Questions 1-10: Blubber For Protection and They Are Almost Completely Hairless
Questions 1-10: Blubber For Protection and They Are Almost Completely Hairless
Questions 1-10: Blubber For Protection and They Are Almost Completely Hairless
The hippopotamus is the third largest land animal, smaller only than the elephant and the
rhinoceros. Its name comes from two Greek words which mean “river horse.” The long name
of this animal is often shortened to the easier to handle term “hippo.”
The hippo has a natural affinity for the water. It does not float on top of the water;
instead, it can walk along the bottom of a body of water. The hippo commonly remains
underwater for three to five minutes and has been known to stay under for up to half an
hour before coming up for air.
In spite of its name, the hippo has relatively little in common with the horse and instead
has a number of interesting similarities in common with the whale. When a hippo comes up
after a stay at the bottom of a lake or river, it releases air through a blowhole, just like a
whale. In addition, the hippo resembles the whale in that they both have thick layers of
blubber for protection and they are almost completely hairless.
John James Audubon, nineteenth-century artist and naturalist, Is known as one of the
foremost authorities on North American birds. Born in Les Cayes, Haiti, in 1785, Audubon
was raised in France and studied art under French artist Jacques-Louis David. After
settling on his father’s Pennsylvania estate at the age of eighteen, he first began to study
and paint birds.
It was at that time that Audubon began to seriously to pursue the dream of publishing a
collection of his paintings of birds. For the next six years he painted birds in their natural
habitats while his wife worked as a teacher to support the family. His Birds of America,
which included engravings of 435 of his colorful and lifelike water colors, was published in
parts during the period from 1826 to 1838 in England. After the success of the English
editions, American editions of his work were published in 1839, and his fame and fortune
were ensured.
11. This passage is mainly about 12. The word “foremost” in line 2 is
closest in meaning to
(A) North American birds
(B) Audubon’s route to success as a (A) Prior
painter of birds (B) Leading
(C) The works that Audubon (C) First
published (D) Largest
(D) Audubon’s preference for travel
in natural habitats
13. In the second paragraph, the author 16. The word “pursue” in line 13 is closest
mainly discusses in meaning to
(A) Tolerate
15. Audubon decided not to continue to
(B) Provide for
pursue business when
(C) Side with
(A) He was injured in an accident at a (D) Fight for
grist mill.
19. It can be inferred from the passage
(B) He decided to study art in
that after 1839 Audubon
France.
(C) He was put in prison because he
(A) Unsuccessfully tried to develop
owed money.
new businesses
(D) He made enough money from his
(B) Continued to be supported by his
paintings.
wife
(C) Traveled to Europe
(D) Became wealthy
QUESTIONS 20-29
Schizophrenia is often confused with multiple personality disorder yet is quite distinct from
it. Schizophrenia is one of the more common mental disorders, considerably more common
than multiple personality disorder. The term “schizophrenia” is composed of roots which
mean “a splitting of the mind,” but it does not refer to a division into separate and distinct
personalities, as occurs in multiple personality disorder. Instead, schizophrenic behavior is
generally characterized by illogical thought patterns and withdrawal from reality.
Schizophrenics tend to withdraw from families and friends and communicate mainly with the
“voices” that they hear in their minds.
It is common for the symptoms of schizophrenia to develop during the late teen years or
early twenties, but the causes of schizophrenia are not well understood. It is believed that
heredity may play a part in the onset of schizophrenia. In addition, abnormal brain
chemistry also seems to have a role; certain brain chemicals, called neurotransmitters, have
been found to be at abnormal levels in some Schizophrenics.
20. The paragraph preceding the passage 22. “Disorder” inline 3 is closest in
most probably discusses meaning to which of the following
(A) Fifteen
(B) Twenty
(C) Twenty-five
(D) Thirty
QUESTIONS 30-39
People are often surprised to learn just how long some varieties of trees can live. If
asked to estimate the age of the oldest living trees on Earth, they often come up with
guesses in the neighborhood of two or perhaps three hundred years. The real answer is
considerably larger than that, more than five thousand years.
The tree that wins the prize for its considerable maturity is the bristlecone pine of
California. This venerable pine predates wonders of the ancient world such as the
pyramids of Egypt, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, and the Colossus of Rhodes. It is
not nearly as tall as the giant redwood that is also found in California, and in fact it is
actually not very tall compared with many other trees, often little more than five
meters in height. This relatively short height may be one of the factors that aid the
bristlecone pine living to a ripe old age-high winds and inclement weather cannot easily
reach the shorter trees and cause damage. An additional factor that contributes to the
long life of the bristlecone pine is that this type of tree has a high percentage of resin,
which prevents rot from developing in the tree trunk and branches.
30. The best title for this passage would 32. The expression “in the neighborhood
be of” in line 3 could best be replaced by
(A) Of approximately
(A) The size of the bristlecone pine
(B) On the same block as
(B) Three-hundred-year-old-forests
(C) With the friendliness of
(C) The wonders of the ancient world
(D) Located close to
(D) An amazingly enduring tree
33. It can be inferred from the passage
31. The word “estimate” in line 2 is
that most people
closest in meaning to
(A) Are quite accurate in their
(A) Measure
estimates of the ages of trees
(B) Approximate
(B) Have two to three hundred trees
(C) Evaluate
in their neighborhoods
(D) View
(C) Do not really have any idea how
old the oldest trees on Earth are
(D) Can name some three-hundred-
year-old-trees
34. According to the passage, 37. Which of the following is true about
approximately how old are the oldest the bristlecone pine?
trees on Earth? (A) It is as tall as the great
pyramids.
(A) Two hundred years old
(B) It is never more than five meters
(B) Three hundred years old
in height.
(C) Five hundred years old
(C) It is short in comparison to many
(D) Five thousand years old
other trees.
(D) It can be two to three hundred
35. The word “venerable” in line 6 is
feet tall.
closest in meaning to which of the
following?
38. The word “inclement” in line 11 could
best be replace by
(A) Ancient
(A) Sunny
(B) Incredible
(B) Bad
(C) Towering
(C) Unusual
(D) Unrecognizable
(D) Strong
36. The author mentions the Egyptian
39. The passage states that resin
pyramids as an example of something
(A) Assists the tree trunks to
that is
develop
(A) Far away (B) Is found only in the bristlecone
(B) Believed to be strong pine
(C) Extremely tall (C) Flows from the branches to the
(D) Known to be old tree trunk
(D) Helps stop rot from starting
QUESTIONS 40-50
The organization that today is known as the Bank of America did start out in America, but
under quite a different name. Italian American A.P. Giannini established this bank on
October 17, 1904, in a renovated saloon in San Francisco’s Italian community of North Beach
under the name Bank of Italy, with immigrants and first-time bank customers comprising
the majority of his first customers. During its development, Giannini’s bank survived major
crises in the form of a natural disaster and a major economic upheaval that not all other
banks were able to overcome.
One major test for Giannini’s bank occurred on April 18, 1906, when a massive earthquake
struck san Francisco, followed by a raging fire that destroyed much of the city. Giannini
obtained two wagons and teams of horses, filled the wagons with the banks’ reserves, mostly
in the form of gold, covered the reserves with crates of oranges, and escaped from the
chaos of the city with his clients’ funds protected. In the aftermath of the disaster,
Giannini’s bank was the first to resume operations. Unable to install the bank in a proper
office setting, Giannini opened up shop on the Washington Street Wharf on a makeshift
desk created from board and barrels.
In the period following the 1906 fire, the Bank of Italy continued to prosper and expand. By
1918 there were twenty-four branches of the Bank of Italy, and by 1928 Giannini had
acquired numerous other banks, including a Bank of America located in New York city. In
1930 he consolidated all the branches of the Bank of Italy, the Bank of America in New
York City, and another Bank of America that he had formed in California into the Bank of
America National Trust and Saving Association.
A second major crisis for the bank occurred during the Great Depression of the 1930’s.
Although Giannini had already retired prior to the darkest days of the Depression, he
became incensed when his successor began selling off banks during the bad economic times.
Giannini resumed leadership of the bank at the age of sixty-two. Under Giannini’s leadership,
the bank weathered the storm of the Depression and subsequently moved into a phase of
overseas development.
40. According to the passage, Giannini 44. It can be inferred from the passage
that Giannini used crates of oranges
(A) Opened the bank of America
after the earthquake
in1904
(B) Worked in a bank in Italy (A) To hide the gold
(C) Set up the bank of America prior (B) To fill up the wagons
to setting up the bank of Italy (C) To provide nourishment for his
(D) Later changed the name of the customers
bank of Italy (D) To protect the gold from the fire
41. Where did Giannini open his first 45. The word “chaos” in line 12 is closest
bank? in meaning to
(A) Legal system
(A) In new York city
(B) Extreme heat
(B) In what used to be a bar
(C) Overdevelopment
(C) On Washington street wharf
(D) Total confusion
(D) On a makeshift desk
46. The word “consolidated” in line 19 is
42. According to the passage, which of
closest in meaning to
the following is NOT true about the
(A) Hardened
San Francisco earthquake?
(B) Merged
(C) Moved
(A) It happened in 1906.
(D) Sold
(B) It occurred in the aftermath of a
fire.
47. The passage states that after his
(C) It caused problems for Giannini’s
retirement, Giannini
bank.
(D) It was a tremendous earthquake. (A) Began selling off banks
(B) Caused economic misfortune to
43. The word “raging” in line 9 could best
occur
be replaced by
(C) Supported the bank’s new
(A) Angered
management
(B) Localized
(D) Returned to work
(C) Intense
(D) Feeble
48. The expression “weathered the storm (D) Lines 14-16
of” in line 26 could best be replaced
50. The paragraph following the passage
by
most likely discusses
(A) Found a cure for
(A) Bank failures during the great
(B) Rained on the parade of
depression
(C) Survived the ordeal of
(B) A third major crisis of the bank
(D) Blew its stack at
of America
(C) The international development of
the bank of America
49. Where in the passage does the
(D) How Giannini spent his retirement
author describe Giannini’s first
banking clients?