Reading Short Texts 01

Questions 1-9
Carbon tetrachloride
Carbon tetrachloride is a colorless and inflammable liquid that can be produced by combining
carbon disulfide and chlorine. This compound is widely used in industry today because of its
effectiveness as a solvent as well as its use in the production of propellants.
Despite its widespread use in industry, carbon tetrachloride has been banned for home use. In
the past, carbon tetrachloride was a common ingredient in cleaning compounds that were used
throughout the home, but it was found to be dangerous: when heated, it changes into a poisonous
gas
that can cause severe illness and even death if it is inhaled. Because of this dangerous
characteristic,
the United States revoked permission for the home use of carbon tetrachloride in 1970. The
United
States has taken similar action with various other chemical compounds.
1. The main point of this passage is that
(A) carbon tetrachloride can be very dangerous when it is heated
(B) the government banned carbon tetrachloride in 1970
(C) although carbon tetrachloride can legally be used in industry, it is not allowed in home
products
(D) carbon tetrachloride used to be a regular part of cleaning compounds
2. The word "widely" in line 2 could most easily be replaced by
(A) grandly
(B) extensively
(C) largely
(D) hugely
3. The word "banned" in line 4 is closest in meaning to
(A) forbidden
(B) allowed
(C) suggested

(D) instituted

4. According to the passage, before 1970 carbon tetrachloride was

(A) used by itself as a cleanser
(B) banned in industrial use
(C) often used as a component of cleaning products
(D) not allowed in home cleaning products

5. It is stated in the passage that when carbon tetrachloride is heated, it becomes

(A) harmful
(B) colorless
(C) a cleaning compound
(D) inflammable

6. The word "inhaled" in line 7 is closest in meaning to

(A) warmed
(B) breathed in
(C) carelessly used
(D) blown

7. The word "revoked" in line 8 could most easily be replaced by

(A) gave
(B) granted
(C) instituted
(D) took away

8. It can be inferred from the passage that one role of the U.S. government is to

(A) regulate product safety

(B) prohibit any use of carbon tetrachloride
(C) instruct industry on cleaning methodologies
(D) ban the use of any chemicals
9. The paragraph following the passage most likely discusses
(A) additional uses for carbon tetrachloride
(B) the banning of various chemical compounds by the U.S. government
(C) further dangerous effects of carbon tetrachloride
(D) the major characteristics of carbon tetrachloride

Reading Short Texts 02

Questions 10-19
James Whistler
The next artist in this survey of American artists is James Whistler; he is included in this survey
of American artists because he was born in the United States, although the majority of his
artwork
was completed in Europe. Whistler was born in Massachusetts in 1834, but nine years later his
father
moved the family to St. Petersburg, Russia, to work on the construction of a railroad. The family
returned to the United States in 1849. Two years later Whistler entered the U.S. military academy
at
West Point, but he was unable to graduate. At the age of twenty-one, Whistler went to Europe to
study
art despite familial objections, and he remained in Europe until his death.
Whistler worked in various art forms, including etchings and lithographs. However, he is most
famous for his paintings, particularly Arrangement in Gray and Black No. 1: Portrait ofthe
Artist's
Mother or Whistlers Mother, as it is more commonly known. This painting shows a side view of
Whistler's mother, dressed in black and posing against a gray wall. The asymmetrical nature of
the
portrait, with his mother seated off-center, is highly characteristic of Whistler's work.

10. The paragraph preceding this passage most likely discusses

(A) a survey of eighteenth-century art
(B) a different American artist
(C) Whistler's other famous paintings
(D) European artists
11 . Which of the following best describes the information in the passage?
(A) Several artists are presented.
(B) One artist's life and works are described.
(C) Various paintings are contrasted.
(D) Whistler's family life is outlined.
12. Whistler is considered an American artist because
(A) he was born in America
(B) he spent most of his life in America
(C) he served in the U.S. military
(D) he created most of his famous art in America
13. The word "majority" in line 2 is closest in meaning to
(A) seniority
(B) maturity
(C) large pieces
(D) high percentage
14. It is implied in the passage that Whistler's family was
(A) unable to find any work at all in Russia

(B) highly supportive of his desire to pursue art

(C) working class
(D) military

15. The word "objections" in line 7 is closest in meaning to

(A) protests
(B) goals
(C) agreements
(D) battles

16. In line 8, the "etchings" are

(A) a type of painting
(B) the same as a lithograph
(C) an art form introduced by Whistler
(D) an art form involving engraving

17. The word "asymmetrical" in line 11 is closest in meaning to

(A) proportionate
(B) uneven
(C) balanced
(D) lyrical

18. Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?

(A) Whistler worked with a variety of art forms.
(B) Whistler's Mother is not the official name of his painting.
(C) Whistler is best known for his etchings.

(D) Whistler's Mother is painted in somber tones.

19. Where in the passage does the author mention the types of artwork that Whistler was
involved in?
(A) Lines 1--3
(B) Lines 4--5
(C) Lines 6--7
(D) Lines 8--10

Reading Short Texts 03

Questions 20-30
Stars
The locations of stars in the sky relative to one another do not appear to the naked eye to
change, and as a result stars are often considered to be fixed in position. Many unaware
stargazers
falsely assume that each star has its own permanent home in the nighttime sky.
In reality, though, stars are always moving, but because of the tremendous distances between
stars themselves and from stars to Earth, the changes are barely perceptible here. An example of
a
rather fast-moving star demonstrates why this misconception prevails; it takes approximately 200
years for a relatively rapid star like Bernard's star to move a distance in the skies equal to the
diameter of the earth's moon. When the apparently negligible movement of the stars is contrasted
with the movement of the planets, the stars are seemingly unmoving.
20. Which of the following is the best title for this passage?
(A) What the Eye Can See in the Sky
(B) Bernard's Star
(C) Planetary Movement
(D) The Evermoving Stars
21 . The expression "naked eye" in line 1 most probably refers to
(A) a telescope
(B) a scientific method for observing stars
(C) unassisted vision
(D) a camera with a powerful lens
22. According to the passage, the distances between the stars and Earth are
(A) barely perceptible
(B) huge

(C) fixed
(D) moderate
23. The word "perceptible" in line 5 is closest in meaning to which of the following?
(A) Noticeable
(B) Persuasive
(C) Conceivable
(D) Astonishing
24. In line 6, a "misconception" is closest in meaning to a(n)
(A) idea
(B) proven fact
(C) erroneous belief
(D) theory
25. The passage states that in 200 years Bernard's star can move
(A) around Earth's moon
(B) next to Earth's moon
(C) a distance equal to the distance from Earth to the Moon
(D) a distance seemingly equal to the diameter of the Moon
26. The passage implies that from Earth it appears that the planets
(A) are fixed in the sky
(B) move more slowly than the stars
(C) show approximately the same amount of movement as the stars
(D) travel through the sky considerably more rapidly than the stars

27. The word "negligible" in line 8 could most easily be replaced by

(A) negative
(B) insignificant
(C) rapid
(D) distant
28. Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
(A) Stars do not appear to the eye to move.
(B) The large distances between stars and the earth tend to magnify movement to the eye.
(C) Bernard's star moves quickly in comparison with other stars.
(D) Although stars move, they seem to be fixed.
29. The paragraph following the passage most probably discusses
(A) the movement of the planets
(B) Bernard's star
(C) the distance from Earth to the Moon
(D) why stars are always moving
30. This passage would most probably be assigned reading in which course?
(A) Astrology
(B) Geophysics
(C) Astronomy
(D) Geography

Readng Short Text 04

Divorce
It has been noted that, traditionally, courts have granted divorces on fault grounds: one spouse
is deemed to be at fault in causing the divorce. More and more today, however, divorces are being
granted on a no-fault basis.
Proponents of no-fault divorce argue that when a marriage fails, it is rarely the case that one
marriage partner is completely to blame and the other blameless. A failed marriage is much more
often the result of mistakes by both partners.
Another argument in favor of no-fault divorce is that proving fault in court, in a public arena, is
a destructive process that only serves to lengthen the divorce process and that dramatically increases
the negative feelings present in a divorce. If a couple can reach a decision to divorce without first
deciding which partner is to blame, the divorce settlement can be negotiated more easily and
equitably and the postdivorce healing process can begin more rapidly.
31. What does the passage mainly discuss?
(A) Traditional grounds for divorce
(B) Who is at fault in a divorce
(C) Why np-fault divorces are becoming more common
(D) The various reasons for divorces
32. The word "spouse" in line 1 is closest in meaning to a
(A) judge
(B) problem
(C) divorce decree
(D) marriage partner
33. According to the passage, no-fault divorces
(A) are on the increase
(B) are the traditional form of divorce
(C) are less popular than they used to be
(D) were granted more in the past
34. It is implied in the passage that

(A) there recently has been a decrease in no-fault divorces

(B) not all divorces today are no-fault divorces
(C) a no-fault divorce is not as equitable as a fault divorce
(D) people recover more slowly from a no-fault divorce
35. The word "Proponents" in line 4 is closest in meaning to which of the following?
(A) Advocates
(B) Recipients
(C) Authorities
(D) Enemies
36. The passage states that a public trial to prove the fault of one spouse can
(A) be satisfying to the wronged spouse
(B) lead to a shorter divorce process
(C) reduce negative feelings
(D) be a harmful process
37. Which of the following is NOT listed in this passage as an argument in favor of no-fault divorce?
(A) Rarely is only one marriage partner to blame for a divorce.
(B) A no-fault divorce generally costs less in legal fees.
(C) Finding fault in a divorce increases negative feelings.
(D) A no-fault divorce settlement is generally easier to negotiate.
38. The word "present" in line 9 could most easily be replaced by
(A) existing
(B) giving

(C) introducing
(D) resulting
39. The word "settlement" in line 10 is closest in meaning to
(A) development
(B) serenity
(C) discussion
(D) agreement
40. The tone of this passage is
(A) emotional
(B) enthusiastic
(C) expository
(D) reactionary