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PLACEMENT TEST B1
READING
Directions: Read the passages and choose the right answer A, B, C or D for
each question below. Then, on your answer sheet, find the number of the
question and fill in the space corresponds to the letter of the answer that you
have chosen.

PASSAGE l _ Questions 1 - 10
Esperanto is what is called a planned, or artificial, language. It was
created more than a century ago by Polish eye doctor Ludwik Lazar
Zamenhof. Zamenhof believed that a common language would help to
alleviate some of the misunderstanding among cultures.
ln Zamenhof‘s first attempt at a universal language, he tried to create a
language that was as uncomplicated as possible. This first language included
words such as ab, ac, ba, eb, be, and ce. This did not result in a workable
language in that these monosyllabic words, though short, were not easy to
understand or to retain.
Next, Zamenhof tried a different way of constructing a simplified
language. He made the words in his language sound like words that people
already knew, but he simplified the grammar tremendously. One example of
how he simplified the language can be seen in the suffixes: all nouns in this
language end ino, as in the noun amiko, which means “friend,” and all
adjectives end in -a, as in the adjective bela, which means “pretty”. Another
example of the simplified language can be seen in the prefix mal-, which
makes a word opposite in meaning; the word malamiko therefore means
“enemy“, and the word malbela therefore means “ugly" in Zamenhof’s
language.
In 1887, Zamenhof wrote a description of this language and published it.
He used a pen name, Dr. Esperanto, when signing the book. He selected the

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name Esperanto because this word means “a person who hopes” in his
language. Esperanto clubs began popping up throughout Europe, and by
1905, Esperanto had spread from Europe to America and Asia.
In 1905, the First World Congress of Esperanto took place in France,
with approximately 700 attendees from 20 different countries. Congresses
were held annually for nine years, and 4,000 attendees were registered for
the Ten World Esperanto Congress scheduled for 1914, when World War I
erupted and forced its cancellation.
Esperanto has had its ups and downs in the period since World War I.
Today, years after it was introduced, it is estimated that perhaps a quarter of
a million people are fluent in it. This may seem like a large number, but it is
really quite small when compared with the billion English speakers and
billion Mandarin Chinese speakers in today’s world. Current advocates
would like to see its use grow considerably and are taking steps to try to
make this happen.
1. The topic of this passage is
A. A language developed in the last few years
B. One man’s efforts to create a universal language
C. How language gait be,improved
D. Using language to communicate internationally
2. According to the passage, Zamenhof wanted to create a universal
language
A. To resolve cultural differences
B. To provide a more complex language
C. To build a name for himself
D. To create one world culture
3. It can be inferred from the passage that the Esperanto word
“malespera” means
A. hopelessness B. hope
C. hopeless D. hopeful

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4. The expression “popping up” could best be replaced by

A. leaping B. shouting
C. hiding D. opening
5. It can be inferred from the passage that the Third World Congress
of Esperanto took place
A. in 1905 B. in 1907
B. 1909 D. in 1913
6. According to the passage, what happened to Tenth World Esperanto
Congress?
A. It had 4,000 attendees.
B. It was scheduled for 1915.
C. It had attendees from 20 countries.
D. It never took place.
7.The expression “ups and downs” in paragraph 6 is closest in meaning
to
A. tops and bottoms
B. floors and ceilings
C. take offs and landings
D. highs and lows
8. Which paragraph describes the predecessor to Esperanto?
A. The first paragraph
B. The second paragraph
C. The third paragraph
D. The last paragraph
9. This passage would most likely be assigned reading in a course on
A. European history
B. English grammar
C. world government
D. applied linguistics

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10. The paragraph following the passage most likely discusses

A. How current supporters of Esperanto are encouraging its growth.
B. Another of Zamenhof’s accomplishments.
C. The disadvantages of using an artificial language.
D. Attempts to reconvene the World Congress of Esperanto in the
1920s.
PASSAGE 2_ Questions 11 -20
Crows are probably the most frequently met and easily identifiable
members of the native fauna of the United States. The great number of tales,
legends, and myths about these birds indicates that people have been
exceptionally interested in them for a long time. On the other hand, when it
comes to substantive particularly behavioral information, crow are less
well-known than many comparably common species and, for that matter,
not a few quite uncommon ones: the endangered California condor, to cite
one obvious example. There are practical reasons for this.
Crows are notoriously poor and aggravating subjects for field research.
Keen observers, and quick learners, they are astute about the intentions of
other creatures, including researcher, and adapt at avoiding them. Because
they are so numerous, active, and monochromatic, it is difficult to
distinguish one crow to another. Bands, radio transmitters, and other
identifying devices can be attached to them, but his of course requires
catching live crows, who are among the wariest and most untrappable of
birds.
Technical difficulties aside, crow research is daunting because the ways
of these birds are So complex and various. As prominent generalists,
members of this species ingeniously exploit a great range of habitats and
resources, and they can quickly adjust to changes in their circumstances.
Being so educable, individual birds have markedly different interests and
inclinations, strategies and scrams. For example, one pet crow learned how

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to let a dog out of its kennel by pulling the pin on the door. When the dog
escaped, the bird went into the kennel and ate its food.
11. What is the main idea of the passage?
A. The ways in which crows differ from other common birds.
B. The myths and legends about crows.
C. The characteristics that make crows difficult to study.
D. The existing methods for investigating crow behavior.
12. According to the first paragraph, what evidence is there that crows
have interested people for a long time?
A. The large number of stories about crows.
B. The frequency with which crows are sighted.
C. The amount of research that has been conducted on crows.
D. The ease with which crows are identified.
13. The word “comparably” in paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to
A. interestingly B. similarly
C. otherwise D. sometimes
14. In paragraph 1, the author mentions “the endangered California
condor” as an example of a species that is
A. smaller than a crow B. easily identifiable
C. featured in legends D. very rare
15. The word “them” in paragraph 2 refers to
A. crows B. subjects
C. intentions D. researchers
16. According to the second paragraph, crows are poor subjects for flew
research for all of the following reasons EXCEPT
A. They can successfully avoid observers.
B. They are hard to distinguish from one another.
C. They can be quite aggressive.
D. They are difficult to catch.

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17. According to the third paragraph, which of the following is true

about crows?
A. They seldom live in any one place for very long.
B. They thrive in a wide variety of environments.
C. They have marked preferences for certain kinds of foods.
D. They use up the resources in one area before moving to another.
18. In paragraph 3, the word “inclination” is closest in meaning to
A. tricks B. opportunities
C.preferences D. experiences
19. In paragraph 3, the author mentions a pet crow to illustrate which
of the following?
A. The clever ways that crows solve the problems
B. The differences between pet crows and wild crows
C. The ease with crows can be named
D. The affection that crows shows to other creatures
20. Which of the following statements is supported by the passage?
A. Crows have relatively long lives.
B. Crows have keen vision.
C. Crows are usually solitary.
D. Crows are very intelligent.
PASSAGE 3 _ Questions 21-30

Before the mid-nineteenth century, people in the United States ate most
foods only in season. Drying, smoking, and salting could preserve meat for
a short time, but the availability of fresh meat, like that of fresh milk, was
very limited: there was no way to prevent spoilage. But in 1810 a French
inventor named Nicolas Appert developed the cooking-and-sealing process
of canning. And in the 1850s, an America named Gail Borden developed a
means of condensing and preserving milk. Canned goods and condensed
milk became more common during the 1860’s, but supplies remained low

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because cans had to be made by hand. By 1880, however, inventors had

fashioned stamping and soldering machines that mass-produced cans from
tinplate. Suddenly all kinds of food could be preserved and bought at all
times of the year.

Other trends and inventions had also helped make it possible for
Americans to vary their daily diets. Growing urban populations created
demand that encouraged fruit and vegetable farmers to raise more produce.
Railroad refrigerator cars enabled growers and meat packers to ship
perishables great distances and to preserve them for longer periods. Thus,
by the 1890’s, northern city dwellers could enjoy southern ans western
strawberries, grapes, and tomatoes, previously available for a month at most,
for up to six months of the year. In addition, increased use of iceboxes
enables families to store perishables. An easy means of producing ice
commercially had been invented in the 1870’s, and by 1900 the nation had
more than two thousand commercial ice plants, 1870’s, most of which made
home deliveries. The icebox became a fixture in most homes and remained
so until the mechanized refigerator replaced it in the 1920’s and 1930’s.

Almost everyone now had a more diversified diet. Some people

continued to eat mainly foods that were heavy in starches or carbohydrates,
and not everyone could afford meat. Nevertheless, many families could take
advantage of previously unavailable fruits, vegetables and dairy products to
achieve more varied fare.

21. What does the passage mainly discuss?

A. causes of food spoilage

B. commercial production of ice

C. population movement in the nineteenth century

D. inventions that led to changes in the American diet

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22. The phrase “in season” in paragraph 1 refers to

A. a kind of weather

B. a particular time of year

C. an official schedule

D. a method of flavoring food

23. The word “prevent” in paragraph 1 is closet in meaning to

A. avoid B. estimate

C. correct D. confine

24. During 1860’s canned food products were

A. unavailable in rural areas

B. shipped in refrigerator cars

C. available in limited quantities

D. a staple part of the American diet

25. It can be inferred that railroad refrigerator cars came into use

A. before 1860 B. before 1890

C. after 1900 D. after 1920

26. The word “them” in paragraph 2 refers to

A. refrigerator cars B. growers

C. distances D. perishables

27. The word “fixture” in paragraph 2 is closet in meaning to

A. luxury item B. commonplace object

C. substance D. mechanical device

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28. The author implies that in the 1920’s and 1930’s home deliveries of
ice

A. decreased in number

B. were on an irregular schedule

C. increased in cost

D. occurred only in the summer

29. Which of the following types of food preservation was NOT

mentioned in the passage?

A. drying B. canning

C. cold storage D. chemical additives

30. Which of the following statement is supported by the passage?

A. Tin cans and iceboxes helped to make many foods more widely
available.

B. Commercial ice factories were developed by railroad owners.

C. Most farmers in the United States raised only fruits and vegetables.

D. People who lived in cities demand home delivery of foods.

PASSAGE 4 _ Questions 31 – 40

Sequoyah was a young Cherokee Indian, son of a white trader and an

Indian squaw. At an early age, he became fascinated by “the talking leaf”,
an expression that he used to describe the white man’s written records.
Although many believed this “talking leaf” to be a gift from the Great Spirit,
Sequoyah refused to accept that theory. Like other Indians of the period, he
was illiterate, but his determination to remedy the situation led to the
invention of a unique eighty-six-character alphabet based on the sound
patterns that he heard.

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His family and friends thought him mad, but while recuperating from a
hunting accident, he diligently and independently set out to create a form of
communication for his own people as well as for other Indians. In 1821,
after twelve years of work, he had successfully developed a written
language that would enable thousands of Indians to read and write.

Sequoyah desire to preserve words and events for later generations has
caused him to be remembered among the important inventors. The giant
redwood trees of California, called “sequoias” in his honor, will further
imprint his name in history.

31. What is the most important reason that Sequoyah will be

remembered?

A. California redwoods were named in his honor.

B. He was illiterate.

C. He created a unique alphabet.

D. He recovered from his madness and helped humankind.

32. The word “squaw” in paragraph 1 is closet in meaning to

A. woman B. teacher C. cook D. trader

33. How did Sequoyah’s family react to his idea of developing his own
“talking leaf” ?

A. They arranged for his hunting accident.

B. They thought he was crazy.

C. They decided to help him.

D. They asked him to teach them to read and write.

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34. What prompted Sequoyah to develop his alphabet?

A. People were writing things about him that he couldn’t read.

B. He wanted to become famous.

C. After his hunting accident, he needed something to keep him busy.

D. He wanted the history of his people preserve for future generations.

35. In paragraph 1, the word “illiterate” means most nearly the

same as

A. fierce C. abandoned

B. poor D. unable to read or write

36. It is implied that Sequoyah called the written records “the talking
leaf” because

A. They played music.

B. When he observed white people reading, they seemed to understand

what was written.

C. He was going mad, and he thought the leaves were talking to him.

D. It was the only way that the Great Spirit had of communicating with
them.

37. Sequoyah could best be described as

A. determined B. mad C. backwards D. meek

38. What is the best title for the passage?

A. Sequoyah’s Determination to Preserve the Cherokee Language.

B. The origin of the Cherokee Language.

C. Sequoyah’s Madness Leads to a New Language.

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D. The Origin of the “Sequoia” Trees in California.

39. In paragraph 1, “fascinated” is closet in meaning to

A. absorbed B. exasperated

C. confused D. imaginative

40. All of the following are true EXCEPT

A. Sequoyah developed a form of writing with the help of the Cherokee

tribe

B. Sequoyah was a very observant young man

C. Sequoyah spent twelve years developing his alphabet

D. Sequoyah was honored by having some trees named after him.

-THE END -

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