WorksheetsAcademic Reading
Total questions: 50
Worksheet time: 50mins
What is the primary purpose of this passage?
(A) To alert people to the dangers posed by the Sun
(B) To discuss conditions on Earth in the far future
(C) To present a theory about red giant stars
(D) To describe changes that the Sun will go through
The word "fueled" in line 1 is closest in meaning to
(A) powered
(B) bombarded
(C) created
(D) propelled
The word "state" in line 3 is closest in meaning to
(A) shape
(B) condition
(C) location
(D) size
It can be inferred from the passage that the Sun ...
(A) is approximately halfway through its life as a yellow dwarf
(B) has been in existence for 10 billion years
(C) is rapidly changing in size and brightness
(D) will continue as a yellow dwarffor another 10 billion years
What will probably be the first stage of change as the Sun becomes a red giant?
(A) Its core will cool off and use less fuel.
(B) Its surface will become hotter and shrink.
C) It will throw off huge amounts of gases.
(D) Its center will grow smaller and hotter.
When the Sun becomes a red giant, what will conditions be like on Earth?
(A) Its atmosphere will freeze and become solid.
(B) It will be enveloped in the expanding surface of the Sun.
(C) It will become too hot for life to exist.
(D) It will be nearly destroyed by nova explosions.
As a white dwarf, the Sun will be ....
(A) the same size as the planet Mercury
(B) thousands of times smaller than it is today
(C) around 35 million miles in diameter
(D) cold and dark
According to the passage, which of the following best describes the sequence of stages that the Sun will probably pass through?
(A) Yellow dwarf, white dwarf, red giant, black giant
(B) Red giant, white dwarf, red dwarf, nova explosion
(C) Yellow dwarf, red giant, white dwarf, black dwarf
(D) White dwarf, red giant, black dwarf, yellow dwarf
The phrase "throw off" in line 17 is closest in meaning to ...
(A) eject
(B) burn up
(C) convert
(D) let in
The word "there" in line 23 refers to ...
(A) our own planet
(B) the outer surface ofthe Sun
(C) the core of a black dwarf
(D) the planet Mercury
Which of the following best describes the tone of the passage?
(A) Alarmed
(B) Pessimistic
(C) Comic
(D) Objective
Why does the author most likely mention George Washington in the first paragraph?
(A) He was President at the time the Erie Canal was built.
(B) He was involved in pioneering efforts to build canals.
(C) He successfully opened the first canal in the United States.
(D) He commissioned engineers to study the possibility of building the Erie Canal
The word "feasibility" in line 6 is closest in meaning to ...
(A) profitability
(B) difficulty
(C) possibility
(D) capability
According to the passage, the Erie Canal connected the ...
(A) Potomac and Ohio rivers
(B) Hudson River and Lake Erie
(C) Delaware and Potomac rivers
(D) Atlantic Ocean and the Hudson River
Which of the following is closest in meaning to the word "comparatively" in line 17?
(A) Relatively
(B) Contrarily
(C) Incredibly
(D) Considerably
The word "abruptly" in line 6 is closest in meaning to ...
(A) Intermittent
(B) Unsolicited
(C) Ineffectual
(D) Gradual
The completion of the Erie Canal was financed by ...
(A) the state of New York
(B) private companies
(C) the federal government
(D) DeWitt Clinton
The actual cost of building the Erie Canal was ...
(A) five million dollars
(B) less than had been estimated
(C) seven million dollars
(D) more than could be repaid
The word "tolls" in line 26 is closest in meaning to which of the following?
(A) Jobs
(B) Grants
(C) Links
(D) Fees
Which of the following is NOT given in the fourth paragraph as an effect of the building of the Erie Canal?
(A) It allowed the East Coast to trade with the Great Lakes area.
(B) It took water traffic away from the Mississippi River.
(C) It helped determine the outcome of the Civil War.
(D) It established Boston and Philadelphia as the most important centers of trade.
What can be inferred about railroads in 1849 from the information in the last paragraph?
(A) They were being planned but had not yet been built.
(B) They were seriously underdeveloped.
(C) They had begun to compete with the Erie Canal for traffic.
(D) They were weakened by the expansion of the canal.
The word "warranted" in line 35 is closest in meaning to ...
(A) guaranteed
(B) justified
(C) hastened
(D) prevented
At what point in the passage does the author focus on the beginning of construction of the Erie Canal?
(A) Lines 3-5
(B) Lines 10-13
(C) Lines 16-18
(D) Lines 25-26
Which of the following is the main topic of the passage?
(A) The vibrations produced by insects
(B) The mission of the U.S. Forest Service
(C) The effect of insects on trees
(D) The sounds made by distressed trees
The word "them" in line 4 refers to ...
(A) trees
(B) scientists
(C) insects
(D) cries
The word "parched" in line 6 is closest in meaning to which of the following?
(A) Burned
(B) Dehydrated
(C) Recovered
(D) Fallen
The word "plight" in line 8 is closest in meaning to ...
(A) signal
(B) condition
(C) need
(D) agony
It can be inferred from the passage that the sounds produced by the trees ...
(A) serve as a form of communication with other trees
(B) are the same no matter what type of tree produces them
(C) cannot be heard by the unaided human ear
(D) fall into the 1-20 kilohertz range
The word "fractured" in line 15 is closest in meaning to ...
(A) long
(B) blocked
(C) hollow
(D) broken
Which of the following could be considered a cause of the trees' distress signals?
(A) Torn roots
(B) Attacks by insects
(C) Experiments by scientists
(D) Lack of water
In line 17, the phrase "pick up" could best be replaced by which of the following?
(A) Perceive
(B) Lift
(C) Transmit
(D) Attack
All of the following are mentioned as possible factors in drawing insects to weakened trees EXCEPT ...
(A) thermal changes
(B) smells
(C) sounds
(D) changes in color
It can be inferred that, at the time the passage was written, research concerning the distress signals of trees ...
(A) had been conducted many years earlier
(B) had been unproductive up to then
(C) was continuing
(D) was no longer sponsored by the government
Which of the following best describes the organization of the passage?
(A) A contrast is drawn between two concepts by means of examples.
(B) A general concept is introduced, examples are given, and a conclusion is offered.
(C) Two definitions of the same concept are compared.
(D) Two proposals are suggested and support for both is offered
According to the passage, the concepts of analogy and homology are ...
(A) difficult to understand
(B) easier to understand through examples than through definitions
(C) impossible to explain
(D) simple to define but hard to apply
The word "rigid" in line 4 is closest in meaning to ...
(A) inflexible
(B) ideal
(C) unnatural
(D) steep
According to the information provided in the passage, which of the following would most probably be considered analogous?
(A) A shark's fin and a tiger's claws
(B) A man's arms and a bird's wings
(C) A monkey's tail and an elephant's tail
(D) A spider's legs and a horse's legs
According to the passage, one way in which homologous organs differ from analogous organs is that they ...
(A) are genetically related
(B) are only found in highly developed animals
(C) perform the same general functions
(D) come from different embryological structures
As used throughout the passage, the term "structures" most nearly means ...
(A) buildings
(B) features of an animal's anatomy
(C) organizational principles
(D) units of grammar
The word "sense" in line 13 is closest in meaning to ...
(A) feeling
(B) logic
(C) meaning
(D) perception
Where in the passage does the author first focus his discussion on the concept of homology?
(A) Lines 2-4
(B) Lines 6-8
(C) Lines 9-1 1
(D) Lines 13-14
The author's main purpose in writing this passage is to ...
(A) criticize the factory system of the 1930's
(B) analyze an important film
(C) explain Chaplin's style of acting
(D) discuss how film reveals the benefits of technology
According to the passage, Chaplin got the idea for the film Modern Times from ...
(A) a newspaper article
(B) a scene in a movie
(C) a job he had once held
(D) a conversation with a reporter
The word "abruptly" in line 6 is closest in meaning to ...
(A) suddenly
(B) mysteriously
(C) finally
(D) predictably
It can be inferred from the passage that two-thirds of the film Modern Times ...
(A) is completely unforgettable
(B) takes place outside a factory
(C) is more critical than the other third
(D) entertains the audience more than the other third
Which of the following could best replace the phrase "losing his mind" in lines 10?
(A) Getting fired
(B) Doing his job
(C) Going insane
(D) Falling behind
The word "This" in line 12 refers to which of the following?
(A) The machine
(B) The food
(C) The assembly line
(D) The scene
According to the passage, the purpose of the scene involving the feeding machine is to show people's ...
(A) ingenuity
(B) adaptability
(C) helplessness
(D) independence
The word "utter" in line 12 is closest in meaning to which of the following?
(A) Notable
(B) Complete
(C) Regrettable
(D) Necessary
The author would probably be LEAST likely to use which of the following words to describe the film Modern Times?
(A) Revolutionary
(B) Entertaining
(C) Memorable
(D) Satirical
