READING
COMPREHENSION
This section is designed
to measure the ability to read and understand short passages similar in topic
and style to those found in colleges.
Directions: In this section you
will read several passages. Each one is followed by a number of questions about
it. You are to choose the one best answer, A, B, C or D, to each question.
Then, on your answer sheet, find the number of the question and fill in the
space that corresponds to the letter of the answer you have chosen.
Answer all questions
about the information in a passage on the basis of what is stated or implied in
that passage.
Read the following
passage:
Question 1 - 9
The Alaska
pipeline starts at the frozen edge of the Arctic Ocean. It stretches southward
across the largest and northernmost state in the United States, ending at a remote
ice-free seaport village nearly 800 miles from where it begins. It is massive
in size and extremely complicated to operate.
The steel
pipe crosses windswept plains and endless miles of delicate tundra that tops the
frozen ground. It weaves through crooked canyons, climbs sheer mountains, plunges
over rocky crags, makes its way through thick forests, and passes over or under
hundreds of rivers and streams. The pipe is 4 feet in diameter, and up to 2
million barrels (or 84 million gallons) of crude oil can be pumped through it
daily.
Resting on
H-shaped steel racks called "bents," long sections of the pipeline
follow a zigzag course high above the frozen earth. Other long sections drop
out of sight beneath spongy or rocky ground and return to the surface later on.
The pattern of the pipeline's up-and-down route is determined by the often
harsh demands of the arctic and subarctic climate, the tortuous lay of the
land, and the varied compositions of soil, rock, or permafrost (permanently
frozen ground). A little more than half of the pipeline is elevated above the
ground. The remainder is buried anywhere from 3 to 12 feet, depending largely
upon the type of terrain and the properties of the soil.
One of the largest in the world, the
pipeline cost approximately $8 billion and is by far the biggest and most
expensive construction project ever undertaken by private industry. In fact, no
single business could raise that much money, so eight major oil companies
formed a consortium in order to share the costs. Each company controlled oil
rights to particular shares of land in the oil fields and paid into the
pipeline-construction fund according to the size of its holdings. Today,
despite enormous problems of climate, supply shortages, equipment breakdowns,
labor disagreements, treacherous terrain, a certain amount of mismanagement,
and even theft, the Alaska pipeline has been completed and is operating.
1.
The passage primarily discusses the
pipeline's
A.
operating costs
B.
employees
C.
consumers
D.
construction
The correct answer is D
2.
The word "it" in line 3 refers
to the
A.
pipeline
B.
ocean
C.
state
D.
village
The correct
answer is A
3.
According to the second paragraph, 84 million
gallons of oil can travel through the pipeline each
A.
day
B.
week
C.
month
D.
year
The correct
answer is A
4.
The phrase "Resting on" in
line 10 is closest in meaning to
A.
Consisting of
B.
Supported by
C.
Passing under
D.
Protected with
The correct
answer is B
5.
The author mentions all of the following
in the third paragraph as important in determining the pipeline's route EXCEPT
the
A.
climate
B.
lay of the land itself
C.
local vegetation
D.
kind of soil and rock
The correct
answer is C
6.
The word "undertaken" in line
19 is closest in meaning to
A.
removed
B.
selected
C.
transported
D.
attempted
The correct
answer is D
7.
According to the last paragraph, how
many companies shared the costs of constructing the pipeline?
A.
three
B.
four
C.
eight
D.
twelve
The correct
answer is C
8.
The word "particular" in line
22 is closest in meaning to
A.
peculiar
B.
specific
C.
exceptional
D.
equal
The correct
answer is B
9.
According to the last paragraph, which
of the following determined what percentage of the construction costs each member
of the consortium would pay?
A.
How much oil field land each company
owned
B.
How long each company had owned land in
the oil fields
C.
How many people worked for each company
D.
How many oil wells were located on the
company's land
The correct
answer is A
Question 10 - 18
Cities develop as a result of fuctions that thet can perform. Some functions result directly from the ingenuity of the citizenry, but most functions result from the needs of the local area and of the surrounding hinterland (the region that supplied goods to the city and to which the city furnishes services
and other goods). Geographers often make a distinction between the
situation and the site of a city. Situation refers to the general position in
relation to the surrounding region, whereas site involves physical characteristics
of the specific location. Situation is normally much more important to the
continuing prosperity of a city. if a city is well situated in regard to its
hinterland, its development is much more likely to continue. Chicago,
for example, possesses an almost unparalleled situation: it is located at the
southern end of a huge lake that forces east-west transportation lines
to be compressed into its vicinity, and at a meeting of significant land and
water transport routes. It also overlooks what is one of the world’s finest
large farming regions. These factors ensured that Chicago would become
a great city regardless of
the disadvantageous characteristics of the available site, such as being prone
to flooding during
thunderstorm activity. Similarly, it can be argued that much of New
York City’s importance stems from its early and continuing
advantage of situation. Philadephia and Boston both originated at
about the same time as New York and shared New
York’s location at the western end of one of the world’s most important oceanic
trade routes, but only New York possesses an easy-access functional
connection (the Hudson-Mohawk lowland) to the vast Midwestern hinterland. This
account does not alone explain New York’s primacy, but it does include
several important factors. Among the many
aspects of situation that help to explain why some cities grow and
others do not, original location on a navigable waterway seems particularly
applicable. Of course, such characteristic as slope, drainage, power resources,
river crossings, coastal shapes, and other physical characteristics help to determine
city location, but such factors are normally more significant in early stages of
city development than later.
10. What does the passage mainly discuss?
A. The development of trade routes through United States cities
B. Contrasts in settlement patterns in United States
C. Historical differences among three large United States cities
D. The importance of geographical situation in the growth of United States
cities
The correct
answer is D
11. The word “ingenuity” in line 2. is closest in meaning to
A. Wealth
B. Resourcefulness
C. Traditions
D. Organization
The correct
answer is B
12. The passage suggests that a geographer would consider a city’s soil type part
of its
A. Hinterland
B. Situation
C. Site
D. Function
The correct
answer is C
13. According to the passage, a city’s situation is more important than its site in
regard to the city's.
A. Long-term growth and prosperity
B. Ability to protect its citizenry
C. Possession of favorable weather conditions
D. Need to import food supplies
The correct
answer is A
14. The author mentions each of the following as an advantage of Chicago’s location
EXCEPT its.
A. Hinterland
B. Nearness to a large lake
C. Position in regard to transport routes
D. Flat terrain
The correct
answer is D
15. The primary purpose of paragraph 1 is to
A. Summarize past research and introduce a new study
B. Describe a historical period
C. Emphasize the advantages of one theory over another
D. Define a term and illustrate it with an example
The correct
answer is D
16. According to the passage, Philadelphia and Boston are similar to New York
City in
A. Size of population
B. Age
C. Site
D. Availability of rail transportation
The correct
answer is B
17. The word “it” in line 19 refers to
A. Account
B. Primacy
C. Connection
D. Hinterland
The correct
answer is A
18. The word “significant” in line 24 is closest in meaning to
A. Threatening
B. Meaningful
C. Obvious
D. Available
The correct answer is B
Question 19-25
The tern “art deco” has come to encompass three
distinct but related design trends of the 1920’s and 1930’s. The first was what is
frequently referred to as “zigzag moderne" - the exotically ornamental style of such skycrapers as the Chrysler Building in New York City and related structures such as the Paramount Theater in Oakland, California The word "zigzag" alludes to the geometric and stylized ornamentation of zigzags,angulars patterns, abstracted plant and animal motifs, sunbursts, astrological imagery, formalized fountains, and related themes that were applied in mossaic relief. And mural form to the exterior and interior of the bulidings. Many of these buildings were shaped in the ziggurat form, a design resembling an ancient Mesopotamian temple tower that recedes in progressively smaller stages to the summit, creating a staircase-like effect. The second manifestation of art deco was the 1930's streamlined moderne "style-a Futuristic-looking aerodynamic style of rounded corners and horizontal bands known as "speed stripes". In architecture, these element were frequently accomoanied by round windows, extensive use of glass block, and flat rooftops.
The third style, referred to as cither “
international stripped classicism,” or simply "classical moderne", also came to te forefront during the Depression, a period of severe economic difficult in the 1930’s.
This was amore conservative style, blending a simplified modernistic style with a more austere form of geometric and stylized relief sculpture and other ornament, including interior murals. May buildings in this style were erected nationwide through goverrnment programs during the Depression. Although art deco in its many forms was largely perceived as thoroughly modern, it was strongly influenced by the decorative arts movements that immediately preceded it. For example, like "art nouveau" (1890-1910) art deco also used plant motifs, but regularized the forms into abstracted repetitive pattern rather than presenting them as flowing, asymmetrical foliage, Like the Viennese craftspeople of the Winner Werkstatte, art deco designers worked with exotic materials, geometricized shapes, and colorfully ornate patterns.
Furthermore, like the artisans of the Arts and
Crafts Movement in England and the United States, art deep practitioners
considered it their mission to transform the domestic environtment through well-designed furniture and household accesories.
19. What aspect of art deco does the passage mainly discuss?
A.
The
influence of art deco on the design of furniture and household accessories
B.
Ways in
which government programs encouraged the development of art deco
C.
Architectural
manifestations of art deco during the 1920’s and 1930’s
D.
Reasons for
the popularity of art deco in New York and California
The correct
answer is C
20. The streamlined moderne style is characterized by all of the following EXCEPT
A.
Animal
motifs
B.
Flat roofs
C.
Round windows
D.
“speed
stripes”
The correct
answer is A
21. According to the passage, which of the following statements most
accurately describes the relationship between art deco and art nouveau?
A.
They were
art forms that competed with each other for government support during
the Depression era.
B.
They were
essentially the same art form.
C.
Art nouveau
preceded art deco and influenced it.
D.
Art deco
became important in the United States while art nouveau became popular in
England.
The correct
answer is C
22. The word "encompass" in line 1 is closest in meaning to
A. Separate
B. Include
C. Replace
D. Enhance
23. According to the passage, a building having an especially ornate appearance would most probably have been designed in the style of
A. Separate
B. Include
C. Replace
D. Enhance
23. According to the passage, a building having an especially ornate appearance would most probably have been designed in the style of
A.
Zigzag
moderne
B.
Streamlined
moderne
C.
Classical
moderne
D.
The Arts
and Crafts Movement
The correct
answer is A
24. According to the passage, which of the following design trends is known
by more than one name ?
A.
Zigzag
moderne
B.
Streamlined
moderne
C.
International
stripped classicism
D.
Arts and
Crafts Movement
The correct
answer is C
25. The passage is primarily developed as
A.
The
historical chronology of a movement
B.
A
description of specific buildings that became famous for their unusual beauty
C.
An analysis
of various trends within an artistic movement
D.
An argument
of the advantages of one artistic form over another
The correct
answer is C
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