8A - Comprehension
1. The canal was originally needed to transport ______.
a. soldiers
b. coal
c. textiles
d. food
d. food
1. The word vital in paragraph A, line 6 is closest in meaning to ______.
a. essential
b. ancient
c. impressive
d. secure
a. essential
1. What would be the best alternative title for this reading?
a. The Road Across South America
b. From North America to South America
c. Peru’s Booming Economy
d. The Advantages of Modern Highways
a. The Road Across South America
1. In paragraph F, the text says that some areas of the Peruvian Amazon were not “accessible” by road. What does accessible most likely mean?
a. Easy to reach
b. Difficult to protect
c. Expensive to develop
d. Dangerous to live in
a. Easy to reach
2. Which of the following is a true statement about the province of Shandong?
a. It is located north of Beijing.
b. The Peking opera comes from there.
c. A famous dish originally comes from there.
d. It is the southernmost point on the canal.
c. A famous dish originally comes from there.
2. In paragraph F, the text says that many ancient buildings in Hangzhou have been “demolished.” What does demolished most likely mean?
a. Moved to another city
b. Repaired carefully
c. Destroyed completely
d. Protected by the government
c. Destroyed completely
2. Mary Luz Guerra traveled home by ______.
a. plane
b. truck
c. bus
d. boat
b. truck
2. In paragraph E, what does “it” refer to in “Many of these companies transport their lumber to the Pacific, where it travels by ship to other countries”?
a. The Pacific
b. The lumber
c. The company
d. The highway
b. The lumber
3. The author does NOT mention the destruction of buildings in ______.
a. Beijing
b. Yangzhou
c. Hangzhou
d. Wuxi
a. Beijing
3. In paragraph C, the text says that parts of the canal had begun to “deteriorate.” What does this word most likely mean?
a. Become wider
b. Become worse
c. Become more popular
d. Become easier to use
b. Become worse
3. Work on the Peruvian section of the Transoceanic Highway was completed in ______.
a. the 1950s
b. 2003
c. 2006
d. 2011
d. 2011
3. In paragraph B, Mary traveled “through dense jungle.” What does dense most likely mean?
a. Dry and without trees
b. Thick and difficult to move through
c. Empty and easy to cross
d. Dangerous because of wild animals
b. Thick and difficult to move through
5. Today, the Grand Canal is ______.
a. longer than it used to be
b. no longer used for transporting cargo
c. considered a possible tourist site
d. a UNESCO World Heritage Site
d. a UNESCO World Heritage Site
4. In paragraph E, local governments are described as “eager to increase tourism and real estate development.” What does eager most likely mean?
a. Very interested and willing
b. Worried about something
c. Unable to do something
d. Unhappy about a change
a. Very interested and willing
4. In which paragraph does the author begin to focus on the disadvantages of the Transoceanic Highway?
a. Paragraph B
b. Paragraph D
c. Paragraph G
d. Paragraph I
c. Paragraph G
2. In paragraph A, the text says that the new road that connects the Pasific with the Atlantic could bring riches and environmental ruin. “environmental ruin.” What does ruin most likely mean in this context?
a. A useful change
b. A difficult journey
c. A new development
d. Serious damage or destruction
d. Serious damage or destruction
5. Why did China’s Emperor Yang need the Grand Canal?
a. To connect China with other countries
b. To move food from the south to the north more easily
c. To transport soldiers to the southern regions
d. To create a new cultural center in Beijing
b. To move food from the south to the north more easily
5. The text describes the Grand Canal as an important “cultural conduit.” What does conduit most likely mean in this context?
a. A place where people live
b. A building used for storing food
c. Something that connects people or places
d. A system for protecting historical buildings
c. Something that connects people or places
5. It can be inferred that the Brazilian portion of the Transoceanic Highway ______.
a. consists of partially unpaved roads
b. begins high in the Andes Mountains
c. was completed before the Peruvian section
d. can’t be used to transport lumber
c. was completed before the Peruvian section
4. In paragraph B, what does “that journey” refer to in “Mary’s wish came true. Almost 10 years after that long journey…”?
a. Her trip from Cusco to Puerto Maldonado
b. Her journey across the Atlantic Ocean
c. Her trip through Brazil
d. Her journey to the Pacific coast
a. Her trip from Cusco to Puerto Maldonado