READING PRACTICE 1B READING PASSAGE ONE

Reading Practice B Nov 16 2021 Nguyen Buu Huan 1 READING PRACTICE 1B READING PASSAGE ONE Questions 1 10 A widely held theory today is that the ancestors of todays Native American peoples traveled to. READING PRACTICE 1B READING PASSAGE ONE

READING PRACTICE 1B

READING PASSAGE ONE

Questions 1-10

A widely held theory today is that the ancestors of today's Native American peoples traveled to the Western Hemisphere from Asia between 25,000 and 30,000 years ago, which was around the same time that Japan was being settled by Stone Age inhabitants There is dental evidence and blood-type evidence to support this theory

A dental pattern that is found among most ancient human fossils in the Americas is consistent with the dental pattern of ancient human fossils in northeastern Asia In blood type, the fact that blood type B is almost

nonexistent among Native American populations but exists in Asian populations leads to the conclusion that migrations to the Americas from Asia took place before the evolution of blood type B, which is believed to have occurred around 30,000 years ago In addition to the dental and blood-type evidence, more general evolutionary evidence suggests that it took more than 20,000 years for the variety of physical traits common to Native

American populations to evolve, and linguists broadly concur that the development of the approximately 500 distinct languages of the Native Americans would require approximately 25,000 years

The proposed migration from Asia to the Americas took place during the Ice Age that characterized the Pleistocene epoch During that period of time, there were huge glaciers holding enormous volumes of water, and, because of the huge glaciers, sea levels were as much as 1 00 meters lower than they are today The reduced sea levels meant that Asia and North America were linked with a 750-mile-wide landmass, named Beringia after the Bering Straits that now cover it, and consisted of treeless grassland with warm summers and cold dry winters Because of the geographical features of Beringia during the Pleistocene epoch, it was an environment well-suited

to the large mammals of the time, such as mammoth, mastodon, bison, horse, and reindeer, as well as to the Stone Age hunters who depended on these animals for their existence The Stone Age inhabitants of the area used these animals not only for food but also for shelter, clothing, and weapons; they were able to spread out and expand their hunting areas as their populations grew, and their populations most likely grew at a very high rate because of the huge amount of territory available for expansion

[9A] In spite of the evidence, not all anthropologists are convinced that the migrations from Asia to the

Americas took place as early as 25,000 to 30,000 years ago [9B] There is general agreement that the migrations took place, but some believe that the migrations took place much later [9C] No fossilized human bones have

been found in what used to be Beringia; finding human bones dating from 25,000 to 30,000 years ago would be strong proof of the dates when the migrations, took place However, because what was once Beringia is

submerged beneath ocean waters, it may be a formidable task to uncover fossil evidence of migration from Asia

to the Americas through Beringia.[9D]

1 The best title for the reading passage is

A Human fossils

B Human bones

C Migration from Asia to Americas

D Geographical features of Beringia

2 The word held in paragraph 1 could best be replaced by

A accepted

B possessed

C contained

D carried

3 The word support in paragraph 1 could best be replaced by

A hold

B finance

C confirm

D stiffen

4 Which of the following is NOT provided as evidence to support the hypothesis that the migration

discussed in the passage occurred 25,000 to 30,000 years ago?

A Dental patterns common to Asians and Native Americans

B Variations in blood types between Asians and Native Americans

C The number of Native American languages in existence today

D The human bones found in Beringia

5 The phrase broadly concur in paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to

A have the contrary idea

B have extensive debates

C openly question

D are in general agreement

6 Which of the sentences below expresses the essential information in the highlighted sentence in paragraph 2? Incorrect choices change the meaning in important ways or leave out essential information

A Since the Ice Age, the amount of water in the oceans has decreased dramatically

B During the Ice Age, sea levels were low because of how much water was frozen

C Glaciers have grown tremendously since the last Ice Age

D During the Ice Age, huge glaciers displaced a lot of water, causing the oceans to rise

7 It is stated in the passage that Beringia

A was the source of the name Bering Straits

B used to be covered with trees

C is now submerged

D was unable to support animal life

8 The phrase well-suited to in paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to

A equal to

B appropriate for

C flattering to

D modified for

9 Look at the four squares [■] that indicate where the following sentence can be added to paragraph 3

Some, in fact, hypothesize that the migrations took place around 15,000 B.C

A Square A

B Square B

C Square C

D Square D

10 The word formidable in paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to

A superior

B maddening

C powerful

D difficult

READING PASSAGE TWO

Questions 11-20

1 Developed in 1939, DDT was the most powerful pesticide the world had ever known It was used throughout the 1940s and 1950s to clear regions of mosquitoes carrying malaria Its inventor was awarded the Nobel Prize "When DDT became available for purely commercial use and was sprayed over crops, only a few

people, like Rachel Carson, felt that there was some danger When she finally published her book, Silent

Spring, her fears were heard loud and clear The impact of Silent Spring was great; with this book, Rachel

Carson laid the foundation for the modern environmental protection movement

2 Carson did not originally intend to write a book about the harmful effects of DDT Her interest in the subject was sparked by a letter from old friends telling about the damage that aerial spraying had done to the

ecological system on their land [A■] Although Rachel Carson was a best-selling author, no magazine would agree to her idea for an article investigating the negative effects of DDT [B■] She decided to go ahead and

deal with the issue in a book, Silent Spring, which took her four years to complete [C■] It described how

DDT entered the food chain and accumulated in the fatty tissues of animals, including human beings, and

caused cancer and genetic damage [D■] The book's most famous chapter, "A Fable for Tomorrow," depicted

a nameless American town where all life—from fish to birds to apple blossoms to children—had been

"silenced" by the insidious effects of DDT

3 First serialized in The New Yorker magazine in June 1962, the book alarmed readers across the country and,

not surprisingly, brought howls of anger from the chemical industry "If man were to faithfully follow the teachings of Miss Carson," complained an executive of the American Cyanamid Company, "we would return

to the Dark Ages, and the insects and diseases would once again inherit the earth." Some of the attacks were more personal, questioning Carson's integrity and even her sanity

4 Her careful preparation, however, had paid off Foreseeing the reaction of the chemical industry, she had

written Silent Spring like a lawyer's brief, with no fewer than 55 pages of notes and a list of experts who had

read and approved the manuscript Many well-known and respected scientists rose to her defense, and when President John F Kennedy ordered the President's Science Advisory Committee to examine the issues the

book raised, its report supported both Silent Spring and its author As a result, DDT came under much closer

5 Conservation had never attracted much public interest before Rachel Carson's book, but the dangers she analyzed were too frightening to ignore For the first time, the need to regulate industry in order to protect the environment became widely accepted and environmentalism was born Carson was well aware of the

implications of her book Appearing on a CBS documentary about her work shortly before her death from breast cancer in 1964 she remarked:

The public must decide whether it wishes to continue on the present road, and it can only do so when in full possession of the facts We still talk in terms of conquest We haven't become mature enough to think of ourselves as only a tiny part of a vast and incredible universe Man's attitude toward nature is today critically important simply because we have now acquired a fateful power to alter and destroy nature But man is part of nature, and his war against nature is inevitably a war against himself

6 One of the landmark books of the 20th century, Silent Spring still speaks to us today, many years after its

publication Equally inspiring is the example of Rachel Carson herself Against overwhelming difficulties and hardship, despite her own shyness and reserve, and motivated only by her love of nature, she rose like a gladiator in its defense

11 What is the reading mainly about?

(A) The background and impact of Silent Spring

(B) The negative effects*of DDT on agriculture

(C) The story of Rachel Carson's life and her work

(D)The modern environmental protection movement

12 According to paragraph 1, which of the following was true about DDT before 1960?

(A) It was used solely to stop the spread of disease

(B) It was globally condemned after its invention

(C) Most people thought it was a powerful product

(D) Many people were concerned about its effects

13 The word foundation in paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to

(A) basis

(B) organization

(C) definition

(D) cause

14 According to paragraph 2, what started Carson's investigation into DDT?

(A) Carson asked a magazine to publish an article on DDT

(B) Carson wanted to write a best-selling book on the effects of DDT

(C) Carson saw the damage caused by spraying DDT on farmland

(D) Carson heard about the negative effects of DDT from friends

15 In paragraph 4, what does the word its refer to in the clause beginning "its report supported "?

(A) The committee

(B) The book

(C) The report

(D) DDT

16 The word banned in paragraph 4 is closest in meaning to

(A) criticized

(B) denied

(C) forbidden

(D) examined

17 All of the following are mentioned in paragraph 5 about Carson EXCEPT

(A) She was interviewed on television about her book

(B) She died of cancer after the book was published

(C) She did not expect her book to have a major impact

(D) Her book triggered an interest in environmental issues

18 In the quotation in paragraph 5, Carson states that

(A) Humans want to triumph over the environment

(B) Humans think of themselves as one small part of nature

(C) Humans have little authority-over the environment

(D) Humans live in harmony with the environment

19 Where would the sentence best fit? Circle the letter that shows the point where you would insert this

sentence

This was surely due to the fact that, at that time, most Americans believed science worked for the good of society

20 Which of the following best expresses the essential information in this sentence from the passage?

Foreseeing the reaction of the chemical industry, she had written Silent Spring like a lawyer's brief, with

no fewer than 55 pages of notes and a list of experts who had read and approved the manuscript

(A) Carson supported the claims in her book with only 55 pages of notes

(B) Carson gained legal approval for her manuscript from experts

(C) Carson included strong evidence for her claims because she expected opposition

(D) Carson wrote her book in the same way that a lawyer would prepare a case

READING PASSAGE THREE

Questions 21-30

1 Tunas, mackerels, and billfishes (marlins, sailfishes, and swordfish) swim continuously Feeding, courtship,

reproduction, and even "rest" are carried out while in constant motion As a result, practically every aspect of the body form and function of these swimming "machines" is adapted to enhance their ability to swim

2 Many of the adaptations of these fishes serve to reduce water resistance (drag) Interestingly enough, several of these hydrodynamic adaptations resemble features designed to improve the aerodynamics of high-speed aircraft Though human engineers are new to the game, tunas and their relatives evolved their "high-tech" designs long ago

3 Tunas, mackerels, and billfishes have made streamlining into an art form Their bodies are sleek and compact The body shapes of tunas, in fact, are nearly ideal from an engineering point of view Most species lack scales over most of the body, making it smooth and slippery The eyes lie flush with the body and do not protrude at all They are also covered with a slick, transparent lid that reduces drag The fins are stiff, smooth, and narrow, qualities that also help cut drag When not in use, the fins are tucked into special grooves or depressions so that they lie flush with the body and

do not break up its smooth contours Airplanes retract their landing gear while in flight for the same reason

4 Tunas, mackerels, and billfishes have even more sophisticated adaptations than these to improve their hydrodynamics The long bill of marlins, sailfishes, and swordfish probably helps them slip through the water Many supersonic aircraft have a similar needle at the nose

5 Most tunas and billfishes have a series of keels and finlets near the tail Although most of their scales have been lost, tunas and mackerels retain a patch of coarse scales near the head called the corselet The keels, finlets, and corselet help direct the flow of water over the body surface in such as way as to reduce resistance (see the figure) Again, supersonic jets have similar features

6 Because they are always swimming, tunas simply have to open their mouths and water is forced in and over their gills Accordingly, they have lost most of the muscles that other fishes use to suck in water and push it past the gills In fact, tunas must swim to breathe They must also keep swimming to keep from sinking, since most have largely or

completely lost the swim bladder, the gas-filled sac that helps most other fish remain buoyant

7 One potential problem is that opening the mouth to breathe detracts from the streamlining of these fishes and tends to slow them down Some species of tuna have specialized grooves in their tongue It is thought that these grooves help to channel water through the mouth and out the gill slits, thereby reducing water resistance

8 There are adaptations that increase the amount of forward thrust as well as those that reduce drag Again, these fishes are the envy of engineers Their high, narrow tails with swept-back tips are almost perfectly adapted to provide

propulsion with the least possible effort Perhaps most important of all to these and other fast swimmers is their ability

to sense and make use of swirls and eddies (circular currents) in the water They can glide past eddies that would slow them down and then gain extra thrust by "pushing off" the eddies Scientists and engineers are beginning to study this ability of fishes in the hope of designing more efficient propulsion systems for ships

9 The muscles of these fishes and the mechanism that maintains a warm body temperature are also highly efficient A blue fin tuna in water of 7°C (45°F) can maintain a core temperature of over 25°C (77°F) This warm body temperature may help not only the muscles to work better, but also the brain and the eyes The billfishes have gone one step further They have evolved special "heaters" of modified muscle tissue that warm the eyes and brain, maintaining peak

performance of these critical organs

21 The main topic of paragraph 1 is

A fish’s activities

B swimming machines

C fishes

D fish’s ability to swim

22 The word enhance in the first paragraph is closest in meaning to

A use

B balance

C improve

D counteract

23 The word they in the third paragraph refers to

A qualities

B depressions

C grooves

D fins

24 Why does the author mention that Airplanes retract their landing gear while in flight?

A To show that air resistance and water resistance work differently from each other

B To argue that some fishes are better designed than airplanes are

C To provide evidence that airplane engineers have studied the design of fish bodies

D To demonstrate a similarity in design between certain fishes and airplanes

25 The word sophisticated in the passage is closest in meaning to

A complex

B amazing

C creative

D practical

26 According to paragraph 4, the long bills of marlins, sailfish, and swordfish probably help these fishes by

A increasing their ability to defend themselves

B allowing them to change direction easily

C increasing their ability to detect odors

D reducing water resistance as they swim

27 According to the sixth paragraph, which of the following is one of the reasons that tunas are in constant motion?

A They lack a swim bladder

B They need to suck in more water than other fishes do

C They have large muscles for breathing

D They cannot open their mouths unless they are in motion

28 The statement in paragraph G “One potential problem is that opening the mouth to breathe detracts from the

streamlining of these fishes and tends to slow them down” means

A These fishes often have a problem opening their mouths while swimming

B The streamlining of these fishes prevents them from slowing down

C The streamlining of these fishes tends to slow down their breathing

D Opening the mouth to breathe can reduce the speed of these fishes

29 According to paragraph 8, one of the adaptations of fast-swimming fishes that might be used to improve the performance of ships is these fishes' ability to

A swim directly through eddies

B make efficient use of water currents

C cover great distances without stopping

D gain speed by forcing water past their gills

30 According to paragraph 9, which of the following is true of blue fin tunas?

A Their eyes and brain are more efficient than those of any other fish

B Their body temperature can change greatly depending on the water temperature

C They can swim in waters that are much colder than their own bodies

D They have special muscle tissue that warms their eyes and brain

READING PASSAGE FOUR

Questions 31-40

1 "Diamond" came from the Greek word "adamas," meaning "unconquerable," because of the stone's supreme hardness

Diamond is made of pure carbon and has an immensely strong crystal structure, making it the hardest of all minerals

Evidence suggests that diamonds were formed up to 125 miles deep within the earth, and some stones may be as much

as three billion years old Diamonds were first discovered over 2,000 years ago in river gravel in India Today around twenty countries produce diamonds, with the top producer, Australia, supplying a quarter of the world's needs, mainly for industrial purposes

2 Rough diamonds mined from kimberlites often have lustrous crystal faces, while alluvial diamonds those recovered from river gravel—can be duller because they may have been carried long distances in rough water with other rocks and gravel Diamond-bearing gravel is the result of one of nature's sorting processes Flawed or fractured stones are more likely to be broken up and eroded away, so a high proportion of the diamonds found in gravel are of gem quality

3 Diamond has great luster and fire, properties that are best revealed in the cut known as "brilliant" The brilliant cut dates from the seventeenth century and remains the most popular cut today because it enhances the brilliance of the gem with the least possible sacrifice of weight The cut is characterized by a form resembling two pyramids set base

to base, and typically having 58 facets, but sometimes up to 104

4 Most natural diamonds are nearly colorless, but truly colorless diamonds are rare A few stones are found of all colors

in the spectrum, and good-quality ones are known as "fancies" Diamonds of exceptional beauty and rarity are highly prized Some have long, recorded histories, and others have inspired fantastic legends The deep blue Hope diamond has a reputation for bringing bad luck, but the sinister stories are untrue At more than 45 carats, the Hope is one of the world's largest diamonds and is apparently flawless

31 The passage discusses all of the following topics EXCEPT

A sources of diamonds

B the history of diamonds

C properties of diamonds

D The price of diamonds

32 Look at the word it in line 2 in paragraph 1 It refers to

A diamond

B crystal structure

C minerals

D carbon

33 The following sentence can be added to paragraph 1

In 1725 they were found in Brazil, which remained their major source until production in South Africa became significant in 1870

A the beginning of the second sentence

B at the end of the third sentence

C the beginning of the fifth sentence

D at the end of paragraph 1

34 It can be inferred from paragraph 2 that kimberlites are a type of

A diamond

B river gravel

C jewelry

D rock

35 In paragraph 2, the author suggests that

A rivers can transport diamonds from their source

B alluvial diamonds are less valuable than other types

C diamond mining is a dangerous occupation

D diamonds from rivers are often cracked or broken

36 The word sacrifice in paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to

A shift

B loss

C concentration

D balance

37 The word ones in line 2 in paragraph 4 refers to

A colors

B diamonds

C stones

D pyramids

38 Why does the author mention the Hope diamond?

A to warn that diamonds can bring bad luck

B to impress readers with a famous name

C to describe an exotic colorless diamond

D to cite an example of a legendary diamond

39 The word sinister in line 5 in paragraph 4 is closest in meaning to

A entertaining

B complicated

C frightening

D recorded

40 Which of the following sentences should NOT be included in a summary of the passage?

A Diamonds get their name from their hardness

B Synthetic diamonds are widely used in industry

C Natural diamonds have almost no color

D A popular cut of diamond is the brilliant cut