TOEFL - EMPIRE STATE BUILDING

What is the primary purpose of the first sentence of the article?

• To explain that New Yorkers are commonly asleep in the middle of the night.

• To mislead readers into thinking the light flash was some sort of attack

• To build suspense and curiosity so that the reader wants to know more

• To suggest that there is a secret organization working late at night at the Empire State Building

The phrase "huge palette" in Paragraph 3 is most likely

• A metaphor for the scope and range of combinations the new LED lights have

• A literal explanation of the shape of the new lights, which form an artist's palette

• An extreme over exaggeration meant to draw more onlookers to the new display

• A way to emphasize the amount of lights, since 16.7 could never fit onto a palette

What does Alicia Keys suggest the Empire State building is a symbol of?

• A way for Americans to have a landmark similar to other major global cities

• The iconic American capacity to push boundaries and break new ground in art and architecture.

• Lights that are always on due to the number of New Yorkers who work night shifts

• That any person can use the new lights as a way to make a wish, as people do with other world landmarks.

To help keep the new lights secret during their initial test, all precautions were taken EXCEPT:

• Conducting the test in the middle of the night

• Conducting the test facing west, away from cameras

• Conducting the test in short bursts, so that there was no sustained lighting

• Conducting the test with additional sound effects to distract anyone who might be on the street

What was the primary reason Malkin and his team choose to test the new LED lights in the middle of the night?

• Because the lights are impossible to see in the daylight

• So that no spies would be awake to steal the new lighting design

• Because his team only works at night, to enhance their creativity

• So that when they made the formal reveal to the city and world, it would be a true surprise

How does the new LED display contribute to the Empire State Building's efforts to become more 'green'?

• The lights will be bright enough to reflect into the building, allowing less lighting to be used indoors

• The new lighting will consume almost half the amount of energy the old lights did

• The lights can become green in color, to cover the entire building

• The lights will be solar-powered, generating their own electricity.

The article suggests that some older people might miss the old lights. Why is this?

• The elderly who have poorer eyesight have an easier time seeing the old lights

• The older generation might not understand the technology behind the new LED lighting

• Those who used to work in the Empire State Building will no longer be able to recognize it without the old, larger lights

• The old lights represented momentous occasions in American history, and may still have nostalgic value

In the second-to-last paragraph, the old floodlights are described as veterans. What is the most suitable explanation for this word in context?

• The old lights have worked through the years, despite harsh weather conditions and continual use for special occassions

• The old lights have been up through many previous wars, making them literal veterans

• The old lights were dedicated to the Empire State Building to memorialize war heroes

• The old lights were only used before to celebrate Veteran's Day

Currently, how many of the former lights are set to be preserved for a specific purpose?

• All, to replace other major lights around the city

• None, they are all set to be discarded entirely

• Five, spaced across Central Park for more light and better security

• One, to serve as a warning beacon for aircraft

Why might it be important for the Empire State's global image to replace its lighting?

• To represent that it is both environmentally conscious as well as technologically advanced

• To prove that other world landmarks are not as spectacular

• To suggest that despite its being decades-old, the Empire State Building is still relevant

• To provide New Yorkers and visitors with better entertainment