Final Honors 4 Exam

There are many fun things to do at the beach. Swimming is one thing that can be done at the beach. Snorkeling is another thing that can be enjoyed. Playing beach volleyball can be a lot of fun. It is also fun to look for shells. Some people simply like to sunbathe.

Which of the following best describes the main idea?

• Playing beach vollyeball is fun.

• People like to sunbathe.

• People can enjoy at the beach with various activities.

If you are feeling sad, you can make yourself feel better by doing a few simple things. You can take a walk (or get another form of exercise), you can talk to a friend, or you can write down your feelings. Writing down the good things in your life will help too. Doing something good for someone else will also help you feel better. If you still feel a little sad, act happy. It works like magic to make you feel better!

Which of the following best describes the main idea?

• We all feel sad sometimes.

• There are many ways to make yourself feel better. 

• Taking a walk can make you feel better.

Someday we will all have robots that will be our personal servants. They will look and behave much like real humans. We will be able to talk to these mechanical helpers and they will be able to respond in kind! Amazingly, the robots of the future will be able to learn from experience. They will be smart, strong, and untiring workers whose only goal will be to make our lives easier.

What is this selection mainly about?

• Amazingly, the robots of the future will be able to learn from experience.

• We will be able to talk to robots and they will be able to respond.

• Robots will serve us in the future.

Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin were the first men to walk on the surface of the moon, but they were not the last. That was Gene Cernan, the last man to step off the lunar surface. In total there have been twelve men who have walked on the moon, all of whom had done so between 1969 and 1972, which is the most recent non-Michael Jackson moon walking.

What is the main idea?

• 12 Men Have Walked

  On the Moon

• Armstrong & Aldrin

  First Men on the Moon

• People who walked on the moon

When one hears the term "reality" applied to a show, one might expect that the events portrayed occurred naturally or, at the least, were not scripted. This is not always the case. Many reality shows occur in unreal environments, like rented mansions occupied by film crews. Such living environments do not reflect what most people understand to be "reality." Worse, there have been accusations that events not captured on film were later restaged by producers. Worse still, some involved in the production of "reality" television claim that the participants were urged to act out story lines premeditated by producers. With such accusations floating around, it's no wonder many people take reality TV to be about as real as the sitcom.

What is the main idea?

• Reality TV isn't always real

• Most people on reality TV aren't rich.

• Reality TV shows are like sitcoms.

Screech! When a driver pushes on the brake pedal, it initiates a process that causes the vehicle to stop in motion. We literally trust braking systems with our lives every time we get into a vehicle or cross at a busy intersection. How does this life-critical process work? It begins when the pedal is pushed. At this moment brake fluid is released into the braking mechanisms. As the fluid collects, this creates a leverage, which causes a friction to be applied. This friction will create a force that will cause the wheels to stop and allow you to reach your destination safely. Beep! Beep!

What is the main idea?

• Driving a car is easy when it works properly.

• Riding a bike and driving a car are the same.

• How a braking system works in a car.

The St. Lawrence Seaway was a joint project of the United States and Canada. Together, the two countries built a series of canals, locks, and channels. They connect the Great lakes to the Atlantic Ocean by way of the St. Lawrence River. The seaway opened up the central part of North America to shipping to and from Europe. it had been in use since 1959.

What is the main idea?

• How they joined the lakes in Europe.

• The St. Lawrence Seaway

• Different waterways that enter the Atlantic Ocean

Though we think of dinosaurs as being extinct, recent research suggests that their modern relatives live among us in the form of birds. Like birds, many dinosaurs built nests, laid eggs, and had feathers. Over the last twenty years, scientists have collected more and more evidence suggesting that dinosaurs evolved into birds. For example, thousands of fossils of dinosaurs with feathers have been found in China, and fossilized dinosaur eggs are similar in size and shape to birds' eggs. Fossils have also revealed information about dinosaurs' skeletons. Birds have hollow bones to enable flight, and so did some dinosaurs. In addition, birds and dinosaurs exhibit many similarities in their legs, feet, and claws.

What is the main idea of the passage?

• Fossil evidence shows that some dinosaurs had hollow bones, which probably enabled them to fly.

• Fossil evidence shows that the legs, feet, and claws of dinosaurs and birds are similar.

• Fossil evidence shows that dinosaurs and birds share many features, suggesting that they are related.

In the 1760s and early 1770s, the British government wanted to raise money by taxing the residents of its colonies in North America. They taxed goods such as sugar and tea and even placed a tax on the printing of documents. These actions angered the colonists, who thought that taxation was unfair since they had no representation in the British government. For this reason, a group of colonists dumped hundreds of chests of tea from Britain into Boston Harbor in 1773, in what became known as the Boston Tea Party. As a result, England passed a series of harsh new laws to punish the colonists, further angering them. The Continental Congress met to voice the colonists' grievances, and eventually, on July 4, 1776, the colonists declared their independence from Britain.

What is the main idea of the passage?

• The colonists protested British taxes by dumping chests of tea into Boston Harbor.

• Taxes and other laws imposed on the colonies led the colonists to declare independence from England.

• The colonists' protests against British taxation led England to institute harsh laws as punishment.

On April 11, 1970, Apollo 13 was launched for a planned moon landing. Two days into the mission, however, one of the oxygen tanks in the spacecraft exploded, causing a loss of air, electricity, and water. The moon landing had to be canceled, and the astronauts had to figure out how to get home. Their solution was to move into the lunar module, the small craft that was supposed to land on the moon, for much of the remaining trip. The lunar module contained fewer supplies, however. Therefore, the astronauts had to conserve as much food and water as possible. By firing the lunar module's engine, the men were able to get the spacecraft on the correct course to return to Earth. On April 17, Apollo 13 landed safely in the Pacific Ocean.

What is the main idea of the passage?

• After an explosion on Apollo 13, the astronauts had to conserve supplies.

• After an explosion on Apollo 13, the astronauts took shelter in the lunar module.

• After an explosion on Apollo 13, the spaceship began to lose air, water, and power.