Ch 2: Reading 2: A Mile Away, an Hour Apart

1.      Which statement best expresses the main idea of the passage?

• a.      Boundaries are sometimes bent to accommodate local needs.

• b.      Zones don’t mean very much because people decide for themselves what time it is.

• c.      Boundaries should be reset to fit modern circumstances.

• d.      Zones were created to suit the needs of the railroads, not those of ordinary people.

2.      According to the passage, the time confusion in Russel County can be attributed mostly to

• a.      Businesses in Columbus, Georgia

• b.      The authorities in Phoenix City

• c.      The residents of the country

• d.      The U.S. government

3.      Which of the following probably has the smallest population?

• a.      North Dakota

• b.      Phenix City

• c.      Russell County

      

•   d. The Central Time Zone

4.      The term “tip the scales” in Paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to

• a.      Confuse the issue

• b.      Damage the system

• c.      Decide the matter

• d.      Improve the situation

5. Certain circumstances can split a single’s family schedule between two time zones. All of the following are mentioned in the passage as doing so EXCEPT

• a.      One address/another address

• b.      One job/another job

• c.      One set of relatives/another set of relatives

• d.      School time/work time

6. According to the passage, why were the railroads interested in having standard time zones?

• a.      Customers needed to know when trains would arrive and depart.

• b.      They had to arrange security for trains passing through hostile territory.

• c.      The U.S. Congress was slow to make important decisions.

• d.      U.S. railroads had to link with those in other countries.

7.      Which of the following can be most strongly inferred from Paragraph 4 about U.S. railroads?

• a.      They employed a lot of people.

• b.      They had a lot of money.

• c.      They had great political power.

• d.      They owned a lot of land.

8. 8. Why does the author most likely mention near-wilderness in Paragraph 5?

• a.      To emphasize that the region from North Dakota to Alabama is sparsely populated.

• b.      To explain why large projects like the Hoover Dam are located where they are

• c.      To explain why there are more problems with time-zone boundaries now than in 1918

• d.      To point out that, even in 1918, no true wilderness remained in the U.S.

9. The word “it” in Paragraph 6 refers to

• a.      A time change

• b.      Economic life

• c.      Experience

• d.      Sioux County

10. 10. What is the source of the quotation at the end of Paragraph 6?

• a.      A citizens’ petition

• b.      A radio station in Bismarck

• c.      The Standard Time Act

• d.      The USDOT