PRACTICE

Directions: In this section you will read FOUR different passages. Each one is followed by 10
questions about it. For questions 1-40, you are to choose the best answer A, B, C or D, to each
question.
Passage 1
The Solar System, as we know it, contains over 178 objects which revolve around our central star,
or the Sun. Some of these objects can be seen from Earth with the unaided eye or an earth-based
telescope, but the majority have only been detected through the development of instruments such
as the Hubble Space Telescope, or unmanned probes like Voyager. These instruments operate
outside Earth’s atmosphere collecting information on the composition and behavior of objects in
the Solar System, which has enabled researchers to hypothesize their origins.
[A] It is generally thought that a cloud of interstellar gas and dust known as a ‘nebula’, was
disturbed by some major event in space, possibly a supernova, about five billion years ago and
began to collapse under its own gravity, forming a cloud. [B] The center of the cloud became so
hot that it eventually exploded into a star with the cooler gases flowing around it. [C] In time, the
gases condensed into dust, metals, and various kinds of ice in the cold outer reaches of space. [D]
These solid particles collided with each other to form larger objects, or asteroids, as they continued
to spin around our central star.
As these asteroids increased in size, the gravity began to pull in all the material in their immediate
surroundings, and the largest of these went on to become planets. The very different composition
of the inner planets (Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars) and the outer planets (Jupiter,
Saturn, Neptune and Uranus) has led astronomers to hypothesize that their distances from
the Sun caused them to develop at different rates and in different ways. According to the most
widely-held opinions, the planets closest to the Sun, where all the ice particles were vaporized due
to the incredible heat, were formed mostly of rock, silicates, and metals with high melting points.
These particles collided and were pulled together by gravity. These inner planets have thin
atmospheres or none at all, and few, if any, satellites, which would indicate that most of the
available material was either pulled into their own gravity or burned away in the heat of the Sun.
The inner and outer planets are separated by an asteroid belt, consisting of material that was not
able to form into planets due to Jupiter’s immense gravity. Beyond this area, as more dust and ice
particles escaped destruction by the Sun, four larger planets formed over a longer period of time
in a far colder environment as material was thrown out from the center by the spinning star’s
centrifugal force. About a million years after the cooling of the original nebula, the Sun began to
emit a stream of charged protons and electrons known as solar wind which blew the remaining
gases outwards, to be sucked in by the outer planets which became gas giants. These planets
attracted many objects in their vast gravity fields, some of which are big enough to be termed
‘satellites’, and countless smaller fragments which formed rings around the planets.
The discovery of more objects in the Solar System in recent times has led to the need for further
classification. Far beyond the outer planets lies Pluto, which was originally considered to be the
ninth planet, but which has since been found to be a binary system of two dwarf planets, the other
being Charon. Pluto’s origins may be in the recently discovered Kuiper Belt, the source of many
of the comets which travel through the Solar System. This theory is based on Pluto’s rock/ice
composition which is similar to that of a comet. At one time, also thought to be a moon of Neptune,
Pluto/Charon was reclassified in 2006 as one of three dwarf planets discovered so far, the others
being Eris and Ceres.
Scientific knowledge is only as good as the ability of scientists to collect evidence, so as new
advances are made in astronomy, the present theories may be disproved, as in the case of Pluto.
The above account represents the consensus of current opinions on the matter.
1. The word “composition” in the passage is closest in meaning to_______ .
A. make-up B. musical C. evolution D. revolution
2. Which of the following best expresses the essential information in the highlighted sentence in
the passage? Incorrect answer choices change the meaning in important ways or leave out essential
information.
A. Planets formed from gases and dust particles after comets collided with the Sun.
B. According to scientists, the manner in which planets developed was wholly dependent on their
distance from Jupiter’s rings.
C. The dissimilar make-up of the planets closest to the Sun and those farthest from the Sun suggests
that their distance from the Sun affected their formation. • ‘
D. Scientists believe the Sun evolved from the composition of several older planets in the solar
system.
3. According to the passage, all of the following are true about our solar system EXCEPT _______.
A. Planets nearest the Sun were formed mostly of rock.
B. There continue to be new discoveries as technology improves.
C. Colliding asteroids eventually formed planets.
D. Most of the comets in the solar system can be seen with the naked eye during an annular solar
eclipse.
4. It can be inferred from the passage that the planets______ .
A. broke off from the rapidly spinning Moon
B. collided more frequently, to spur the formation and growth of protoplanets
C. were initially asteroids
D. were formed by the collision of massive objects circling a black hole in eccentric orbits
5. Look at the four squares [_] that indicate where the following sentence could be added to the
passage.
This cloud began to rotate rapidly as it got smaller and denser and heated up to several thousand
degrees, causing some of its elements to vaporize into gas.
Where would the sentence best fit?
A. [A] B. [B] C. [C] D. [D]
6. In paragraph 1, what does the author say about the role of the Hubble Space Telescope?
A. It is too defective for our scientists to come up with definite answers to the origin of the universe.
B. Scientists discovered billions of new planets by combining measurements from the Hubble
Space Telescope with Voyager measurements.
C. It solved the age of the universe and measured the age of what may be the youngest galaxy ever
seen in the universe.
D. It has helped unveil many mysteries or queries about our universe.
7. The word “disturbed” in the passage is closest in meaning to______ .
A. broken B. attracted C. bothered D. imported
8. According to paragraph 4, the inner and outer planets are separated by what?
A. an asteroid belt B. a star C. comets D. a moon
9. Why does the author mention “Pluto” in paragraph 5?
A. To discuss Pluto’s rock/ ice composition
B. To introduce the concept of planet formation
C. To show that new discoveries are always occurring
D. To introduce the distinction between planets and dwarf planets
10. According to the passage, what were the universe’s origins?
A. A nebula collapsed under its gravity.
B. A black hole exploded and merged to create the universe.
C. A super being wished it into existence.
D. The Sun collapsed in on itself.

Passage 2
Antibiotics block the life cycle of bacteria that invade the human body. The first of these
antibiotics, penicillin, works by blocking the molecules that construct the cell walls of particular
bacteria. The bacteria, with incomplete cell walls, are not able to reproduce. When penicillin was
introduced during World War II, it was truly a "miracle drug." Until that time, anyone who was
cut or wounded stood a great risk of infection. Once penicillin became available, the situation
changed. Wounded soldiers, children with ear infections, and many others began to benefit from
the ability to block the growth of bacteria. While humanity may have won that particular battle
against bacteria, the war is far from over. The reason is that in any bacterial population, there are
bound to be a few bacteria that, for one reason or another, are not affected by a particular antibiotic.
For example, they may have a slightly differently shaped enzyme that builds cell walls, so that
penicillin will not fit onto that particular shape of the enzyme. These bacteria will not be affected
by that particular drug. For that small group, the antibiotic is a real godsend. It doesn't affect them,
but it does wipe out all of their competition. They are thus free to multiply, and, over time, all of
the bacteria will have whatever properties that made those individuals resistant. Traditionally,
medical scientists have dealt with this phenomenon by developing a large number of antibiotics,
each of which intervenes in the bacterial life cycle in a slightly different way. Consequently, if you
happen to have a bacterium that is resistant to one antibiotic, probably it will succumb to the action
of another. You may, in fact, have had the experience of going to a doctor with an infection, being
given an antibiotic, and then finding that it didn't work. In all likelihood, all your doctor had to do
then was prescribe a different antibiotic and everything was fine. The problem is that as time has
passed, more and more bacteria have become resistant to antibiotics. In fact, currently, there is one
strain of bacteria-Staphylococcus-that is resistant to every commercially available antibiotic
except one, and in 1996, a bacterium with lowered resistance to that last antibiotic appeared in
Japan. The appearance of drug-resistant bacteria is not particularly surprising; in fact, it probably
should have been anticipated. Nevertheless, in the late 1980s, there was a general sense of
complacency among scientists on the antibiotic question. Little profit was to be made by
developing the one-hundred-and-first antibiotic. Drug companies concentrated their efforts on
other areas. Therefore, a gap developed between the production of new antibiotics and the
development of resistance among bacteria. By the early 1990s, this gap was recognized and
highlighted in several national news magazines. More companies returned to develop new kinds
of antibiotics, and currently, a number are undergoing clinical trials. By early in the twenty-first
century, some of these new drugs will start to come on the market, and the problem will be
"solved," at least for the moment. Additional research will focus on the processes by which cells
repair the constant damage to DNA, but the computer design of new drugs, the development of
new antibiotics, and techniques to combat bacteria should remain a top priority.
11. The word “them” in the passage refers to ______.
A. whatever properties B. resistant bacteria C. their competition D. those individuals
12. Which of the following best expresses the main idea of this passage?
A. The "miracle drug" penicillin B. Drug-resistant bacteria
C. Staphylococcus infections D. Gene therapy treatments
13. The word “complacency” in the passage is closest in meaning to ……
A. consensus of agreement B. fear of consequences
C. lack of concern D. awareness of potential
14. The author mentions all of the following reasons for drug resistant bacteria to appear
EXCEPT…….
A. there was not enough profit incentive for companies to continue developing new antibiotics
B. statistically, some drug-resistant bacteria will occur naturally in any large population of bacteria
C. the newer antibiotics were not as strong and effective as the original penicillin-based drugs
D. competing bacteria are destroyed by antibiotics, allowing resistant bacteria to prosper.
15. Which of the following statements is NOT a main idea of the passage?
A. Many strains of bacteria have become resistant to the antibiotics currently available.
B. Funding for the production of new antibiotics has been allocated to drug companies.
C. The first antibiotics were very effective in blocking the reproduction of bacteria.
D. New antibiotics are being developed to combat bacteria that resist the older antibiotics.
16. How do antibiotics treat infections?
A. They interfere with the reproductive cycle of bacteria.
B. They construct cell walls to resist bacteria.
C. They inject enzymes that explode in affected cells.
D. They increase the mitosis of healthy cells
17. The word “anticipated” in the passage is closest in meaning to …….
A. predicted B. concealed C. investigated D. disregarded
18. According to the passage, why do some bacteria benefits from antibiotics?
A. The antibiotic eliminates competing bacteria, allowing resistant bacteria to reproduce.
B. The resistant bacteria compete with the antibiotic, and the bacteria become stronger.
C. The competition helps the resistant bacteria to multiply by reproducing with the resistant type.
D. The properties of the antibiotic are acquired by the bacteria, making it resistant to the
competition.
19. Which of the sentences below best expresses the information in the highlighted statement in
the passage?
A. Some antibiotics affect a population of bacteria more efficiently than others.
B. There are several reasons why some bacteria do not respond to most antibiotics.
C. The effect of antibiotics on bacteria is to bind them together into one population.
D. A small number of bacteria in any sample will probably be resistant to a specific antibiotic.
20. It can be inferred from the passage that …….
A. research to develop new antibiotics will not be necessary in the future
B. the scientific community was not surprised by the resistant strains of bacteria
C. antibiotics are not very expensive when they are made available commercially
D. it takes years for a new drug to be made available commercially for consumers