Section Three: Reading Comprehension

1.Which of the following aspects of glass fiber does the passage mainly discuss?
(A) The major developments in its production
(B) Its relationship with pottery making
(C) Important inventors in its long history
(D) The variety of its uses in modern industry

2.The word "coarse" in line 1 is closest in meaning to
(A) decorative
(B) natural
(C) crude
(D) weak

3.Why was there nothing written about the making of Renaissance glass fibers until the seventeenth century?
(A) Glassmakers were unhappy with the quality of the fibers they could make.
(B) Glassmakers did not want to reveal the methods they used.
(C) Few people were interested in the Renaissance style of glass fibers.
(D) Production methods had been well known for a long time.

4.According to the passage, using a hot glass tube rather than a wheel to pull fibers from molten glass made the fibers
(A) quicker to cool
(B) harder to bend
(C) shorter and more easily broken
(D) longer and more durable

5. The phrase "this material" in line 16 refers to
(A) glass fibers
(B) decorations
(C) ornaments
(D) novelties for collectors

6.The word "brittle" in line 17 is closest in meaning to
(A) easily broken
(B) roughly made
(C) hairy
(D) shiny

7.The production of glass fibers was improved in the nineteenth century by which of the following
(A) Adding silver to the molten glass
(B) Increasing the circumference of the glass tubes
(C) Putting silk thread in the center of the fibers
(D) Using yam reels

8.The word "appreciated" in line 23 is closest in meaning to
(A) experienced
(B) recognized
(C) explored
(D) increased

9.Which of the following terms is defined in the passage?
(A) invention (line 7)
(B) circumference (line 17)
(C) manufacturing process (line 24)
(D) bushing (line25)

10.What does the passage mainly discuss?
(A) The nest-building techniques of plovers
(B) How predators search for plovers
(C) The strategies used by plovers to deceive predators
(D) Why plovers are vulnerable to predators

11.The word "merely" in fine 3 is closest in meaning to
(A) often
(B) only
(C) usually
(D) at first

12.Which of the following is mentioned in the passage about plovers?
(A) Their eggs and chicks are difficult to find.
(B) They are generally defenseless when away From their nests.
(C) They are slow to react in dangerous situations.
(D) Their nests are on the surface of the ground.

13.The word "emitting" in line 9 is closest in meaning to
(A) bringing
(B) attracting
(C) producing
(D) minimizing

14.In the deception technique described in paragraph 2,the plover tries to
(A) stay close to her nest
(B) attract the predator's attention
(C) warn other plovers of danger
(D) frighten the approaching predator

15.The word "spanning" in line 18 is closest in meaning to
(A) covering
(B) selecting
(C) developing
(D) explaining

16.According to paragraph 4, which of the following aspects of the plover's behavior gives the appearance that it is frightened?
(A) Abnormal body position
(B) Irregular escape route
(C) Unnatural wing movement
(D) Unusual amount of time away from the nest

17.The word "pursue" in line 24 is closest in meaning to
(A) catch
(B) notice
(C) defend
(D) chase

18.According to the passage, a female plover utilizes all of the following deception techniques EXCEPT
(A) appearing to be injured
(B) sounding like another animal
(C) pretending to search for prey
(D) pretending to sit on her eggs

19.Which of the following best describes the organization of the passage?
(A) A description of the sequence of steps involved in plovers nest building
(B) A generalization about plover behavior followed by specific examples
(C) A comparison and contrast of the nesting behavior of plovers and other ground nesting birds
(D) A cause-and-efleet analysis of the relationship between a prey and a predator

20. What is the author's main purpose in the passage?
(A) To show how technology influenced basic science
(B) To describe the scientific base of nineteenth-century American industries
(C) To correct misunderstandings about the connections between science, technology, and industry
(D) To argue that basic science has no practical application

21. The word "altogether" in line 2 is closest in meaning to
(A) completely
(B) realistically
(C) individually
(D) understandably

22. The word "intensive" in line 5 is closest in meaning to
(A) decreased
(B) concentrated
(C) creative
(D) advanced

23. The "list" mentioned in line 13 refers to
(A) types of scientific knowledge
(B) changes brought by technology
(C) industries that used scientific techniques
(D) applications of engineering science

24. The understanding of research and development in the late nineteenth century is based on which of the following?
(A) Engineering science is not very important.
(B) Fundamental science naturally leads to economic benefits.
(C) The relationship between research and development should be criticized.
(D) Industrial needs should determine what areas fundamental science focuses on.

25. The word "it" in line 16 refers to
(A) understanding
(B) public awareness
(C) scientific knowledge
(D) expansion

26. The word "assumption" in line 19 is
closest in meaning to
(A) regulation
(B) belief
(C) contract
(D) confusion

27. Why does the author mention "consultants" in line 24 ?
(A) To show how new areas of science have given rise to new professions
(B) To distinguish between scientists who work in industry and those who do not
(C) To explain the ways in which scientists find financial support for their work
(D) To show how scientists who work in basic research contribute to applied science

28. Which of the following statements does the passage support?
(A) The development of science and of industry is now interdependent.
(B) Basic scientific research cannot generate practical applications.
(C) Industries should spend less money on research and development.
(D) Science and technology are becoming more separate.

29. Which aspect of late-nineteenth-century United States literature does the passage mainly discuss?
(A) The influence of science on literature
(B) The importance of dialects for realist writers
(C) The emergence of realism and naturalism
(D) The effects of industrialization on romanticism

30. The word "prevailed" in line 3 is closest in meaning to
(A) dominated
(B) transformed
(C) entered
(D) generalized

31. The word "they" in line 8 refers to
(A) authors
(B) dialects
(C) stories
(D) relationships

32. According to the passage, a highly significant factor in the development of realist and naturalist literature was
(A) the Civil War
(B) a recognition that romanticism was unpopular
(C) an increased interest in the study of common speech
(D) an economic depression

33. Realist writers took an interest in all of the following EXCEPT
(A) human relationships
(B) characteristics of different regions
(C) the idealization of life
(D) social and historical theories

34. The word "depicted" in line 11 is closest
in meaning to
(A) emphasized
(B) described
(C) criticized
(D) classified

35. Why does the author mention mining camps in line 14 ?
(A) To contrast the themes of realist and naturalist writers
(B) To illustrate how Bret Harte differed from other authors
(C) As an example of a topic taken up by realist writers
(D) As an example of how setting can influence literary style

36. Which of the following wrote about life in rural New England?
(A) Ellen Glasgow
(B) Sarah Orne Jewett
(C) Hamlin Garland
(D) Mark Twain

37. Mark Twain is considered an important literary figure because he
(A) was the first realist writer in the United States
(B) rejected romanticism as a literary approach
(C) wrote humorous stories and novels
(D) influenced American prose style through his use of common speech

38. The word "foremost" in line 24 is closest in meaning to
(A) most difficult
(B) interesting
(C) most focused
(D) leading

39. Which of the following statements about Theodore Dreiser is supported by the passage?
(A) He mainly wrote about historical subjects such as the Civil War.
(B) His novels often contained elements of humor.
(C) He viewed himself more as a social commentator than as a literary artist.
(D) He believed writers should emphasize the positive aspects of life.

40. What is the passage mainly about?
(A) The growth of cities in the United States in the early 1900's
(B) The development of the Southern California oil fields
(C) Factors contributing to the growth of Los Angeles
(D) Industry and city planning in Los Angeles

41. The author characterizes the growth of new large cities in the United States after 1900 as resulting primarily from
(A) new economic conditions
(B) images of cities shown in movies
(C) new agricultural techniques
(D) a large migrant population

42. The word "meteoric" in line 6 is closest in meaning to
(A) rapid
(B) famous
(C) controversial
(D) methodical

43. The word "it" in line 8 refers to
(A) aqueduct
(B) vision
(C) water
(D) agricultural potential

44. According to the passage, the most important factor in the development of agriculture around Los Angeles was the
(A) influx of "new residents to agricultural areas near the city
(B) construction of an aqueduct
(C) expansion of transportation facilities
(D) development of new connections to the city's natural harbor

45. According to the passage, the initial success of Hollywood' s motion picture industry was due largely to the
(A) availability of many skilled workers
(B) beauty of the countryside
(C) region's reputation for luxurious
lifestyles
(D) region's climate and good weather

46. It can be inferred from the passage that in 1930 the greatest number of people in the Los Angeles area were employed in
(A) farming
(B) oil refining
(C) automobile manufacturing
(D) the motion picture industry

47. According to the passage, the Southern California oil fields were initially exploited due to
(A) the fuel requirements of Los Angeles' rail system
(B) an increase in the use of gasoline engines in North America
(C) a desire to put unproductive desert land to good use
(D) innovative planning on the part of the city founders

48. The phrase "apace with" in line 21 is closest in meaning to
(A) anew with
(B) apart from
(C) as fast as
(D) at the middle of

49. It can be inferred from the passage that the spatial organization of Los Angeles contributed to the relative decline there of
(A) public transportation
(B) industrial areas
(C) suburban neighborhoods
(D) oil fields

50. The visitors from the east coast mentioned in the passage thought that Los Angeles
(A) was not accurately portrayed by Hollywood images
(B) lacked good suburban areas in which to live
(C) had an excessively large population
(D) was not really a single city

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