most expensive construction project ever undertaken by private industry. In fact, no single business could raise that much money, so eight major oil companies formed a consortium in order to share the costs. Each company controlled oil rights to particular shares of land in the oil fields and paid into the pipeline-construction fund according to the size of its holdings. Today, despite enormous problems of climate, supply shortages, equipment breakdowns, labor disagreements, treacherous terrain, a certain amount of mismanagement, and even theft, the Alaska pipeline has been completed and is operating.
The passage primarily discusses the pipeline's
A. operating costs
B. employees
C. consumers
D. construction
D. construction
Why does the man mention his classmates?
(A) To explain how he obtained information about field research
(B) To point out that many students like to do field research
(C) To show that it is difficult to get intermediate-level credits
(D) To emphasize his motivation to do field research in two of his courses
(D) To emphasize his motivation to do field research in two of his courses
According to the professor, what are two ways in which a moth might react when it detects the presence of a bat? Choose 2 answers.
[A] The moth might stop beating its wings.
[B] The moth might emit high-frequency sounds.
[C] The moth might leave the area.
[D] The moth might change its color to match its surroundings.
[A] The moth might stop beating its wings.
[C] The moth might leave the area.
A _______ question ask you for the reason a conversation or lecture is taking place.
main idea
purpose
function
attitude
purpose
With questions such as these clearly before them, the scientists aboard the Glomar Challenger proceeded to the Mediterranean to search for the answers. On August 23, 1970, they recovered a sample. The sample consisted of pebbles of hardened sediment that had once been soft, deep-sea mud, as well as granules of gypsum1 and fragments of volcanic rock. Not a single pebble was found that might have indicated that the pebbles came from the nearby continent. In the days following, samples of solid gypsum were repeatedly brought on deck as drilling operations penetrated the seafloor. Furthermore, the gypsum was found to possess peculiarities of composition and structure that suggested it had formed on desert flats. Sediment above and below the gypsum1 layer contained tiny marine fossils, indicating openocean conditions. As they drilled into the central and deepest part of the Mediterranean basin, the scientists took solid, shiny, crystalline salt from the core barrel. Interbedded with the salt were thin layers of what appeared to be windblown silt.
What does the author imply by saying “Not a single pebble was found that might have indicated that the pebbles came from the nearby continent”?
(A) The most obvious explanation for the origin of the pebbles was not supported by the evidence.
(B) The geologists did not find as many pebbles as they expected.
(C) The geologists were looking for a particular kind of pebble.
(D) The different pebbles could not have come from only one source
(A) The most obvious explanation for the origin of the pebbles was not supported by the evidence.
The Alaska pipeline starts at the frozen edge of the Arctic Ocean. It stretches southward across the largest and northernmost state in the United States, ending at a remote ice-free seaport village nearly 800 miles from where it begins. It is massive in size and extremely complicated to operate.
The steel pipe crosses windswept plains and endless miles of delicate tundra that tops the frozen ground. It weaves through crooked anyons, climbs sheer mountains, plunges over rocky crags, makes its way through thick forests, and passes over or under hundreds of rivers and streams. The pipe is 4 feet in diameter, and up to 2 million barrels (or 84 million gallons) of crude oil can be pumped through it daily.
Resting on H-shaped steel racks called "bents," long sections of the pipeline follow a zigzag course high above the frozen earth. Other long sections drop out of sight beneath spongy or rocky ground and return to the surface later on. The pattern of the pipeline's up-and-down route is determined by the often harsh demands of the arctic and subarctic climate, the tortuous lay of the land, and the varied compositions of soil, rock, or permafrost (permanently frozen ground). A little more than half of the pipeline is elevated above the ground.The remainder is buried anywhere from 3 to 12 feet, depending largely upon the type of terrain and the properties of the soil.
One of the largest in the world, the pipeline cost approximately $8 billion and is by far the biggest and most expensive construction project ever undertaken by private industry. In fact, no single business could raise that much money, so eight major oil companies formed a consortium in order to share the costs. Each company controlled oil rights to particular shares of land in the oil fields and paid into the pipeline-construction fund according to the size of its holdings. Today, despite enormous problems of climate, supply shortages, equipment breakdowns, labor disagreements, treacherous terrain, a certain amount of mismanagement, and even theft, the Alaska pipeline has been completed and is operating.
According to the second paragraph, 84 million gallons of oil can travel through the pipeline each.
A. day
B. week
C. month
D. year
A. day
Why does the registrar tell the man to contact his chairperson immediately?
(A) A deadline has already passed.
(B) The man has a limited time to resolve his problem.
(C) The man first needs to find out if the chairperson will help him.
(D) Issuing a new grade may take longer than expected.
(B) The man has a limited time to resolve his problem.
What surprising information did a recent experiment reveal about lesser spear-nosed bats?
(A) They filter out echoes from some types of trees.
(B) They can analyze echoes from stationary objects with complex surfaces.
(C) They cannot analyze “jagged” echoes.
(D) They cannot analyze echoes from certain types of small moving objects.
(B) They can analyze echoes from stationary objects with complex surfaces.
Why did the professor ask to see the student? is an example of a _________ question.
purpose
organization
function
detail
purpose
Common types of calendars can be based on the Sun or on the Moon. The solar calendar is based on the solar year. Since the solar year is 365.2422 days long, solar calendars consist of regular years of 365 days and have an extra day every fourth year, or leap year, to make up for the additional fractional amount. In a solar calendar, the waxing and waning of the Moon can take place at various stages of each month.
The lunar calendar is synchronized to the lunar month rather than the solar year. Since the lunar month is twenty-nine and a half days long, most lunar calendars have alternating months of twenty-nine and thirty days. A twelve-month lunar year thus has 354 days, 1 1 days shorter than a solar year.
1. What is the main idea of the passage? (A) All calendars are the same.
(B) The solar calendar is based on the Sun.
(C) Different calendars have dissimilar bases.
(D) The lunar month is twenty-nine and a half days long.
(C) Different calendars have dissimilar bases.
The Alaska pipeline starts at the frozen edge of the Arctic Ocean. It stretches southward across the largest and northernmost state in the United States, ending at a remote ice-free seaport village nearly 800 miles from where it begins. It is massive in size and extremely complicated to operate.
The steel pipe crosses windswept plains and endless miles of delicate tundra that tops the frozen ground. It weaves through crooked anyons, climbs sheer mountains, plunges over rocky crags, makes its way through thick forests, and passes over or under hundreds of rivers and streams. The pipe is 4 feet in diameter, and up to 2 million barrels (or 84 million gallons) of crude oil can be pumped through it daily.
Resting on H-shaped steel racks called "bents," long sections of the pipeline follow a zigzag course high above the frozen earth. Other long sections drop out of sight beneath spongy or rocky ground and return to the surface later on. The pattern of the pipeline's up-and-down route is determined by the often harsh demands of the arctic and subarctic climate, the tortuous lay of the land, and the varied compositions of soil, rock, or permafrost (permanently frozen ground). A little more than half of the pipeline is elevated above the ground.The remainder is buried anywhere from 3 to 12 feet, depending largely upon the type of terrain and the properties of the soil.
One of the largest in the world, the pipeline cost approximately $8 billion and is by far the biggest and most expensive construction project ever undertaken by private industry. In fact, no single business could raise that much money, so eight major oil companies formed a consortium in order to share the costs. Each company controlled oil rights to particular shares of land in the oil fields and paid into the pipeline-construction fund according to the size of its holdings. Today, despite enormous problems of climate, supply shortages, equipment breakdowns, labor disagreements, treacherous terrain, a certain amount of mismanagement, and even theft, the Alaska pipeline has been completed and is operating.
According to the second paragraph, 84 million gallons of oil can travel through the pipeline each.
The author mentions all of the following in the third paragraph as important in determining the pipeline's route EXCEPT the
A. climate
B. lay of the land itself
C. local vegetation
D. kind of soil and rock
C. local vegetation
Listen to Track 2.
(A) She is uncertain about the reliability of the computer.
(B) She will approve the man’s form despite her doubts about it.
(C) She needs more information about the man’s credits.
(D) She needs to call someone to help her fix computer errors
(C) She needs more information about the man’s credits.
According to the professor, why does a pine tree produce a “smooth” echo?
(A) Because it has a smooth trunk
(B) Because it has large branches spaced at regular intervals
(C) Because it has many small, densely packed needles
(D) Because it remains stationary in all types of weather
(C) Because it has many small, densely packed needles
Ask you to identify specific facts that support of divide information on a subject
detail
organization
inferences
main idea
detail