700 to 800 Club- Reading Comprehension Questions

RC Practice Exercise (700-800 Level)

1

Passage 1

2. Film scholars agree that Hollywood portrayals of America at war follow a cyclical pattern. pat tern. During and immediately after a conflict, important films trumpet glory and sacrifice. Ten to fifteen years later, questioning and sometimes pacifistic movies about the conflict dominate. In the late 1960’s, “the raging bulls” of Hollywood—the young trendsetters rising to prominence—proclaimed this pattern obsolete. obsolete . However, However, the passage of time has demonstrated this cultural pattern to be more resilient than it seemed in those days of social change.

    

3.     

Throughout the majority of the last century, century, evidence of  the cyclical portrayal portray al of war in film abounds. After America declared war against Germany during World War I, the still infant film industry glorified the fight against “the Hun.”  By the early 1930’s, major releases had changed their tone; for example,  All Quiet on the Western Front  put forth an anti-war message by displaying the horrors of  combat. After World War II began, the industry shifted gears. Suddenly, important pictures again portrayed glories and courage without the questioning or despair. despair. For example, Guadalcanal Diary , produced pro duced during the war, war, showed “the ultimate sacrifice” as a noble and undoubted good. Once again, though, by 1957, films such as The  Bridge on the River Kwai  won awards for depicting the moral confusion conf usion of war wa r.

4.    

Those who later declared this pattern dead based their conviction on their hearts rather than their minds. minds . During the Vietnam War, War, the only major film about ab out that conflict was The Green Berets , starring John Wayne and far closer in tone to Guadalcanal Diary than to The Bridge on the  River Kwai. Similarly, Similarly, years went by before more complex visions of war, war, such as Apocalypse Now , and then Platoon , emerged.



5. 

While today’s film industry is more diverse and its audience more culturally fragmented, this cycle largely continues. Jarhead, a layered depiction dep iction of the first firs t gulf war, war, premiered more than ten years after that conflict. Further evidence  Apocalypse  of this pattern can be seen in the release of  Apocalypse  Now Redux , which contained additional footage that the producers originally originall y thought would would repel audiences. Thus, the famous aphorism “The more things change, the more they stay the same” certainly applies ap plies to this aspect of the film industry. industry.

 

1.

 

    





6.

Acco Accord rdin ing g to to the the pas passa sage ge,, Apocalypse Now Redux  differed from Apocalypse Now in which of the following ways? The The a add dded ed foo foota tage ge ma made de it les lesss appe appeal alin ing g to to a mor more e culturally culturally diverse audience. The The add added ed foot footag age e mad made e its its por portr tray ayal al of of war war less less glorified and more ambiguous. The The add added ed foot footag age e mad made e its its por portr tray ayal al of of war war less less harsh and more glorified. The The added added foota footage ge ma made de it more more simi similar lar in tone tone to other war movies. The The re remo move ved d foo foota tage ge mad made e its its port portra raya yall of of war war less less glorified and less appealing.

  

2

The passage passage implies implies that that the the comb combat at depi depicte cted d in All  Quiet on the Western Front  least resembles the depiction of combat in which of the following? Jarhead   Apocalypse Now   The The Brid Bridge ge on the Rive Riverr Kwai  Kwai  Platoon   Guadalcanal Di Diary  In the the second second para paragr graph aph,, the auth author or impli implies es that that “the “the Hun” refers to which of the following? The Huns The Hungarians The The Austr stro-H o-Hungaria arian ns The Germans The Russians

What What is the main main point point made made by the the autho author? r? Holly Hollywo wood od has has nev never er fully fully suppo supporte rted d Amer Americ ica’s a’s armed armed conflicts. In the the last last centu century ry,, the the film film indu indust stry ry has has becom become e more more culturally diverse. An establ establish ished ed cultu cultural ral patte pattern rn is more more durabl durable e than than was thought during during a time ti me of social upheaval. The film indus industry try has only only suppo supporte rted d Americ American an militar military y efforts during the actual conflict. Cycli Cyclica call patte pattern rnss dete determi rmine ne the the type type of of big big bud budge gett films produced by Hollywood more than individuals do. do. What is the the funct function ion of the the last last paragr paragraph aph of of the the passage? It show showss that, that, despi despite te cha change ngess in the the indu indust stry ry and and audience, the pattern discussed still exists. It poin points ts out out that that the the fil film m indu indust stry ry nev never er chan changes ges.. It sho shows ws tha thatt chang changes es in in the the film film indu indust stry ry and and its its audience have made the pattern previously dis discussed cussed obsolete. It disc discus usses ses how how Jarh Jarhea ead d and and Apoc Apocaly alypse pse Now Now Redu Redux x are fundamentally different from all the war movies that preceded them. It demon demonst strat rates es that that war war movies movies have have cha chang nged ed to reflect the more culturally diverse audience. Which Which one one of of the the follow following ing does does the the aut author hor belie believe ve is true about The Bridge on the River Kwai? It dese deserv rved ed the the awa award rdss tha thatt it it won won.. It is is a mor more e intel intelli ligen gentt and and well well-cr -craf afted ted movie movie than than The Green Berets. It was was the the first first movie movie to port portray ray the the moral moral confu confusion sion of war w ar.. Its Its port portra rayal yal of war war is is more more ambiv ambivale alent nt tha than n tha thatt in Guadalcanal Diary. It was was more more financ financial ially ly succes successfu sfull than than any any war war movi movie e that came before it.

Passage 2

2.

Measuring more than five feet tall and ten feet long, the Javan rhinoceros is often called the rarest large mammal on earth. None exist in zoos. zo os. Like the Indian India n rhino, the Javan has only one horn; African and Sumatran rhinos have two. While the Javan Ja van rhino habitat once extended across southern Asia, now there are fewer than one hundred of the animals in Indonesia and under a dozen in  Vietnam. Very little is known about Javan rhinos because they lead secretive and solitary lives in remote jungles. Until recently, scientists debated whether females even have horns, and most scientific work has had to rely on DNA garnered from dung.

     3.     

The near extinction of the Javan rhino is the direct result of human actions. For centuries, farmers, who favored the same habitat, viewed them as crop eating pests and shot them on sight. During the colonial pe riod, hunters slaughtered thousands. Now, human efforts to save them may well prove futile. The Vietnamese herd is probably doomed, as too few remain to maintain the necessary genetic variation. Rhinos from Java cannot supplement the Vietnamese numbers because in the millions of years since Indonesia separated from the mainland, the two groups have evolved into separate sub-species. In Indonesia, the rhinos are protected on the Ujung Kulon peninsula, which is unsettled by humans, and still have sufficient genetic diversity to have a chance at survival. Ironically, however, however, the lack of human disturbance allows mature forests to replace the shrubby vegetation the animals animal s prefer. prefer. Thus, human benevolence may prove little better for these rhinos than past human maltreatment. 1.     

4.     

5.



Which Which of the the follow following ing can be inferr inferred ed from from the the passage? Javan Javan rhino rhinoss are are one one of the the most most endang endanger ered ed animal animalss on the planet. More More is is known known about about the the genet genetics ics of of the the Java Javan n rhin rhino o than is known about its mating patterns. patterns. Hunt Hunter erss killed killed more more Jav Javan an rhi rhino noss in Viet Vietna nam m than than in in Indonesia. Most Most anim animal al ext extinc incti tion onss are are the the resu result lt of huma human n actions. Geneti Geneticc dive diversi rsity ty is the the most most impo importa rtant nt facto factorr for for the the survival of a species.

   

6.

    

3

The autho author’s r’s attit attitude ude toward toward curren currentt human human effort effortss to save the Javan rhino can best be described as opt optimis imisttic an and wor wortthwhile ile pointles less an and doomed ide idealis alisttic but pr profit ofita able pro problem blema atic and and iro ironic confused but heroic The aut author hor menti mentions ons that that the Javan Javan rhin rhino o has only only one horn in order to do which of the following? expla explain in why why it it is close closerr to to extin extincti ction on than than the the Afr Africa ican n rhino cont contra rast st it it to the the numbe numberr of of hor horns ns that that the the India Indian n rhino has demon demonstr strat ate e its its evolu evolutio tion n into into a sepa separat rate e sub-s sub-spec pecies ies desc descri ribe be the the fea featu ture ress of of the the anim animal al contr contrast ast it to the the numb number er of of horn hornss that that femal females es have have The The purpo purpose se of the the first first para paragr graph aph is to disc discuss uss the the diffe differe rent nt typ types es of rhino rhinoce ceros roses es that that populate the world descr describ ibe e the the way wayss in whic which h hum human an act action ionss hav have e brought the Javan rhino close to extinction outli outline ne the the few few known known fact factss about about the the Javan Javan rhino rhino disc discus usss the the ste steps ps tak taken en to sav save e the the Javan Javan rhin rhino o highli highligh ghtt the the differ differen ences ces betwe between en the the sub-s sub-spe pecie ciess of  Javan rhinos in Vietnam and Indonesia Accord According ing to the the passage, passage, whic which h of the the followi following ng best best explains why the number of Javan rhinos in Vietnam cannot be increased by additions from those in the Ujung Kulon peninsula? The The Indon Indonesi esian an Java Javan n rhi rhino noss const constit itut ute e a sepa separat rate e sub-species. The The Javan Javan rhin rhinos os can canno nott swim swim to to Vie Vietn tnam am and and have have no land route available. Neithe Neitherr Vietn Vietnam am nor Indone Indonesia sia has the the fun funds ds for for such such a project. Javan Javan rhinos rhinos in the the Ujung Ujung Kulon Kulon penins peninsula ula are almost almost impossible impossibl e to capture. capture. Terror errorist ist act activi ivity ty in in Indon Indonesi esia a has has made made such such a pro projec jectt too dangerous to attempt. The auth author or state statess that that which which of of the the followi following ng was was most responsible for the near extinction of the Javan rhino? farm farmer erss sho shoot otin ing g them them on sigh sightt the the separ separat ation ion of Indo Indone nesia sia fro from m the the main mainla land nd hunt hunter erss slau slaugh ghtterin ering g thou thousan sands ds curr curren entt hum human an effo effort rtss to to save save them them the the cum cumula ulativ tive e effe effect ct of many many past huma human n activ activiti ities es

Passage 3

1.

For years, U.S. employers employ ers have counted on a steady flow of labor from Mexico willing to accept low-skilled, low paying jobs. These workers, many of whom leave economically depresse d villages in the Mexican interior, interior, are often more than willing to work for wages well below both the U.S. minimum wage and the poverty line. However, However, thanks to a dramatic demographic shift sh ift currently taking place in Mexico, the seemingly seemingl y inexhaustible supply of workers migrating from Mexico to the United States might one day greatly diminish if not cease.

 

  

Predictions of such a drastic decrease in the number of  Mexican immigrants, immigrants, both legal and illegal, are driven by Mexico’s rapidly dimin diminishing ishing population growth. As a result of a decades-long family planning campaign, most Mexicans are having far fewer children than was the norm a generation ago. The campaign, organized org anized around the slogan that “the “t he small family lives l ives better bet ter,,” saw the Mexican government establish family-planning family -planning clinics and offer free contraception. For nearly three decades, the government’s governme nt’s message concerning population hasn’t wavered. In fact, the Mexican Senate recently voted to extend public school sex education programs to kindergarten.

2.     

The result of Mexico’s efforts to stem population growth is nothing short of stunning. In 1968, the average Mexican woman had just fewer than seven children; today, the figure is slightly more than two. For two primary reasons, Mexico’s new demographics could greatly impact the number of Mexicans seeking work in the U.S. First, smaller smal ler families by their nature limit the pool of potential migrants. Second, the slowing of Mexico’s population growth has fostered hope that Mexico will develop a healthy middle class of people content to make their livelihoods in their home country count ry..

3.

Though the former of these factors is all a ll but assured, the growth of a healthy middle class is far f ar from a foregone conclusion. The critical challenge for Mexico is what it does with the next 20 years. Mexico must invest in education, job training, and infrastructure, as well as a social-security system to protect protect its aging population. population. If  Mexico is willing willi ng to step forward and meet this challenge,  America may one day wake up to find that, like cheap gasoline, cheap c heap Mexican labor has become a thing of the past.





 



4.   

 

4

The passage passage does NOT NOT indic indicate ate whic which h of the the follow following ing concerning Mexico’s current demographics? Due Due to to the the gover governme nment nt’s ’s family family plann planning ing campaig campaign, n, Mexico’s population populatio n is currently diminishing. O n a ve ve ra ra ge g e , M ex ex ic ic a an n wo w o me me n a re re ha ha vi v i ng ng approximately approximatel y one-third the number of children that they had in 1968. Many Ma ny Mexi Mexica cans ns stil stilll migr migrate ate to the the Uni United ted Stat States es in in search of work. As a res resul ultt of decli declini ning ng birth birth rates rates,, Mexi Mexico co’s ’s population is aging. A hea healt lthy hy middl middle e class class in in M Mexi exico co has has n not ot yet fully fully developed. Which Which of of the follo followin wing g can can be infe inferred rred about about U.S. U.S. employers of Mexican immigrants? Most Most of of the these se emp employ loyer erss pay pay Mexic Mexican an immigr immigrant antss less less money than they pay American citizens. Some Some of of the these se em empl ploy oyer erss viol violat ate e wage wage law laws. s. Many Ma ny of of these these em emplo ployer yerss work work in the the agric agricul ultu tura rall industry. With Withou outt Mex Mexic ican an immi immigra grant nts, s, som some e of of the these se employers would be forced to close their businesses. The The major majorit ity y of of thes these e emplo employe yers rs show show no conc concer ern n for the welfare of their workers. With which which of the the follo followin wing g statem statement entss would would the the author of the passage MOST likely agree? The The Unite United d Sta State tess will will soon soon have have to repla replace ce lost lost Mexican labor with labor provided by other immigrant groups. It is diff difficu icult lt for for a coun country try with with a larg large e popu popula lati tion on to to develop a healthy middle class. Many Ma ny Me Mexic xican an immi immigra grant ntss who who wor work k in the the Unit United ed States believe that they are taken advantage of by  American employers. Most Most rapi rapidl dly y growi growing ng count countrie riess shoul should d insti institu tute te a family planning campaign to limit population growth. Mexico Mexico does does not not curre current ntly ly have have the the inf infra rastr struc uctur ture e to develop a healthy middle class. One fun functi ction on of of the the final final paragr paragraph aph of the passage passage is to relat relate e why why the the num number ber of Mexi Mexica can n immi immigr gran ants ts seek seekin ing g work in the United States is certain to decline. detail detail the the succe successe ssess of of Mexic Mexico’s o’s family family plann planning ing campaign. expl explai ain n why why the the numb number er of of Mex Mexic ican an imm immig igra rant ntss seeking work in the United States may not dramatically dramatically decrease. speci specify fy the the typ types es of infr infrast astru ruct ctur ure e in whi which ch Mexi Mexico co must invest. notif notify y Amer Americ ican an em empl ploye oyers rs that that they they will will soon soon nee need d to find alternative alternati ve sources of labor. labor.

Passage 4

1.

The golden toad of Costa Rica, whose beauty beau ty and rarity inspired an unusual degree of human interest from a public generally unconcerned unconcerned about amphibians, may have been driven to extinction by human activity nevertheless. In the United States, a public relations rela tions campaign featuring the toad raised money to purchase and protect the toad’s habitat in Costa Rica, establishing the Monteverde Cloud Forest Preserve in 1972. Although this action seemed to secure the toad’s future, it is now apparent that setting aside habitat was not enough to save this beautiful creature. The toad’s demise in the late 1980s was a harbinger of further species extinction in Costa Rica. Since that time, another twenty of the fifty species spec ies of frogs and toads known to once inhabit a 30 square kilome ter area near Monteverde have disappeared.

    

2.   

The unexplained, relatively sudden disappearance of  amphibians in i n Costa Rica is not a unique story. Populations of frogs, toads, and salamanders have declined or disappeared the world over o ver.. Scientists hypothesiz hypothesize e that the more subtle effects of human activities on the world’s ecosystems, such as the build-up of pollutants, the decrease in atmospheric ozone, and changing weather patterns due to global warming, are beginning to take their toll. Perhaps amphibians - whose permeable skin makes them sensitive to environmental e nvironmental changes - are the  “canary in the coal mine,” giving us early notification of  the deterioration of our environment. If amphib ians are the biological harbingers of environmental problems, humans would be wise to heed their warning.

 

3.     

4.     

5.     

5

Accord According ing to the the passag passage, e, all all of the foll followin owing g are are true EXCEPT EXCEP T: Human Humanss are are at least least part partial ially ly res respon ponsib sible le for chan changin ging g weather patterns. Toads oads,, like like frog frogs, s, have have perm permea eabl ble e ski skin. n. Huma Human n activ activit ity y is is not not nece necessar ssarily ily res respon ponsib sible le for the the global decline of amphibious populations. populations. Cost Costa a Rica’s Rica’s Mon Monte teve verd rde e Clo Cloud ud For Forest est Pre Preser serve ve was was not paid for solely by the Costa Rican government. More More frog frog and toad toad spec species ies than than salam salamand ander er spec specie iess have disappeared in Costa Rica since the late 1980s. It can can be infe inferre rred d from from the passage passage that that only only thi thirt rty y speci species es of of frog frogss and and toad toadss remai remain n in Cost Costa a Rica huma humans ns do not not have have perm permea eabl ble e ski skin n the the build build-u -up p of pol pollu luta tant ntss in the the atmo atmosp sphe here re caus causes es a decrease in atmospheric ozone human humanss do not not usu usuall ally y take take signa signals ls of of envi enviro ronm nment ental al deterioration seriously Costa Costa Rica Rica suff suffers ers from from more more ser seriou iouss envir environm onment ental al problems than many other countries The author author uses the adjective adjective “subtle” “subtle” in the secon second d paragraph most probably to emphasize that t he he se se e ff ff ec ec ts ts a re re no no t ea ea si s i ly ly r ec ec og og ni ni z ed ed b y sophisticated testing equipment these these eff effec ects ts are are dif diffi ficul cultt to noti notice ce bec becau ause se they they tak take e place over time on a global scale these these e eff ffect ectss are are so minim minimal al that that the they y affe affect ct only only smal smalll animal species such as amphibians thes these e sligh slightt effe effect ctss of huma human n activ activity ity are are rare rarely ly discussed by scientists these these eff effec ects ts are are infre infrequ quen entl tly y obser observed ved bec becau ause se they they affect only specific world regions The The pass passag age e imp impli lies es tha thatt many ma ny amp amphi hibia bians ns are are not not con consi side dere red d beau beauti tifu ful. l. the the Mont Montev everd erde e Clou Cloud d Fore Forest st Pres Preser erve ve was was not large large enough to protect the golden toad. only only Cos Costa ta Rica Rican n amphi amphibia bians ns living living near near Mon Montev tever erde de have disappeared since the 1980s. amph am phib ibia ians ns some someti time mess live live in coal coal mine mines. s. no huma humans ns yet yet cons consid ider er the the decli decline ne of amph amphib ibiou iouss populations an indication of a threat to human populations. The The prima primary ry pur purpo pose se of the the passag passage e is to discu discuss ss the the myster mysteriou iouss disappe disappeara aranc nce e of Costa Costa Rica’s Rica’s golden toad. explai explain n why human human activ activity ity is undo undoubt ubtedl edly y to to blam blame e for the global decline of amphibious populations. populations. convi convinc nce e huma humans ns that that the they y must must mini minimi mize ze the the glob global al output of pollutants. descr describ ibe e the the rec recent ent globa globall declin decline e of amphi amphibio bious us populations and hypothesize hypothesiz e about its causes. urge urge huma humans ns to to pay pay caref careful ul att attent entio ion n to impor importan tantt environmental changes.

Passage 5

2.

For millennia, the Nile River flooded nearly every year as a natural consequence of heavy summer rains on the Ethiopian Plateau; in the last century, century, as the population in the region exploded, the cycle of flooding interspersed with periodic drought caused widespread suffering for the local population. In the mid-1950s, the Egyptian government concluded that a significant dam was necessary to enable the country’s economic development to be on a par with that of Western nations. The Aswan Dam would prevent the annual flooding, generate hydroelectric hydroelectric power and supply a steady source of water for residents and agricultural activities, though it would also have other, other, less positive positi ve effects.

     3.  

 By the 1970s, most Egyptian villages vill ages had electric power, power, and the dam provided approximately half of Egypt’s entire output of electricity. electricity. The benefits were were counteracted, counteracted, however, however, by consequences c onsequences which were sometimes slow to appear but but ruinous in their long-term effects. Dams prevent silt from flowing through to downstream lands . The silt is essential for renewing the minerals and nutrients that make the land fertile; before the dam, the Nile floodplain was famously famously productive. Farmers have have had to substitute artificial fertilizers, reducing profits and causing pervasive chemical pollution with deleterious effects for the human, animal and plant populations living near or in the river. river. It is difficult to draw definite conclusions about a project with such substantial and varied results, but it i t would be untenable to assert that the Egyptian government should never have built the  Aswan Dam. 1.











 

4.

    

Based Based upon upon the the cont content ent of the the passag passage, e, the the autho authorr would most likely agr ee with which of the following propositions? If a plan plan achie achieve vess its its stat stated ed goal goals, s, it it shou should ld sti still ll be be carried out, even in the face of unintended negative results. Plan Planne ners rs of of hig highly hly compl complex ex pro projec jects ts should should expec expectt some unintended negative consequences, even if they cannot foresee what those consequences will be. Althou Although gh a major major under undertak taking ing may have have u unpr npredic edictab table le results, those results are not necessarily grounds for condemning the entire ent ire endeavor endeav or.. Any Any potent potential ial posit positiv ive e and and nega negati tive ve effec effects ts sho shoul uld d be weighed before starting a project of considerable magnitude or complexity. complexity. It is is nece necessa ssary ry to deter determi mine ne the the net net impa impact ct of all all outcomes, good and bad, before be fore deciding whether to denounce the overall project.

5.   

 

6.     

6

The auth author’ or’ss attit attitude ude towa toward rd the the Aswan Aswan Dam Proj Project ect is best reflected by which of the following phrases? inconsi onsist sten entt supp suppor ortt strict ne neutrality keen enthusiasm mild endorsement cautious op opposition ion The passage passage impl implies ies which which of the the followin following g about about the effects of the Aswan Dam? Crop Cropss can canno nott grow grow with withou outt sil silt. t. Altho Althoug ugh h farme farmers rs are are plea pleased sed with with the the absen absence ce of  of  seasonal flooding, they would prefer that the dam not have been built because of the problems it has caused. The The land land arou around nd the the rive riverr is not not as as fert fertile ile as it it was was before the dam was built. Egypt Egypt now compe compete tess succe successf ssfull ully y on an econ economi omicc level with Western nations. The The coun countr try y woul would d hav have e been been bette betterr off off if the the dam dam had not been built. What is the the signific significanc ance e of the the auth author’s or’s state statemen mentt that the dam generated half of Egypt’s output of  electricity by the 1970s? It pro proves ves that that Egypt Egypt no no long longer er need needed ed to to rely rely on othe otherr sources of electricity. elect ricity. It demonst demonstrat rates es the the magn magnit itude ude of the the positiv positive e effec effects ts created by the dam. It arg argues ues that that the the posit positiv ive e energ energy y out outpu putt is is more more important than any negative effects. It sho shows ws tha thatt the the dam dam fell fell short short of ini initia tiall expec expectat tatio ions. ns. It con contr trast astss the the posi positiv tive e and and nega negativ tive e effe effects cts of the the dam. What What is the primary primary purpose purpose of the passage? passage? to expl explai ain n tha thatt vari varied ed effe effect ctss can resul resultt even even from from sound business plans that accomplish their goals to demon demonst strat rate e tha thatt adv advan antag tages es are are usu usuall ally y outweighed by unforeseen disadvantages to asse assert rt that that the the Egypt Egyptia ian n gover governm nmen entt shou should ld not not have undertaken these plans for economic development to desc describ ribe e the the imple implemen mentat tatio ion n of of a proje project ct with with significant environmental effects to det detail ail the the nega negativ tive e effe effects cts suffer suffered ed bec becaus ause e of poor poor planning All of of the follow following ing are are mentio mentione ned d as benef benefits its of the the  Aswan Dam EXCEPT a const constan antt sour source ce of of fresh fresh water water for for cons consum umers ers and and industry elect electric rical al powe powerr for for a sizable sizable portio portion n of of the the popu populat lation ion the the faci facilita litatio tion n of econom economic ic developm development ent possibi possibilit lities ies similar to those in Western nations the the elim elimina inati tion on of annual annual flood flood cycles cycles in the region region the the prote protect ction ion of anim animal al and and plan plantt life life in in and and nea nearr the river

Passage 6

regions of the gene coding for areas of the enzyme known to be critical for its catalytic activity. activi ty. Such mutations would allow for only extremely crippled hexosaminidase activity. activity. Most of the patients with these mutations clustered in i n the  juvenile category. Adult Tay-Sachs patients presented mutations in the regions of the hexosaminidase gene that were less important for the enzyme’s activity than were those affected in juvenile patients. Scientists quickly hypothesized that the variation in age of onset and severity of Tay-Sachs disease correlated with the amount of  residual enzymatic activity allowed by the genetic mutation. Though more research is needed to demonstrate similarity similar ity with other lysosomal lysosom al storage diseases, diseas es, the work done on Tay-Sachs disease has already offered a promising glimpse into the underlying mechanisms of these disorders.

Lysosomal storage diseases form a category of genetic disorders resulting from defective enzymes that normally function to degrade unneeded molecules in cells. Th ese enzymes do their work in the lysosome, a small compartment in a cell analogous to a garbage disposal. The lysosome lysosom e contains between thirty and forty different degradative enzymes. When any one of the lysosomal enzymes is defective, the molecules requiring that specific enzyme for their degradation will a ccumulate and cause that individual’s lysosomes to swell enormously. The physiological effects of such swelling on the individual include motor and mental deterioration, often to the point of premature death. But each disease resulting from one specific defective lysosomal enzyme has its own characteristic pathology. The age of onset, rate of  progression, and severity of the clinical symptoms observed in patients with the same defective lysoso mal enzyme are highly variable. For many years, this variability in patients with the same defective enzyme puzzled scientists. Only O nly recently have researchers begun to answer the riddle, thanks to a genetic analysis of a lysosomal storage disorder known as Tay-Sachs Tay-Sachs disease.

1.





 As in most lysosomal storage diseases, diseases , patients suffering from Tay-Sachs disease show both mental and motor deterioration and variability in age of onset, progression, and severity. Physicians have categorized categoriz ed the patients into three groups: infantile, juvenile, juvenil e, and adult, based on onset of the disease. The infantile group begins to show neurodegeneration as early as six months of age. The disease advances rapidly and children rarely live beyond 3 years old. The first symptoms of the disease appear in  juvenile cases between 2 and 5 years of age, with death usually occurring around age 15. Those with the adult form generally live out a normal lifespan, suffering from milder symptoms than do those with the infantile and  juvenile forms. Researchers hoped that the categorization would yield insight into the cause of the variability of  symptoms among a mong Tay-Sachs Tay-Sachs patients, but this thi s turned out not to be the case. In Tay-Sachs disease, undegraded materials accumulate mainly in the lysosomes in the brains of patients, but the kinds of molecules left undegraded and the specific identity of the defective lysosomal enzyme responsible for the malfunction were not discovered until the 1950s and 60s, respectively. respective ly. The main storage molecule was found to be a lipid-like material known as GM2 ganglioside. The defective enzyme was later identified as hexosaminidase. In 1985, the gene coding for the normal hexosaminidase hexosaminidas e enzyme was cloned and its DNA sequence determined. Shortly thereafter, thereafter, the DNA sequences se quences of genes encoding hexosaminidase from many Tay-Sachs patients were studied. It soon s oon became apparent that not one or two but many different types of mutations in the hexosaminidase gene could result in Tay-Sachs disease. Some of the mutations prevented the synthesis of any hexosaminidase, preventing all such enzyme activity in the cell. Patients with this type of mutation all had the infantile form of  Tay-Sachs ay-Sachs disease. dis ease. Other mutations m utations were found in certain



 

2.

     3.     

7

The passage passage sugges suggests ts that that whic which h of the followin following g lines of inquiry would be most useful in determining the relevance of the research done on Tay-Sachs disease to lysosomal storage diseases generally? Do pat patien ients ts suf suffe ferin ring g from from othe otherr lysos lysosom omal al stora storage ge diseases have the same mortality rate as those suffering from fro m Tay-Sachs? Tay-Sachs? Do othe otherr lysos lysosoma omall sto stora rage ge disea diseases ses affec affectt the the hexosaminidase gene? How How many many diffe differe rent nt muta mutati tions ons are prese present nt in the the defective genes responsible for other lysosomal storage diseases? Does Does the the ons onset et of of othe otherr lyso lysosom somal al sto stora rage ge dise disease asess vary with the location of mutations in DNA sequences? What What purpo purpose se does does GM2 GM2 gangl ganglios iosid ide e serve serve in the the human body? It can can be infe inferr rred ed from from the the passage passage that that which which of of the the following statements is true of lysosomal storage diseases? They They are are gene genera rall lly y cau caused by mut mutat atio ions ns to the the hexosaminidase gene. They They are are und undete etecta ctabl ble e unti untill physi physica call sympt symptom omss are are present. They They can can be fat fatal al even even whe when n all allow owin ing g some some enzymatic activity. They They are are most most leth lethal al whe when n onset onset is in in a patie patient nt’s ’s infancy. Thei Theirr cau cause sess were were unkno unknown wn befor before e the the 1950s. 1950s. The author author of the the passage passage is primar primarily ily concer concerned ned with illumin illuminati ating ng the physiol physiologi ogical cal consequ consequenc ences es of Tay Tay-Sachs disease expla explaini ining ng the the impor importan tance ce of of rese researc arch h on a specif specific ic disease to other diseases of that type arguin arguing g for for a more more detaile detailed d exami examinat nation ion of lysoso lysosomal mal storage diseases chall challen engin ging g a trad tradit ition ional al view view of a class class of of disea diseases ses as incomplete descr describ ibin ing g the the impli implica cati tions ons of gene geneti ticc muta mutati tion onss for mortality rates

Passage 7

1.

In the past decade, rapid technological progress and a greater demand for high-quality high-quality digital imaging have led to dramatic advances in video display technology. The dominant technology currently used in most consumer product displays is the active matrix liquid cryst al diode display (LCD).

   

LCDs apply thin-film transistors (TFTs) (T FTs) of amorphous or polycrystalline silicon sandwiched between two glass plates. The TFTs supply voltage to liquid-crystal-filled cells, cells , or pixels, between the sheets of glass. glass . When hit with an electric charge, the liquid crystals untwist to an exact degree to filter white light generated by a lamp. This filtered light shines directly on the viewing screen s creen or, or, in the case of projection televisions, is projected through a small chip that acts as a lens. LCDs that are capable of  producing color images, such as in televisions and computers, reproduce colors through a process of  subtraction, blocking out particular color wavelengths from the spectrum of white light until only the desired color remains. It is the variation of the intensity of light permitted to pass through the matrix of liquid crystals that enables LCD displays to present images full of gradations of  different colors.



2.

     3.

The nature and functioning of LCD displays present many advantages relative to other display technologies. The amount of power required to untwist the crystals to dis play images, even dark ones, is much lower than that required for analogous processes using other technologies, such as plasma. The dense array of crystals displays images from computer or other video graphics sources extremely well, with wi th full color detail, detail , no flicker, flicker, and no screen burnin. Moreover Moreov er,, the number of pixels pi xels per square sq uare inch on an LCD display is typically higher than that for for other display technologies, so LCD monitors are particularly good at displaying large amounts of data with exceptional clarity and precision. As a result, LCD TVs are considered the best display platform for video games, high definition television, movie special effects, and other graphicsintensive uses.

It can can be be infer inferred red from from the passage passage that that an LCD LCD monitor would utilize the most electrical power when displaying a movie movie scen scene e of of a NAS NASCA CAR R rac race e wit with h many many com compu pute terrgenerated special effects the the intro introdu ducti ction on seque sequenc nce e for for a Wor World ld War War II II vide video o game a brig bright ht dayt daytim ime e tele televi visio sion n broa broadc dcast ast of a para parade de a phot photor oreali ealisti sticc scree screen n saver saver of a bouq bouque uett of flowe flowers rs a filme filmed d scene scene set insid inside e a cav cave e wit with h minim minimal al ligh lighti ting ng

 

The passa passage ge indica indicates tes that that each each of the the follo followin wing g may be considered an advantage of LCD displays relative to other display technologies technologi es EXCEPT they co consume less power they they gene genera rally lly have have more more pixels pixels per per squa square re inch inch of  of  the display they they are are able able to to disp display lay conti continu nuou ouss vide video o grap graphic hicss images with no interruption interruption they they refl reflec ectt a wide widely ly adop adopte ted d sta stand ndar ard d they they repr represe esent nt the the lat lates est, t, mos mostt advan advanced ced tech techno nolo logy gy

4.     

The ton tone e of the the passage passage cou could ld best best be be describ described ed as supportive ad advocacy histo storical ical disc discu ussi ssion objec bjecti tive ve expl explan anat atio ion n intel ntelle lect ctu ual expl explor orat atio ion n qualified su support

  

8

The process process through through which which an LCD monitor monitor displays displays different colors is most closely analogous to An hour hourgla glass ss part partial ially ly blo blocke cked d such such that that a limit limited ed stream of grains of sand fall into the lower portion A seri series es of of filt filters ers that that separ separate ate all all of the the com compo pone nent ntss of a mixture according to size A reco record rdin ing g stud studio io sou sound ndpr proo oofe fed d so that that any any performances within are muted to those outside A piec piece e of of cons constr truc ucti tion on paper paper with with outl outlin ines es of  characters cut out such that a lamp in front of the paper casts shadows iin n the shapes of the characters An air vent vent that that emits emits war warmer mer air outsi outside de of a build building ing while an air conditioning system cools the interior of  the building

Passage 8

2.

 A recent ball-catching experiment conducted in space by astronauts on board a space shuttle has led neuroscientists to conclude that the brain contains an internal model of  gravity that is both powerful and persistent. At the same time, the experiment provided evidence that the brain can adapt to environments in which the force of downward acceleration is less pronounced than it is on earth.

 



The experiment’s outcomes suggested that an individual’s understanding of motion is hard-wired from an earthcentric perspective. In the experiment, the astronauts were asked to catch balls released releas ed from a spring-loaded cannon.  Analyzing data gathered from infrared tracking cameras and electrodes placed on the astronauts’ arms, McIntyre, the experiment’s principal designer, noticed that the astronauts’ anticipation of the ball’s motion was slightly off. Though they were able to catch the ball, the astronauts expected the ball to move faster than it did. He theorized that this over-anticipation is due to the fact that the brain expects the force of the earth’s gravity to act on the ball.

 

3.   

The experiment also demonstrates the brain’s ability to adjust to conditions that run counter to its pre-set wiring. w iring. While the astronauts did not adapt to the conditions in space for some time, by day 15 of the experiment, the amplitude of the premature arm movements decreased and a new well-timed arm movement immediately preceded the catch. Upon returning to earth, the astronauts again mis-anticipated mis-antici pated the ball’s ball’ s motion, though this time the ball moved faster than anticipated. However, However, the astronauts were able to adjust back to the earth’s gravitational effect on the balls much more quickly than they had been able to adapt to the conditions in space.

 

4.     

Many scientists view the findings as a first step in research that could have serious practical benefits. The ability of  astronauts to safely explore space and investigate other planets is dependent on understanding the differences between our physical reactions on earth and elsewhere. On another level, understanding timing processes in the body might lead to the development of treatments for coordination problems experienced by individuals with certain types of brain damage. 1.

    

5.     

It can can be infer inferred red from from the passag passage e that durin during g the first two weeks of the experiment the astronauts, in attempting to catch the ball, tended to move move the their ir arms arms high higher er than than neces ecessa sary ry adjus adjustt the their ir arms arms at the the last last possi possibl ble e seco second nd use use fe fewe werr arm arm mov movem emen ents ts tha than n the they y wou would ld hav have e on earth keep keep the their ir arm armss stati station onar ary y for for the the two two sec secon onds ds preceding the catch adju adjust st their their arms arms soon sooner er than than nece necessa ssary ry

6.     

9

Which Which of the the followi following ng,, if true, true, would would suppo support rt McIntyre’s theory that the brain has built-in knowledge of gravity? An ind indiv ivid idua ual’s l’s han handd-ey eye e coord coordin inati ation on ten tends ds to diminish with age. Infa Infant ntss beco become me fear fearfu full when when plac placed ed on on a gla glass ss tabletop where they can see the floor, floor, even though they have never had the experience of falling. Astr Astron onaut autss initi initiall ally y feel feel disor disorien iente ted d durin during g the the first first several days after departing earth for space. Most Most chil childre dren n can can lear learn n to to catc catch h a ball ball at a very very young young age. It is is coun counter ter-in -intu tuiti itive ve to most most individ individual ualss that that if no air resistance were present, a bowling ball and a feather dropped at the same time from the same height will reach the ground at the same time. The passag passage e implie impliess which which of of the the follo followin wing g about about gravity? Grav Gravit ity y do does not not exis existt in spac space. e. Huma Humans ns do do not not exp exper erie ienc nce e any any grav gravit ity y in in spac space. e. Human Humanss expe experie rienc nce e less less down downwa ward rd accel acceler erati ation on in space than they do on earth. The The forc force e of gra gravi vity ty is is essent essentia ially lly the the sam same e on ear earth th as it is in space. Human Humanss feel feel wei weigh ghtle tless ss in in spac space e due due to the the lack lack of  gravity in space. The functi function on of the the final final paragr paragraph aph is to provi provide de an an alte altern rnat ate e poin pointt of view view to con contr trast ast with with the analysis earlier in the passage summ summar arize ize the the main main poi point ntss of the the previ previou ouss paragr paragrap aphs hs clar clarif ify y an amb ambig igui uity ty rai raised sed in the the sec secon ond d parag paragra raph ph move move bey beyon ond d the the deta detaile iled d descr descrip ipti tion on of of earli earlier er paragraphs to present broader implications pose pose a an n e exp xplic licit it chal challen lenge ge to to spec specif ific ic rese resear arch cher erss mentioned earlier in the passage The primary primary purpose purpose of the the passage passage is to: to: descr describ ibe e a rece recent nt spa space ce expe experi rimen mentt and and pres presen entt its its conclusions detai detaill the the prac practic tical al appl applica icati tion onss of rece recent nt res resear earch ch findings corr correc ectt a misun misunde derst rstan andin ding g abou aboutt how how the the brai brain n functions pres presen entt a summ summar ary y of how how gra gravi vity ty wor works ks outli outline ne the the ben benefi efits ts of cond conduc uctin ting g exper experime iment ntss in space Accord According ing to the passa passage, ge, resear research ch sugge suggests sts that that the the brain’s built-in understanding of gravity is space-centric adaptable fleeting weak   evolving

Passage 9

2.

Symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease, such s uch as tremors, are thought to be caused by low dopamine levels in the brain. Current treatments of Parkinson’s disease are primarily reactionary, aiming to replenish dopamine levels after dopamine-producing neurons in the brain have died. Without a more detailed understanding of the behavior of  dopamine-producing neurons, it has been impossible to develop treatments that would prevent the destruction of  these neurons in Parkinson’s patients.

   

 Recent research provides insight into the inner workings of dopamine-producing neurons, neurons, and a nd may lead to a new drug treatment that would proactively proactivel y protect the neurons from decay. By examining the alpha-synuclein al pha-synuclein protein in yeast cells, scientists have hav e determined that toxic levels of  the protein have a detrimental effect on protein transfer within the cell. More specifically, high levels of alphasynuclein disrupt the flow of proteins from the endoplasmic e ndoplasmic reticulum, the site of protein production in the cell, to the Golgi apparatus, the component of the cell that modifies and sorts the proteins before sending them to their final destinations within withi n the cell. When the smooth transfer of  proteins from the endoplasmic reticulum to the Golgi apparatus is interrupted, the cell dies.

3.     

With this in mind, researchers conducted a genetic screen in yeast cells in order to identify any gene that works to reverse the toxic levels of alpha-synuclein in the cell. Researchers discovered that such a gene does in fact exist, and have located the genetic counterpart in mammalian nerve cells, or neurons. This discovery has led to new hopes that drug therapy could potentially activate this gene, thereby suppressing the toxicity of  alpha-synuclein in dopamine-producing neurons.

4.

While drug therapy to suppress alpha-synuclein has been examined in yeast, fruitflies, roundworms, and cultures of rat neurons, researchers are hesitant to conclude that such therapies will prove successful on human patients.  Alpha-synuclein toxicity seems to be one cause for the death of dopamine-producing neurons in Parkinson’s patients, but other causes may exist. Most scientists involved with Parkinson’s research do agree, however, that such promising early results provide a basis for further testing.



1.    











It can can be inferr inferred ed from from the the passag passage e that that a yeast cell cell with toxic levels of alpha-synuclein will die because low low level levelss of dop dopam amin ine e will will disr disrupt upt the the flow flow of pro prote tein inss from the endoplasmic reticulum to the Golgi apparatus the the gene gene that that suppr suppresse essess alph alpha-s a-synu ynucle clein in is missi missing ng or is not functioning properly in such yeast cells drug drug thera therapy py has has pro prove ven n to to be ineff ineffect ectiv ive e in yeast yeast cells the the norma normall dist distrib ribut ution ion of prote protein inss to the the diff differe erent nt cell components outside the Golgi apparatus will be affected alph alphaa-sy synu nucl clei ein n is by natu nature re a toxi toxicc pro prote tein in 10

One fun functio ction n of the the third third para paragrap graph h of the the passag passage e is to high highlig light ht the the many many simila similarit rities ies betw betwee een n yeast yeast cells cells and mammalian nerve cells expla explain in in detai detaill the the meth method odss used used to condu conduct ct a genetic screen in yeast cells furt furthe herr explai explain n the the roles roles of variou variouss cellu cellular lar components of yeast cells ident identif ify y the the gene geness in yeast yeast cell cellss and and mamma mammalilian an nerve nerve cells that work to reverse the toxic levels of alp hasynuclein clar clarify ify the the rele relevan vance ce of of genet genetic ic test testing ing in yea yeast st cells cells to the search for a new treatment for Parkinson’s disease It can can be inferr inferred ed from from the the passag passage e that that curre current nt treatments of Parkinson’s Disease repair repair damage damaged d cell cellss by by repl replen enish ishing ing dopam dopamine ine levels levels in the brain are are inef ineffec fecti tive ve in the their ir trea treatm tment ent of Parki Parkins nson on’s ’s symptoms, such as tremors were were deve develo loped ped witho without ut a comple complete te und under ersta standi nding ng of dopamine-producing neurons will will ine inevit vitabl ably y be be rep replac laced ed by by new new drug drug ther therap apy y to suppress alpha-synuclein toxicity were were not not dev devel elop oped ed thr throu ough gh rese resear arch ch on on yeas yeastt cells cells Accord According ing to to the the passage, passage, whic which h of the followin following g represents the chronology of a typical protein life in a healthy yeast cell? Prote Protein in is is made made in in the the end endopl oplasm asmic ic reti reticu culum lum,, sent sent to the Golgi apparatus, processed and altered in the Golgi apparatus, and then delivered to other parts of  the cell. Prote Protein in is is crea created ted in the the Golgi Golgi appar apparatu atus, s, mod modifi ified ed and delivered to other parts of the cell, then decomposed by alpha-synuclein. Prot Protein ein is is prod produc uced ed in in the the endop endoplas lasmic mic reti reticu culu lum, m, sent sent to the Golgi apparatus, and then decomposed by alpha-synuclein. Prote Protein in is is pro produc duced ed in in the the Golgi Golgi appara apparatu tus, s, mod modifi ified ed by the Golgi apparatus, distributed dis tributed to the neuron, and then sent to the endoplasmic endoplasm ic reticulum. Prote Protein in is prod produc uced ed by by alpha alpha-s -synu ynucl clein ein,, trans transfe ferre rred d to the endoplasmic reticulum, sent to the Golgi apparatus for modification, and then distributed to the rest of the cell.

Passage 10

1.

The single-celled parasite known as Toxoplasma Toxoplasma gondii infects more than half of the world’s human population without creating any noticeable symptoms. symp toms. Once inside the human body, Toxoplasma Toxoplasma rapidly spreads to the heart and other organs. It can even penetrate the tight barrier that normally protects the brain from mos t pathogens.  Yet, the the blood of infected persons pers ons carries very few freefloating Toxoplasma cells. Scientists have long been puzzled by this ability of Toxoplasma to parasitize the human body without triggering an immune response and without an appreciable presence in the bloodstream. Recent research, however, however, has shed light on the ways in which Toxoplasma Toxoplasma achieves its remarkable infiltration of  the human body bo dy.. Though there are few individual Toxoplasma cells cell s coursing freely in the blood of an infected person, scientists have discovered that the parasite is quite common in certain cells, known as dendritic cells, involved in the human immune system. Dendritic cells are found in the digestive tract and frequently come into contact with the various pathogens that enter the human body through food and water. water. When the dendritic cells encounter en counter pathogens, they travel to lymph nodes and relay this information to other immune cells that then take action against the reported pathogen. Scientists have found, however, that Toxoplasma Toxoplasma is capable of hijacking dendritic de ndritic cells, forcing them from their usual activity and using them as a form of transportation to infect the human body quickly q uickly.. Without this transport mechanism, Toxoplasma could not re ach the better-protected better-prote cted areas of the body.

    

2.      3.    



Toxoplasma invades the human body through consumption of the undercooked meat of infected animals, primarily pigs and chickens. Other animals, such as cats, can become infected as well. In fact, cats are a necessary component in the reproductive cycle of o f Toxoplasma, Toxoplasma, since sin ce the animal’s intestines are the parasite’s sole breeding ground. Toxoplasma creates egg-like cysts, known as oocysts, in the cats’ intestines. These oocysts are shed in the cats’  droppings and contaminate ground water and soil, eventually finding findi ng their way into the the food chain. Because Toxoplasma must somehow some how find its way into a new host cat in order to reproduce, it cannot ca nnot kill its current host. Instead, it waits for the host, usually a small rodent, to be eaten by a cat, thus providing Toxoplasma the opportunity to reproduce.

4.     

5.     

11

It can can be infe inferr rred ed from from the the passage passage that that which which of of the the following statements is true of dendritic cell s in the human body? They They are are prod produc uced ed by the the lymp lympha hati ticc syst system em.. They They are are mor more e nume numero rous us in in the the dig digest estive ive trac tractt than than in any other part of the t he human body. Most Most dendri dendriti ticc cell cellss of of per person sonss inf infec ecte ted d with with Toxoplasma carry the parasite. They They are are the the only only cell cellss capa capabl ble e of bein being g infec infecte ted d by Toxoplasma. T he he y a re re a bl bl e to to p en ene tr tr at at e t he he m em em br br an ane s surrounding the brain. Accord According ing to the the passag passage, e, all all of the follo followin wing g are are true of Toxoplasm Toxoplasma a gondii EXCEPT it can can cont contam amin inat ate e gro groun und d wat water er it ent enter erss the the huma human n body body thr throu ough gh the the food food cha chain in it can alter alter the the usua usuall beha behavio viorr of huma human n cell cellss the the hum human an body body is is inca incapa pable ble of dete detect ctin ing g it it must must fin find d a host host cat cat in orde orderr to to repr reprodu oduce ce The seco second nd paragr paragraph aph perfo performs rms which which of the the following functions in the passage? It sum summa mari rize zess the the rese resear arch ch tha thatt rema remain inss to be be done done regarding Toxoplasma. It pre presen sents ts a recom recomme mend ndat ation ion based based on the the new new understanding of Toxoplasma. It descri describes bes the the mech mechani anism sm by by whic which h Toxoplas oxoplasma ma is able to parasitize parasi tize the human body. It intr introdu oduce cess infor informat mation ion that that is is esse essent ntia iall to understanding the role of Toxoplasma in human development. It disc discuss usses es an an out outda dated ted scien scientif tific ic mod model el tha thatt has has been discredited and offers a new model in its place. pl ace. Which Which of of the the followi following ng is is the most likely likely outco outcome me for for Toxoplasma cells ce lls that invade the human body? They They will will be dest destro roye yed d by by the the immu immune ne syste system. m. They They will will col collec lectt in in the the lymp lympha hati ticc syst system em.. They They will will not repr reprod odu uce. ce. They They wil willl be det detec ecte ted d afte afterr seve severa rall week weeks. s. They They will will be dest destro roye yed d by by othe otherr pat pathog hogen enss in in the the bloodstream. The author author mentions mentions “pigs and chic chickens” kens” in the final final paragraph in order to provi provide de spe specif cific ic exa exampl mples es of of anim animals als that that can can carr carry y Toxoplasma provi provide de spe specif cific ic exa exampl mples es of of anim animals als that that are are often often eaten by cats provi provide de speci specifi ficc exa exampl mples es of of oth other er anim animals als whose whose dendritic cells are exploited by Toxoplasma provi provide de speci specifi ficc examp example less of of anim animals als in whic which h Toxoplasma oxoplas ma can breed provid provide e spec specifi ificc exampl examples es of of anima animals ls that that are are imm immun une e to Toxoplasma

Passage 11

 Antibiotics are chemical substances subs tances that kill or inhibit the growth of bacteria. The success of antibiotics against disease-causing bacteria is one of modern medicine’s great achievements. However, However, many bacteria harmful to humans have developed ways to circumvent the effects of antibiotics, and many infectious diseases are now much more difficult to treat than they were just a few decades ago. Antibiotic resistance is an especially es pecially difficult problem for hospitals with critically ill patients who are less able to fight off infections without the help of antibiotics. Bacteria can develop antibiotic resistance because they have the ability to adapt quickly to new environmental conditions. Most commonly, bacteria share with each other genetic material called resistance plasmids; these shared plasmids, which contain the genetic code enabling antibiotic resistance, can spread throughout a bacterial population to create a strain of resistant bacteria. Less commonly, a natural mutation that enables antibiotic resistance takes place within the chromosome of the bacteria, and the resulting strain of bacteria can reproduce and become dominant via natural selection. sel ection. In the absence of human involvement, however h owever,, bacteria in the wild rarely develop resistance to antibiotics. antibiotics. In the United States, animals raised on industrial-scale factory farms are routinely administered low levels of  antibiotics in their feed not as a cure for ongoing maladies, but primarily as a growth-enhancing agent to produce more meat and also as a prophylactic measure to compensate for overcrowded and unsanitary conditions. Currently, several antibiotics that are used in human medical treatment are administered non-therapeutically non-therapeutically to healthy livestock and poultry. Examples include tetracycline, penicillin and erythromycin. This long-term non-therapeutic non-therapeutic feeding of antibiotics to animals creates the ideal conditions for the development of antibioticresistant bacteria, as it kills the susceptible bacteria while leaving the resistant strains to reproduce and flourish. Europe is far ahead of the United States in the responsible use of antibiotics: On January 1, 2006, the European Union banned the feeding of all antibiotics to livestock for nontherapeutic therapeutic purposes. This sweeping policy follows a 1998 ban on the non-therapeutic use of four medically-important antibiotics on animals. The time has come for the United States to follow Europe’s lead. 1.

 

The industrial farm industry contributes more than $100 million to incumbent members of Congress each year.



Physic Physician ianss rout routin inely ely prescr prescribe ibe antibi antibiot otics ics to pat patien ients ts with viral diseases, even though antibiotics have no effect on viruses.

Hospit Hospital alss are are enfor enforci cing ng more more stri stringe ngent nt “hand“hand-hy hygie giene”  ne”  standards in an effort to reduce infections.

2.

Based on the the inform informatio ation n in in the the passage passage,, which which of  of  the following statements can be inferred? Most Most indu indust stri rial al far farms ms do do not not meet meet the the stan standa dards rds for for sanitation required by the United States government. If the the nonnon-the thera rapeu peutic tic use of ant antibi ibiot otics ics were were halt halted ed worldwide, there would be no new resistant stra ins of antibiotic resistant bacteria. Europ Europea ean n liv livest estock ock and and poult poultry ry are raise raised d in more more sanitary conditions than are those in the United States. Hospit Hospitals als are are bette betterr learn learnin ing g to cope cope with with the the grow growing ing spread of antibiotic resistant bacteria. It is possible possible for antibio antibiotic tic-re -resist sistant ant bacteri bacteria a in animal animalss to be passed on to humans.

 

  

3.     

The passage passage is primar primarily ily concer concerned ned with with advo advoccatin ating g the the bann bannin ing g of a pra pract ctic ice e expl explai aini ning ng the the mec mecha hani nism sm of of a proc proces esss explai explaini ning ng the practi practices ces of a part particu icular lar indust industry ry desc descri ribi bing ng the the hist histor ory y of of a phen phenom omen enon on weig weighi hing ng the the cost costss versu versuss the the bene benefi fits ts of of a pract practic ice e

5.

Accord According ing to to the the passage, passage, whic which h of the followin following g describes how bacteria can develop antibiotic resistance? Radi Radiat atio ion n from from med medic ical al dev devic ices es suc such h as as x-ra x-ray y machines weaken the immune system in both humans and animals. Resi Resista stant nt strain strainss deve develop loped ed thro throug ugh h gen genet etic ic engineering dominate a bacterial population through natural selection. Medic Me dical al pract practit ition ioner erss overover-pr presc escri ribe be anti antibio bioti tics cs in hospitals which encourages bacteria to adapt and form resistant strains. Geneti Geneticc mate materia riall cont contain aining ing the the resis resistan tantt trai traitt is shared among a bacterial population. Many Many ant antibi ibioti otics cs lose lose poten potency cy and become become ineffe ineffecti ctive ve over time.



12

Which Which of of the the followi following ng best best describes describes what what the the phrase phrase  “prophylactic measure” meas ure” in the third paragraph means? a measu measure re to to cur cure e the the ani anima mals ls of of an any exis existi ting ng infectious diseases a cont contra race cept ptiv ive e meas measur ure e to pre preven ventt the the anim animal alss from from spreading genetic diseases a prepre-emp emptiv tive e meas measur ure e to kill kill bact bacteri eria a in in the the anima animals ls before the animals become ill an ant antise isept ptic ic meas measur ure e to kill kill surfa surface ce bact bacter eria ia in the the surrounding environment a measu measure re tha thatt creat creates es a phy physic sical al barr barrie ierr that that pro protec tects ts the animals from the bacteria in the surrounding environment

4.     



Based on the the info informa rmatio tion n in the passa passage, ge, to to which which of  the following practices would the author most likely be opposed? Hospi Hospita tals ls are are hiri hiring ng highe higherr num number berss of inf infec ectio tious us disease specialists than ever before. Many Many healt health h insu insuran rance ce poli policie ciess do not not or or only only partia partially lly reimburse patients for prescriptions of the newest and most effective antibiotics.







 

Passage 12

1. 

In the early to mid-1980s, a business practice known as a   “leveraged buyout” became popular as a method for companies to expand without having to spend any of their own assets. The leveraged buyout was not without its problems, however, and in time it came to represent in the public imagination not only corporate ingenuity and success, but also excess and greed. Many of the main corporate figures of the 1980s saw spectacular rises ris es and, perhaps inevitably, spectacular falls as they abused the leveraged buyout as a means to extraordinary financial gain.

   

2. 

  A leveraged buyout entails one company purchasing another using the assets of the purchased company as the collateral to secure the funds needed to buy that company. The leveraged leverage d buyout allows companies companie s to take on debt that their own assets would have been insufficient to secure in order to finance expansion. The benefit of  the leveraged buyout is obvious: companies with insufficient funds can still expand to compete with larger competitors. The T he drawbacks, however, however, became apparent only after the fact: the purchased company must perform extraordinarily well in order to generate the capital to pay off the loans that made the purchase possible in the first place. When the purchased company underperforms, the buyer must somehow find the money to pay off the loans. If such funds are not obtained, the buyer may be forced to sell se ll off the company, company, or parts p arts thereof, thereof, for less les s than the purchase price. In these cases, the buyer is still responsible for repaying the t he debt that is not covered by the sale price. Many of these deals resulted in the evisceration of the purchased companies, as subparts were sold to pay down the loans and employees were laid off to reduce costs and increase profits. The most famous leveraged buyout is probably the 1988 purchase of RJR Nabisco by Kohlberg Kravis Roberts (“KKR”). The T he purchase price for the corporate corporate giant RJR  Nabisco was $25 billion, almost all of which was borrowed money. The takeover was “hostile,” meaning that RJR  Nabisco resisted any overtures from potential buyers. KKR  ultimately succeeded by buying a controlling interest in RJR Nabisco, thereby obtaining voting control over the company. By the mid-1990s, though, KKR had seen a reversal of fortune and was forced to sell off RJR Nabisco in order to relieve itself of the crushing debt load. The 1980s were the heyday of the leveraged buyout, as lending institutions were willing to loan money for these ventures. When the deals turned out to be b e much riskier in life than on paper, the lenders turned away from the buyouts and returned to the notion that borrowers must possess adequate collateral coll ateral of their own.

13

   

3.

    

The The prima primary ry pur purpo pose se of the the passag passage e is to critic criticize ize the the motive motivess of those those who who use risky risky finan financia ciall strategies chal challen lenge ge a com commo mon n per perce cept ptio ion n of fina financ ncie iers rs descr describe ibe the the evolu evoluti tion on and and appl applic icati ation on of of a cer certai tain n financial device explai explain n the the popul popular arity ity of leve leverag raged ed buy buyout outss duri during ng a certain period argue argue that that lever leverage aged d buy buyou outs ts are detri detrimen menta tall to overall financial health The passa passage ge prov provides ides sup suppor portt for for which which of the the following statements? Lever Leverag aged ed buyo buyout utss are are uti utiliz lized ed prima primaril rily y by small small companies. Some Some com compa pani nies es purc purcha hase sed d thro throug ugh h leve levera rage ged d buyouts fell short of their buyers’ expectations. expectations . Today oday, no banks banks or or other other lendi lending ng ins instit titut ution ionss will will finance leveraged buyouts. Most Most leve levera raged ged buyo buyout utss brin bring g signi signifi fican cantt fina financ ncial ial rewards to the buyers. Lever Leverage aged d buyo buyout utss were were res respo ponsi nsible ble for for much much of the the economic growth of the 1980s. The author author mentio mentions ns the the RJR RJR Nabisc Nabisco o case case most most probably in order to emphasize which of the following points? Levera Leveraged ged buyou buyouts ts are employ employed ed only only by by high high-pr -prof ofile ile financiers. Lever Leverag aged ed buyo buyout utss can can be be suc succe cessf ssful ully ly util utiliz ized ed to to purchase large companies. RJR Nabisco Nabisco could could have have res resist isted ed the the hostile hostile takeove takeoverr. Lever Leverag aged ed buyo buyout utss carr carry y major major risks risks in in addi additi tion on to their benefits. Kohlb Kohlberg erg Kravi Kraviss Rob Robert ertss was was a leade leaderr in in the the development of the leveraged buyout.

Passage 13

To remain financially financial ly sound, health insurance companies must charge higher rates to insure people cons idered a higher risk. Lacking complete information about individuals, insurers are forced to set a standard rate, based on the average risk of the group, for a particular segment of the population. Consumers in i n poor health are willing to pay for the insurance, knowing k nowing that it will cover their higher-than-average health-care costs. In contrast, healthy consumers often decide to forgo the insurance, reasoning that it is less expensive to pay out-of-pocket for their lower-than-average health-care costs. The result, called “adverse selection,” is that the riskier members of  a group will comprise the group of insurance applicants, potentially potentiall y leading to a market failure in which insurance companies cannot afford to offer insurance at any price.

3.     

The The prima primary ry pur purpo pose se of the the passag passage e is to advo advoca cate te for chan change ge on beha behalf lf of cons consum umer erss expl explai ain n why why a mar marke kett fai failu lure re occu occurs rs int introdu roduce ce rec recen entl tly y disc discov over ered ed info inform rmat atio ion n chal challe leng nge e a wide widely ly acce accept pted ed exp explan lanat atio ion n argu argue e tha thatt a situa situati tion on is mora morall lly y wro wrong ng

4.

Which Which of of the the followi following ng best best descr describes ibes the function function of  the first paragraph within the passage as a whole? It sta states tes an opini opinion on that that is is supp support orted ed else elsewh wher ere e in the passage. It out outlin lines es a proc proces esss that that is is crit critiqu iqued ed else elsewh wher ere e in the passage. It advan advance cess an arg argum umen entt that that is disp disput uted ed else elsewh wher ere e in the passage. It intr introd oduc uces es confl conflic ictin ting g argu argumen ments ts that that are are reconc reconcililed ed elsewhere in the passage. It def define iness a prob proble lem m that that is is cite cited d elsewh elsewher ere e in the the passage.

    

 Among people over age sixty-five, even the wealthy can have difficulty obtaining fairly priced medical insurance, simply because of their age. However, However, those who blame so-called insurance company greed and discrimination against the elderly are ignoring the reality of adverse selection. Younger people generally obtain health insurance through their employers’ group insurance plan. Employer’s plans obli gate all employees to enroll in the plan and effectively pre-screen for general health, as a minimum health level is required to hold a job. Insurance companies can therefore charge a lower premium, based on the lower average risk of the employee pool, without worrying that healthy employees employee s will opt out of the plan. Consumers over sixty-five, typically not employed and thus seeking insurance individually, are necessarily more vulnerable to market failure stemming from adverse selection. 1.      2.     

5.     

It can can be be inferr inferred ed from from the the passag passage e that that unempl unemployed oyed people alway alwayss pay pay high higher er hea health lth insur insuran ance ce pre premiu miums ms than than employed people cann cannot ot purc purcha hase se heal health th ins insuran urance ce are are not not as hea healt lthy hy,, on aver averag age, e, as as empl employe oyed d peop people le opt opt out out of the the wor workf kforc orce e for for healt health h reas reason onss must must wor work k in in orde orderr to acqu acquire ire healt health h ins insur uran ance ce The author author refer referss to “gree “greed d and and discrimi discriminat nation ion”” in the second paragraph of the passage in order to prov provid ide e an exam exampl ple e of th the way way som some e cons consum umer erss are are treated unfairly explai explain n how medica medicall insur insuranc ance e pric pricing ing decisio decisions ns are  justified accu accuse se emp employ loyer erss of failin failing g to to solve solve the the probl problem em of  of  adverse selection iden identi tify fy cau cause sess of adve advers rse e sele select ctio ion n iden identi tify fy an an alte altern rnat ate e expl explana anati tion on that that the the auth author or disputes

14

The passage passage states states which which of the the followin following g about about the cost of health-care? health-care? It is is gene genera rall lly y high higher er for for peo peopl ple e with with poo poorr heal health th.. It is is gene general rally ly high higher er for for ful fulll-tim time e wor worke kers rs.. It is not not fair fairly ly pri price ced d in in the the cur curre rent nt marke market. t. It has bee been n risi rising ng in rece recent nt year years. s. It will will soon soon be too high high for youn younger ger worker workerss to afford afford..

Passage 14

2.

Many musicologists consider jazz jaz z the only purely American form of music. Others, however, however, argue that jazz is rooted in a history simil ar to that of America itself, a history of  confluence.



 The immigration of Europeans and the slave trade of West  Africans to America resulted in i n a convergence of cultures, traditions, and art forms, including music. Jazz, first played in New Orleans in the early 1900s, borrowed heavily from the European musical scale and harmonic system. Jaz z ensembles were built predominantly on European instruments, such as the trumpet, trombone, saxophone, and piano. The West African influence on jazz was manifested primarily in its performance. Scatting, a technique used by jazz vocalists to mimic the sounds of  instruments, instruments, had its origin in West African vocal traditions. The emphasis on improvisation in jazz music, in addition to group participation, also came from West African music.

 



3. 

Proponents of the argument that jazz is purely American often point to its genesis in New Orleans as evidence for this perspective. The irony, however, however, is that the essence es sence of America lies i n the plurality of its roots. To deny the rich and complex history of jazz, jazz , and the true origins of  the art form, is in effect denying the very aspect s of the art form that make it undeniably American. 1.

 







It can can be inferre inferred d from from the the passa passage ge that that the the autho authorr would be less inclined to label jaz z an American art form if which of the following were true? New New Orl Orlean eanss was was not the the pla place ce where where jaz jazzz musi musicc was first played. Jazz Jazz musi musicc was was first first create created d in in New New Orlea Orleans ns when when four avant-garde musicians from different musical backgrounds came together to experiment with unprecedented musical concepts. With With the the influx influx of West West Afri African canss to to the the Americ Americas as came came a very specific West African musical style that was later renamed “jazz” by Americans who heard this style of music being played in New Orleans. Jazz Jazz music music actu actuall ally y draw drawss more more of its its chara charact cter er fro from m South American and Native American traditions than from those of Europe or West Africa. West West Afr Africa ican n mus musica icall style styless are heavi heavily ly inf influ luenc enced ed by by the musical traditions of a variety of Middle Eastern cultures.









4. 



 



15

The author author of the the passag passage e would would most most likely likely agree agree with which of the following statements? statem ents? Altho Although ugh Ameri America can n foot footba ball ll was was der derive ived d from from the the English sports of soccer so ccer and rugby, rugby, it should be called a purely American sport because it was first played in America. Becau Because se Ame Americ rican an footb football all was deriv derived ed fro from m the the English sports of soccer and rugby, rugby, it should s hould not be called an American sport. Most Most spor sports ts sch schola olars rs deny deny the the Engl English ish origi origins ns of  of   American football. What What ma makes kes Americ American an footba footballll ess essent entiall ially y Amer America ican n is that it was derived from the convergence of English soccer and rugby rugb y. Becau Because se the the esse essenc nce e of Ameri America ca lies lies in the plura pluralit lity y of its roots, American football should not be called an American sport. Which Which of the the followi following ng best best outlin outlines es the the general general structure of the passage? The The first first parag paragrap raph h pre prese sent ntss two two side sidess of of an an issue issue;; the second paragraph subjectively presents background information relevant to the issue; the third paragraph summarizes the points made earlier in the passage. The The first first par parag agra raph ph int intro rodu duce cess two two diffe differi ring ng viewpoints on an issue; the second paragraph objectively presents relevant relev ant information; the third paragraph describes the author’s opinion on the issue. The The first first par parag agra raph ph int intro rodu duce cess two two diffe differi ring ng viewpoints on an issue; the second paragraph gives a comprehensive history of the debate; the third paragraph describes one person’s perspective on the debate. The The first first parag paragrap raph h pre prese sent ntss two two side sidess of of an an issue issue;; the second paragraph presents newly discovered information relevant to the issue; the third paragraph summarizes the main points presented earlier in the passage. The The first first parag paragrap raph h int intro roduc duces es a contr controv overs ersy; y; the the second paragraph presents background information relevant to the controversy; the third paragraph settles the controversy. controversy. The author author of the the passag passage e would would most most likely likely agree agree with which of the following statements? statem ents? Altho Although ugh Ameri America can n foot footba ball ll was was der derive ived d from from the the English sports of soccer so ccer and rugby, rugby, it should be called a purely American sport because it was first played in America. Becau Because se Ame Americ rican an footb football all was deriv derived ed fro from m the the English sports of soccer and rugby, rugby, it should s hould not be called an American sport. Most Most spor sports ts sch schola olars rs deny deny the the Engl English ish origi origins ns of  of   American football. What What ma makes kes Americ American an footba footballll ess essent entiall ially y Amer America ican n is that it was derived from the convergence of English soccer and rugby rugb y. Becau Because se the the esse essenc nce e of Ameri America ca lies lies in the plura pluralit lity y of its roots, American football should not be called an American sport.

5.     

6.     

7.     

Accor Accordin ding g to the the passage passage,, all of of the the followi following ng statements about jazz music musi c are true EXCEPT: Jazz music music was first first playe played d in the the twent twentiet ieth h cent centur ury y. Jazz Jazz mus music ic was was firs firstt play played ed in in New New Orl Orlea eans ns.. The The inst instru rumen menta tati tion on used used in jazz jazz music music inclu includes des horn hornss as well as stringed s tringed instruments. Impr Impromp omptu tu ele eleme ment ntss are are a com common mon char charact acteri eristi sticc of   jazz performance. There There is disa disagr greem eemen entt amo among ng music musicolo ologi gists sts as to whether jazz music should be called ca lled an American art form. Which Which of of the the follow following ing pro provid vides es the the best best exampl example e of  the scatting technique used in jazz performance? A fema female le voc vocali alist st att attem empt pting ing to to voca vocaliz lize e the the tone tone and and melodic line just played by a trumpet A male male voc vocal alist ist usin using g the the Euro Europea pean n har harmo monic nic syste system m to derive a melodic line A tro tromb mbone one player player attem attempt ptin ing g to imit imitate ate the sound sound of a male vocalist A voc voca alist list imp impro rovi visi sing ng a melo melod dic lin line e A call call and res respo ponse nse betwe between en two two or or more more instr instrum ument entss in the ensemble Which Which of the the follo followin wing g elemen elements ts of of jazz jazz most most likely likely has its origin in West African musical traditions? the the emph emphasi asiss on on a tona tonall har harmo moni nicc stru struct ctur ure e the the use use of of the the guit guitar ar as one one of the the prima primary ry rhy rhyth thm m instruments melo me lodi dicc line liness root rooted ed in the the dori dorian an sca scale le the the use use of ma many ny instr instrum umen ents ts in in a jazz jazz e ens nsemb emble le an improm impromptu ptu callcall-and and-r -resp espon onse se betw between een two two instruments in the ensemble

16

Passage 15

2.

The recruitment and development of talent is a growing priority for many organizations, and is increasingly regarded as an important competitive advantage. One example of this emphasis on talent development is the creation of so-called ‘‘C’ C’ level executive executive roles—Chief Talent Talent or Personnel Officer—that represent the interests of the Human Resources department. This is a significant change from past years, during which Human Resources was generally considered a lower priority, even a necessary evil, and a destination for executives that did not thrive in other departments.

  

  3.

This change has had an important beneficiary—women.  An extraordinarily high proportion o f Human Resources departments are run by women, reflecting the composition composi tion of the departments themselves. For better or worse, Human Resources positions have long been perceived perceive d as natural roles for women, as women are generally regarded as more nurturing and service-oriented than their male counterparts. As these traits are considered core to the functioning of effective Human Resources personnel, the advancement of women within HR  departments has been routine and that, in turn, has attracted more women. Additionally, the lifestyle of  workers in the Human Resources department is often not as demanding in terms of hours and weekends worked as it is for workers in other departments; ma ny women with children find this appealing.

    

4.   

The preponderance of female heads of Human Resources departments and the higher prioritization of talent development have combined to give many female executives increased authority and influence. Many women, after performing well in a Human Resources capacity, have been given additional responsibilities in other departments. Also, more female executives have been asked to represent their organizations at industry conferences, further increasing their visibility. visi bility.

  5.  

1.     

Which Which of the follo followin wing g best describe describess the the struc structur ture e of the passage? An innov innovati ative ve idea idea is explain explained ed,, and and the the unexp unexpect ected ed results of the idea’s adoption are listed. A new new the theor ory y is desc descri ribe bed, d, and and evid eviden ence ce is is prov provid ided ed to support this hypothesis. An esta establ blish ished ed prac practi tice ce is cha challe lleng nged, ed, and and the the res resul ults ts of this challenge are documented. A rec recent ent trend trend is int intro rodu duced ced,, and and an impac impactt of this this trend is then explained and examined. A chan change ge in in empha emphasis sis is deta detaile iled, d, and and advoc advocat ates es of  this change are described.

17



 

The passage passage implies implies that that an organizat organization ion with a Chief  Chief  Talent Officer: Offi cer: empl em ploy oyss a woma woman n in the the pos posit itio ion n regar regards ds Hum Human an Reso Resour urce cess as more more impo import rtan antt than than other departments emph em phasi asizes zes the the imp impor orta tanc nce e of of Huma Human n Resou Resourc rces es to to a greater degree than organizations without such a position enjoy enjoyss a compe competi titiv tive e adva advant ntag age e rela relativ tive e to to oth other er organizations is attr attrac acti tive ve to to pro prospe spect ctiv ive e fema female le emp emplo loye yees es The passag passage e suggest suggestss which which of the the follow following ing abou aboutt the “additional responsibilities” responsibilitie s” cited in the second sentence of the third paragraph? They They are are pro probab bably ly in in are areas as not not as tra tradit dition ional ally ly associated with female leadership. They They are are in dep depart artme ment ntss that that use used d to to be run run by by a man. They They are are sim simila ilarr to to respo responsi nsibi bilit lities ies tha thatt these these wom women en have already successfully undertaken. They They inc inclu lude de spe speaki aking ng at indus industry try confe conferen rence cess on behalf of these women’s organizations. They They are are more more impor importa tant nt than than these these women women’s ’s prio priorr responsibilities in the Human Resources area. The tone tone of the the passage passage sugge suggests sts that that the author author regards the changes described in the passage as: over overdu due e red redre ress ss for for issu issues es hist histor oric icall ally y face faced d by women a natu natural ral resu result lt of of busi busine ness ss a and nd per person sonne nell tren trends ds a n u nf nf or o r tu tu na na te t e co co nt n t in i n ua ua t io io n o f p er e r va v a s iv iv e misconceptions a nec necessa essary ry step step in in the the rea realig lignme nment nt of manag manageme ement nt a form formid idab able le new new impe impedi dime ment nt to soci social al cha chang nges es Which Which of the the followi following ng best best descri describes bes the the main main idea idea of the passage? Huma Human n Reso Resour urces ces depart departmen ments ts are are attr attract active ive to women for a number of reasons. Wome Women n are are mor more e effe effect ctiv ive e at dev devel elop opin ing g and and retaining talent than their male counterparts. The The incr increa easin sing g emph emphasi asiss on the the recr recrui uitme tment nt and and treatment of talent has benefited many female executives. Wome Women n are are bei being ng pro promo mote ted d to lead lead Hum Human an Resou Resourc rces es departments departme nts more and more frequently. The recru recruitm itment ent and develop developmen mentt of of tale talent nt is rec receivi eiving ng greater attention and emphasis in many organizations.

Passage 16

1.  

 American economists continually attempt to gauge the health of the economy, both for the gain o f the private sector as well as for the global standing of the United States. Different elements of the economy react differently to changes in prosperity. Some elements rise and fall as the economy waxes and wanes. These are known as coincident indicators. Other elements are known as leading indicators and usually show a downturn before the economy does. A third group of eleme nts are known as lagging indicators and lose vigor v igor only after the economy has already begun to slow. Economist s can predict the direction of the economy by monitoring these indicators.

  

2.

 

Coincident indicators, such as manufacturing and employment rates, are the best gauge of the current state of the economy. A continued shift in these indicators allows al lows economists to determine whether the economy itself is in the process of an upturn or a downturn. These indicators indica tors coincide with shifts in the economy because they are dependent on sustained prosperity. prosperity. But since coincident indicators reflect only the current state of the economy, they are not especially useful in predicting how the economy will perform in the near future. Economists must look to other indicators for that.

  

3. 

The indicators with the greatest predictive power are leading indicators, such as mortgage applications and profit margins. When these indicators rise or fall, economists can often foretell similar changes in the country’s economic health. These indicators do not cause changes in the economy e conomy.. Rather, Rather, they often ofte n signal changes in economic behavior that lead to shifts in the economic cycle. By contrast, the third type of indicator – lagging indicators – is useless as a harbinger of change. But these indicators can be helpful in confirming the assessments of economists.

   

4. 

Determining which elements of the economy fall into which category of indicator requires analysis of copious data and an understanding of the factors that propel the economy. economy. One must determine which events e vents surrounding a turn in the business cycle actually contributed to the change. Establishing a solid soli d framework for understanding the behavior of these indicators helps economists to avoid miscalculations and a nd to guide the country through periods of slow or negative economic growth.

   

18

The The prima primary ry pur purpo pose se of the the passag passage e is to compa compare re the utilit utility y of of vario various us econom economic ic indi indica cator torss expl explai ain n the the proc proces esss by whi which ch eco econo nomi mist stss draw draw conclusions conclusions about key factors of economic change prese present nt a conc concept eptua uall fram framew ework ork used used by by econ econom omis ists ts to prescribe economic goals trac trace e the the devel develop opme ment nt of of a set set of of econo economi micc devi device cess argue argue for the the cont continu inued ed evalu evaluati ation on of econo economic mic factor factorss affecting the business cycle The info informa rmatio tion n in the the passage passage sugge suggests sts that that whic which h of the following would most strongly indicate an imminent change in the business cycle? a dec decre reas ase e in in the the emp emplo loym ymen entt rat rate e a dec decrea rease se in the the numbe numberr of of new new homes homes built built per per month an incr increa ease se in the the num number ber of new new aut automo omobil biles es produced each month an incr increas ease e in the the diff differ erenc ence e betwee between n manuf manufac actu turi ring ng costs and retail revenues for large home appliances a decre decreas ase e in the the num numbe berr of cor corpo pora rate te bank bankru rupt ptci cies es per month Accord According ing to to the the passage passage,, the the main main purpo purpose se of  economic indicators is which of the following? to faci facilit litat ate e the the analys analysis is nece necessa ssary ry to maint maintain ain for forwa ward rd economic momentum to allow allow inves investo tors rs to to time time the their ir inve invest stmen ments ts in in sync sync with economic cycles to fost foster er hea healt lthy hy eco econo nomic mic com compe peti titi tion on amo among ng vari variou ouss commercial sectors to brin bring g to light light seve severa rall key key fact factor orss in econ economi omicc downturns to pro promot mote e wide widespr sprea ead d und under ersta stand nding ing of eco econo nomi micc principles The passa passage ge sugges suggests ts that that laggi lagging ng indic indicat ators ors would would be least helpful in determining which of the following? wheth whether er pre predic dicti tion onss base based d on the the beha behavio viorr of of the the mortgage market were accurate wheth whether er compa compani nies es oug ought ht to cut cut cost costss in orde orderr to avoid short-term losses whet whethe herr rece recent nt tren trends ds in in the the emplo employm ymen entt rat rate e were were consistent with the overall economic picture whet whether her fina financ ncia iall anal analyst ystss are are corr correc ectt in in the their ir assessment of recent economic developments wheth whether er the the gover governm nment ent was jus justi tifie fied d in takin taking g actio action n to boost the economy

Passage 17

1.

Despite its 1989 designation as a threatened species under the federal Endangered Species Act, the desert tortoise, Gopherus agassizii, has declined in numbers by ninety percent since the 1980s. Although federal protection made it illegal to harm desert tortoises or remove them from the wild of the southwestern North American deserts, this measure has been insufficient to reverse the species’  decline, and further intervention is required. Recovery has been slow, partly due to the desert tortoise’s low reproductive potential. Females breed only after reaching full size at fifteen to twenty years of age, and even then may only lay eggs when adequate forage is available. Although the number of eggs in each clutch varies, and each female might migh t lay a few clutches in one season, the average mature female produces only a few eggs annually. From these precious eggs, hatchlings emerge wearing soft shells that will harden slowly into protective armor over the next five years. The vulnerable young are entirely neglected by adult tortoises, and only five percent ultimately reach adulthood.

    

2.

     3.     

Predators are blamed for most tortoise deaths; ravens, specifically, specifically, are estimated to cause more than half of the  juvenile tortoise deaths in the Mojave Desert. Tortoise eggs and juveniles, with their delicate shells, can fall prey to many birds, mammals, and other o ther reptiles. For protection from predators, as well as from desert temperature extremes, tortoises of all ages burrow into the earth. However, if rabbits and rodents are scarce, larger mammalian predators may dig tortoises out of their burrows, devouring even mature tortoises despite their hardened shells.

4.     

Even with current protections from human interference, the desert tortoise faces a tough recovery, so additional measures must be taken. First, the limited habitat of desert des ert tortoises, with soil suitable for their burrows, must be protected from development. Next, urban expansion expansio n often has the unintended effect of increasi increasing ng raven populations, so aggressive measures to control the birds are necessary to increase desert tortoise hatchling survival rates. Finally, released captive tortoises typically perish, and can pass upper respiratory tract disease into the wild population with devastating consequences, so continuing education of pet tortoise owners is essential.

19

It can can be inferre inferred d from from the the passag passage e that that the the desert desert tortoise mortality rate would be most likely to decrease if which of the following were true? Dese Desert rt torto tortois ise e bur burro rows ws were were coo coole lerr. Male Ma le and and femal female e tort tortoi oises ses mate mated d more more freq freque uent ntly ly.. Adult Adult tor tortoi toises ses provide provided d bett better er care care for their their young. young. Forag Forage e plan plants ts were were abun abunda dant nt in the the habi habitat tat of the the desert tortoise. Rabbi Rabbits ts wer were e abun abundan dantt in the the habi habita tatt of the the deser desertt tortoise. The pass passage age men mentio tions ns each each of of the the follo followin wing g as reasons that the desert tortoise is a threatened species EXCEPT expan expansio sion n of of urban urban areas areas near near the deser desertt tort tortois oise e habitat the the low low rep reprod roduc ucti tive ve rate rate of des desert ert tort tortoi oise sess dese deserrt temp temper erat atu ure extr extrem emes es predation ion by raven vens the the rele release ase of capti captive ve tort tortois oises es by pet pet owne owners rs The prima primary ry inte intent nt of of the the passage passage is to to do which which of  of  the following? Desc Descri ribe be the the life lifecy cycl cle e of of a spe speci cies es Advoc vocate ate fu futur ture ac actio tions Discuss a problem Evaluate pa past ac actions Critic iticiz ize e th the gov gove ernme men nt Previous Previous efforts efforts to to prote protect ct the the deser desertt tortois tortoise e are are regarded by the author with weary sk skepticism comple mplette sat satisfa isfacction implied opposition qualified approval overt disdain

Passage 18

1.

Scientific advances in the latter half of the twentieth century have allowed researchers to study the chemical chemical activities activi ties taking place in the human brain during the sleep cycle in more detail. In the 1970s, Jacobs employed these advances to postulate that dreams and hallucinations share a common neurochemical mechanism with respect resp ect to the neurotransmitters serotonin and norepinephrine that accounts accounts for the observable similarities between the two states of mind. To test the theory, theory, researchers resea rchers attempted to elucidate the role of these transmitters in the normal sleep cycle and a nd the effect of hallucinogenic drugs on them.



 Although scientists still have much to discover about the chemical complexities of the brain, serotonin appears important for managing sleep, mood, and appetite, among other important functions, while neurons release norepinephrine to facilitate alertness and mental focus. Both are discharged in high quantities only during waking states. At the onset of sleep, the activity levels of neurons that release both the neurotransmitters drop, allowing the brain first to enter the four non-rapid eye movement (Non-REM) stages of sleep. When the brain is ready to enter the fifth stage, REM, which is associated with dreaming, the levels of these two chemicals drop virtually to zero. The Jacobs hypothesis held that the absence of  norepinephrine was required to enable the brain to remain asleep, while the absence of serotonin was necessary to allow dreaming dr eaming to occur occ ur..

2.

Lysergic acid diethylamide, or LSD, is a semi-synthetic psychedelic drug which causes significant alteration of  the senses, memories and awareness; at doses higher than 20 micrograms, it can have a hallucinogenic effect. LSD mimics serotonin well enough to b e able to bind at most of the neurotransmitter’s receptor sites, largely inhibiting normal transmission. In addition, the drug causes the locus ceruleus, a cluster of neurons containing norepinephrine, norepinephrine , to greatly accelerate activity activi ty.. If the drug stimulates norepinephrine, thereby precluding sleep, and inhibits serotonin, which Jacobs had postulated was a necessary condition for dreaming, then the resulting hallucinations could merely be “dreaming while awake.”  The research thus far is i s promising but inconclusive; future scientific advances should allow this theory to be tes ted more rigorously rigorousl y.



 

 

    

3. 

  

4.     

20

Which Which of the followin following, g, if true true,, would would most most under undermine mine the central premise of the Jacobs hypothesis? LSD LSD does does not not comp complet letely ely inhi inhibit bit norma normall tran transmi smissi ssion on of serotonin. Sero Seroto toni nin n is only only one one of ma many ny che chemic mical alss that that play play a role in regulating sleep. Resear Researche chers rs prove prove conc conclus lusive ively ly that that the the leve levell of  of  norepinephrine in the brain is a signific ant factor in enabling the brain to sleep. Some Some semisemi-syn synth theti eticc hall halluc ucino inogen genic ic drugs drugs othe otherr than than LSD do not inhibit serotonin. The The first first four four stag stages es of of slee sleep p are are as cruci crucial al to to the the process of dreaming as the fifth stage. Which Which of the the follow following ing best represen represents ts the the autho author’s r’s primary goal in writing the passage? to out outlin line e a the theor ory y and and sugg suggest est optio options ns for for fur furth ther er research to act act as as an advo advoca cate te for for add addit itio iona nall rese resear arch ch to to help help elucidate a particular theory’s validity to intr introd oduc uce e a theor theoret etic ical al cons constr truc uctt that that has has not not yet yet been sufficiently proven to dem demons onstra trate te the the comp complexi lexitie tiess involv involved ed in in cond conduc uctin ting g a certain type of scientific research to art articu iculat late e a hyp hypoth othes esis is and and lay lay out out the the case case for for proving it Accord According ing to the the passag passage, e, all all of the foll followin owing g are are true EXCEPT Norep Norepin ineph ephrin rine e and and serot seroton onin in are are disc discha harge rged d only only during waking states. Ingest Ingesting ing more more than than 20 micro microgr grams ams of LSD will will cause cause some people to hallucinate. hallucinate. Rapid Rapid eye movem movemen entt is is the the stage stage of sle sleep ep durin during g which people dream. LSD LSD cau causes ses neu neuro rons ns to inc increa rease se the the rate rate at at whic which h they discharge norepinephrine. The The absen absence ce of ser serot otoni onin n seem seemss to be nec necess essar ary y in order to enable the brain to dream. Accord According ing to to the the passage, passage, which which of of the the followi following ng is is true of the drug lysergic acid diethlyamide? Resea Researc rch h into into the dru drug g is prom promisi ising ng but inc incon oncl clus usiv ive. e. The The neuro neuron n rece recept ptor or site sitess that that nor norma mally lly bin bind d serot seroton onin in will also bind the drug. The The locu locuss ceru ceruleu leuss caus causes es the the dru drug g to affec affectt bodil bodily y systems more rapidly than normal. The drug drug stimul stimulate atess nore norepin pineph ephrin rine e and ser serot otoni onin. n. A person person who who ing ingest estss mor more e than than 20 micro microgra grams ms of  the drug will have hallucinations.

Passage 19

2.

Dogs are widely employed by the police as biological detection systems to detect the smuggling and storage of  drugs. Yet, recent evidence suggests that insects, rather than mammals, may be used more effectively in this capacity. One of the disadvantages of dogs lies in the fact that these animals, like humans, may get bored and lose interest. Other problems may also result from the emotional relationship between a dog and its owner. Insects, on the other hand, remain relatively free of these emotional attachments and, at the same time, possess biological detection mechanisms that are at least as effective as those of mammals.

  

 

3. Insects have olfactory systems that are very similar to those of vertebrates, detecting odors via finger-like protuberances on the antenna, called olfactory sensilla. The odorant molecule passes through pores in the outer cuticle of the sensillum and becomes attached to an odorant binding protein. This protein carries the hydrophobic ligand through the lymph fluid found inside the cell and attaches it to a receptor on the dendritic projections of a sensory nerve cell. cell . Finally, Finally, this receptor sends a signal to the central nervous system, allowing for easy detection by researchers.

    

The position of the insect inse ct olfactory organs on the surface of its body allows for direct investigation of the system’s response. A technique developed by German biologist Dietrich Schneider in the 1950s became the first method that enabled researchers to record the activity in insect olfactory nerves and identify the compounds that trigger a behavioral response. The recent developments in this direction suggest that the detection mechanisms of insects are likely to be applied app lied in practice in the near future. 1.   





4.

    

Which Which of the the follo followin wing g state statemen ments ts can can be most most reasonably inferred from the passage above? Some Some poli police ce depa depart rtme ment ntss hav have e alrea already dy test tested ed usin using g insects to detect smuggling. The The use use of of dogs dogs to detec detectt smug smuggli gling ng dates dates bac back k to to the nineteenth century. Detec Detecti tion on of sig signal nalss se sent nt by the the rec recept eptors ors to the the central nervous system is easier in insects than in mammals. In the the fir first st hal halff of the the twen twentie tieth th centu century ry,, ther there e was was no reliable method for recording the activity in insect olfactory nerves and identifying the compounds that trigger a behavioral response. The positi position on of of the the inse insect ct olfact olfactory ory organs organs on its its body body varies between flying insects and crawling insects.

5.     

21

Which Which of the the followi following ng most most accur accuratel ately y descri describes bes the the primary purpose of the passage? To advoc advocat ate e a wide widerr use use for the the biolo biologi gica call detec detecti tion on mechanisms of dogs and other mammals. To desc describ ribe e possi possible ble disa disadv dvan anta tages ges invo involv lved ed in in the the use of dogs’ biological detection mechanisms. mechanisms. To desc descri ribe be biol biologi ogica call dete detect ctio ion n mech mechani anisms sms of  insects and suggest that they may provide a viable alternative to those of mammals. To disc discuss uss the the proc process ess u used sed by ins insect ectss to detec detectt odors. To discu discuss ss the the met metho hods ds use used d by biol biologi ogists sts to exp explo lore re insects’ olfactory organs. It can can be inferr inferred ed from from the the passag passage e that that dogs dogs could could be used more effectively in de tecting drugs if which of the following were true? They They coul could d last last witho without ut food food for for lon longer ger perio periods ds of  of  time. They They cou could ld visu visuall ally y reco recogni gnize ze the drug drugss they they are are supposed to detect. They They coul could d not not only only sm smell ell but also also tast taste e the the drugs drugs they are asked to detect. They They coul could d use fin finger ger-li -like ke protu protube bera ranc nces es for for detec detecti ting ng odors. They They could could not not deve develop lop emoti emotiona onall rela relatio tionsh nship ipss with with people. Which Which of the the followi following ng best best descri describes bes the the auth author’s or’s attitude towards the prospects of using insects’  biological detection systems in practice? Moder oderat atel ely y opt optimistic stic Completely neutral Highly doubtful Lar Largely ely uninter terested sted Mildly pe pessimistic Accordin According g to the passage, passage, which which of of the the follow following ing roles roles is played by an odorant binding protein? It sen sends ds a signa signall to the the cent centra rall nerv nervou ouss syste system. m. It carrie carriess the the hydr hydroph ophobi obicc liga ligand nd throu through gh the the lymp lymph h fluid and attaches atta ches it to a receptor. receptor. It pas passes ses thr throu ough gh pores pores in in the the out outer er cutic cuticle le of of the the sensillum. It pic picks ks up up the the signa signall from from the the olfa olfact ctor ory y sensi sensilla lla.. It tra transm nsmit itss odors odors via finge fingerr-lik like e protu protube beran rance cess on the antenna.

Passage 20

In the 1950s, reading was taught to young children primarily through the use of simple primers depicting the middle-class non-adventures of “Dick and Jane .” .” Rudolph Fletch’s bestselling 1955 book Why Johnny Can’t Read  attacked these primers, calling them “horrible, stupid, insipid, … tasteless little readers” rea ders” and asserting that such boring stories gave no incentive for children to read on their own and learn to “sound out” each word phonetically. phonet ically. Fletch also bemoaned bemoa ned the fact that there was not a single book in bookstores that first and second graders could read by themselves. In response, a publisher commissioned Theodore Geisel, Dr. who wrote children’s books under the pen name “ Dr. Seuss ,” to write a book that tha t “a first grader g rader can’t put down down..”  Geisel was given a list l ist of a few hundred words considered important and asked to make a b ook out of them. Nine months later, Geisel, using only 220 different words, delivered The Cat in the Hat , a whimsical story about two bored children left at home with their talk ing fish who are suddenly visited by a havoc-creating six-foot-tall talking cat. In addition, Geisel wrote the entire book in a rhyming verse, making it fun to read aloud. The Cat in the Hat was a tremendous success and vaulted Geisel into instant celebrity. Another Another publisher bet Geisel that he could not write an entire book using only 50 different words. Geisel won the bet by publishing the classic Green Eggs and Ham .

The main function of the first paragraph is  to int introd roduc uce e Fletch Fletch’s ’s appr approa oach ch to to writ writing ing child children ren’s ’s books  to descr describ ibe e the the “Di “Dick ck and and Jane” Jane” pri prime mers rs used used in in mos mostt school  to advoc advocate ate the the incr increas ease e of child children ren’s ’s books books in in bookstores  to est establ ablish ish the the premi premise se tha thatt the the statu statuss quo quo in the the early 1950s was not satisfactory for teaching children how to read  to pra praiise Fle Flettch’s 1955 1955 boo book Why Johnny Can’t Read  The author provides a brief synopsis of the plot of The Cat in the Hat primarily in order to  intro introdu duce ce the the rea reader der to the the variou variouss cha charac racter terss in the the book   contra contrast st the the story story of of The The Cat Cat in in the the Hat Hat with with those those of  the “boring” primers of the era  demo demons nstra trate te how how bizar bizarre re the the plot plot of the the book book is is  asser assertt that that talki talking ng cats cats and and fis fish h exist exist  warn warn paren parents ts tha thatt leavi leaving ng child children ren home home alone alone can can be dangerous The primary purpose of this passage is to  descr describe ibe how how Geise Geisell cha chang nged ed the the child childre ren’s n’s book  book  industry  supp suppor ortt the the conc conclu lusi sion onss of Flet Fletch ch  compar compare e and and con contra trast st the the philoso philosoph phies ies of Fletch Fletch and Geisel  dem demonst onstra rate te th the popu popular larit ity y of Gei Geise sel’l’ss book bookss  summar summarize ize the the state state of the the chil childre dren’s n’s book book indus industr try y

The Dr. Dr. Seuss books revolutionized the children’s book  industry industry by proving that that it was possible to create engaging books with a limited vocabulary. Geisel has been credited with killing off “ Dick and Jane ,” replacing them with clever rhymes, plot twists and rebellious heroes who do the unexpected. Now one in four American children receives a Dr. Seuss title as his or her first book.

22

Passage 21

3.

Commonplace items sometimes play surpris ing roles in world development. For example, though most people today associate nutmeg with simple baked goods, this common spice once altered alt ered the course of political poli tical history. For centuries, the nutmeg tree grew only in the Banda Islands, a small chain in the southwest Pacific. Locals harvested the aromatic nuts of the tree and sold them to traders. Eventually these nuts, from which the spice is made, ended up as a luxury item in the European market, via Venetian spice merchants. Eager to establish a monopoly over this valuable spice, the Dutch attacked the Bandas, subjugating the native people in a mostly successful successf ul attempt to control the nutmeg trade.

     4.   

However, However, one island isla nd in the Banda chain remained re mained in the hands of the British and was the object of m uch conflict between the Netherlands and England. After many battles, the British offered to cede control of the island in exchange for New Amsterdam, a Dutch outpost on the east coast of  North America. At the time, the Dutch, inveterate traders, were more interested in the spice trade than in the mercantile value of New Amsterdam Amste rdam and so accepted the offer. offer. In 1667, the Treaty Treaty of Breda Bre da gave the Dutch complete com plete control of the Banda Islands, and thus of the nutmeg trade, and gave the British New Amsterdam, Amsterd am, which they promptly renamed New York. 1.     

2.

    

The The second second para paragra graph ph per perfor forms ms which which of of the following functions in the passage? It offer offerss spec specifi ificc info inform rmat ation ion to com comple plete te the the logic logic of  the author’s claims. It sum summa mari rizes zes and and evalu evaluat ates es the the evi evide denc nce e give given n thus thus far. It pre presen sents ts the the autho author’ r’ss main main poin pointt to to expla explain in a uniq unique ue situation. It cites cites a partic particul ular ar case case to to demo demonst nstra rate te the the importance of historical change. It dis discus cusses ses the the nece necessa ssary ry out outcom come e of of the the aut author hor’s ’s assertions. Which Which of the follo followin wing, g, if true, true, most strength strengthens ens the the claim that New Amsterdam would have remained a Dutch possession if not for the conflict over nutmeg? Attem Attempt ptss to cult cultiva ivate te nut nutmeg meg trees trees outs outside ide of the the Banda Islands had failed. Few Few peop people le lived lived in New Amste Amsterda rdam m bef befor ore e it it was was ceded to the British. The Britis British h contro controlle lled d trad trade e in other other valuabl valuable e spic spices, es, such as cloves. New New Ams Amster terda dam m serve served d as a trad trading ing cent center er for for fur furss exported to Europe. The The Neth Netherl erlan ands ds contro controlle lled d no no North North Ameri American can territories other than New Amsterdam.

23

 

5.     

Which Which of of the followi following ng is is mention mentioned ed in the the passage passage as a reason for the initial interest of the Netherlands in the Banda Islands? Increa Increase sed d econ econom omic ic compe competit titio ion n with with Brita Britain in Disap Disappoi point ntmen mentt with with the the econ economi omicc devel developm opmen entt of  New Amsterdam Frustr Frustrati ation on with with the practi practices ces of Vene enetian tian spice spice merchants Failure ailure to cult cultiv ivate ate nutme nutmeg g in in othe otherr loca locatio tions ns Desi Desire re to to res restr tric ictt acce access ss to to a com commo modi dity ty The passag passage e suggest suggestss which which of the the follow following ing abou aboutt the Banda Islands? The Britis British h arr arrived ived in the the islan islands ds before before the the Dutc Dutch. h. Nutmeg Nutmeg was was the the only only spice spice that that grew grew on on the the island islands. s. Native Nativess of of the the isla islands nds produc produced ed nutm nutmeg eg from from the the nut nutss of the nutmeg tree. The The Banda Banda Islan Islands ds are are sti still ll in in the the pos posses sessio sion n of of the the Dutch. The The local local econ economy omy of the the islan islands ds depe depend nded ed completely on nutmeg. In the the passag passage, e, the aut author hor is is primar primarily ily inter interest ested ed in trac tracin ing g the the hist histor ory y of of a ma majo jorr cit city y disc discus ussin sing g the the role role of of spic spices es in worl world d deve develo lopm pmen entt offeri offering ng a spec specifi ificc exam example ple to suppor supportt a gene general ral claim claim argui arguing ng for for con contin tinued ued res resear earch ch into into politi political cal hist history ory prese present nting ing an innov innovat ative ive view view of of a comm common onpla place ce item item

Passage 22

1.

The movement for women’s rights traces its origin to the first half of the nineteenth century. The Seneca Falls Convention, held in Seneca Falls, New York in July of 1848, is commonly regarded as the beginning of the women’s rights movement in the United States. This conference was preceded by a series of ground-breaking events that made possible this seminal milestone in the history of   American women.

    

The idea for the convention emerged during the 1840 World Anti-Slavery Convention in London, a conference that precluded its female delegates from participation in discussions. Lucretia Mott, a famous women’s rights activist, wrote in her diary that calling the 1840 convention a “world” convention “was a mere poetical license. licens e.”” She had accompanied her husband to London but had to sit behind a partition with other women activists, including Elizabeth Elizabe th Cady Stanton, who later became one of the main forces behind the Seneca Falls Convention.

2.    

During the early 1840s, Elizabeth E lizabeth Cady Stanton composed the Declaration of Sentiments, a document modeled after the Declaration of Independence, declaring the rights of  women. At the time of its composition, the Declaration of  Sentiments was so bold that when Elizabeth Stanton showed the draft to her husband, he stated that if she read it at the Seneca Falls Convention, he would have to leave town. The Declaration contained several new resolutions. It proclaimed that all men and women are born equal and stated that no man could withhold a woman’s rights, take her property, or preclude her from the right to vote. This Declaration also became the foundation for the Seneca Falls Falls Convention. Conv ention.

 3.   



 On July 19-20, 1848, the Seneca Falls Convention brought together 240 delegates between ages 22 and 60, including forty men, who spent the two days at the conference debating, refining and voting on the Declaration of  Sentiments. Most of the declaration’s resolutions res olutions received unanimous support and were officially endorsed. Later in 1848, the Seneca Falls convention was followed by an even larger larg er meeting in i n Rochester, Rochester, New York. Thereafter Thereaf ter,, national women’s conventions were held annually, contributing to the growing momentum in the movement for women’s rights.

4. 

 





24

Which Which of of the the follo followin wing g best best descr describe ibess the the main purpose of the passage above? To compa compare re the the origi origin n of of the the wom women en’s ’s righ rights ts movement with the current-day situation. To supp support ort furt further her expan expansio sion n of wome women’ n’ss right rightss in the United States. To critic criticiz ize e the nin ninete eteen enth th-c -cent entur ury y restri restrict ctio ions ns on women’s rights. To expl explain ain the the reas reason onss for for the the oppo opposit sition ion to the the Seneca Falls Convention. To discu discuss ss the origin origin of the the women’ women’ss right rightss movem movement ent.. The passage passage provid provides es informa information tion about about each each of the following, EXCEPT the the days days on on whic which h the the Sen Senec eca a Fall Fallss Conv Conven enti tion on was was held the the mont month h in whic which h the the con conven venti tion on in Roche Rocheste sterr was was held the the year year in whi which ch the the World World Ant Anti-S i-Slav lavery ery Conve Convent ntion ion was held the the numb number er of of cand candida idate tess parti partici cipa patin ting g in the the Sene Seneca ca Falls Convention the the loca locatio tion n of of the the World World Ant Anti-S i-Slav laver ery y Conve Convent ntion ion The second second paragr paragraph aph of the the passage passage plays plays which which of  the following roles? Provide Providess deta details ils about about the the Declar Declaratio ation n of Sentim Sentiment ents. s. Discu Discusse ssess the the even events ts lead leading ing to to the the Worl World d Anti Anti-S -Sla laver very y Convention. Descr Describ ibes es the the posi positi tion on of Luc Lucre retia tia Mott’ Mott’ss husba husband nd towards her attendance of the World Anti-Slavery Convention. Demo Demons nstr trat ates es how how the the Wor World ld Ant Anti-S i-Slav laver ery y Conve Convent ntion ion may have contributed to the momentum behind the movement for women’s rights. Expla Explain inss the the reaso reasons ns for the the limit limited ed par partic ticipa ipati tion on of  of  women in the World Anti-Slavery Anti-Slave ry Convention. Which Which of of the the followi following ng can be most most reas reasona onably bly inferred from the passage? Most Most of of the the del delega egates tes of of the the Sen Senec eca a Fal Falls ls Conv Conven enti tion on subsequently attended the 1848 convention in Rochester Rochest er,, New York. The The Decl Declar arati ation on of Sent Sentim iment entss stat stated ed that that women women must not be confined to housekeeping occupations. occupati ons. The Seneca Seneca Falls Falls Conven Conventio tion n gath gather ered ed mor more e than than 190 women, none of whom were younger than 20 years old. The The husba husband nd of Eliza Elizabet beth h Cady Cady Stan Stanto ton n left left town town afte afterr she read the Declaration of Sentiments at the Seneca Falls Convention. Most Most deleg delegat ates es at at the the 1840 1840 Wor World ld AntiAnti-Sla Slave very ry Convention were men.

Passage 23

1.

One often hears that biographies are autobiographies, that the biographer is always writing about himself. On the contrary, contrary, serious biographers seek s eek and welcome the unfamiliar, however troublesome to account for. Ron Chernow, the author of rich biographies of the American businessmen J.P. J.P. Morgan and John D. Rockefeller, Rockefeller, remarks that biographers “like to stub their toes on hard, uncomfortable uncomfortab le facts strewn in their paths.” Such encounters with the unaccountable unaccountable are opportunities for breaking out and breaking through, in new directions, to fresh understanding.

    

One also often hears that biographers must like their subjects. That would of course rule out such vastly important subjects as Hitler or Stalin. In practice, the biographer must like lik e the subject not as a person but as a subject. Some are good subjects for the author, some bad. And what makes one subject better bet ter than another for any particular biographer varies dramatically. Some of  the reasons are purely practical. Does the subject need a biography? Are the materials available? avail able? How much time is needed? A biographer’s knowledge and ability also determine the choice. Great scientists are great subjects, but can one write about their achievements with insight and authority? Personal idiosyncrasies matter, too. Biographers tend to be attracted to subjects who display particular personality traits, whether they be ambition, cruelty, ingenuity, or any other characteristic that separates a potential subject from the multitudes.

2.      3.     

In choosing a subject, the biographer’s main question should be, “Can an effective book be made out of this person’s life?” Day after day for years, the biographer will try to untangle chronology, compress relationships without distorting them, and keep the main narrative clear while carrying forward several intricate strands of the subject’s life. What pushes most biographers on in this endeavor is not necessarily affection affectio n for the subject but the feeling that they are writing a good book.

25

It can can be infe inferre rred d that that the the author author makes makes which which of of the following assumptions about biographies? Their Their main main pur purpo pose se is is to infor inform m rea reader derss abou aboutt key key aspects of the subjects’ personalities. Only Only subj subject ectss who who share share trait traitss with with biogr biograph aphers ers make make good subjects for biographies. Compel Compellin ling g biog biograp raphie hiess cann cannot ot be writ written ten abou aboutt ordinary citizens. The The biogra biograph pher er’s ’s cre credib dibil ility ity with with rea reade ders rs is a fact factor or in the critical success of a biography. Pract Practic ical al cons conside iderat ratio ions ns are are most most impo import rtant ant in the the selection of a subject for a biography. biography. The autho authorr is primari primarily ly conc concern erned ed with with persua persuadin ding g biog biogra raph phers ers to chan change ge their their me meth thods ods refu refuti ting ng some some commo common n bel belief iefss abou aboutt a part partic icul ular ar literary genre arguin arguing g agai agains nstt cont contin inue ued d refo reform rm of of a histo historic rical al endeavor refu refuti ting ng an an outd outdate ated d theo theory ry of a parti particu cula larr litera literary ry genre descri describin bing g the the workin working g method methodss of of cert certain ain author authorss The author author mention mentionss Ron Cherno Chernow w most most proba probably bly in order to provi provide de a coun counte terex rexam ample ple to a gener general al clai claim m abou aboutt biography illus illustr trat ate e a ques questio tiona nable ble ass asser ertio tion n rega regard rdin ing g biography esta establ blish ish a fav favor orab able le comp compar ariso ison n with with an an estab establilish shed ed biographer under undersc score ore the the impo importa rtanc nce e of of res resear earch ch in biogra biograph phy y chal challen lenge ge a new new appr approa oach ch to biog biogra raph phy y

Passage 24

1.

 As Internet marketing has matured, it has driven two trends: a narrower focus on pitching specific consumer groups and a more robust effort to measure the outcomes of marketing campaigns. In the pre-Internet world, advertisers were content to pay for television commercials whose audience was relatively broad and whose effect was not easily quantifiable. While Whil e a company might use viewership ratings to get general data dat a about the size and demographics of the audience for its commercials, there was no way to measure the extent to which these commercials translated into actual sales.

     2.

In contrast, many companies are now moving their marketing dollars away from traditional advertising outlets towards Internet-based campaigns campaign s that can target specific consumer groups and quantify the return re turn on marketing investments. For example, pay-per-click search engines allow companies to pay for small text advertisements that are displayed only when users search se arch for specific words relevant to the products and services sold by that company.  A company is charged only when a consumer clicks on the ad and is directed to the company’s website, thereby ensuring that the company’s advertising dollars are spent capturing consumers that demonstrate some interest in its offerings. Further, using sophisticated web-analytic technology, companies can track a consumer’s online behavior and determine the exact amount of any online purchases made.



 





Though hailed as more cost-effective, cost-effective , Internet advertising has its limits. Proponents of print media argue that newspaper ads more effectively promote brand awareness and thereby provide provid e better value. Furthe Furtherr, fraud, intense competition, and the rise of ancillary services—such as firms that companies must hire to navigate complex webtracking tools—render Internet marketing more costly than some companies realize.

3.

    

4.     

26

Each of the the follow following ing can can be be infer inferred red from from the the passage as a possible consequence of the rise of  Internet marketing EXCEPT a decr decreas ease e in the the per percen centa tage ge of of mark marketi eting ng dol dollar larss spent on television television advertising adverti sing an incr increa eased sed em empha phasi siss on measur measurin ing g the the spec specifi ificc outcomes of ad campaigns the the appea appeara ranc nce e of of new new mar market ketin ingg-re relat lated ed ser servic vice e firms a dec decre rease ased d emp empha hasis sis on “bran “brand d awar awaren eness ess”” as as a major marketing goal the the emerg emergen ence ce of of “pay “pay-p -per er-c -clic lick” k” sear search ch eng engin ines es The author author of the the passag passage e would would be be most most likely likely to to agree with which of the following statements? Compan Companies ies should should invest invest their their marketi marketing ng dollars dollars only only in campaigns that can target very specific consumer groups. Tradit radition ional al adver advertisi tising ng outle outlets ts are usually usually not not wort worth h the cost for large companies. Compa Compani nies es can can sig signif nific icant antly ly dec decrea rease se their their overa overall ll marketing expenditures by shifting to the use of payper-click search engines. For For comp compan anies ies that that place place a prem premiu ium m on on preci precisel sely y measuring the return on their advertising inves investment, tment, Internet ads will likely be more effective than traditional outlets. Cont Contra rary ry to popu popular lar belief belief,, advert advertisi ising ng in tra tradit dition ional al outlets is actually less expensive than advertising on the Internet. Which Which of the the followi following ng can can be be inferr inferred ed from from the the passage about the use of pay-per-click search engines ads? Most Most con consum sumers ers that that res respon pond d to to thes these e ads trans translat late e directly into paying customers. Compa Companie niess will will incur incur relat relativel ively y littl little e cost cost for for ads ads that that attract minimal interest from consumers. Compa Compani nies es with with the the most most impre impressi ssive ve websit websites es will will draw the most attention to their ads. Comp Compan anie iess with with the the best best bran brands ds ben benef efit it the the most most from from the ads. Compa Compani nies es that that use use the these se ads alway alwayss have have webwebanalytic technology on their websites. The third third paragra paragraph ph of of the the passa passage ge serv serves es to point point out out possib possible le disadv disadvan antag tages es of Inter Interne nett advertising demo demonst nstra rate te the the cost cost-e -effe ffect ctiv iven eness ess of of Inter Interne nett advertising argu argue e aga again inst st prop propon onen ents ts of prin printt med media ia prov provide ide furt furthe herr detai detaill on on the the speci specific fic exampl example e mentioned in the second paragraph contra contrast st newspa newspaper per ads with with tele televisi vision on commer commerci cials als

Passage 25

1.

Before the age of space exploration, the size and composition of the moon’s core were astronomical mysteries. Astronomers assumed that the moon’s core was smaller than that of the Earth, in both relative and absolute terms — the radius of the Earth’s core is 55 percent of the overall radius of the Earth Ear th and the core’s mass is 32 percent of the Earth’s overall mass — but they they had no way to verify their assumption. However, data gathered by Lunar Prospector have now given astronomers the ability to determine that the moon’s core accounts for 20 percent of the moon’s radius and for f or a mere 2 percent of its overall mass.

 







The data have been used in two ways. In the first method, scientists measured meas ured minute variations in radio signals from Lunar Prospector as the craft moved towards or away from the Earth. These variations allowed scientists to detect even the slightest changes in the craft’s velocity veloci ty while the craft orbited the moon. These changes resulted from inconsistency in the gravitational pull of the moon on the craft, and permitted scientists to create a “gravity map” of both near and far sides of the moon. T his map, in turn, revealed to scientists the distribution di stribution of the moon’s internal mass. Scientists were then able abl e to determine that the moon has a small, metallic core, which, if composed mostly of iron, has a radius of approximately 350 kilometers. The second method involved examining the faint magnetic field generated within t he moon itself by the moon’s monthly passage through the tail of the Earth’s magnetosphere. This approach confirmed the results obtained through examination of the gravity map.

2.      3.   

The size and composition of the moon’s core are not academic concerns; they have serious implications for our understanding of the moon’s origins. For example, if the moon and Earth developed as distinct entities, the sizes of their cores should be more comparable. In actuality, it seems that the moon was once part of the Earth and broke away at an early stage in the Earth’s evolution, perhaps as the result of a major asteroid impact. The impact could have loosened loose ned iron that had not already sunk  to the core of the Earth, allowing all owing it to form the core around aro und which the moon eventually coalesced. coales ced.

 

4. 

 





27

The primary primary purpose purpose of the the passag passage e is is best best express expressed ed as The The auth author or disc discuss usses es the the meth method od of of data data uti utili lizat zatio ion n that proved that the moon was once part p art of the earth. The author author discu discusse ssess the the meth method odss of data data util utilizat ization ion that changed scientists’ opinions about the relative sizes of the earth’s and moon’s cores. The The passa passage ge stud studies ies the the meth method od tha that, t, using using data data about radii and core mass, led to important implications implicati ons about the origin of the planets. The passag passage e stud studies ies the the use use of scien scienti tific fic me metho thods ds to to analyze data and confirm a hypothesis and references possible deductions. The The passag passage e disc discus usses ses the the imp implic licati ation onss follo followin wing g from from the size of the Earth’s core. Accord According ing to the the passage passage,, scient scientist istss employed employed one one research method that measured chang changes es in a spacec spacecraf raft’ t’ss velo velocit city y as it it retu return rned ed to to Earth chan changes ges in in the the grav gravit itat atio iona nall pull pull on on the the Luna Lunarr Prospector as it orbited the moon chang changes es in the the moon moon’s ’s grav gravity ity as it it orb orbite ited d the the eart earth h chang changes es in in a spac spacecr ecraf aft’s t’s radio radio signals signals as it it cha change nged d position relative to the earth chang changes es in in the moon’s moon’s gravit gravitati ation onal al pull pull over over time time The aut author hor mention mentioned ed “gravi “gravity ty map” map” in the second second paragraph in order to illu illust stra rate te the the met metho hod d used used to cor corre rect ct the the Lun Lunar ar Prospector’s velocity confir confirm m the the res resul ults ts obta obtaine ined d by exami examinin ning g the the moo moon’s n’s magnetic field detai detaill a step step in the the invest investig igati ation on of the the comp compos ositi ition on of a specific orbiting body detai detaill a step step in the the inv invest estig igati ation on of of the effec effects ts of  of  gravity on the moon and earth expla explain in a step step in in the the proc process ess of con confir firmin ming g a new new hypothesis and discarding an older theory It can can be infe inferre rred d from from the passage passage that that the the earth earth’s ’s cor core e cont contri ribu butes tes a hig higher her propo proporti rtion on of  of  both the earth’s total radius and its total mass than the core of the moon contributes to its own total radius and mass a comp compar aris ison on of of the the ear earth th’s ’s and and moon’ moon’ss core coress suggests that the earth did break away a way from the moon scien scienti tists sts will will even eventu tual ally ly be be able able to to use use the the gra gravit vity y map to further the proof that a major asteroid i mpact caused the earth and moon to separate becau because se the the ear earth th and and moon moon wer were e once once joi joined ned,, it is probable that scientists will eventually discover fossils and other evidence on the moon that indicates that a major asteroid impact caused the exti nction of the dinosaurs the the moo moon’s n’s core core has has a high higher er ratio ratio of iron iron in in its its composition compositi on than does the earth’s

Passage 26

1.

New research by Paul Fildes and K. Whitaker challenges the theory that strains of bacteria can be “trained” to mutate by withholding a metabolite necessary for their regular function. In particular, particular, they consider the case of  bacteria typhosum, which needs tryptophan in order to reproduce. reproduce. Earlier E arlier researchers had grown the bacteria in a medium somewhat deficient in tryptophan tryptop han and observed the growth of mutant strains of the bacteria which did not need tryptophan in order to reproduce.

  

Fildes and Whitaker argue that the withholding of  tryptophan did not induce these mutant strains of bacteria. bacte ria. Rather, Rather, these mutants were already alread y present in the original sample of bacteria typhosum, albeit in a concentration too small to detect. In experimenting with the bacteria grown in agar cultures, they found that by plating out huge quantities of the bacteria, one could l ocate mutant strains. Because of the possibility that the lack of uniformity of the agar cultures had in fact trained mutant strains, they conducted similar experiments with wi th liquid cultures and again found that mutant strains of the bacteria were present in the original sampling. From these experiments, Fildes and Whitaker conclude that the mutants are of  genetic origin and are not induced by environmental training. They asserted that the concentration of  tryptophan is unrelated to the appearance of these mutants in the bacteria.

  2.

    

3.   

To confirm these results, Fildes and Whitaker used an innovative plating technique using pile fabrics, such as velvet or velveteen, to accurately accurate ly imprint the growth found on an original agar plate to a series of replica agar plates. The process entails taking the original agar plate, inverting it onto the velvet while using light finger pressure to transfer growth, and then imprinting the fabric, with its pattern of growth, on the new agar plates. By using this replica plating method, Fildes and Whitaker W hitaker demonstrated demonstrated that the mutants were in fact genetically present or preadapted, as the locations of the mutant strains of  bacteria on the replica plates were identical to the locations of the mutant strains on the original agar plate.

 

28

Acco Accord rding ing to to the passag passage, e, Fildes Fildes and and Whit Whitake akerr conducted the experiment with liquid culture because agar agar cult cultur ure e cont contai aine ned d tryp trypto toph phan an liqu liquid id cultu culture re allow allowed ed for for easie easierr plat platin ing g agar agar cul cultu ture re cou could ld not not supp suppor ortt a suff suffici icien ently tly large large number of bacteria liqu liquid id cul cultu ture re off offer ered ed a mor more e cons consist isten entt medi medium um agar agar cult cultur ure e did did not not adhe adhere re well well to pile pile fabr fabric ic It can can be be inferr inferred ed from from the passage passage that that the the repli replica ca plating method is effective effectiv e for which of the following reasons? It allo allows ws rese resear arch cher erss to dete determ rmin ine e the the rela relati tive ve sizes sizes of different populations of bacteria. It sho shows ws that that no new new mut mutan antt stra strain inss devel develope oped d afte afterr transfer from the original agar plate. It eli elimin minate atess the the poss possibi ibilility ty that that the the aga agarr cultu culture re was was contaminated contaminated by a different type of bacteria. It dem demon onst stra rates tes tha thatt no no tryp trypto toph phan an was pres presen entt in the original agar culture. It establi establishe shess that that the origin original al agar agar cultu culture re contain contained ed the necessary metabolites for bacterial reproduction. Which Which of the the followi following ng most most accu accurat rately ely states states the the purpose of the passage? To defen defend d a scien scienti tific fic hypot hypothes hesis is fro from m atta attack ck by by an innovative technique technique To descr describe ibe a proc process ess b by y whic which h bact bacter eria ia can can be be trai traine ned d to mutate To prese present nt the the resu result ltss of an an expe experi rime ment nt des desig igne ned d to test an established theory To argue argue again against st an an esta establi blish shed ed prot protoc ocol ol on on the the grounds grounds that it is outdated To chall challen enge ge a sci scien entif tific ic tec techn hniq ique ue used used to pro prove ve a questionable theory

Passage 27

2.

When they first arrived in America as slaves in the 1600s,  Africans joined a society that was divided between master and white servants brought from Europe. In most parts of the South, some of these first African slaves became free either through escape or through emancipation by their owners. It is therefore a misconception that all African  Americans in the pre-Civil War South were slaves. Many researchers have also assumed that these free African  Americans were the offspring of white slave owners who took advantage of their female slaves. However, these cases represent only a small minority of free African  Americans in the South. Most free African Americans were actually the descendants of African American men and white servant women.

     3.

 

In fact, despite the efforts of the various colonial legislatures, white servant women continued to bear children by African American fathers through the late seventeenth century and well into the eighteenth century. century. It appears that such births were the primary source of  the increase in the free African American population for this period. Over two hundred African American families in Virginia descended from white women. Forty-six families descended from freed slaves, slaves , twenty-nine from Indians, and sixteen s ixteen from white men who married or had children by free African American women. It is likely that the majority of the remaining families descended from white women since they first appear in i n court records in the mid-eighteenth century, century, when slaves could not be freed without legislative approval, and there is no record of  legislative approval for their emancipations. emancipations.

  

1.

The auth author or of of the passa passage ge is prima primarily rily int intere erested sted in in defend defending ing an acce accepte pted d posi positio tion n on on col coloni onial al hist history ory analyzi analyzing ng an an unpro unproven ven hypot hypothes hesis is reg regard arding ing slaver slavery y pres presen enti ting ng an alte altern rnat ate e view view of a hist histor orica icall peri period od criti critiqui quing ng an an outd outdate ated d the theory ory of of colon colonial ial develo developm pment ent descri describi bing ng the culmi culminat natio ion n of a hist histori orica call tren trend. d.

5.

Accordi According ng to to the passage, passage, which which of the the followi following ng is is a difference between free African Americans in colonial New York and New Jersey and free African Afric an Americans in the colonial South? Those Those in New New York ork and and New New Jerse Jersey y were were prima primaril rily y descended from freed slaves while those in the South were primarily descended from white women. Those Those in New New York ork and and New New Jerse Jersey y were were prima primaril rily y descended from white women while those in the South were primarily descended from freed slaves Both Both group groupss of Afric African an Ameri American canss were were prima primaril rily y descended from freed slaves, but those in the North had been freed earlier earl ier.. Both Both group groupss of Afric African an Ameri American canss were were prima primaril rily y descended from freed slaves, slaves , but those in the South South had been freed earlier earl ier.. Those Those in in the the South South cou could ld be be freed freed only only with with leg legisl islati ative ve permission.

 

  









Which Which of the the follow following ing can be inferr inferred ed from from the the passage? No fre free e Afri African can Ameri American canss in the the Ameri America can n col coloni onies es were the offspring of white slave owners. Some Some colo coloni nial al legi legisla slatu ture ress passe passed d laws laws to pre preven ventt interbreeding between white colonists and African  Americans. White White ser servan vants ts were were not not as nume numerou rouss as as Afric African an  American slaves in early America. Most Most Afr Africa ican n Amer Americ ican anss in the the Sou South th wer were e born born into into slavery. Recor Records ds exis existt to to docum documen entt all all birth birthss of of free free Afr Africa ican n  Americans in colonial America. 29

The passag passage e suggest suggestss which which of the the follow following ing abou aboutt  African American families in i n colonial New York and New Jersey? They They wer were e not not desc descen ende ded d from from whi white te ser servan vantt wome women n and African American men. They They were were less less num numer erou ouss than than Afric African an Amer America ican n families in the colonial South. Most Most of of the them m were were star starte ted d betw betwee een n 164 1644 4 and and 1664 1664.. They They bega began n with with an init initial ial gro group up of of fourt fourtee een n famil familie ies. s. Some Some of of the them m may may hav have e desc descen ende ded d fro from m whi white te servant women.

4.     

 The history of free African Americans families in colonial New York and New Jersey, by contrast, is quite different from that of free African Americans in the South. Most were descended from slaves freed by the Dutch West India Company between 1644 and 1664 or by indi vidual owners. Researchers have studied these families, especially especiall y a group of fourteen families that scholars have traced through at least three generations. None of the fourteen families appears to be descended des cended from a white servant woman and an African American man. However, However, Lutheran church records from the eighteenth century show that a few such couples had children baptized.

The passag passage e suggest suggestss which which of the the follow following ing abou aboutt  African American slaves in the late 1700s? They They coul could d not not own land land with without out consen consentt of of loca locall whit white e landowners. They They wer were e barr barred ed fro from m prac practi tici cing ng cer certai tain n trad trades. es. They They coul could d buy buy the their ir fre freed edom om fro from m the their ir own owner ers. s. They They some someti times mes had child childre ren n wit with h whi white te women women even even while enslaved. Ther There e were were non none e in col colon onial ial New New York York or New New Jers Jersey ey..

Passage 28

1.

The fall of the Berlin Wall represented a political victory of the free market against agains t a centrally planned economy. Though highly interventionist and dependent on international defense and industrial subsidy, West Germany was a model of economic expansion in the post-war era. East Germany, while while relatively successful in comparison comparis on with other Eastern Bloc nations, was far behind West Germany with regard to the buying power of its people. It It was hard to avoid obvious comparisons c omparisons such as the fact that 1 in 4 East Germans did not even have an indoor toilet. Western German authorities were therefore committed to rapid integration of the two Germanys without resorting to massive controls on internal migration, external capital controls, or continuation of a large state-owned state-o wned industrial sector sector..



    2. 

Other nations were already wary of a united Germany Germa ny.. France, a perpetual competitor, saw Germany’s size advantage increase overnight. In Gross Domestic Product (“GDP”) alone, an historical size advantage of 23% jumped to nearly 30%, with stronger growth promised when East Germany was fully integrated.

 

Within Germany, Germany, there should have been no doubt that integration would be costly. The question was whether the government was up to the task. task . In Italy, for example, the central government has invested tremendous resources in promoting the economy of its underperforming Southern region. In contrast, in the United States, the local population bears the burden of varying economic performance. For example, the American South is allowed to exist with much higher rates of poverty and lower education than the rest of the nation.

3.

Rather than allow East Germany to fall into i nto total disrepair, disrepair, with millions fleeing to the West and a long-term negative impact on national GDP growth, West German authorities decided to try to spend their way out of the crisis, creating almost overnight an infrastructure in East Germany to provide a standard of living comparable to that in West Germany. The goal was to take an under-performing country and raise it to “first world” standards in only a few years. This goal would have been preposterous had not West Germany possessed the resources to accomplish the task.



 

   

4.     

30

Accordi According ng to the the author author, which which of the the follow following ing is the the principal reason that German reunification could succeed? The The addit additio ional nal popul populati ation on from from Eas Eastt Ger German many y gave gave the reunified Germany an economic advantage over other European nations. Eastt Germ Eas Germany any had not not been been as impove impoveris rished hed as other other Eastern Bloc countries. West West Ger Germa many ny did did not not pla plan n to cont contro roll inte intern rnal al migration from East Eas t Germany. West West Germ German any y patt patter erne ned d its its eco econom nomic ic pla plan n aft after er a successful Italian model. West Germ German any y was a mate materi riall ally y stabl stable e coun countr try y. The author author mention mentionss the the United United States States most probably probably in order to argu argue e again against st a commo commonl nly y held held beli belief ef abou aboutt mark market et economies provid provide e an an exampl example e of a situ situati ation on seen seen as unde undesir sirabl able e sugge suggest st an an adva advant ntag ageou eouss solu solutio tion n to to an econo economi micc problem illus illustra trate te an econom economic ic princ principl iple e calle called d into into quest question ion demon demonstr strate ate the the posit positive ive cons consequ equenc ences es of econom economic ic freedom Which Which of of the the follow following ing best best describ describes es the the way way the the first paragraph functions in the context of the passage? A spec specif ific ic examp example le is prese present nted ed to to illu illustr strat ate e the the main main elements of a general economic theory. theory. Evide Evidence nce is pre presen sente ted d in suppor supportt of of a rev revisi ision on of a commonly held view. Inform Informati ation on that that is necessa necessary ry for under understa standi nding ng the the main argument of the passage is presented. pres ented. Quest Questio ions ns are raise raised d whi which ch are are answ answer ered ed in in subsequent paragraphs. A qua qualif lified ied view view of of the the aut autho hor’ r’ss main main point point is contrasted with a less specific view. The passage passage suggests suggests which which of of the the follo followin wing g about about the relationship between West Germany and a nd France? Hist Histor orica ically lly,, the the econ econom omy y of West West Ger Germa many ny had had been been more stable than that of France. The The Gross Gross Domes Domesti ticc Pro Produc ductt of West West Germ German any y had had always been greater than that of France. The The size size of West West Germ Germany any’s ’s pop popula ulati tion on gave gave it it an advantage over France in international international trade. Franc Fra nce e did did not view its econo economic mic positi position on relat relative ive to West Germany as immutable. West West Germ German any y plan planne ned d to use reunif reunificat ication ion to bols bolster ter its economic advantage over France.

Passage 29

1.

In April 1841, medical med ical missionary miss ionary Reverend Peter Parker, Parker, M.D., M.D., addressed a n enthusiastic audience gathered at a special meeting of the Boston Medical Association. His subject was “the condition and prospects of the hospitals of China.” China.” He described his own work at the hospital he had established in the foreign factory district outside the city walls of o f Canton where he offered free treatment for both rich and poor. poor. At P’u Ai I Yuan (Hospital (Hospita l of Universal Love, as it was known in Chinese) Parker and his colleagues used western surgical techniques as a means to facilitate religious conversion. conversion. Medicine, Medicine, Parker believed, could be the “handmaid of religious truth,” and he held regular religious services for his patients. While he had, at best, modest success attracting converts to Christianity, the hospital had fostered tremendous goodwill among the Chinese. It was a bright spot amid the gloomy period of Western-Chinese tension that led to the outbreak of the Opium Wars between Great Britain and China. Forced to flee Canton because of these rising hostilities, Parker returned to the United States to raise money and interest in his operations. In the spring of 1841, he spoke to many religious societies, a few medical bodies, bodi es, and even the United States Congress, C ongress, where he preached to members of the House and Senate and lobbied legislators on the need for diplomatic relations with China. In his talks, Parker described the state of medical and surgical knowledge—or, knowledge—or, rather, rather, scientific ignorance—in China. Despite the surgical feats of legendary ancient doctors such as Hua T’o of the third century A.D., A.D., surgery did not develop develo p to any great extent in China. Some accounts attribute this to Confucian precepts about ab out the integrity of  the body and proscriptions against any form of mutilation or dismemberment; others emphasize the pharmacological tendencies within traditional Chinese medicine and a preference for moxas and other caustic plasters. Whatever the cause, it was undoubtedly the case that Parker’s surgical practice tapped into i nto a huge unmet need.  Almost as soon as he opened his Ophthalmic Hospital in Canton, as it was known in English, he acquired a reputation as a surgeon of such skill that the hospital quickly became a general hospital. Parker and his small staff handled thousands of cases each year ye ar,, treating more than fifty thousand cases by the 1850s. His hospital became the model for other medical missions, missions , and Parker and his British colleagues formed the Medical Missionary Society of China to coordinate the efforts of all the western hospitals springing sp ringing up in the the trading ports of Asia. Parker earned his reputation performing operations to remove tumors and cataracts—forms of surgery with relatively good odds of success and ones that could be accomplished quickly, important in an era without anesthetics. Because Bec ause of the absence of surgery in China, a large number of  patients were afflicted with mature tumors (typically five to thirty-five years old) of a size seldom seen in Europe or the United States. Parker was able to help these patients in ways previously previousl y thought impossible in China. He has thus been credited with bringing Western medicine to the most populous country on Earth.



31

    2.      3.  

  

The auth author or ment mention ionss Hua T’o in in the the third third parag paragrap raph h most probably in order to under undersco score re the the need need for modern moderniza ization tion of ninete nineteent enth h century Chinese medicine trace trace the the hist histor ory y of impor importan tantt figu figures res in Chi Chines nese e medicine call call att atten entio tion n to to the the lack lack of lead leading ing physi physicia cians ns in in nineteenth century China celeb celebra rate te the the hist histor orica icall achi achieve eveme ment ntss of of Chine Chinese se physicians defe defend nd Chin Chines ese e medic medicin ine e agai agains nstt unfa unfair ir crit critic icism ism Accord According ing to the the passag passage, e, all all of the foll followin owing g are are true of Peter Parker EXCEPT He was was skil skille led d as a sur surgeon geon.. He beli believe eved d that that the the poor poor deser deserved ved qual qualit ity y medic medical al treatment. He felt disdai disdain n for for the the medi medical cal pract practices ices of ninete nineteent enth h century China. He lob lobbi bied ed int inten ense sely ly to to brin bring g West Wester ern n medi medica call knowledge to China. He did did not not achi achiev eve e his his missi mission onar ary y goal goalss in Chi China na.. The The prima primary ry pur purpo pose se of the the passag passage e is to discu discuss ss the the statu statuss of the the medi medica call prof professi ession on in Ch China before the arrival of Peter Parker argue argue that that Chin China a coul could d not not hav have e gain gained ed mode modern rn medical knowledge without the influence of Peter Parker demon demonstra strate te the the nee need d in China China before before the the nine ninetee teenth nth century for outside medical knowledge chal challen lenge ge the the pred predom omina inant nt view view of nine ninetee teent nth h centu century ry Chinese medicine exami examine ne the the circ circum umst stanc ances es of of the the intr introd oduc ucti tion on of  of  Western medicine to nineteenth century China

Passage 30

1.  

 A clone is a genetically identical copy of a living organism. Human clones are nothing new; they occur naturally in the recognizable form of identical twins. Not until the successful cloning of a sheep calle d Dolly, however, however, has the possibility of intentionally producing p roducing an identical copy of a human been considered cons idered seriously. seriously.

  

Production of a human clone would most likely likel y utilize the same basic methodology that resulted in Dolly. Dolly. A human egg would be retrieved from an individual, and its genetic material (DNA) would be removed and replaced with DNA  derived from any adult human cell type. This would bypass the need for fertilizati fertilization on of the egg by the sperm in order to obtain a full complement of DNA. In a laboratory dish, the egg would then undergo several cell divisions. Placed Pl aced into a uterus, the resulting embryo would wo uld grow and, with luck, develop until birth.

2.

  Although this cloning technique is conceptually and procedurally procedurally simple, its success rate has been extremely low. The birth of one Dolly, for instance, required the preparation of 277 re-nucleated eggs, followed by the implantation of 29 resulting best embryos. The low success rate can be attributed to the difference dif ference between the young DNA of a normally fertilized egg and the genetic material of the re-nucleated egg, which is mature and of defined destiny – it has already committed itself to a particular physiological role. In order for proper fetal development to occur, occur, mature DNA must be coaxed into reverting to its youthful state, a complex process that will be difficult to achieve for the human species.

3.

    

     4.   

Beyond the practical difficulties of intentional human cloning, scientists, politicians, and others have raised serious ethical concerns about this practice. For example, there is a chance that the cloning procedure would adversely affect the developing embryo. There also might be deleterious effects eff ects on the long-term health of the clone. Proponents of human cloning counter that human sexual reproduction is not a risk-free ri sk-free affair either. either. Even if human cloning could be made safe, the motivations behind producing human clones do not fall clearly on one side of  the ethical divide. While proponents stress potentially appealing motivations – a man and a woman who are both carriers of a genetic disease disea se can use cloning to assure that their child will not be afflicted with the disorder – critics argue that the practice could and likely would be used for unethical ends, such as to select for certain traits, such as hair/eye color or sexual orientation, for example.

32

  5.     

The The prima primary ry pur purpo pose se of the the passa passage ge is is to dism dismiss iss a new new scie scient ntif ific ic me meth thod od as une uneth thic ical al defen defend d a med medica icall pro proce cedur dure e again against st unw unwar arra rant nted ed attack  expl explai ain n a pro proce cess ss and and its its ram ramif ific icat atio ions ns desc descri ribe be a hypo hypoth thesi esiss and and its its nega negati tive ve cons conseq eque uenc nces es analy analyze ze the the possib possible le outc outcom omes es of of a new new med medica icall approach The author author of the the passage passage ment mentions ions Dolly Dolly most most probably in order to sugg sugges estt tha thatt hum human an clon clonin ing g is is fea feasib sible le show show that that the the ethic ethical al con concer cerns ns aga again inst st clon clonin ing g are are misguided argue argue that that nonhu nonhuman man cloni cloning ng is is less less effi efficie cient nt than than human cloning estab establis lish h a basis basis for for an an argum argumen entt agai against nst huma human n cloning refut refute e a coun counte terar rargu gume ment nt in in favo favorr of hum human an clo clonin ning. g. Accordi According ng to to the passage, passage, which which of the the followi following ng is is a potential obstacle to human cloning? Lack Lack of adeq adequa uate tely ly prep prepar ared ed huma human n eggs eggs Predet Predeterm ermina inati tion on of of DNA DNA fun functi ction on with within in the the a adul dultt body body Shor Shorta tage ge of of fund fundin ing g for for addi additi tiona onall rese resear arch ch Inabi Inabili lity ty to pinpo pinpoin intt speci specifi ficc biolog biologica icall relati relation onshi ships ps within an egg Unpre Unpredic dictab tabili ility ty of of chem chemica icall rea reacti ction onss with within in the the ute uterus rus The passage passage sug suggest gestss which which of the the foll followi owing ng?? Huma Human n clo cloni ning ng is reac reach hable able wit withi hin n ten ten year years. s. The The clon clonin ing g of nonh nonhuma uman n anim animals als has has alway alwayss been been successful. The The eggs eggs of nonh nonhum uman an anima animals ls are are eas easie ierr to to obta obtain in than human eggs. DNA DNA take taken n from from an adult adult huma human n cel celll cont contain ainss DNA  DNA  from both parents. Huma Human n DNA DNA is less less predi predict ctabl able e than than nonh nonhum uman an DNA. DNA. Which Which of the the followi following ng is NOT given given in the passage passage as a reason not to pursue p ursue human cloning? The unkn unknown own effec effects ts of of clon clonin ing g on adult adult hum human an clone clones. s. The The pot poten enti tial al harm harm to clon cloned ed em embr bryo yos. s. The The chan chance ce that that cloni cloning ng will will be used used to selec selectt for for only certain socially advantageous characteristics. The The tech techni nical cal diffi difficu cult lty y of of obtai obtainin ning g suit suitabl able e DNA. DNA. The The exorb exorbit itant ant costs costs ass associ ociat ated ed wit with h the the me medic dical al procedures used in cloning.

Passage 31

1.

In recent years, a class of drugs known k nown as COX-2 inhibitors has gotten much publicity for the drugs’ power to relieve inflammation and pain. These drugs dr ugs are relatively new to the pharmaceutical industry, industry, their mechanisms of action having been discovered di scovered only in 197 1971. 1. That year, year, John Vane discovered the relationship between nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs, such as aspirin, and a group of  molecules, called prostaglandins, responsible for producing the sensation sensatio n of pain in the human body, body, among other functions.



 

 

Prostaglandins were first discovered discov ered in the 1930s and are now known to be generated by most mammalian tissues in response to external stimuli. Unlike classical class ical hormones that are synthesized in one tissue but act on a distant one, prostaglandins a act ct on the cells that produce them or on cells located close to the prostaglandins’ cells of origin.  Aspirin alleviates pain by inhibiting the function of an enzyme called cyclooxygenase or COX; this inhibition prevents the production of prostaglandins. The three forms of this enzyme, COX-1, COX-2, and COX-3, all stimulate the production of prostaglandins, but each serves a different purpose. COX-1 functions to protect the stomach from irritating gastric acids. COX-2 functions to induce inflammation in injured tissue and COX-3 functions to control the sensation of pain. Aspirin and other similar drugs, such as naproxen, inhibit both COX-1 and COX-2, sometimes producing or aggravating stomach ulcers in patients who take them.

2.     

3.

 

In order to eliminate the side effects of aspirin and related drugs, several pharmaceutical companies in the 1990s developed drugs that inhibited only COX-2. However, However, side effects almost always cropped up, even after clinical trials that seemed to indicate none. This often occurs because trials are conducted within very limited parameters; once the drug has been approved for mass distribution, however, however, the number of people taking it and the length of  time that it is taken tak en increase dramatically. dramatical ly. Several COX-2 drugs that have been popular in recent years fit this pattern: initially successful in clinical trials, subsequent studies showed them to have serious, potentially lethal side effects.

  

4.   

Though prostaglandin chemistry and enzymology have been studied for half a century, century, pinpointing the exact role of the molecules in physiological processes still remains a challenge for researchers. Hence it is not surprising that recent therapeutic attempts to interfere with the formation of certain prostaglandins have produced unexpected side effects. It now seems that the hype surrounding COX-2 drugs may have been premature.

 

33

The pass passage age sugge suggest st which which the the follow following ing abo about ut COXCOX2 inhibitors? They They fail fail to prot protec ectt the the stom stomach ach from from gast gastric ric acids acids that can cause irritation, but protect the body from tissue inflammation. They They prod produc uce e sim simila ilarr side side eff effect ectss as those those caused caused by Naproxen. They They were were int intro rodu duce ced d appr approx oxima imate tely ly 20 20 years years afte afterr the relationship between aspirin and prostaglandins was discovered. They They stimu stimulat late e produ producti ction on of prost prostagla aglandi ndins ns that that cause cause tissue inflammation. They They are are gener generat ated ed by by exte extern rnal al stimu stimuli li and and act act on the cells that produce them. Accord According ing to the the passag passage, e, all all of the follo followin wing g are are true of prostaglandins EXCEPT EXCEP T: They They were were disc discov over ered ed in the the 193 1930s 0s.. They They are are gen gener erat ated ed by most most ma mamm mmal alian ian tissu tissues. es. They They prod produc uce e the the se sens nsat atio ion n of pain pain in the the body body,, but but are also responsible for other bodily functions. They They caus cause e side side effe effects cts that that clini clinica call trial trialss faile failed d to detect. Their Their produc productio tion n is is affec affected ted by enzy enzymes mes COX-1, COX-1, COXCOX2, and COX-3. The aut author hor mentio mentions ns that that prost prostagla agland ndins ins are are generated in response to external stimuli primarily in order to support the contention that Prost Prostagl aglan andin dinss can can produ produce ce or or aggr aggrava avate te sto stomac mach h ulcers. Pros Prosta tagla gland ndin inss act in the the sam same e tissu tissue e that that prod produc uces es them. Prosta Prostagla glandi ndins ns preven preventt the the enz enzyme yme cycloo cyclooxy xygen genase ase from functioning. Prost Prostag aglan landin dinss are sign signif ifica icant ntly ly diff differ erent ent fro from m most most mammalian hormones. Prost Prostagla aglandi ndins ns are res respon ponsib sible le for for the the hum human an sensation of pain. The The primar primary y purp purpose ose of of this this passa passage ge is is to expl explain ain the the ther therap apeu euti ticc bene benefi fits ts of of a new new type type of pain pain reliever initi initiat ate e a deba debate te con concer cerni ning ng the the ben benefi efits ts of of COXCOX-2 2 inhibitors warn warn the the public public tha thatt clin clinic ical al tria trials ls can cannot not ensu ensure re drug drug safety describ describe e the the impetu impetuss for for and and res result ult of COX-2 COX-2 inhibi inhibitor tors’  s’  introduction intr introd oduc uce e rese resear arch ch fin findi ding ngss to supp support ort COX COX-2 -2 inhibitors over COX-1 inhibitors

Passage 32

1.

The bond between the domestic dog and humans is such that the dog exists in every e very part of the world inhabited by people. The relationship between the two species stretches back tens of thousands of years, to the first domestication of the wolf. Every modern breed of domestic dog, of which there are more than 400 today, today, is descended d escended from this wild ancestor. ancestor. Prehistoric humans had contact with other wild canids, such as jackals, foxes, dholes, and African hunting dogs, but only the wolf possessed the characteristics that allowed for integration into human life, which implies social assimilation, as opposed to mere domestication, which requires only a taming of wild instincts in the animal. So while dogs have been integrated, animals such as cows, sheep, and goats have not.

    

2. 

The traits in the wolf that allowed for integration are threefold. First, the wolf is a highly social soci al animal, living in packs, akin to the social networks of humans. In the absence of this behavior, it would have been difficult for the first captive wolf pups to remain in a human settlement, constantly surrounded by other creatures. Wild canids such as the jackal and fox are solitary animals a nimals and would not have adapted easily, if at all, to social livi ng. Second, wolves possess a system of social stratification remarkably similar to that of humans: each member of  the group is aware of its rank in the chain of dominance and is loyal to higher-ranking members. Humans exploited this innate sensitivity to hierarchy by raising wolf cubs to be submissive. Third, wolves are highly intelligent creatures, able to learn tasks quickly. quickly. Without this attribute, the wolf would have been of little use to early man, since it does not provide meat, milk, or wool. The more intelligent the captive wolf, the more likely humans would have sought to breed it, resulting in perpetuation of this inborn intelligence and culminating in the remarkable cognitive abilities of modern dogs. The development of different breeds from the wolf appears to have begun as early as 2000 B.C. in ancient Egypt and parts of western Asia. The first recorded instances of  physically distinct breeds come from these areas. In Egypt, dogs resembling modern greyhounds were prevalent, while in western Asia dogs resembling modern mastiffs were common. The distinct body types of these breeds perhaps reflect the different purposes for which they were bred: greyhounds for chasing swift prey pr ey,, such as hares, and mastiffs for grappling with larger prey, such as boars or antelope. But this is only speculation; the historical record from this period is too sparse to allow certainty on the matter mat ter..

34

    3.     

Which Which of the follo followin wing g most accur accurate ately ly state statess the the main idea of the passage? Huma Humans ns val value ue dogs dogs mor more e than than the they y valu value e any any othe otherr domestic animal. The The dome domesti stica cati tion on of of the the wol wolff has has no para paralle llell in any any other animal. Cert Certain ain des desir irab able le tra trait itss not pre presen sentt in oth other er anim animal alss allowed the wolf to become the modern dog. Domes Domesti tica catio tion n of the the wol wolff has has been been unqu unques esti tion onab ably ly successful. Wolve Wolvess are are simi similar lar to hum humans ans in seve several ral impor importan tantt aspects. The passage passage suggests suggests which which of of the the follo followin wing g about about the modern dog? It is the the best best social social compa compani nion on of all all dom domest estic icate ated d animals. Its Its intel intelli ligen gence ce is uns unsur urpas passed sed am among ong house househol hold d animals. It cann cannot ot surviv survive e outs outside ide of a soc social ial envir environm onmen ent. t. Its Its body body type type alway alwayss refl reflec ects ts the the pur purpos pose e for for whic which h it was bred. It perc percei eive vess hum human anss as supe superi rior or to itsel itselff. All of the the follow following ing state statemen ments ts are are suppor supported ted by by the passage EXCEPT: Sheep Sheep are not part part of of the the social social fabric fabric of huma human n life life.. It is is not not pos possib sible le to to dome domest stic icat ate e ja jack ckals als or fox foxes. es. Submi Submissi ssive venes nesss is a desir desirabl able e trai traitt in dome domesti sticat cated ed animals. Human Humanss tend tended ed to to dom domest estic icate ate thos those e anim animals als that that provided some benefit to them. The The purp purpos ose e of ear early ly bree breeds ds of dog dog is not not known known..

Passage 33

Concord staked its claim to be the birthplace of  Independence during the celebration of “America’s jubilee”  on April 19, 1825, the fiftieth anniversary anniversa ry of Concord Fight. Concord in 1825 was an expansive town of nineteen hundred inhabitants, thriving with wi th crafts and trade in the village and surrounded by farms prospering pros pering on demand from rising urban centers in the long boom that accompanied the opening phase of the Industrial Revolution in the Northeast. It also occupied a prominent place on the political landscape; as a s hire town, where the county courts convened, it had risen into a lead ing center of Middlesex County, County, and its politicians w were ere major players on that stage. Economic and political ambitions, as well as pride in the past, drove the insistence that Concord was the “first site of forcible resistance resista nce to British aggression.” 

missionary groups, Masonic lodges, antislavery and temperance societies, among others — to promote diverse projects for the common good. The privileged classes, particularly the village elite, were remarkably active in these campaigns. But even as they pulled back from customary roles and withdrew into private associations, they continued to exercise exercis e public power. power. 1.     

 A decade later, later, by the mid-1830s, m id-1830s, with over two thousand inhabitants, Concord was probably at its political and economic pinnacle. The central village hosted some nine stores, forty shops, four hotels and taverns, four doctors and four lawyers, a variety of county associations, a printing office and a post office. Manufacturing was humming, too, with a growing mill village in the west part of town, along alo ng the quick-running Assabet River, River, and rising production of carriages and chaises, boots and shoes, bricks, guns, bellows, and pencils.

2.   

 But a good many people were left out of the prosperity. prosperity. In what was still a farming town, 64 percent of adult males were landless, while the top tenth of taxpayers, some fifty men, controlled nearly half the wealth. Those who failed to obtain a stake in society, native and newcomer alike, quickly moved on. The ties that once joined neighbors neighbors together were fraying. On the farms, the old work customs cust oms  — the huskings, roof-raisings, and apple bees — by which people cooperated to complete essential chores gave way to modern capitalist arrangements. When men needed help, they hired it, and paid the going goi ng rate, which no longer included the traditional ration of grog. With a new zeal for temperance, employers abandoned the custom of  drinking with workers in what had been a ritual display of  camaraderie. There T here was no point in pretending to common bonds. With the loosening of familiar obligations came unprecedented opportunities for personal autonomy and voluntary choice. Massachusetts Mass achusetts inaugurated a new era of religious pluralism in 1834, ending two centuries of  mandatory support for local churches. Even in Concord, a slim majority approved the change, and as soon as it became law, townspeople deserted the two existing churches — the Unitarian flock of the Reverend Ripley and an orthodox Calvinist congregation started in 1826 — in droves. The Sabbath no longer l onger brought all ranks and orders together in obligatory obligat ory devotion to the Word of God. Instead, townspeople gathered in an expanding array of  voluntary associations — libraries, lyceums, lyceums , charitable and 35



3.     

The passag passage e suggest suggestss which which of the the follow following ing abou aboutt members of the village elite in post-1834 Concord? Priva Private te asso associa ciati tions ons had had forc forced ed the them m to relin relinqui quish sh political power. power. Polit Politic ical ally ly,, they they were were more more in fav favor or of rel religi igiou ouss pluralism than were non-elite citizens. They They cea cease sed d all Sab Sabba bath th wor worsh ship ip onc once e reli religi giou ouss pluralism became law in Massachusetts. Many Ma ny had had aband abandon oned ed the the Unit Unitari arian an and and Calv Calvini inist st churches in favor of non-church non-church activities. They They utiliz utilized ed their their wealt wealth h to to foun found d a grow growing ing numbe numberr of diverse projects for the common good. The The primar primary y purp purpose ose of of this this passa passage ge is is to argue argue that that rel religi igiou ouss and and polit politic ical al free freedom dom in Con Conco cord rd was beneficial to the city’s economic development depic depictt the the lifest lifestyl yle e of Conc Concor ord’s d’s eli elite te cit citize izens ns dur durin ing g the 19th century argu argue e tha thatt soci social al ali alien enat ation ion was was nece necess ssar ary y for for Concord’s economic and political development develo pment in the 19th century defin define e Conc Concord ord’s ’s plac place e in Ame Americ rican an histor history y post post-Independence descr describ ibe e 19th 19th cent centur ury y Conc Concor ord’ d’ss key eco econom nomic ic and and political changes, along al ong with their impact on societal norms Accord According ing to to the the passage, passage, which which of of the the followi following ng is is true of 18th-century Massachusetts residents? resi dents? Most Most were were landl landless ess and and ulti ultima matel tely y forc forced ed to move move on. on. They They numb number ere ed ove overr two two thou thousa sand nd.. They They wer were e forc forced ed to suppo support rt local local chur church ches es.. Some Some celeb celebrrated ated “Amer Americ ica’ a’ss Jubi Jubile lee” e”.. They They occ occupi upied ed pro promin minen entt posit position ionss in Mid Middle dlesex sex Cou Count nty y courts.

Passage 34

1.

Sarah Meyers McGinty, McGin ty, in her useful usef ul new book Power Talk: Using Language to Build Authority and Influence, argues that while the simple lingual act of declaring power does not help a powerless person gain influence, wellconsidered linguistic techniques and maneuvers do. McGinty does not dispute the importance of factors such as expertise and abili ability ty in determining stature, but argues persuasively that these power determinants amount to little in a person unable to communicate effectively. Management theorists share McGinty’s view that communication is essential for success and many surveys have shown that the ability to communicate effectively effectivel y is the characteristic judged by managers to be most critical in determining promotability promotabil ity..

    

2.  

McGinty divides speech into two categories: “language from the center” and “language from the edge”. In McGinty’s words, “Language from the center makes a speaker sound like a leader.” leader.” McGinty suggests that not only is language from the center for those thos e in high positions of power, power, but it is i s also for those of lower ranks who wish to gain more power and credibility. A speaker using language from the center exhibits the following: he directs rather than responds; he makes statements rather than asks questions; he contradicts, argues, and disagrees; he uses his experience persuasively; and he maintains an air of impersonalit i mpersonality y in the workplace. McGinty suggests that the use of language from the center can alter or create a new balance of power. These assertions are supported by studies that show that people accept leadership from those they perceive to be experts.

  

3.

 



Language from the edge stands in stark contrast to language from the center. Language from the edge is careful, exploratory, and inquiring. It is inclusive, deferential, and collaborative. A speaker using language from the edge responds rather than directs; asks questions; strives to make others oth ers feel heard and protected; and avoids argument. The main purpose of language l anguage from the center is to claim authority for a speaker, while language from the edge strives to build consensus and trust. McGinty argues that true power comes from a deep understanding understanding of when to use which style and the ability to use both as necessary.

 

4.     

What distinguishes McGinty’s discussion of effective communication communication is her focus on communication skills as a way of gaining power; this contrasts with most general management theory, which focuses on communication skills as a way of preventing misunderstandings, avoiding conflict, and fostering interpersonal relationships. relationships . McGinty, McGinty, however, holds that language not only helps maintain relationships but also lends authority. authority. According to Power Talk, effective co mmunication skill “is an understanding of how situation shapes speech and how speech shapes situation” and “an understanding of how speech styles and the forces that affect those styles . . . can build your authority, authority, and enhance your y our credibility and impact.”  36

The passage passage sugg suggests ests that that McGint McGinty y would would be be most most likely to agree with which of the following? Langu Language age from from the the cente centerr is more more effe effect ctive ive than than language from the edge. Manag Ma nagers ers who who use use lan langu guag age e fro from m the the edge edge are are not not authoritative. Powe Powerf rful ul peop people le are are both both autho authori ritat tativ ive e and incl inclus usiv ive. e. The The only only way way to to beco become me pow powerf erful ul is is to to learn learn to use use language languag e from the center. Langu Languag age e from from the the edge edge is used used prim primari arily ly by lowlowlevel employees. The primary primary focu focuss of the the passag passage e is on which which of the the following? Demon De monstr strati ating ng the the eff effec ecti tiven veness ess of a cert certain ain framework in the business world Expla Explain inin ing g the the advan advantag tages es and and disad disadvan vantag tages es of a proposed approach to business communication communication Analy Analyzin zing g the the det detail ailss of a cont controv rover ersia siall theo theory ry of  of  business Presen Presentin ting g a new model model of busin business ess commun communic icati ation on Defe De fend ndin ing g an outd outdat ated ed met metho hod d of of pers person onne nell management The passage passage sugges suggests ts that that whic which h of the followin following g would be an example of someone using language from the center? A lowlow-lev level el employ employee ee req reque uesti sting ng help help on on a proje project ct beyond his capabilities A mana manage gerr expl explain ainin ing g the the ben benefi efits ts of a new new proc procedu edure re by drawing on the procedure’s success in another setting A low-le low-leve vell emp employ loyee ee beli believi eving ng that that he has been been wrongly criticized by his supervisors s upervisors A mana manager ger solic soliciti iting ng opinio opinions ns from from his his work workfor force ce regarding a proposed change A lowlow-lev level el emp employ loyee ee ref refusi using ng to alter alter his his beh behavi avior or despite repeated warnings Which Which of the the follow following ing best best descr describe ibess the rela relatio tion n of  the fourth paragraph to the passage a whole? It summ summari arizes zes and and cont context extua ualiz lizes es McGin McGinty’ ty’ss argument. It quest question ionss the the use usefu fulne lness ss of of McGi McGint nty’s y’s thesis thesis.. It cas casts ts dou doubt bt on the the unive univers rsali ality ty of mana manage gemen mentt theory. It suppo supports rts an alte altern rnati ative ve view view of McGint McGinty’s y’s propos proposal. al. It offer offerss addit addition ional al suppor supportt for for McGin McGinty’ ty’ss conc conclus lusion ions. s.

Passage 35

1.

In recent years much attention has been paid to distilling those factors that create a positive work environment for corporate employees. The goal ultimately is to discover what allows some companies to foster high employee morale while other companies struggle with poor productivity and high managerial turnover. Several theories have been posited, but none has drawn as much interest from the corporate world, or has as much promise, as value congruence, c ongruence, which measures the “fit”  between an employee’s values and those of co-workers and the company itself.   Value congruence can be broken into three main subcategories: person-environment (“P-E”), personperson (“P-P”), and perceptual fit (“PF”). Personenvironment congruence refers to a harmony between the personal values of the employee and corporate culture of the company in which he or she works. Someone with a high P-E congruence feels personally pers onally in tune with his company’s stated poli policies cies and goals. Conversely, someone with a low P-E congruence feels a sense se nse of disharmony between his own values and the stated policies and goals of his company. A high P-P congruence indicates indicate s a sense of solidarity with one’s co-workers in terms of shared values and goals. A low P-P congruence indicates a sense of isolation from co-workers brought about by an absence of shared values. Finally, strong PF suggests a strong correspondence between the values that an employee perceives his company to have (whether or not the company actually does) and the values that his co-workers perceive the company to have (ag ain, whether or not it actually does). A weak PF implies that an employee’s perception of his company’s values differs significantly from that of his co-workers.

    

2.

    

3. 



 Research has shown that P-E and PF congruence are important measures of employee satisfaction, commitment, and likelihood of turnover, while P-P congruence has little bearing on these parameters. Moreover, PF is especially important in establishing harmonious relations between workers and managers. These measures give corporations a robust paradigm for long-term personnel planning and productivity potentials: they allow companies to discover dysfunctional work  relationships and clarify misperceived company policies and goals. With these tools in hand, companies can look  forward to increased employee satisfaction and, ultimately, improved company performance.

37

 

Accord According ing to to the the passage, passage, which which of of the the followin following g was a motivation in the creation of the system of value congruence? a desir desire e to to minim minimize ize the the liab liabili ility ty of of uppe upperr mana manage geme ment nt for employee dissatisfaction a desir desire e to help help com compa pani nies es to to impr improv ove e thei theirr inte intern rnal al harmony a desir desire e to to allow allow employ employee eess to inc incre rease ase their their earn earnin ing g potential a desir desire e to to foste fosterr awar awaren eness ess of fact factor orss influ influen encin cing g managerial success a desi desire re to to eli elimi mina nate te discr discrep epan ancie ciess bet betwe ween en a company’s goals and the values of its employees The passa passage ge suggest suggestss that that percep perceptua tuall fit congr congruen uence ce would be most useful in determining which of the following? wheth whether er a compa company ny ough oughtt to to make make its its pol polici icies es and and goals more transparent transparent whet whether her a com compan pany y oug ought ht to provid provide e sensi sensitiv tivity ity training for its management w he he th t h er er a co co m pa pa ny ny ou o u gh gh t t o c re r e a te te mo m o re re opportunities for interaction among workers whet whethe herr a comp compan any y ough oughtt to add addre ress ss emp emplo loye yee e grievances more directly wheth whether er a comp compan any y oug ought ht to imple impleme ment nt a mor more e elaborate orientation program for new employees The primary primary focu focuss of the the passag passage e is on which which of the the following? Compa Comparin ring g a new new the theory ory of corpo corpora rate te per perfor forman mance ce to a discredited theory and predicting the usefulness of the new theory. the ory. Illu Illust stra rati ting ng a new new app appro roac ach h to mea measu suri ring ng emp emplo loye yee e satisfaction through a detailed analysis of a particular case. Chall Challen engin ging g an an old old view view of of emp emplo loyee yee commi commitme tment nt and suggesting that a new paradigm is necessary. Prom Promot otin ing g a new new meth method od of of measu measuri ring ng the the likel likelih ihoo ood d of corporate success by explaining its benefits. Defe Defendi nding ng a prop propos osed ed sys syste tem m of corp corpor orat ate e analy analysis sis through examples of its success.