SECTION 3: Reading Comprehension (Time—55 minutes)

Directions: In this section you will read several passages. Each passage is followed by questions about it.
Choose the one best answer, (A), (B), (C), or (D), for each question. Then, on your answer sheet, find the number
of the question and fill in the oval that corresponds to the letter of your answer choice. Answer all questions based
on what is stated or implied in the passage.
Read the following passage:
A new hearing device is now available for some hearing-impaired people. This device uses a magnet to
hold the detachable sound-processing portion in place. Like other aids, it converts sound into vibrations. But it is
unique in that it can transmit the vibrations directly to the magnet, and then to the inner ear. This produces a
clearer sound. The new device will not help all hearing-impaired people, only those with a hearing loss caused by
infection or other problem in the middle ear. It will probably help no more than 20 percent of all people with
hearing problems. Those people, however, who have persistent ear infections should find relief and restored
hearing with the new device.

Example 1: What is the author's main purpose?

(A) to describe a new cure for ear infections
(B) to inform the reader of a new device
(C) to urge doctors to use a new device
(D) to explain the use of a magnet

The author's main purpose is to inform the reader of a new device for hearing-impaired people. Therefore, you
should choose answer (B).

Example 2: The word "relief" in the last sentence means

(A) less distress
(B) assistance
(C) distraction
(D) relaxation

The phrase "less distress" is similar in meaning to "relief" in this sentence. Therefore, you should choose answer
(A).
Now begin with the questions.

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Questions 1 to 12 are based on the following passage:

(1) Another common blues instrument that flourished in the rural South during the 1920s and 1930s was the
blues harp or harmonica. It was played mainly in bands called jug bands that commonly performed on
street corners, in saloons, and at country stores. Jug bands used a variety of instruments including the
banjo, guitar, washboard, kazoo, fiddle, jugs, and blues harp. In these bands, the blues harp was used
(5) primarily for melodic and rhythmic support. The earliest evidence of the harp used as a solo or
lead instrument in the jug bands was in the late 1920s, as heard in the recordings of George "Bullet"
Williams. Other good harpmen, such as Sonny Terry, Little Walter, and Sonny Boy Williamson, followed
Williams, revolutionizing the harp's role as a lead instrument.

1. What does the passage mainly discuss? 7. According to the author, when was the harp first
(A) twentieth-century music of the South used as a lead instrument?
(B) a change in the role of the blues harp (A) 1920-1925
(C) good harpmen of the traditional blues (B) 1925-1930
harp (C) 1930-1935
(D) the variety of instruments in jug bands (D) 1935-1940

2. The blues harp is another name for the … 8. The word "lead" as used in line 6 is closest in
(A) harpsichord meaning to which of the following?
(B) guitar (A) model
(C) harmonica (B) only
(D) banjo (C) control
(D) principal
3. The word "flourished" as used in line 1 could
best be replaced by which of the following? 9. In line 6, the word "recordings" most likely refers to
(A) began to burgeon …
(B) was profound (A) readings
(C) appeared (B) tapes
(D) entertained (C) records
(D) movies
4. The author uses the phrase "rural South" in line 1
to refer to the Southern … 10. The word "revolutionizing" in line 8 could best be
(A) landscape replaced by which of the following?
(B) metropolis (A) reforming
(C) countryside (B) fighting
(D) nation (C) resisting
(D) turning
5. It can be inferred that George "Bullet" Williams
… 11. Which of the following would most likely be the
(A) was the best blues harp player topic of the previous paragraph?
(B) became friends with later harp men (A) the use of instruments for rythmic support in
(C) played lead guitar in his band rural southern music in the 1920s
(D) influenced some of the later harp men (B) lead instrument in rural southern music of
the 1920s
6. As used in line 5, the word "primarily" could best (C) music in the American rural South before
be replaced by … 1920
(A) chiefly (D) jug bands and their role in 1920s southern
(B) peculiarly music
(C) favorably
(D) advantageously
12. According to the passage, jug bands were likely to
perform in all of the following places EXCEPT …
(A) on street corners
(B) at country suppers
(C) in concert halls
(D) in saloons

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Questions 13 to 24 are based on the following passage:

(1) Over the past 600 years, English has grown from a language of few speakers to become the dominant
language of international communication. English as we know it today emerged around 1350, after having
incorporated many elements of French that were introduced following the Norman invasion of 1066.
Until the 1600s, English was, for the most part, spoken only in England and had not extended even as
(5) far as Wales, Scotland, or Ireland. However, during the course of the next two centuries, English began
to spread around the globe as a result of exploration, trade (including slave trade), colonization, and
missionary work. Thus, small enclaves of English speakers became established and grew in various
parts of the world. As these communities proliferated, English gradually became the primary language of
international business, banking, and diplomacy.
(10) Currently, about 80 percent of the information stored on computer systems worldwide is in
English.
Two-thirds of the world's science writing is in English, and English is the main language of technology,
advertising, media, international airports, and air traffic controllers. Today there are more than 700
million English users in the world, and over half of these are nonnative speakers, constituting the largest
number of nonnative users than any other language in the world.

13. What is the main topic of this passage? 18. According to the passage, all of the following
(A) the number of nonnative users of English contributed to the spread of English around the
(B) the French influence on the English world EXCEPT
language (A) the slave trade
(C) the expansion of English as an (B) the Norman invasion
international language (C) missionaries
(D) the use of English for science and (D) colonization
technology
19. As used in line 5, which of the following is closest
14. The word "emerged" in line 2 could best be re- in meaning to the word "course"?
placed by which of the following? (A) subject
(A) appeared (B) policy
(B) hailed (C) time
(C) frequented (D) track
(D) engaged
20. The word "enclaves" in line 7 could best be re-
15. As used in line 3, the word "elements" is most placed by which of the following?
similar to which of the following? (A) communities
(A) declaration (B) organizations
(B) features (C) regions
(C) curiosities (D) countries
(D) customs 15
21. The word "proliferated" in line 8 is closest
16. The word "extended" as used in line 4 is more in meaning to which of the following?
similar to which of the following? (A) prospered
(A) experienced (B) organized
(B) conferred (C) disbanded
(C) spread (D) expanded
(D) stretched
22. Which of the following is closest in meaning to the
17. Approximately when did English begin to be word "stored" as used in line 10?
used (A) bought
beyond England? (B) saved
(A) in 1066 (C) spent
(B) around 1350 (D) valued
(C) before 1600
(D) after 1600

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 23. Which of the following is closest in meaning to 24. According to the passage, approximately how many
the word "constituting" in line 13? nonnative users of English are there in the world
(A) looking over today?
(B) setting down (A) a quarter million
(C) doing in (B) half a million
(D) making up (C) 350 million
(D) 700 million

Questions 25 to 36 are based on the following passage:

(1) As heart disease continues to be the number-one killer in the United States, researchers have become
increasingly interested in identifying the potential risk factors that trigger heart attacks. High-fat diets and
"life in the fast lane" have long been known to contribute to the high incidence of heart failure. But
according to new studies, the list of risk factors may be significantly longer and quite surprising.
(5) Heart failure, for example, appears to have seasonal and temporal patterns. A higher percentage of
heart attacks occur in cold weather, and more people experience heart failure on Monday than on any other
day of the week. In addition, people are more susceptible to heart attacks in the first few hours after
waking. Cardiologists first observed this morning phenomenon in the mid-1980, and have since
discovered a number of possible causes. An early-morning rise in blood pressure, heart rate, and
(10) concentration of heart stimulating hormones, plus a reduction of blood flow to the heart, may all
contribute to the higher incidence of heart attacks between the hours of 8:00 A.M. and 10:00 A.M.
In other studies, both birthdays and bachelorhood have been implicated as risk factors. Statistics
reveal that heart attack rates increase significantly for both females and males in the few days immediately
preceding and following their birthdays. And unmarried men are more at risk for heart attacks than their
(15) married counterparts. Though stress is thought to be linked in some way to all of the aforementioned risk
factors, intense research continues in the hope of further comprehending why and how heart failure is
triggered.

25. What does the passage mainly discuss? 29. The author uses the word "temporal" in line 5 to
(A) risk factors in heart attacks Mean
(B) seasonal and temporal patterns of heart (A) affected by
attacks (B) of a certain date
(C) cardiology in the 1980s (C) expected
(D) diet and stress as factors in heart attacks (D) regularly

26. In line 2, the word "potential" could best be re- 30. The phrase "susceptible to " in line 7 could best be
placed by which of the following? replaced by
(A) harmful (A) aware of
(B) primary (B) affected by
(C) unknown (C) accustomed
(D) possible (D) prone to

27. The word "trigger" as used in line 2 is closest in 31. According to the passage, which of the following
meaning to which of the following? is
(A) involve NOT a possible cause of many heart attacks?
(B) affect (A) decreased blood flow to the heart
(C) cause (B) increased blood pressure
(D) encounter (C) lower heart rate
(D) increase in hormones
28. Which of the following could best replace the
word 32. The word "phenomenon" in line 8 refers to which
"incidence" as used in line 3? of the following?
(A) increase (A) habit
(B) rate (B) illness
(C) chance (C) occurrence
(D) factor (D) activity

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 33. The word "implicated" in line 12 could best be 35. Which of the following does the passage infer?
replaced by which of the following? (A) We now fully understand how risk factors
(A) indicated trigger heart attacks.
(B) disregarded (B) We recently began to study how risk
(C) investigated factors
(D) discovered trigger heart attacks.
(C) We have not identified many risk factors
34. Which of the following is NOT cited as a possible associated with heart attacks.
risk factor? (D) We do not fully understand how risk
(A) having a birthday factors trigger heart attacks.
(B) getting married
(C) eating fatty foods 36. As used in line 13, which of the following could
(D) being under stress best replace the word "reveal"?
(A) show
(B) observe
(C) mean
(D) explain

Questions 37 to 48 are based on the following passage:

(1) Baseball has been dubbed "America's favorite sport," and many fans contend that there is no greater thrill
than watching a good pitcher throw the ball skillfully in a series of expertly delivered "fast" and "curve"
balls. Two such pitches, the "rising fastball" and the "breaking curveball" are particularly exasperating
to batters because these balls tend to veer in one direction or the other just as they reach home plate.
(5) The "rising fastball" zooms forward only to jump up and over the bat as the batter swings. The "breaking
curveball" curves toward home plate, but plunges downward unexpectedly at the last moment. Batters
attempt to anticipate these pitches, and respond accordingly, while pitchers work at perfecting their "fast"
and "curve" ball deliveries.
But, according to studies conducted by a team of engineers and psychologists, the "rising fastball"
(10) and the "breaking curveball" do not actually exist; they are merely optical illusions. The studies revealed
that batters perceive the ball as approaching more slowly or falling more quickly than it actually is, and
it is this misperception that produces the visual illusion. Batters tend to have difficulty tracking a ball
continuously as it approaches and will briefly divert their eyes to the spot where they think the ball will
cross the plate. When a batter has misjudged the speed or angle of a pitch, and shifts his or her gaze in
(15) this way, the ball will appear to suddenly rise or dip, and the batter will often miss.
How will this finding affect "America's favorite pastime"? No doubt some will vehemently reject
the notion that the "rising fastball" and the "breaking curveball" are mere illusions. But for others, the
findings may imbue the game with a new level of intrigue as batters attempt to respond to pitches that
don't exist.

37. What does this passage mainly discuss? 39. Which of the following words could best
(A) the difference between fastballs and replace the word "thrill" in line 1?
curveballs (A) activity
(B) America's favorite pastime (B) excitement
(C) illusions about the movements of pitched (C) remedy
balls (D) issue
(D) perceptional problems among baseball
players 40. In line 3, the word "exasperating" could
best be replaced by which of the following?
38. As used in line 1, the word "contend" could (A) challenging
best be replaced by which of the following? (B) exhausting
(A) maintain (C) exciting
(B) operate (D) frustrating
(C) propose
(D) suppose

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41. As used in line 5, the word "zooms" is 45. Which of the following is closest in meaning
closest in meaning to which of the following? to the word "gaze" as used in line 14?
(A) falls (A) to glance rapidly
(B) rolls (B) to blink rapidly
(C) speeds (C) to look steadily
(D) bounces (D) to peek briefly

42. Which of the following words could best replace 46. According to the passage, how is the illusion of
the word "plunges" as used in line 6? the "rising fastball" and the "breaking curveball"
(A) drops produced?
(B) withdraws (A) by the pitcher's delivery
(C) emerges (B) by the batter's failing to track the ball
(D) tips accurately
(C) by the speed and angle of the ball
43. According to the author, why is it difficult for (D) by the studies of engineers and
the batter to hit the "rising fastball" and the psychologists
"breaking curveball"?
(A) because the ball approaches too quickly 47. Which of the following could best replace
(B) because the ball veers just before reaching the word "vehemently" in line 16?
home plate (A) certainly
(C) because the batter misjudges the pitcher's (B) impassively
intention (C) socially
(E) because the batter misjudges the speed (D) furiously
and angle of the ball
48. The word "imbue" in line 18 is closest in meaning
44. In line 10, what does the word "they" refer to? to which of the following?
(A) the "rising fastball" and the "breaking (A) fill
curveball" (B) spoil
(B) the engineers and psychologists (C) affect
(C) the research studies (D) change
(D) the optical illusions

(1) The Timber rattlesnake, once widespread throughout the eastern United States, is now on the endangered
species list and is extinct in two eastern states in which it once thrived. Compared to its western cousins,
the Timber rattlesnake may be especially vulnerable because of certain behaviors adapted for coping with
the cold climate in which it lives.
(5) Rattlesnakes are generally found in warm climates because, like all reptiles, they cannot generate
or regulate their own body temperature internally and must rely on the sun's warmth for heat. But Timber
rattlesnakes migrated into colder northern areas about 8,000 years ago when glaciers retreated. In these
northern regions, the snakes developed a number of adaptive strategies to survive, but ultimately these
behaviors make them more vulnerable to human predation, their main threat.
(10) One survival strategy the snakes have developed is hibernation. For approximately eight
months of the year, the rattlers remain motionless in deep frost-free crevices, with their body temperature
dropping as low as 40 degrees. In the spring when they emerge, they must warm their chilled bodies by
sunning for three or four days on rocks in the open. This behavior, coupled with the fact that Timber
rattlesnakes tend to concentrate in large numbers at their wintering sites, makes them easy prey. Gestating
(15) females are particularly vulnerable because they spend much of their time basking in the sun in
order
to produce live young from eggs. In addition, females have very long interbirth intervals, producing live
young only every three to five years. If a frost or cold spell comes late in the year, the entire litter of six
to twelve young may die.
Efforts are underway to protect the Timber rattlesnake and its habitat from further human
(20) depredation, but in many states it is already too late.

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49. What is the main topic of the passage? 55. Which of the following could best replace the
(A) why Timber rattlesnakes hibernate phrase "coupled with" in line 13?
(B) how Timber rattlesnakes are surviving (A) compared with
(C) how Timber rattlesnakes adapted to (B) combined with
northern climates (C) controlled with
(D) why Timber rattlesnakes are endangered (D) supported with

50. Which of the following is closest in meaning to the 56. The phrase "easy prey" in line 14 could best be
word "vulnerable" in line 3? replaced by which of the following?
(A) unprotected (A) relaxed
(B) impervious (B) protective
(C) insensitive (C) victims
(D) deprived (D) sociable

51. Which of the following is true about Timber 57. Which of the following words can best replace the
rattlesnakes? word "basking" in line 15?
(A) They migrated to eastern states. (A) washing
(B) They migrated northward during a (B) eating
warming period. (C) sleeping
(C) They migrated to escape a cold climate. (D) lying
(D) They migrated to the South to seek a
warmer 58. According to the passage, which of the following
climate. does NOT contribute to the rattlesnake being an
endangered animal?
52. In line 11, the word "crevices" could be replaced (A) hibernating for eight months
by (B) basking in the sun
which of the following? (C) congregating together
(A) tombs (D) having long intervals between births
(B) rocks
(C) cracks 59. Which of the following could best replace the
(D) tunnels word
"depredation" in line 20?
53. Which of the following could best replace the (A) fear
word (B) habitation
"emerge" in line 12? (C) destruction
(A) come out (D) depression
(B) set off
(C) get up 60. What is the author's tone attitude toward the topic?
(D) see through (A) accusative
(B) nostalgic
54. In which of the following places might a person be (C) regretful
most likely to find Timber rattlesnakes in the (D) humorous
spring?
(A) in the woods
(B) in meadows
(C) in bushy areas
(D) in canyons

THIS IS THE END VOCABULARY & READING COMPREHENSION

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