SECTION 3
READING COMPREHENSION
Time—55 minutes
(including the reading of the directions)
Now set your clock for 55 minutes.
This section is designed to measure your ability to read and understand short passages similar in topic and style to those that students are likely to encounter in North American universities and colleges.
Directions: In this section you will read several passages. Each one is followed by a number 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 of what is stated or implied in that passage.
Read the following passage:
John Quincy Adams, who served as the sixth president of the United States from 1825 to 1829, is today recognized for his masterful statesmanship and diplomacy. He dedicated his life to public service, both in the presidency and in the various other political offices that he held. Throughout his political career he demonstrated his unswerving belief in freedom of speech, the antislavery cause, and the right of Americans to be free from European and Asian domination.
Example I
To what did John Quincy Adams devote his life? Sample answer
(A) Improving his personal life
(B) Serving the public
(C) Increasing his fortune
(D) Working on his private business
According to the passage, John Quincy Adams "dedicated his life to public service.” Therefore, you should choose (B).
Example II Sample answer
In line 4, the word "unswerving" is closest in meaning to
(A) moveable
(B) insignificant
(C) unchanging
(D) diplomatic
The passage states that John Quincy Adams demonstrated his unswerving belief "throughout his career." This implies that the belief did not change. Therefore, you should choose (C).
Now begin work on the questions.
Questions 1-10
The hippopotamus is the third largest land animal, smaller only than the elephant and the rhinoceros. Its name comes from two Greek words which mean "river horse." The long name of this animal is often shortened to the easier to handle term "hippo."
The hippo has a natural affinity for the water. It does not float on top of the water; instead, it can easily walk along the bottom of a body of water. The hippo commonly remains underwater for three to five minutes and has been known to stay under for up to half an hour before coming up for air.
In spite of its name, the hippo has relatively little in common with the horse and instead has a number of interesting similarities in common with the whale. When a hippo comes up after a stay at the bottom of a lake or river, it releases air through a blowhole, just like a whale. In addition, the hippo resembles the whale in that they both have thick layers of blubber for protection and they are almost completely hairless.
1. The topic of this passage is
(A) the largest land animals
(B) the derivations of animal names
(C) the characteristics of the hippo
(D) the relation between the hippo and
the whale
2. It can be inferred from the passage that the rhinoceros is
(A) smaller than the hippo
(B) equal in size to the elephant
(C) a hybrid of the hippo and the
elephant
(D) one of the two largest types of land
animals
3. The possessive “Its” in line 2 refers to
(A) hippopotamus
(B) elephant
(C) rhinoceros
(D) horse
4. It can be inferred from the passage that the hippopotamus is commonly called a hippo because the word “hippo” is
(A) simpler to pronounce
(B) scientifically more accurate
(C) the original name
(D) easier for the animal to recognize
5. The word "float” in line 4 is closest in meaning to
(A) sink
(B) drift
(C) eat
(D) flap
6. According to the passage, what is the maximum time that hippos have been known to stay underwater?
(A) Three minutes
(B) Five minutes
(C) Thirty minutes
(D) Ninety minutes
7. The expression “has relatively little in common” in line 7 could best be replaced by
(A) has few interactions
(B) is not normally found
(C) has minimal experience
(D) shares few similarities
8. The passage states that one way in which a hippo is similar to a whale is that
(A) they both live on the bottoms of rivers
(B) they both have blowholes
(C) they are both named after horses
(D) they both breathe underwater
9. The word “blubber” in line 10 is closest in meaning to
(A) fat
(B) metal
(C) water
(D) skin
10. The passage states that the hippo does not
(A) like water
(B) resemble the whale
(C) have a protective coating
(D) have much hair
Questions 11-19
John Janies Audubon, nineteenth-century artist and naturalist, is known as one of the foremost authorities on North American birds. Bom in Les Cayes, Haiti, in 1785, Audubon was raised in France and studied art under French artist Jacques-Louis David. After settling on his father’s Line Pennsylvania estate at the age of eighteen, he first began to study and paint birds.
In his young adulthood, Audubon undertook numerous enterprises, generally without a tremendous amount of success; at various times during his life he was involved in a mercantile business, a lumber and grist mill, a taxidermy business, and a school. His general mode of operating a business was to leave it either unattended or in the hands of a partner and take off on excursions through the wilds to paint the natural life that he saw. His business career came to end in 1819 when he was jailed for debt and forced to file for bankruptcy.
It was at that time that Audubon began seriously to pursue the dream of publishing a collection of his paintings of birds. For the next six years he painted birds in their natural habitats while his wife worked as a teacher to support the family. His Birds of America, which included engravings of 435 of his colorful and lifelike water colors, was published in parts during the period from 1826 to 1838 in England. After the success of the English editions, American editions of his work were published in 1839, and his fame and fortune were ensured.
11. This passage is mainly about
(A) North American birds
(B) Audubon's route to success as a
painter of birds
(C) the works that Audubon published
(D) Audubon's preference for travel in
natural habitats
12. The word “foremost” in line 1 is closest in meaning to
(A) prior
(B) leading
(C) first
(D) largest
13. In the second paragraph, the author mainly discusses
(A) how Audubon developed his painting
style
(B) Audubon’s involvement in a
mercantile business
(C) where Audubon went on his
excursions
(D) Audubon’s unsuccessful business
practices
14. The word “mode” in line 7 could best be replaced by
(A) method
(B) vogue
(C) average
(D) trend
15. Audubon decided not to continue to pursue business when
(A) he was injured in an accident at a
grist mill
(B) he decided to study art in France
(C) he was put in prison because he owed
money
(D) he made enough money from his
paintings
16. The word “pursue” in line 11 is closest in meaning to
(A) imagine
(B) share
(C) follow
(D) deny
17. According to the passage, Audubon’s paintings
(A) were realistic portrayals
(B) used only black, white, and gray
(C) were done in oils
(D) depicted birds in cages
18. The word "support" in line 13 could best be replaced by
(A) tolerate
(B) provide for
(C) side with
(D) fight for
19. It can be inferred from the passage that after 1839 Audubon
(A) unsuccessfully tried to develop new
businesses
(B) continued to be supported by his wife
(C) traveled to Europe
(D) became wealthy
Questions 20-29
Schizophrenia is often confused with multiple personality disorder yet is quite distinct from it. Schizophrenia is one of the more common mental disorders, considerably more common than multiple personality disorder. The term “schizophrenia” is composed of roots which mean “a splitting of the mind," but it does not refer to a division into separate and distinct personalities, as occurs in multiple personality disorder. Instead, schizophrenic behavior is generally characterized by illogical thought patterns and withdrawal from reality. Schizophrenics often live in a fantasy world where they hear voices that others cannot hear, often voices of famous people. Schizophrenics tend to withdraw from families and friends and communicate mainly with the “voices” that they hear in their minds.
It is common for the symptoms of schizophrenia to develop during the late teen years or early twenties, but the causes of schizophrenia are not well understood. It is believed that heredity may play a part in the onset of schizophrenia. In addition, abnormal brain chemistry also seems to have a role; certain brain chemicals, called neurotransmitters, have been found to be at abnormal levels in some schizophrenics.
20. The paragraph preceding the passage most probably discusses
(A) the causes of schizophrenia
(B) multiple personality disorder
(C) the most common mental disorder
(D) possible cures for schizophrenia
21. Which of the following is true about schizophrenia and multiple personality disorder?
(A) They are relatively similar.
(B) One is a psychological disorder, while
the other is not.
(C) Many people mistake one for the
other.
(D) Multiple personality disorder occurs
more often than schizophrenia.
22. “Disorder” in line 3 is closest in meaning to which of the following?
(A) Disruption
(B) Untidiness
(C) Misalignment
(D) Disease
23. It can be inferred from the passage that a. “schism" is
(A) a division into factions
(B) a mental disease
(C) a personality trait
(D) a part of the brain
24. What is NOT true about schizophrenia, according to the passage?
(A) It is characterized by separate and
distinct personalities.
(B) It often causes withdrawal from
reality.
(C) Its symptoms include illogical
thought patterns.
(D) Its victims tend to hear voices in their
minds.
25. According to the passage, how do schizophrenics generally relate to their families?
(A) They are quite friendly with their
families.
(B) They become remote from their
families.
(C) They have an enhanced ability to
understand their families.
(D) They communicate openly with their
families.
26. It can be inferred from the passage that it would be least common for schizophrenia to develop at the age of
(A) fifteen
(B) twenty
(C) twenty-five
(D) thirty
27. The word "onset” in line 11 is closest in meaning to
(A) start
(B) medication
(C) effect
(D) age
28. The word "abnormal” in line 11 is closest in meaning to
(A) unstable
(B) unregulated
(C) uncharted
(D) unusual
Questions 30-39
People are often surprised to learn just how long some varieties of trees can live. If asked to estimate the age of the oldest living trees on Earth, they often come up with guesses in the neighborhood of two or perhaps three hundred years. The real answer is considerably larger than that, more than five thousand years.
The tree that wins the prize for its considerable maturity is the bristlecone pine of California. This venerable pine predates wonders of the ancient world such as the pyramids of Egypt, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, and the Colossus of Rhodes. It is not nearly as tall as the giant redwood that is also found in California, and, in fact, it is actually not very tall compared with many other trees, often little more than five meters in height. This relatively short height may be one of the factors that aid the bristlecone pine in living to a ripe old age—high winds and inclement weather cannot easily reach the shorter trees and cause damage. An additional factor that contributes to the long life of the bristlecone pine is that this type of tree has a high percentage of resin, which prevents rot from developing in the tree trunk and branches.
30. The best title for this passage would be
(A) The Size of the Bristlecone Pine
(B) Three-Hundred-Year-Old Forests
(C) The Wonders of the Ancient World
(D) An Amazingly Enduring Tree
31. The word "estimate" in line 2 is closest in meaning to
(A) measure
(B) approximate
(C) evaluate
(D) view
32. The expression “in the neighborhood of' in lines 2- 3 could best be replaced by
(A) of approximately
(B) on the same block as
(C) with the friendliness of
(D) located close to
33. It can be inferred from the passage that most people
(A) are quite accurate in their estimates
of the ages of trees
(B) have two to three hundred trees in
their neighborhoods
(C) do not really have any idea how old
the oldest trees on Earth are
(D) can name some three-hundred-year-
old trees
34. According to the passage, approximately how old are the oldest trees on Earth?
(A) Two hundred years old
(B) Three hundred years old
(C) Five hundred years old
(D) Five thousand years old
35. The word “venerable" in line 6 is closest in meaning to which of the following?
(A) Ancient
(B) Incredible
(C) Towering
(D) Unrecognizable
36. The author mentions the Egyptian pyramids as an example of something that is
(A) far away
(B) believed to be strong
(C) extremely tall
(D) known to be old
37. Which of the following is true about the bristlecone pine?
(A) It is as tall as the great pyramids
(B) It is never more than five meters in height.
(C) It is short in comparison to many other trees.
(D) It can be two or three hundred feet tall.
38. The word “inclement" in line 10 could best be replaced by
(A) sunny
(B) bad
(C) unusual
(D) strong
39. The passage states that resin
(A) assists the tree trunks to develop
(B) is found only in the bristlecone pine
(C) flows from the branches to the tree
trunk
(D) helps stop rot from starting
Questions 40-50
The organization that today is known as the Bank of America did start out in America, but under quite a different name. Italian American A.P. Giannini established this bank on October 17, 1904, in a renovated saloon in San Francisco's Italian community of North Beach under the name Line Bank of Italy, with immigrants and first-time bank customers comprising the majority of his first customers. During its development, Giannini's bank survived major crises in the form of a natural disaster and a major economic upheaval that not all other banks were able to overcome.
One major test for Giannini's bank occurred on April 18, 1906, when a massive earthquake struck San Francisco, followed by a raging fire that destroyed much of the city. Giannini obtained two wagons and teams of horses, filled the wagons with the bank's reserves, mostly in the form of gold, covered the reserves with crates of oranges, and escaped from the chaos of the city with his clients’ funds protected. In the aftermath of the disaster, Giannini's bank was the first to resume operations. Unable to install the bank in a proper office setting, Giannini opened up shop on the Washington Street Wharf on a makeshift desk created from boards and barrels.
In the period following the 1906 fire, the Bank of Italy continued to prosper and expand. By 1918 there were twenty-four branches of the Bank of Italy, and by 1928 Giannini had acquired numerous other banks, including a Bank of America located in New York City. In 1930 he consolidated all the branches of the Bank of Italy, the Bank of America in New York City, and another Bank of America that he had formed in California into the Bank of America National Trust and Savings Association.
A second major crisis for the bank occurred during the Great Depression of the 1930s. Although Giannini had already retired prior to the darkest days of the Depression, he became incensed when his successor began selling off banks during the bad economic times. Giannini resumed leadership of the bank at the age of sixty-two. Under Giannini's leadership, the bank weathered the storm of the Depression and subsequently moved into a phase of overseas development.
40. According to the passage, Giannini
(A) opened the Bank of America in 1904
(B) worked in a bank in Italy
(C) set up the Bank of America prior to
setting up the Bank of Italy
(D) later changed the name of the Bank of
Italy
41. Where did Giannini open his first bank?
(A) In New York City
(B) In what used to be a bar
(C) On Washington Street Wharf
(D) On a makeshift desk
42. According to the passage, which of the following is NOT true about the San Francisco earthquake?
(A) It happened in 1906.
(B) It occurred in the aftermath of a fire.
(C) It caused problems for Giannini's
bank.
(D) It was a tremendous earthquake.
43. The word “raging" in line 8 could best be replaced by
(A) angered
(B) localized
(C) intense
(D) feeble
44. It can be inferred from the passage that Giannini used crates of oranges after the earthquake
(A) to hide the gold
(B) to fill up the wagons
(C) to provide nourishment for his
customers
(D) to protect the gold from the fire
45. The word “chaos" in line 10 is closest in meaning to
(A) legal system
(B) extreme heat
(C) overdevelopment
(D) total confusion
46. The word "consolidated" in line 17 is closest in meaning to
(A) hardened
(B) merged
(C) moved
(D) sold
47. The passage states that after his retirement, Giannini
(A) began selling off banks
(B) caused economic misfortune to occur
(C) supported the banks new
management
(D) returned to work
48. The expression “weathered the storm of" in line 23 could best be replaced by
(A) found a cure for
(B) rained on the parade of
(C) survived the ordeal of
(D) blew its stack at
49. Where in the passage does the author describe Giannini s first banking clients?
(A) Lines 2-5
(B) Lines 7-8
(C) Lines 12-13
(D) Lines 14-16
50. The paragraph following the passage most likely discusses
(A) bank failures during the Great
Depression
(B) a third major crisis of the Bank of
America
(C) the international development of the
Bank of America
(D) how Giannini spent his retirement
This is the end of Section 3.