TOEFL Reading Skill 3 -5

Elizabeth Cochrane Seaman was an American journalist at the turn of the century who wrote for the newspaper New York World under the pen name Nellie Bly, a name which was taken from the Stephen Foster song Nelly Bly. She achieved fame for her exposes and in particular for the bold and adventurous way that she obtained her stories.

          

Qs: Which of the following is not true about Nellie Bly?

• Nellie Bly’s real name was Elizabeth Cochrane Seaman.

• Nellie Bly was mentally ill.

• The name Nellie Bly came from a song.

• The name Nellie Bly was used on articles that Seaman wrote.

            She felt that the best way to get the real story was from the inside rather than as an outside observer who could be treated to a prettified version of reality. On one occasion she pretended to be a thief. So that she would get arrested and see for herself how female prisoners were really treated. On another occasion she faked mental illness in order to be admitted to a mental hospital to get the real picture on the treatment of mental patients.

Qs: Which of the following is NOT mentioned as something that Nellies Bly did to a get a good story?

• She acted like a thief.

• She got arrested by the police.

• She pretended to be ill.

• She worked as a doctor in a mental hospital.

The human heart is divided into four chambers, each of which serves its own function in the cycle of pumping blood. The atria are the thin-walled upper chambers that gather blood as it flows from the veins between heartbeats. The ventricles are the thick-walled lower chambers that receive blood from the atria and push it into the arteries with each contraction of the heart. The left atrium and ventricle work separately from those on the right. The role of the chambers on the right side of the heart is to receive oxygen-depleted blood from the body tissues and send it on to the lungs; the chambers on the left side of the heart then receive the oxygen-enriched blood from the lungs and send it back out to the body tissues.

Qs: The passage indicates that the ventricles

• have relatively thin walls

• send blood to the atria

• are above the atria

• force blood into the arteries

The human heart is divided into four chambers, each of which serves its own function in the cycle of pumping blood. The atria are the thin-walled upper chambers that gather blood as it flows from the veins between heartbeats. The ventricles are the thick-walled lower chambers that receive blood from the atria and push it into the arteries with each contraction of the heart. The left atrium and ventricle work separately from those on the right. The role of the chambers on the right side of the heart is to receive oxygen-depleted blood from the body tissues and send it on to the lungs; the chambers on the left side of the heart then receive the oxygen-enriched blood from the lungs and send it back out to the body tissues.

Qs: According to the passage, when is blood pushed into the arteries from the ventricles?

• As the heart beats

• Between heartbeats

• Before each contraction of the heart

• Before it is received by the atria

The human heart is divided into four chambers, each of which serves its own function in the cycle of pumping blood. The atria are the thin-walled upper chambers that gather blood as it flows from the veins between heartbeats. The ventricles are the thick-walled lower chambers that receive blood from the atria and push it into the arteries with each contraction of the heart. The left atrium and ventricle work separately from those on the right. The role of the chambers on the right side of the heart is to receive oxygen-depleted blood from the body tissues and send it on to the lungs; the chambers on the left side of the heart then receive the oxygen-enriched blood from the lungs and send it back out to the body tissues.

Qs: According to the passage, which part of the heart gets blood from the body tissues and passes it on to the lungs?

• The atria

• The ventricles

• The right atrium and ventricle

• The left atrium and ventricle

The Golden Age of Railroads refers to the period from the end of the Civil War to the beginning of World War I when railroads flourished and, in fact, maintained a near monopoly in mass transportation in the United States. One of the significant developments during the period was the notable increase in uniformity, particularly through the standardization of track gauge and time.

Qs: According to the passage, the Golden Age of Railroads ...

• occurred prior to the Civil War

• was a result of World War I

• was a period when most of U.S. mass transportation was controlled by the railroads.

• resulted in a decrease in uniformity of track gauge

The Golden Age of Railroads refers to the period from the end of the Civil War to the beginning of World War I when railroads flourished and, in fact, maintained a near monopoly in mass transportation in the United States. One of the significant developments during the period was the notable increase in uniformity, particularly through the standardization of track gauge and time.

At the end of the Civil War, only about half of the nation’s railroad track was laid at what is now the standard gauge of 1.4 meters; much of the rest, particularly in the southern states, had a 1.5-meter gauge. During the postwar years, tracks were converted to the 1.4-meter gauge, and by June 1, 1886, the standardization of tracks was completed, resulting in increased efficiency and economy in the rail system.

Qs: The passage mentions that which of the following occurred as a result of uniformity of track gauge?

• The Civil War

• Improved economy in the transportation system

• Standardization of time zones

• Railroads schedules

At the end of the Civil War, only about half of the nation’s railroad track was laid at what is now the standard gauge of 1.4 meters; much of the rest, particularly in the southern states, had a 1.5-meter gauge. During the postwar years, tracks were converted to the 1.4-meter gauge, and by June 1, 1886, the standardization of tracks was completed, resulting in increased efficiency and economy in the rail system.

            A further book to railroad efficiency was the implementation of standard time in 1883. With the adoption of standard time, four time zones were established across the country, thus simplifying railroad scheduling and improving the efficiency of railroad services.  

Qs: The passage indicates that standard time was implemented ...

• before the Civil War

• on June 1, 1886

• after World War I

• before standardization track gauge was established throughout the United States

Dekanawida’s role as a supreme lawgiver in the Iroquois tribe has given him the status of demigod within the Indian nation. Born into the Huron tribe, Dekanawida caused great fear in his parents who tried to drown him in his youth after the prophecy was made indicating that he would bring great sorrow to the Huron nation. Dekanawida was to survive this attempted drowning but later left his parents’ home and tribe to live among the Iroquois.

Qs: According to the passage, Dekanawida was NOT ...

• a lawmaker

• a Huron by birth

• a near deity

• drowned when he was young

One of his achievements with the Iroquois was the institution of a law among the Iroquois that virtually ended blood feuds among the nation’s families. Wampum, strings of beads made of polished shells, was a valued commodity in the iroquois culture; according to policies established by Dekanawida, wampum had to be paid to the family of a murder victim by the family of the killer. Since the killer was also put to death, the family of the killer had to pay the victim’s family in wampum for two deaths, the death of the murder victim and the death of the killer. These strict policies implemented by Dekanawida helped to establish him as a wise lawgiver and leader of the Iroquios nation.

Qs: Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage about wampum?

• It was used extensively by the Huron.

• It had a high value to the Iroquois.

• It was given to a murder victim’s family.

• It was made of polished shells.