Reading Comprehension

In this section you will read several passages. Each one is followed by several questions about it. For
questions 1-50, 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 following a passage on the basis of what is stated or implied in that passage.

Read the following passage:

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.
Example I
What is the main idea of the passage?
(A) in modern society we must make more time for our neighbors.
(B) The traditions of society are timeless.
(C) An accepted way of measuring time is essential for the smooth functioning of society.
(D) Society judges people by the times at which they conduct certain activities.

The main idea of the passage is that societies need to agree about how time is to be measured in order to
function smoothly. Therefore, you should choose (C).

Example II
In line 5, the phrase "this tradition" refers to
(A) the practice of starting the business day at dawn.
(B) friendly relations between neighbors.

(C) the railroad‘s reliance on time schedules.

(D) people's agreement on the measurement of time.
The phrase "this tradition" refers to the preceding clause, “people have been in rough agreement with their
neighbors as to the time ofday.” Therefore, you should choose (D).
Now begin work on the questions

Questions 1-10 refer to the following passage.

Potash (the old name for potassium carbonate) is one of the two alkalis (the other being soda, sodium
carbonate) that were used him 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 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 more familiar to the early European settlers of the North America 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 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 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 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?

0/1

How it was made.

Its value as a product for export.
How it differs from other alkalis.
Its importance in colonial North America.
Other:

2. All of the following statements are true of both potash and soda EXPECT
1/1

They are alkalis.

They are made from sea plants.
They are used in making soap.
They are used in making glass.
Other:

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

1/1

Alkali
Glass
Sand
soap
Other:

4. the word “stressed” in line 6 is closest meaning in meaning to…

1/1

defined
emphasized
adjusted
mentioned
Other:

5. the word “interchangeable” in line 7 is closets in meaning to…

1/1

(A) convenient
(B) identifiable
(C) equivalent
(D) advantageous
Other:

6. it can be inferred from the passage that potash was more common than soda in
colonial North America because….
1/1

(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.
Other:

7. according to paragraph 4, All of the following were needed for making potash
EXCEPT…
1/1

(A) wood
(B) fire
(C) sand
(D) water
Other:

8. the word “adjunct” in line 22 is closets in meaning to…

1/1

(A) addition
(B) answer
(C) problem
(D) possibility
Other:
9. according to the passage a major benefit of making potash was that…
1/1

(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 glassmakng.

10. According to paragraph 5, the softwoods in the South posed which of the following
problems for southern settlers…
(A) the softwoods were not very plentiful.
(B) the softwoods could not be used to build house.
(C) the softwoods were not very marketable.
(D) the softwoods were nor very useful for making potash.

Questions 11-21 refer to the following passage

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

0/1

(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 off light in reptiles and birds.
Other:
12. Which of the following Is true of early reptile wings
0/1

(A) They evolved from strong limb muscles.

(B) They consisted of an extension of skin.
(C)They connected the front and back limbs f.
(D) They required fingers of equal length.

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

1/1

(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
1/1

(A) ih 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

1/1

(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

0/1

(A) powerful muscles

(B) bodies
(C) jaws
(D) flying reptiles

17. According to the passage, pterosaurs were probably "not skillful fliers" (line 11)
because..
0/1

(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.
Other:

18. In paragraph 2, the author discusses the development of flight in birds as resulting
from
0/1

(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

1/1

(A) perfected
(B) replaced
(C) categorized
(D) protected

20. Which of the following helped researchers determine that Archaeopteryx was not
dinosaurs?
1/1

(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?
1/1

(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 refer to the following passage.

In july of 1994, an outstanding series of events took place. The world anxiously watched as, every few hours,
hurtling chunk of comet plunged-into the atmosphere of Jupiter. All of the twenty-odd fragments, collectively
called comet Shoemaker-Levy after its discoverers, were, once part of the same object, now dismembered and
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 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 it
self. When 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. 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 fully appreciate the fact that we ourselves live on a similar target, a world subject to
catastrophe by random assaults from celestial bodies 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 the
early solar system.

22. The passage mentions which of the following with respect to the fragments of
comet Shoemaker-Levy 9?
0/1

(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

1/1

(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 …
0/1

(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 …

Opsi 1

26. Before the comet fragments entered the . atmosphere of Jupiter, they were most
likely
1/1

(A) invisible
(B) black
(C) frozen
(D) exploding

27. Superheated fireballs were produced as soon as the fragments of comet

shoemakerLevy 9 ..
1/1

(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“ In line 9 is closest In meaning to..

1/1

(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?
0/1

(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 ..
0/1

(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 21 most probably referred to...

0/1

(A) Earth.
(B) Jupiter
(C) the solar system.
(D) a comet
Questions 32-42 refer to the following passage.
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 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 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 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 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 independent
group called The Artists 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…

1/1

(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 mid1800'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…
1/1

(A) a group of artists established a watercolor painting 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.
Other:

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

1/1

(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…
0/1

(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?
1/1

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

(B) It was the first time an exhibition was founded 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.
Opsi 2

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

0/1

(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?
0/1

(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
CoIors.
(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…
0/1

(A) received an important reward.

(B) was the only published that taught painting.
(C) was much better than an Emmy published.
(D) attracted the interest of art collectors.
40. The word "considerable" in line 19 is closest in meaning to..
1/1

(A) sensitive
(B) great
(C) thoughtful
(D) planned
Opsi 5

41. The year 1866 was significant for watercolor painting for which of the following
reasons?
0/1

(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..

1/1

(A) wealthy
(B) local
(C) famous
(D) organized

Questions 34-50 refer to the following passage.

Pennsylvania’s colonial ironmasters forget 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 want all of the colonies rich ores and raw materials to feed its own factories and also
wanted the colonies to be a market for its finished goods. England passed legislation in 19750 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 that the time the War of Independence broke out in 1776, Bird angered and determined, was
manufacturing cannons and shots at Hopewell to be used by the Continental.
After the war, Hopewell, along with hundreds of other “iron plantations”, continued to form the nation’s
industrial foundation well into the nineteenth century. The rural landscape became dotted with tall stone
pyramids that breathed flames and smoke, charcoal-fueled iron furnaces that produced the versatile metal so
crucial to the nation’s growth. Generations of ironmasters, craftspeople, and workers produced good during
war and peace-ranging from cannons and shoots to the domestic items such as cast-iron stoves, pots, and
sash weights for windows.
The region around had everything needed for iron production: a wealth of iron ore near the surface, limestone
for removing impurities from the iron, hardwood forest to supply the charcoal used to fuel, rushing water to
power the bellows that pumped blasts of air into the furnace fires, and workers the supply the labor. By 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 transportation system of roads, canal, and railroads, it
became easier to ship parts made by Hopewell workers to sites all over the east cost. 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 irons stoves.

43. The word “implications” in line 2 is closets in meaning to..

0/1

(A) Significance
(B) Motives
(C) Foundations
(D) Progress

44. It can inferred that the purpose of the legislation passed by England in 1750 was
to..
0/1

(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 for establishing new markets for their raw materials

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

0/1

(A) Cannons
(B) Pyramids
(C) Pots
(D) Windows

46. The word “rushing” in line 21 is closets in meaning to

1/1

(A) Reliable
(B) Fresh
(C) Appealing
(D) Rapid
Other:

47. Pennsylvania was an ideal location for the Hopewell ironworks for all of the
following reasons EXCEPT
0/1

(A) Many workers Were available in the area

(B) he 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…
1/1

(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..

0/1

(A) Links
(B) Parts
(C) Workers
(D) Sites

50. The word “some” in line 29 is closets in meaning to ..

0/1

(A) Only
(B) A maximum of
(C) Approximately
(D) A variety of