Reading Comprehension Vocabulary

The Alaska pipeline starts at the frozen edge of the Arctic Ocean. It stretches southward across the largest and northernmost state in the United States, ending at a remote ice-free seaport village nearly 800 miles from where it begins. It is massive in size and extremely complicated to operate. The steel pipe crosses windswept plains and endless miles of delicate tundra that tops the frozen ground. It weaves through crooked canyons, climbs sheer mountains, plunges over rocky crags, makes its way through thick forests, and passes over or under hundreds of rivers and streams. The pipe is 4 feet in diameter, and up to 2 million barrels (or 84 million gallons) of crude oil can be pumped through it daily. Resting on H-shaped steel racks called "bents," long sections of the pipeline follow a zigzag course high above the frozen earth. Other long sections drop out of sight beneath spongy or rocky ground and return to the surface later on. The pattern of the pipeline's up-and-down route is determined by the often harsh demands of the arctic and subarctic climate, the tortuous lay of the land, and the varied compositions of soil, rock, or permafrost (permanently frozen ground). A little more than half of the pipeline is elevated above the ground. The remainder is buried anywhere from 3 to 12 feet, depending largely upon the type of terrain and the properties of the soil. One of the largest in the world, the pipeline cost approximately $8 billion and is by far the biggest and most expensive construction project ever undertaken by private industry. In fact, no single business could raise that much money, so eight major oil companies formed a consortium in order to share the costs. Each company controlled oil rights to particular shares of land in the oil fields and paid into the pipeline-construction fund according to the size of its holdings. Today, despite enormous problems of climate, supply shortages, equipment breakdowns, labor disagreements, treacherous terrain, a certain amount of mismanagement, and even theft, the Alaska pipeline has been completed and is operating. The word "particular" in line 35 is closest in meaning to

• peculiar

• specific

• exceptional

• equal

Tags

CCSS.RI.11-12.4

CCSS.RL.11-12.4

CCSS.RI.9-10.4

CCSS.RL.9-10.4

CCSS.RI.8.4

Most people can remember a phone number for up to thirty seconds. When this short amount of time elapses, however, the numbers are erased from the memory. How did the information get there in the first place? Information that makes its way to the short term memory (STM) does so via the sensory storage area. The brain has a filter which only allows stimuli that is of immediate interest to pass on to the STM, also known as the working memory. There is much debate about the capacity and duration of the short term memory. The most accepted theory comes from George A. Miller, a cognitive psychologist who suggested that humans can remember approximately seven chunks of information. A chunk is defined as a meaningful unit of information, such as a word or name rather than just a letter or number. Modern theorists suggest that one can increase the capacity of the short term memory by chunking, or classifying similar information together. By organizing information, one can optimize the STM, and improve the chances of a memory being passed on to long term storage. When making a conscious effort to memorize something, such as information for an exam, many people engage in "rote rehearsal". By repeating something over and over again, one is able to keep a memory alive. Unfortunately, this type of memory maintenance only succeeds if there are no interruptions. As soon as a person stops rehearsing the information, it has the tendency to disappear. When a pen and paper are not handy, people often attempt to remember a phone number by repeating it aloud. If the doorbell rings or the dog barks to come in before a person has the opportunity to make a phone call, he will likely forget the number instantly.* Therefore, rote rehearsal is not an efficient way to pass information from the short term to long term memory.* A better way is to practice "elaborate rehearsal".* This involves assigning semantic meaning to a piece of information so that it can be filed along with other pre-existing long term memories.* Encoding information semantically also makes it more retrievable. Retrieving information can be done by recognition or recall. Humans can easily recall memories that are stored in the long term memory and used often; however, if a memory seems to be forgotten, it may eventually be retrieved by prompting. The more cues a person is given (such as pictures), the more likely a memory can be retrieved. This is why multiple choice tests are often used for subjects that require a lot of memorization. The word elapses in paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to

• passes

• adds up

• appears

• continues

Tags

CCSS.RL.11-12.4

CCSS.RI.11-12.4

CCSS.RL.9-10.4

CCSS.RI.9-10.4

CCSS.RL.8.4

Most people can remember a phone number for up to thirty seconds. When this short amount of time elapses, however, the numbers are erased from the memory. How did the information get there in the first place? Information that makes its way to the short term memory (STM) does so via the sensory storage area. The brain has a filter which only allows stimuli that is of immediate interest to pass on to the STM, also known as the working memory. There is much debate about the capacity and duration of the short term memory. The most accepted theory comes from George A. Miller, a cognitive psychologist who suggested that humans can remember approximately seven chunks of information. A chunk is defined as a meaningful unit of information, such as a word or name rather than just a letter or number. Modern theorists suggest that one can increase the capacity of the short term memory by chunking, or classifying similar information together. By organizing information, one can optimize the STM, and improve the chances of a memory being passed on to long term storage. When making a conscious effort to memorize something, such as information for an exam, many people engage in "rote rehearsal". By repeating something over and over again, one is able to keep a memory alive. Unfortunately, this type of memory maintenance only succeeds if there are no interruptions. As soon as a person stops rehearsing the information, it has the tendency to disappear. When a pen and paper are not handy, people often attempt to remember a phone number by repeating it aloud. If the doorbell rings or the dog barks to come in before a person has the opportunity to make a phone call, he will likely forget the number instantly.* Therefore, rote rehearsal is not an efficient way to pass information from the short term to long term memory.* A better way is to practice "elaborate rehearsal".* This involves assigning semantic meaning to a piece of information so that it can be filed along with other pre-existing long term memories.* Encoding information semantically also makes it more retrievable. Retrieving information can be done by recognition or recall. Humans can easily recall memories that are stored in the long term memory and used often; however, if a memory seems to be forgotten, it may eventually be retrieved by prompting. The more cues a person is given (such as pictures), the more likely a memory can be retrieved. This is why multiple choice tests are often used for subjects that require a lot of memorization. The word cues in the passage is closest in meaning to

• questions

• clues

• images

• tests

Tags

CCSS.RL.11-12.4

CCSS.RI.11-12.4

CCSS.RL.9-10.4

CCSS.RI.9-10.4

CCSS.RI.8.4

Vocabulary. Ecofriendly refers to...

• the prevention of the wasteful use of energy.

• designed to have little or no damaging effect on the environment.

Tags

CCSS.RI.11-12.4

CCSS.RL.11-12.4

CCSS.RI.9-10.4

CCSS.RL.9-10.4

CCSS.RL.8.4

Vocabulary. Conserve refers to...

• to keep and protect something from damage, change, or waste

• species in danger of being harmed, lost, or extinct.

Tags

CCSS.RL.11-12.4

CCSS.RI.11-12.4

CCSS.RL.9-10.4

CCSS.RI.9-10.4

CCSS.RI.8.4

What is the antonym of the underlined word?

• block

• assist

• burden

• delay

Tags

CCSS.RL.11-12.4

CCSS.RI.11-12.4

CCSS.RL.9-10.4

CCSS.RI.9-10.4

CCSS.RL.8.4

Agus said the tiger captured on Saturday will undergo medical treatment and would be released into a nearby national park once it had recovered from its injuries.

What does the underlined word mean?

• someone/something which experiences something unpleasant or painful

• indicate or show that one is not willing to do something

• make (someone or something) late or slow

• keep away from or stop oneself from doing (something)

Tags

CCSS.RL.11-12.4

CCSS.RI.11-12.4

CCSS.RI.9-10.4

CCSS.RL.9-10.4

CCSS.RI.8.4

What does the word 'comprehension' mean in the context of reading?

• Understanding the meaning of text

• Reading quickly

• Memorizing text

• Ignoring details

Tags

CCSS.RL.11-12.10

CCSS.RI.11-12.10

CCSS.RL.9-10.10

CCSS.RI. 9-10.10

CCSS.RI.8.10

Which of the following is a synonym for 'vocabulary'?

• Grammar

• Words

• Sentences

• Punctuation

Tags

CCSS.RL.11-12.10

CCSS.RI.11-12.10

CCSS.RI. 9-10.10

CCSS.RL.9-10.10

CCSS.RL.8.10

In a reading comprehension test, what is the main skill being assessed?

• Spelling accuracy

• Understanding of the text

• Writing speed

• Grammar usage

Tags

CCSS.RL.11-12.10

CCSS.RI.11-12.10

CCSS.RI. 9-10.10

CCSS.RL.9-10.10

CCSS.RL.8.10