Assessment 3: EFAR Reading

PASSAGE ONE (Questions 1-10)

The deer is a distinctive animal easily recognized by the antlers that adorn most species of male deer. These antlers are used by the males primarily to fight, either for mates or for leadership of the herd. Deer generally lose their antlers each winter and begin growing new ones in late spring. The new antlers are soft knobs covered with velvety hairs. Later in the year as the seasons progress, the antlers grow and harden into solid branches. In the middle of winter, the full-grown antlers fall off and decay on the ground. The following spring the process begins again.

This passage mainly discusses..

• the lifestyle of the deer

• the seasons of the year

• the antlers of the deer

• how antlers are used

PASSAGE ONE (Questions 1-10)

The deer is a distinctive animal easily recognized by the antlers that adorn most species of male deer. These antlers are used by the males primarily to fight, either for mates or for leadership of the herd. Deer generally lose their antlers each winter and begin growing new ones in late spring. The new antlers are soft knobs covered with velvety hairs. Later in the year as the seasons progress, the antlers grow and harden into solid branches. In the middle of winter, the full-grown antlers fall off and decay on the ground. The following spring the process begins again.

The deer is called a distinctive animal because it..

• uses its antlers to recognize others

• has many species

• has antlers

• has to fight for its mates

The deer is a distinctive animal easily recognized by the antlers that adorn most species of male deer. These antlers are used by the males primarily to fight, either for mates or for leadership of the herd. Deer generally lose their antlers each winter and begin growing new ones in late spring. The new antlers are soft knobs covered with velvety hairs. Later in the year as the seasons progress, the antlers grow and harden into solid branches. In the middle of winter, the full-grown antlers fall off and decay on the ground. The following spring the process begins again.

The word “adorn” in line 1 is closest in meaning to which of the following?

• cover

• decorate

• bother

• hide

The deer is a distinctive animal easily recognized by the antlers that adorn most species of male deer. These antlers are used by the males primarily to fight, either for mates or for leadership of the herd. Deer generally lose their antlers each winter and begin growing new ones in late spring. The new antlers are soft knobs covered with velvety hairs. Later in the year as the seasons progress, the antlers grow and harden into solid branches. In the middle of winter, the full-grown antlers fall off and decay on the ground. The following spring the process begins again.

The word “primarily” in line 2 is closest in meaning to

• primitively

• only

• mainly

• once

The deer is a distinctive animal easily recognized by the antlers that adorn most species of male deer. These antlers are used by the males primarily to fight, either for mates or for leadership of the herd. Deer generally lose their antlers each winter and begin growing new ones in late spring. The new antlers are soft knobs covered with velvety hairs. Later in the year as the seasons progress, the antlers grow and harden into solid branches. In the middle of winter, the full-grown antlers fall off and decay on the ground. The following spring the process begins again.

It is NOT mentioned in the passage that the deer uses its antlers

• to battle other deer

• to get a mate

• to become a leader

• to climb branches

The deer is a distinctive animal easily recognized by the antlers that adorn most species of male deer. These antlers are used by the males primarily to fight, either for mates or for leadership of the herd. Deer generally lose their antlers each winter and begin growing new ones in late spring. The new antlers are soft knobs covered with velvety hairs. Later in the year as the seasons progress, the antlers grow and harden into solid branches. In the middle of winter, the full-grown antlers fall off and decay on the ground. The following spring the process begins again.

In which month would a deer in North America probably have short soft, velvety antlers?

• May

• December

• October

• January

The deer is a distinctive animal easily recognized by the antlers that adorn most species of male deer. These antlers are used by the males primarily to fight, either for mates or for leadership of the herd. Deer generally lose their antlers each winter and begin growing new ones in late spring. The new antlers are soft knobs covered with velvety hairs. Later in the year as the seasons progress, the antlers grow and harden into solid branches. In the middle of winter, the full-grown antlers fall off and decay on the ground. The following spring the process begins again.

The word “velvety” in line 5 could best be replaced by

• soft

• long

• gray

• coarse

The deer is a distinctive animal easily recognized by the antlers that adorn most species of male deer. These antlers are used by the males primarily to fight, either for mates or for leadership of the herd. Deer generally lose their antlers each winter and begin growing new ones in late spring. The new antlers are soft knobs covered with velvety hairs. Later in the year as the seasons progress, the antlers grow and harden into solid branches. In the middle of winter, the full-grown antlers fall off and decay on the ground. The following spring the process begins again.

The word “solid” in line 6 could best be replaced by which of the following?

• Firm

• Thin

• Leafy

• Tiny

The deer is a distinctive animal easily recognized by the antlers that adorn most species of male deer. These antlers are used by the males primarily to fight, either for mates or for leadership of the herd. Deer generally lose their antlers each winter and begin growing new ones in late spring. The new antlers are soft knobs covered with velvety hairs. Later in the year as the seasons progress, the antlers grow and harden into solid branches. In the middle of winter, the full-grown antlers fall off and decay on the ground. The following spring the process begins again.

In winter the mature antlers..

• are soft knobs

• come off

• are covered with velvety hair

• begin again

PASSAGE TWO (Questions 11—20)

REM (rapid eye movement) sleep is a type of sleep that is important to humans. This type of sleep generally occurs four or five times during one night of sleep, in periods of time ranging from five minutes to forty minutes for each occurrence. The periods of REM sleep become longer and longer as the night progresses.

Physical changes occur in the body to show that a person has transitioned from NREM (non-rapid eye movement) sleep to REM sleep. Breathing becomes faster, the heart rate increases, and, as the name implies, the eyes begin to move quickly.

Accompanying these physical changes in the body is a very important characteristic of REM sleep. It is during REM sleep that dreams occur.

The subject of this passage is..

• the human need for REM sleep

• physical changes in the human body

• the characteristics of REM sleep

• why people sleep