Reading Practice Level 1TOEFL

Fort Knox, Kentucky, is the site of a U.S. army post, but it is more renowned for the Fort Knox Bullion Depository the massive vault that contains the bulk of the U.S. government’s gold deposits. Completed in 1936, the vault is housed in a two story building constructed of granite, steel, and concrete; the vault itself is made of steel and concrete and has a door that weighs more than twenty tons. Naturally, the most up-to-date security devices available are in place at Fort Knox, and the army post nearby provides further protection.

Which of the following best describes the topic of the passage?

• The city of Fort Knox, Kentucky

• The federal gold depository

• The U.S. army post at Fort Knox

• Gold bullion

Fort Knox, Kentucky, is the site of a U.S. army post, but it is more renowned for the Fort Knox Bullion Depository the massive vault that contains the bulk of the U.S. government’s gold deposits. Completed in 1936, the vault is housed in a two story building constructed of granite, steel, and concrete; the vault itself is made of steel and concrete and has a door that weighs more than twenty tons. Naturally, the most up-to-date security devices available are in place at Fort Knox, and the army post nearby provides further protection.

Which of the following would be the best title for this passage?

• The Massive Concrete Vault

• Fort Knox Security

• Where the U.S. Keeps Its Gold

• A Visit to Kentucky

One identifying characteristic of minerals is their relative hardness, which can be determined by scratching one mineral with another. In this type of test, a harder mineral can scratch a softer one, but a softer mineral is unable to scratch the harder one. The Mohs’ hardness scale is used to rank minerals according to hardness. Ten minerals are listed in this scale, ranging from talc with a hardness of 1 to diamond with a hardness of 10. On this scale, quartz (number 7) is harder than feldspar (number 6) and is therefore able to scratch it; however, feldspar is unable to make a mark on quartz.

Which of the following best states the subject of this passage?

• The hardness of diamonds

• Identifying minerals by means of a scratch test

• Feldspar on the Mohs’ scale

• Recognizing minerals in their natural state

One identifying characteristic of minerals is their relative hardness, which can be determined by scratching one mineral with another. In this type of test, a harder mineral can scratch a softer one, but a softer mineral is unable to scratch the harder one. The Mohs’ hardness scale is used to rank minerals according to hardness. Ten minerals are listed in this scale, ranging from talc with a hardness of 1 to diamond with a hardness of 10. On this scale, quartz (number 7) is harder than feldspar (number 6) and is therefore able to scratch it; however, feldspar is unable to make a mark on quartz.

The main idea of this passage is that ……

• The hardness of a mineral can be determined by its ability to make a mark on other minerals.

• Diamonds, with a hardness of 10 on the Mohs’ scale, can scratch all other minerals.

• As softer mineral cannot be scratched by a harder mineral.

• Talc is the first mineral listed on the Mohs’ scale

Blood plasma is a clear almost colorless liquid. It consists of blood from which the red and white blood cells have been removed. It is often used in transfusions because a patient generally needs the plasma portion of the blood more than the other components.

Plasma differs in several important ways from whole blood. First of all, plasma can be mixed for all donors and does not have to be from the right blood group, as whole blood does. In addition, plasma can be dried and stored, while whole blood cannot.

All of the following are true about blood plasma EXCEPT

• It is a deeply colored liquid

• Blood cells have been taken out of it

• Patient are often transfused with it

• It is generally more important to the patient than other parts of whole blood

  
  

Blood plasma is a clear almost colorless liquid. It consists of blood from which the red and white blood cells have been removed. It is often used in transfusions because a patient generally needs the plasma portion of the blood more than the other components.

Plasma differs in several important ways from whole blood. First of all, plasma can be mixed for all donors and does not have to be from the right blood group, as whole blood does. In addition, plasma can be dried and stored, while whole blood cannot.

Which of the following is NOT stated about whole blood?

• It is different from plasma

• It cannot be dried

• It is impossible to keep it in storage for a long time

• It is a clear, colorless liquid

Common types of calendars can be based on the Sun or on the Moon. The Solar Calendar is based on the solar year. Since the solar year is 365.2422 days long, solar calendars consists of regular years of 365 days and have an extra day every fourth year, or leap year; to make up for the additional fractional amount. In a solar calendar the waxing and waning of the moon can take place at various stages of each month.

The lunar calendar in synchronized to the lunar month rather than the solar year. Since the lunar month is twenty-nine and a half days long, most lunar calendars have alternating months of twenty-nine and thirty days. A twelve-month lunar year thus has 354 days, 11 days shorter than a solar year.

What is the main idea of the passage?

• All calendars are the same.

• The solar calendar is based on the sun.

• Different calendars have dissimilar bases.

• The lunar month is twenty- nine and a half days long

Common types of calendars can be based on the Sun or on the Moon. The Solar Calendar is based on the solar year. Since the solar year is 365.2422 days long, solar calendars consists of regular years of 365 days and have an extra day every fourth year, or leap year; to make up for the additional fractional amount. In a solar calendar the waxing and waning of the moon can take place at various stages of each month.

The lunar calendar in synchronized to the lunar month rather than the solar year. Since the lunar month is twenty-nine and a half days long, most lunar calendars have alternating months of twenty-nine and thirty days. A twelve-month lunar year thus has 354 days, 11 days shorter than a solar year.

How is the information in the passage organized?

• Characteristics of the solar calendar are outlined.

• Two types of calendars are described.

• The strength and weakness of the lunar calendar are described

• The length of each existing calendar is contrasted

The full moon that occurs nearest the equinox of the sun has become known as the Harvest Moon. It is a bright moon, which allows farmers to work late into the night for several nights; they can work when the moon is at its brightest to bring in the fall harvest. The harvest moon of course occurs at the different times of the year in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. In the Northern Hemisphere, the Harvest Moon occurs in September at the time of the autumnal of equinox. In the Southern Hemisphere, the Harvest moon occurs in March at the time of the vernal equinox.

The pronoun “it” in line 2 refers to

• The equinox

• The sun

• the harvest moon

• the night

The full moon that occurs nearest the equinox of the sun has become known as the Harvest Moon. It is a bright moon, which allows farmers to work late into the night for several nights; they can work when the moon is at its brightest to bring in the fall harvest. The harvest moon of course occurs at the different times of the year in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. In the Northern Hemisphere, the Harvest Moon occurs in September at the time of the autumnal of equinox. In the Southern Hemisphere, the Harvest moon occurs in March at the time of the vernal equinox.

The pronoun “they” in line 3 refers to

• Farmers

• Nights

• Times and year

• Northern and Southern hemisphere