RI Practice Level 2

Boston did not starve. Towns all through New England sent her food; codfish and corn and livestock and rye, and even sheep from Connecticut. Charleston sent loads of rice and Baltimore quantities of bread. All these things had to come into the town, in great drays and wagons, over the one road which connected Boston with the mainland, for nothing could come by ship.

Many towns _____ Boston.

• assisted

• criticized

• ignored

• complimented

The land surrounding the Euphrates River has been irrigated and is one of Syria's most successful agricultural regions. Along the way, the river travels through the ancient city of Thapsacus, once a Roman outpost. Soon two tributaries, the Balikh and the Khabur, flow in from the east. After the Euphrates passes Dayr az Zawr, the river flows into a wider valley. Islands with vegetation appear. When the Euphrates crosses into Iraq at Abu Kamal, there are even more cultivated islands, and large irrigation water

wheels dot the landscape.

The Euphrates River _____ the surrounding lands.

• nourishes

• neutralizes

• erodes

• isolates

Mercury is so close to the Sun that its surface is very hot. During the day, the temperature can climb as high as 800 degrees Fahrenheit. But because Mercury has no atmosphere to hold in the heat, at night the temperature can drop to nearly 300 degrees below zero.

The climate is _____ .

• unexplainable

• anticipated

• extreme

• beneficial

In Chiang Mai, huge crowds gather to enjoy the spectacular Songkran parades, with dancers, floats, and bands. A Songkran Queen is chosen to lead the celebrations. The noisy, colorful parade moves through the city as spectators throw water at everyone.

The celebrations are _____ .

• ordinary

• boring

• festive

• lengthy

Ranofer stood alone in the dark courtyard, holding his piece of bread. Half a loaf. It barely covered his palm, and the emptiness in his stomach felt as big as the whole temple of Amon. The emptiness in his heart matched it. Gebu's last warning had needed no underscoring. On dragging feet he padded into the storeroom, felt his way to the big water jar and drank thirstily. Afterward he searched, though without hope, for another bite of something—a forgotten onion, a mouthful of stewed lentils left from Gebu's meal. The storeroom yielded nothing more except the tantalizing fragrance from boxes and kegs all sealed and forbidden him.

He was still _____ .

• hungry

• undecided

• confident

• puzzled

EMTs usually work for hospitals or as part of police or fire departments. Working in teams of two, EMTs drive an emergency vehicle to the person who needs help. Once they get there, they need to give the patient the right treatment until they can get him to the hospital.

They must be _____ .

• exciting

• knowledgeable

• young

• unselfish

The Civil War, fought between 1861 and 1865, was the darkest and most critical period in American history. It was a bloody, brutal, and bitter war. Three million soldiers fought at a time when the population numbered only thirty-one million. More than six hundred thousand died—nearly as many Americans as died in all other wars combined—two thirds of them from illness and disease. Frequently families were torn apart as brother fought brother.

It was a _____ time in American history.

• creative

• brief

• mysterious

• devastating

They had, of course, no stored-up strength to call on, when their days were hard, so they made camp in poor fashion that night. John and Francis could scarcely erect the tent, after the terrible tramping. And Catherine sobbed with weariness into the soup kettle that barely steamed over the wretched greasewood fire. It was bitter cold, and coyotes howled, as they will on frosty nights when the stars are bright. There was no hope of building a fire that would keep alive all night. So John crept into the tent for warmth.

They were all _____ .

• exhausted

• reasonable

• angry

• invited

The Asians brought with them curry and other spices that added new tastes to Caribbean cooking. In Jamaica, curried goat is a favorite dish. In Trinidad, roti, an Indian flat bread, and curried vegetables, fish, and meat dishes are particularly popular.

Curry is _____ in the Caribbean.

• harmful

• expensive

• prevalent

• impractical

Day and night, carts and carriages rumbled through the streets of New York City. Traffic jammed the crooked lanes, and the hodgepodge of houses was confusing. In 1811, John Randel, a surveyor, proposed a street system for the remaining open lands of Manhattan Island. Streets running from east to west would be straight, and numbered in order.

He wanted to _____ the rest of New York City.

• explore

• conquer

• organize

• forget