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Reading Section
FEEDING HABITS OF EAST AFRICAN HERBIVORES Buffalo, zebras, wildebeests, topi, and Thomson's gazelles live in huge groups that together make up some 90 percent of the total weight of mammals living on the Serengeti Plain of East Africa. They are all herbivores (plant-eating animals), and they all appear to be living on the same diet of grasses, herbs, and small bushes. This appearance, however, is illusory. When biologist Richard Bell and his colleagues analyzed the stomach contents of four of the five species (they did not study buffalo), they found that each species was living on a different part of the vegetation. The different vegetational parts differ in their food qualities: lower down, there are succulent, nutritious leaves; higher up are the harder stems. There are also sparsely distributed, highly nutritious fruits, and Bell found that only the Thomson's gazelles eat much of these. The other three species differ in the proportion of lower leaves and higher stems that they eat: zebras eat the most stem matter, wildebeests eat the most leaves, and topi are intermediate. How are we to understand their different feeding preferences? The answer lies in two associated differences among the species, in their digestive systems and body sizes. According to their digestive systems, these herbivores can be divided into two categories: the nonruminants (such as the zebra, which has a digestive system like a horse) and the ruminants (such as the wildebeest, topi, and gazelle, which are like the cow). Nonruminants cannot extract much energy from the hard parts of a plant; however, this is more than made up for by the fast speed at which food passes through their guts. Thus, when there is only a short supply of poor-quality food, the wildebeest, topi, and gazelle enjoy an advantage. They are ruminants and have a special structure (the rumen) in their stomachs, which contains microorganisms that can break down the hard parts of plants. Food passes only slowly through the ruminant's gut because ruminating—digesting the hard parts—takes time. The ruminant continually regurgitates food from its stomach back to its mouth to chew it up further (that is what a cow is doing when "chewing cud"). Only when it has been chewed up and digested almost to a liquid can the food pass through the rumen and on through the gut. Larger particles cannot pass through until they have been chewed down to size. Therefore, when food is in short supply, a ruminant can last longer than a nonruminant because it can derive more energy out of the same food. The difference can partially explain the eating habits of the Serengeti herbivores. The zebra chooses areas where there is more low-quality food. It migrates first to unexploited areas and chomps the abundant low-quality stems before moving on. It is a fast-in/fast-out feeder, relying on a high output of incompletely digested food. By the time the wildebeests (and other ruminants) arrive, the grazing and trampling of the zebras will have worn the vegetation down. As the ruminants then set to work, they eat down to the lower, leafier parts of the vegetation. All of this fits in with the differences in stomach contents with which we began. The other part of the explanation is body size. Larger animals require more food than smaller animals, but smaller animals have a higher metabolic rate. Smaller animals can therefore live where there is less food, provided that such food is of high energy content. That is why the smallest of the herbivores, Thomson's gazelle, lives on fruit that is very nutritious but too thin on the ground to support a larger animal. By contrast, the large zebra lives on the masses of low-quality stem material. The differences in feeding preferences lead, in turn, to differences in migratory habits. (1) The wildebeests follow, in their migration, the pattern of local rainfall. (2) The other species do likewise. (3) But when a new area is fueled by rain, the mammals migrate toward it in a set order to exploit it. (4) The larger, less fastidious feeders, the zebras, move in first; the choosier, smaller wildebeests come later; and the smallest species of all, Thomson's gazelle, arrives last. The later species all depend on the preparations of the earlier one, for the actions of the zebra alter the vegetation to suit the stomachs of the wildebeest, topi, and gazelle.
| 1. The word “illusory” in the passage is closest in meaning to ................ |
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Explain: |
| 2. The word “sparsely” in the passage is closest in meaning to ................ |
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Explain: |
| 3. Which of the following questions about Richard Bell′s research is NOT answered in paragraph 1? |
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A. |
Which of the herbivores studied is the only one to eat much fruit? |
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B. |
Why were buffalo excluded from the research study? |
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C. |
Which part of the plants do wildebeests prefer to eat? |
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D. |
Where did the study of herbivores' eating habits take place? |
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Explain: |
| 4. The word "associated” in the passage is closest in meaning to ................ |
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Explain: |
| 5. The author mentions the cow and the horse in paragraph 2 in order to |
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A. |
illustrate differences between ruminants and nonruminants through the use of animals likely to be familiar to most readers |
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B. |
distinguish the functioning of their digestive systems from those of East African mammals |
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C. |
emphasize similarities between the diets of cows and horses and the diets of East African mammals |
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D. |
emphasize that their relatively large body size leads them to have feeding practices similar to those of East African mammals |
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Explain: |
| 6. According to paragraph 2, which of the following herbivores has to eat large quantities of plant stems be-cause it gains relatively little energy from each given quantity of this food? |
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Explain: |
| 7. Paragraph 2 suggests that which of the following is one of the most important factors in determining differences in feeding preferences of East African herbivores? |
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The physical nature of vegetation in the environment |
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The availability of certain foods |
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The differences in stomach structure |
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The ability to migrate when food supplies are low |
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Explain: |
| 8. According to paragraph 2, all of the following are true of East African gazelles EXCEPT ................ |
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They digest their food very quickly. |
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They survive well even if food sup-plies are not abundant. |
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They are unable to digest large food particles unless these are chewed down considerably. |
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Microorganisms help them digest their food. |
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Explain: |
| 9. The phrase “provided that” in the passage is closest in meaning to ................ |
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Explain: |
| 10. The word “fastidious” in the passage is closest in meaning to ................ |
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Explain: |
| 11. According to paragraph 4, which of the following mammals exhibits a feeding behavior that is beneficial to the other herbivores that share the same habitat? |
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Explain: |
| 12. According to the passage, which of the following is true of wildebeests? |
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They tend to choose feeding areas in which the vegetation has been worn down. |
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They eat more stem matter than zebras do. |
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They are able to digest large food particles if the food is of a high quality. |
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They are likely to choose low-quality food to eat in periods when the quantity of rainfall is low. |
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Explain: |
| 13. Look at the four numbers (1), (2), (3) and (4) which indicate where the sentence “The sequence in which they migrate correlates with their body size.” could be added to the passage. Where would the sentence best fit? |
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Explain: |
| 14. An introductory sentence for a brief summary of the passage is “East African herbivores, though they all live in the same environment, have a range of feeding preferences.”. Complete the summary by selecting the THREE answer choices that express the most important ideas in the passage. Some sentences do not belong in the summary because they express ideas that are not presented in the passage or are minor ideas in the passage. |
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Patterns in the migratory habits of East African herbivores are hard to establish. |
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The survival of East African mammals depends more than anything else on the quantity of highly nutritious fruits that they are able to find. |
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Zebras and wildebeests rarely compete for the same food resources in the same locations. |
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Migratory habits are influenced by feeding preferences. |
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The different digestive systems of herbivores explain their feeding preferences. |
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A herbivore's size and metabolic rate affect the kinds of food and the quantities of food it needs to eat. |
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Explain: |
CLOTHING AND COSTUME The ancient Greeks and the Chinese believed that we first clothed our bodies for some physical reason, such as protecting ourselves from the elements. Ethnologists and psychologists have invoked psychological reasons: modesty, taboo, magical influence, or the desire to please. Anthropological research indicates that the function of the earliest clothing was to carry objects. Our hunting-gathering ancestors had to travel great distances to obtain food. For the male hunters, carrying was much easier if they were wearing simple belts or animal skins from which they could hang weapons and tools. For the female gatherers, more elaborate carrying devices were necessary. Women had to transport collected food back to the settlement and also had to carry babies, so they required bags or slings. Another function of early clothing—providing comfort and protection—probably developed at the same time as utility. As human beings multiplied and spread out from the warm lands in which they evolved, they covered their bodies more and more to maintain body warmth. Today, we still dress to maintain warmth and to carry objects in our clothes. And like our hunting-gathering ancestors, most men still carry things on their person, as if they still needed to keep their arms free for hunting, while women tend to have a separate bag for carrying, as if they were still food-gatherers. But these two functions of clothing are only two of many uses to which we put the garments that we wear today. There is a clear distinction between attire that constitutes “clothing” and attire that is more aptly termed “costume.” We might say that clothing has to do with covering the body, and costume concerns the choice of a particular form of garment for a particular purpose. Clothing depends primarily on such physical conditions as climate, health, and textile, while costume reflects social factors such as personal status, religious beliefs, aesthetics, and the wish to be distinguished from or to emulate others. Even in early human history, costume fulfilled a function beyond that of simple utility. (1) Costume helped to impose authority or inspire fear. A chieftain’s costume embodied attributes expressing his power, while a warrior’s costume enhanced his physical superiority and suggested he was superhuman. Costume often had a magical significance such as investing humans with the attributes of other creatures through the addition of ornaments to identify the wearer with animals, gods, or heroes. (2) In more recent times, professional or administrative costume is designed to distinguish the wearer and to express personal or delegated authority. (3) Costume communicates the status of the wearer, and with very few exceptions, the aim is to display as high a status as possible. Costume denotes power, and since power is often equated with wealth, costume has come to be an expression of social class and material prosperity. (4) A uniform is a type of costume that serves the important function of displaying membership in a group: school, sports team, occupation, or armed force. Military uniform denotes rank and is intended not only to express group membership but also to protect the body and to intimidate. A soldier’s uniform says, “I am part of a powerful machine, and when you deal with me, you deal with my whole organization.” Uniforms are immediate beacons of power and authority. If a person needs to display power—a police officer, for example—then the body can be virtually transformed. Height can be exaggerated with protective headgear, thick clothing can make the body look broader and stronger, and boots can enhance the power of the legs. Uniforms also convey low social status; at the bottom of the scale, the uniform of the prisoner denotes membership in the society of convicted criminals. Religious costume signifies spiritual or superhuman authority and possesses a significance that identifies the wearer with a belief or god. A successful clergy has always displayed impressive vestments of one kind or another that clearly demonstrate the religious leader’s dominant status.
| 15. According to the passage, psychological reasons for wearing clothing include ................ |
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the wish to give pleasure |
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protection from cold weather |
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the availability of materials |
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Explain: |
| 16. According to the passage, what aspect of humanity′s hunting-gathering past is reflected in the clothing of today? |
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People cover their bodies because of modesty. |
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Most men still carry objects on their person. |
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Women like clothes that are beautiful and practical. |
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Men wear pants, but women wear skirts or pants. |
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Explain: |
| 17. The phrase “these two functions” in paragraph 2 refers to ................ |
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transporting food and carrying babies |
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B. |
displaying power and social status |
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hunting and gathering food |
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maintaining warmth and carrying objects |
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Explain: |
| 18. Which sentence below best expresses the essential information in the highlighted sentence in paragraph 3? Incorrect choices change the meaning in important ways or leave out essential information. |
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Clothing serves a physical purpose, while costume has a personal, social, or psychological function. |
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We like clothing to fit our body well, but different costumes fit differently depending on the purpose. |
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People spend more time in choosing special costumes than they do in selecting everyday clothing. |
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Both clothing and costume are types of attire, but it is often difficult to distinguish between them. |
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Explain: |
| 19. The word “ornaments” in paragraph 4 is closest in meaning to ................ |
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Explain: |
| 20. It can be inferred from paragraph 4 that the author most likely believes which of the following about costume? |
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Costume is rarely a reliable indicator of a person's material wealth. |
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The main purpose of costume is to force people to obey their leaders. |
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We can learn about a society's social structure by studying costume. |
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Costume used to serve a simple function, but now it is very complex. |
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Explain: |
| 21. The word “beacons” in paragraph 5 is closest in meaning to ................ |
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Explain: |
| 22. Why does the author discuss the police officer′s uniform in paragraph 5? |
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To suggest that police are superhuman |
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To show how costume conveys authority |
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To identify the wearer with a hero |
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To describe the aesthetic aspects of costume |
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Explain: |
| 23. All of the following are likely to be indicated by a person′s costume EXCEPT ................ |
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having a heart condition |
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playing on a football team |
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leading a religious ceremony |
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Explain: |
| 24. Look at the four numbers (1), (2), (3) and (4) which indicate where the sentence “Such power is seen clearly in the judge′s robes and the police officer′s uniform.” could be added to the passage. Where would the sentence best fit? |
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Explain: |
| 25. Choose THREE sentences that describe the clothing |
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Reflects social factors such as personal status or material prosperity |
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Provides comfort, warmth, and protection from the weather |
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Serves as a symbol that unites all people on the earth |
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D. |
Enabled early humans to carry the objects needed to obtain food |
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Indicates the dominant status of religions leader |
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F. |
Depends on physical conditions such as climate and health |
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G. |
Makes it for people to perform dangerous work |
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H. |
Shows that a person is a member of a particular group |
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I. |
Conveys personal, administrative, or superhuman authority |
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Explain: |
| 26. Choose FOUR sentences that describe the costume |
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Makes it legal for people to perform dangerous work |
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B. |
Reflects social factors such as personal status or material prosperity |
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C. |
Provides comfort, warmth, and protection from the weather |
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D. |
Enabled early humans to carry the objects needed to obtain food |
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E. |
Shows that a person is a member of a particular group |
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F. |
Serves as a symbol that unites all people on the earth |
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G. |
Conveys personal, administrative, or superhuman authority |
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Depends on physical conditions such as climate and health |
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I. |
Indicates the dominant status of religions leaders |
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Explain: |
MUSICAL TALENT Among all the abilities with which an individual may be endowed, musical talent appears earliest in life. Very young children can exhibit musical precocity for different reasons. Some develop exceptional skill as a result of a well-designed instructional regime, such as the Suzuki method for the violin. Some have the good fortune to be born into a musical family in a household filled with music. In a number of interesting cases, musical talent is part of an otherwise disabling condition such as autism or mental retardation. A musically gifted child has an inborn talent; however, the extent to which the talent is expressed publicly will depend upon the environment in which the child lives. Musically gifted children master at an early age the principal elements of music, including pitch and rhythm. Pitch—or melody—is more central in certain cultures, for example, in Eastern societies that make use of tiny quarter-tone intervals. Rhythm, sounds produced at certain auditory frequencies and grouped according to a prescribed system, is emphasized in sub-Saharan Africa, where the rhythmic ratios can be very complex. All children have some aptitude for making music. (1) During infancy, normal children sing as well as babble, and they can produce individual sounds and sound patterns. (2) Infants as young as two months can match their mother’s songs in pitch, loudness, and melodic shape, and infants at four months can match rhythmic structure as well. (3) Infants are especially predisposed to acquire these core aspects of music, and they can also engage in sound play that clearly exhibits creativity. (4) Individual differences begin to emerge in young children as they learn to sing. Some children can match large segments of a song by the age of two or three. Many others can only approximate pitch at this age and may still have difficulty in producing accurate melodies by the age of five or six. However, by the time they reach school age, most children in any culture have a schema of what a song should be like and can produce a reasonably accurate imitation of the songs commonly heard in their environment. The early appearance of superior musical ability in some children provides evidence that musical talent may be a separate and unique form of intelligence. There are numerous tales of young artists who have a remarkable “ear” or extraordinary memory for music and a natural understanding of musical structure. In many of these cases, the child is average in every other way but displays an exceptional ability in music. Even the most gifted child, however, takes about ten years to achieve the levels of performance or composition that would constitute mastery of the musical sphere. Every generation in music history has had its famous prodigies—individuals with exceptional musical powers that emerge at a young age. In the eighteenth century, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart began composing and performing at the age of six. As a child, Mozart could play the piano like an adult. He had perfect pitch, and at age nine he was also a master of the art of modulation—transitions from one key to another—which became one of the hallmarks of his style. By the age of eleven, he had composed three symphonies and 30 other major works. Mozart’s well-developed talent was preserved into adulthood. Unusual musical ability is a regular characteristic of certain anomalies such as autism. In one case, an autistic girl was able to play “Happy Birthday” in the style of various composers, including Mozart, Beethoven, Verdi, and Schubert. When the girl was three, her mother called her by playing incomplete melodies, which the child would complete with the appropriate tone in the proper octave. For the autistic child, music may be the primary mode of communication, and the child may cling to music because it represents a haven in a world that is largely confusing and frightening. Glossary: - schema: a mental outline or model - anomaly: departure from what is normal; abnormal condition - autism: a developmental disorder involving impaired communication and emotional separation
| 27. The word “precocity” in paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to ................ |
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Explain: |
| 28. Which sentence below best expresses the essential information in the highlighted sentence in paragraph 1? Incorrect choices change the meaning in important ways or leave out essential information. |
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A. |
Children may be born with superior musical ability, but their environment will determine how this ability is developed. |
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B. |
Children with exceptional musical talent will look for the best way to express themselves through music-making. |
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Some musically talented children live in an environment surrounded by music, while others have little exposure to music. |
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Every child is naturally gifted, and it is the responsibility of the public schools to recognize and develop these talents. |
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Explain: |
| 29. The author makes the point that musical elements such as pitch and rhythm ................ |
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make music difficult to learn |
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express different human emotions |
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vary in emphasis in different cultures |
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distinguish music from other art forms |
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Explain: |
| 30. The word “predisposed” in paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to ................ |
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Explain: |
| 31. According to the passage, when does musical talent usually begin to appear? |
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When children learn to sing at two or three years old |
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B. |
between the ages of two and four months |
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between ten years old and adolescence |
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When infants start to babble and produce sound patterns |
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Explain: |
| 32. According to the passage, which of the following suggests that musical talent is a separate form of intelligence? |
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A. |
Recognition of the emotional power of music |
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B. |
Differences between learning music and learning language |
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the ability of all babies to acquire core elements of music |
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D. |
Exceptional musical ability in an otherwise average child |
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Explain: |
| 33. Why does the author discuss Mozart in paragraph 6? |
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A. |
to list musical accomplishments of the eighteenth century |
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B. |
to compare past and present views of musical talent |
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C. |
to describe the development of individual musical skill |
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D. |
To give an example of a well-known musical prodigy |
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Explain: |
| 34. In music, the change from one key to another is known as ................ |
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Explain: |
| 35. All of the following are given as examples of exceptional musical talent EXCEPT ................ |
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A. |
playing a single song in the style of various composers |
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ability to compose major works at a young age |
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appreciation for a wide variety of musical styles |
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D. |
a remarkable “ear” or perfect memory for music |
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Explain: |
| 36. The word “haven” in paragraph 7 is closest in meaning to ................ |
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Explain: |
| 37. Which of the following can be inferred from the passage about exceptional musical ability? |
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A. |
It is the result of natural talent and a supportive environment. |
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B. |
It is evidence of a superior level of intelligence in other areas. |
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C. |
It has been documented and studied but is little understood. |
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D. |
occurs more frequently in some cultures than in others. |
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Explain: |
| 38. Look at the four numbers (1), (2), (3) and (4) which indicate where the sentence “They can even imitate patterns and tones sung by other people.” could be added to the passage. Where would the sentence best fit? |
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Explain: |
| 39. An introductory sentence for a brief summary of the passage is: “Musical talent usually appears early in life.” Complete the summary by selecting the THREE answer choices that express the most important ideas in the passage. Some sentences do not belong in the summary because they express ideas that are not presented in the passage or are minor ideas in the passage. |
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A. |
Exceptional musical ability is often part of an otherwise disabling condition such as autism. |
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B. |
Very young children can develop exceptional skill in playing the violin by the Suzuki method. |
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C. |
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart had composed several major works and symphonies by the age of eleven |
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D. |
Prodigies have a natural understanding of musical structure that enables them to play and compose music with great skill. |
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E. |
While all children have a basic ability to make music, some exhibit extraordinary skill at a very early age. |
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F. |
Autistic children cannot relate to their environment realistically and therefore have difficulty in communicating. |
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Explain: |
ESTUARIES Fresh water from land enters the ocean through rivers, streams, and groundwater-flowing through valleys. These valleys that channel fresh water from land to the salty ocean, which range from extremely narrow stream-cut channels to remarkably broad lagoons behind long barrier islands, are called estuaries. A number of types of estuaries are commercially vital. Many commercially important estuaries are the mouths of major rivers. The powerful flow of water in major rivers maintains channels that are deep enough for navigation by ocean-bound vessels, and the rivers themselves provide transportation of goods to points farther inland. In addition, estuaries formed as a result of tectonic or glacial activity are sometimes sufficiently deep to provide ports for oceangoing vessels. The types of estuaries that are not viable as ports-of-call for ocean commerce are those that are not wide enough, not deep enough, and not powerful enough to prevent the buildup of sediment. Estuary systems, which vary to reject the geology of the coasts where they are found, can be broadly categorized as one of two different types. One type of estuary system is the type that is found in flooded coastal plains, the broad land areas that extend out to the continental shelves, on the Atlantic coasts of North and South America, Europe, and Africa, for example. The other category of estuary system encompasses the mountainous coasts, with their rugged topography, such as those found along the Pacific coasts of North and South America. Today, much of the eastern coast of the United States is a flooded coastal plain. During the last ice age, much of what is today the submerged continental shelf was exposed as an extended part of the continent. Intricate river systems composed of main rivers and their tributaries cut valleys across the plains to the edge of the shelf, where they released the fresh water that they carried into the ocean. Then, as the ice melted at the end of the ice age, rising waters extended inland over the lower areas, creating today’s broad drowned river valleys. On today’s flooded coastal plains, the water is comparatively shallow and huge amounts of sand and sediment are deposited. (1)These conditions foster the growth of extensive long and narrow offshore deposits, many of which are exposed above the water as sandspits or barrier islands. (2)These Deposits are constantly being reshaped, sometimes extremely slowly and sometimes quite rapidly, by the forces of water and wind. (3)It is common along flooded coastal plains for drowned river valleys to empty into lagoons that have been created behind the sandspits and barrier islands rather than emptying directly into the ocean. (4)These lagoons support vigorous biological activity inasmuch as they are shallow, which causes them to heat up quickly, and they are fed by a constant inflow of nutrient-rich sediments. Unlike the flooded coastal plains, the mountainous coasts have a more rugged and irregular topography with deeper coastal waters. There is less sand and sediment, and external systems of barrier islands are not as pervasive as they are on flooded coastal plains because the mountainous topography blocks the flow of sediments to the coast and because the deeper ocean water inhibits the growth of barrier islands, and without the protection of barrier beaches, mountainous coasts are more exposed to direct attack by the erosive forces of waves. Different geological processes contribute to the rugged topography along mountain coasts. The tectonic activity that creates the mountains along a mountainous coast can cause large blocks of the Earth's crust tc fall below sea level; San Francisco Bay in California and the Strait of Juan de Fuca in Washington state in the north formed in this way. In the northern latitudes, coastal fjords were created as glaciers cut impressive u-shaped valleys through mountains and now carry fresh water from the land to the ocean.
| 40. The phrase “commercially vital” in paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to ................ |
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B. |
by-products of business |
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D. |
the essence of professionality |
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Explain: |
| 41. The word “viable” in paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to ................ |
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Explain: |
| 42. The passage indicates that all of the following are estuaries with commercial potential as ports of call EXCEPT ................ |
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A. |
estuaries on flooded coastal plains |
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B. |
estuaries at the mouths of powerful rivers |
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C. |
estuaries formed from tectonic activity |
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D. |
estuaries formed by glaciers |
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Explain: |
| 43. The word “Intricate” in paragraph 4 is closest in meaning to ................ |
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Explain: |
| 44. According to the passage, drowned river valleys ................ |
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A. |
are covered with deep water |
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C. |
are covered with shallow water |
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D. |
are land areas with rivers cutting through |
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Explain: |
| 45. The word “foster” in paragraph 4 is closest in meaning to ................ |
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Explain: |
| 46. Look at the four numbers (1), (2), (3) and (4) which indicate where the sentence “Some changes to the deposits can take place gradually over decades, while other changes can be quite radical changes in a period of only a few hours as the result of major storm activity.” can be added to paragraph 4. Where would the sentence best fit? |
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Explain: |
| 47. Which of the sentences below expresses the essential information in the highlighted sentence in paragraph 4? Incorrect choices change the meaning in important ways or leave out essential information. |
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A. |
A lot of life exists in lagoons for two reasons: the low water level and the steady source of new residue. |
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B. |
Lagoons become more and more shallow as they heat up and flow into the ocean. |
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C. |
Biological activity contributes to the formation of lagoons by heating them up and providing a source of food. |
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D. |
The flow of sediments into lagoons causes biological activity, which in turn causes the lagoons to heat up. |
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Explain: |
| 48. The author begins paragraph 5 with the phrase “Unlike the flooded coastal plains” in order to ................ |
48
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A. |
show that flooded coastal plains and mountainous coasts have some similarities in spite of their differences |
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B. |
clarify the ideas of flooded coastal plains that were previously presented |
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C. |
indicate that the discussion is moving from one type of estuary system to the other |
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D. |
indicate that a thorough discussion of flooded coastal plains follows |
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Explain: |
| 49. The phrase “not as pervasive as” in paragraph 5 is closest in meaning to ................ |
49
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Explain: |
| 50. The phrase “this way” in paragraph 5 refers to ................ |
50
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A. |
large blocks of crust sinking as a result of tectonic activity |
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B. |
glaciers cutting valleys through mountains |
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C. |
geological processes contributing to rugged topography |
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D. |
the sea level rising along the mountainous coast |
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Explain: |
| 51. It is implied in the passage that fjords ................ |
51
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A. |
are found throughout the world |
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B. |
were formed in the same way as the San Francisco Bay |
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C. |
have as much sediment as flooded coastal plains |
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D. |
are a type of mountainous estuary system |
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Explain: |
| 52. Choose FOUR phrases that describe the estuary systems on flooded coastal plains |
52
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A. |
Were created on part of a submerged continent |
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B. |
Are protected by barrier beaches |
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C. |
Have smaller amounts of deposits |
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D. |
Lead into deeper bodies of water |
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E. |
Are covered with shallow water |
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F. |
Are never commercially viable |
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G. |
Are the primary way that fresh water is channeled to the ocean |
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H. |
Are not protected by barrier beaches |
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I. |
Were created by tectonic or glacial activity |
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G. |
Have huge amounts of deposits |
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Explain: |
| 53. Choose FOUR phrases that describe the estuary systems on mountainous coasts |
53
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A. |
Are protected by barrier beaches |
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B. |
Have huge amounts of deposits |
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C. |
Have smaller amounts of deposits |
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D. |
Are the primary way that fresh water is channeled to the ocean |
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E. |
Are never commercially viable |
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F. |
Are covered with shallow water |
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G. |
Were created on part of a submerged continent |
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H. |
Were created by tectonic or glacial activity |
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I. |
Lead into deeper bodies of water |
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G. |
Are not protected by barrier beaches |
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Explain: |
CANADIAN ENGLISH Canadian English is a regional variety of North American English that spans almost the entire continent. Canadian English became a separate variety of North American English after the American Revolution, when thousands of Loyalists, people who had supported the British, left the United States and fled north to Canada. Many Loyalists settled in southern Ontario in the 1780s, and their speech became the basis for what is called General Canadian, a definition based on the norms of urban middle-class speech. Modern Canadian English is usually defined by the ways in which it resembles and differs from American or British English. Canadian English has a great deal in common with the English spoken in the United States, yet many Americans identify a Canadian accent as British. Many American visitors to Canada think the Canadian vocabulary sounds British—for example, they notice the British “tap” and “braces” instead of the American “faucet” and “suspenders.” On the other hand, many British people identify a Canadian accent as American, and British visitors think the Canadians have become Americanized, saying “gas” and “truck” for “petrol” and “lorry.” People who live outside North America often find it difficult to hear the differences between Canadian and American English. There are many similarities between the two varieties, yet they are far from identical. Canadian English is instantly recognizable to other Canadians, and one Canadian in a crowded room will easily spot the other Canadian among the North Americans. There is no distinctive Canadian grammar. The differences are mainly in pronunciation, vocabulary, and idioms. Canadian pronunciation reflects the experience of a people struggling for national identity against two strong influences. About 75 percent of Canadians use the British “zed” rather than the American “zee” for the name of the last letter of the alphabet. On the other hand, 75 percent of Canadians use the American pronunciation of “schedule,” “tomato,” and “missile.” The most obvious and distinctive feature of Canadian speech is probably its vowel sound, the diphthong “ou.” In Canada, “out” is pronounced like “oat” in nearby U.S. accents. There are other identifying features of Canadian vowels; for example, “cot” is pronounced the same as “caught” and “collar” the same as “caller.” An important characteristic of the vocabulary of Canadian English is the use of many words and phrases originating in Canada itself, such as “kerosene” and “chesterfield” (“sofa”). Several words are borrowed from North American Indian languages, for example, “kayak,” “caribou,” “parka,” and “skookum” (“strong”). The name of the country itself has an Indian origin; the Iroquois word “kanata” originally meant “village.” A number of terms for ice hockey—“face-off,” “blue-line,” and “puck”—have become part of World Standard English. Some features of Canadian English seem to be unique and are often deliberately identified with Canadian speakers in such contexts as dramatic and literary characterizations. Among the original Canadian idioms, perhaps the most famous is the almost universal use of “eh?” as a tag question, as in “That’s a good movie, eh?” “Eh” is also used as a filler during a narrative, as in “I’m walking home from work, eh, and I’m thinking about dinner. I finally get home, eh, and the refrigerator is empty.” The traditional view holds that there are no dialects in Canadian English and that Canadians cannot tell where other Canadians are from just by listening to them. The linguists of today disagree with this view. While there is a greater degree of homogeneity in Canadian English compared with American English, several dialect areas do exist across Canada. Linguists have identified distinct dialects for the Maritime Provinces, Newfoundland, the Ottawa Valley, southern Ontario, the Prairie Provinces, the Arctic North, and the West. diphthong: a speech sound that begins with one vowel and changes to another vowel
| 54. According to the passage, how did Canadian English become a distinct variety of North American English? |
54
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A. |
A large group of Loyalists settled in one region at the same time. |
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B. |
Linguists noticed that Canadians spoke a unique dialect. |
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C. |
Growth of the middle class led to a standard school curriculum. |
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D. |
Canadians declared their language to be different from U.S. English. |
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Explain: |
| 55. The word “norms” in paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to ................ |
55
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Explain: |
| 56. The phrase “a great deal in common with” in paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to |
56
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A. |
easier pronunciation than |
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Explain: |
| 57. In paragraph 2, what point does the author make about Canadian English? |
57
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A. |
American and British visitors define Canadian English by their own norms. |
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B. |
Canadians speak English with an accent that Americans cannot understand. |
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C. |
Canadian English is more similar to American than to British English. |
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D. |
Canadian English has many words that are not in other varieties of English. |
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Explain: |
| 58. The phrase the two varieties in paragraph 3 refers to ................ |
58
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A. |
Canadian English and American English |
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B. |
People who live outside North American |
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C. |
British English and Canadian English |
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D. |
General Canadian and North American |
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Explain: |
| 59. The word “spot” in paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to ................ |
59
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Explain: |
| 60. Which sentence below best expresses the essential information in the highlighted sentence in paragraph 4? Incorrect choices change the meaning in important ways or leave out essential information. |
60
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A. |
Canadian English has been strongly influenced by both British and American English. |
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B. |
Many newcomers to Canada must work hard to master the national style of pronouncing English. |
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C. |
Canadians have tried to distinguish themselves as a nation, and this effort is shown in their pronunciation. |
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D. |
Canada is the only nation where people can deliberately choose which pronunciation they prefer. |
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Explain: |
| 61. All of the following words originated in North American Indian languages EXCEPT ................ |
61
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Explain: |
| 62. Which of the following can be inferred from paragraph 5 about vocabulary? |
62
| |
A. |
Canadians use more North American Indian words than Americans do. |
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B. |
World Standard English has a very large vocabulary. |
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C. |
Vocabulary is the most distinctive feature of Canadian English. |
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D. |
Much of the vocabulary for ice hockey originated in Canada. |
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Explain: |
| 63. The author discusses the expression “eh” in paragraph 6 as an example of ................ |
63
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A. |
an expression that few people outside Canada have heard |
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B. |
a style of Canadian drama and literature |
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C. |
a word that cannot be translated into other languages |
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D. |
an idiom that uniquely characterizes Canadian speech |
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Explain: |
| 64. The word “homogeneity” in paragraph 7 is closest in meaning to |
64
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Explain: |
| 65. Look at the four numbers (1), (2), (3) and (4) which indicate where the sentence “Thus, “out” rhymes with “boat,” so the phrase “out and about in a boat” sounds like “oat and aboat in a boat” to American ears.” could be added to the passage. Where would the sentence best fit? |
65
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Explain: |
| 66. An introductory sentence for a brief summary of the passage is: “Canadian English is a variety of North American English that contains several distinguishing features.” Complete the summary by selecting the THREE answer choices that express the most important ideas in the passage. Some sentences do not belong in the summary because they express ideas that are not presented in the passage or are minor ideas in the passage. |
66
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A. |
Canadian English contains elements of both British and American English. |
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B. |
Words and idioms originating in Canada also help to define Canadian English. |
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C. |
Canadians pronounce most words the same way as Americans do. |
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D. |
Canadian English asserts its distinctiveness through pronunciation. |
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E. |
Several unique varieties of English have evolved in North America. |
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F. |
Most Canadians cannot identify where other Canadians are from. |
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Explain: |
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