Examples I

The passage:

Basketball was invented in 1891 by a physical education instructor in Springfield,

Massachusetts, by the name of James Naismith. Because of the terrible weather in
winter, his physical education students were indoors rather than outdoors. They really
did not like the idea of boring, repetitive exercises and preferred the excitement and
challenge of a game. Naismith figured out a team sport that could be played indoors on
a gymnasium floor, that involved a lot of running, that kept all team members
involved, and that did not allow the tackling and physical contact of American-style
football.

The question:

1. What is the main idea of this passage?

(A) The life of James Naismith
(B) The history of sports
(C) Physical education and exercise
(D) The origin of basketball

Examples II
The passage:

Early maps of the North American continent showed a massive river that began in the
Rocky Mountains, flowed into the Great Salt Lake, and from there continued westward into
the Pacific Ocean. This river, named the Buenaventura River, on some maps rivaled the
great Mississippi River. This mythical river of course does not exist. Perhaps an early
mapmaker, hypothesized that such a river probably existed; perhaps a smaller river was
seen and its path from the Rockies to the Pacific was assumed. As late as the middle of the
nineteenth century this river was still on maps and explorers
were still searching for it.

The question:

2. Which of the following would be the best title for this passage?

(A) Early Maps of North America

(B) A Non-Existent River on Maps
(C) A Comparison of the Buenaventura and the Mississippi Rivers
(D) Rivers in Mythology
Example:

The passage:

The Florida Keys are a beautiful chain of almost 1,000 coral and limestone islands These islands form an arc that
heads first southwest and then west from the mainland. U.S. Highway 1, called the Overseas Highway connects the
main islands in the chain. On this highway, it is necessary to cross 42 bridges over the ocean to cover the 159 miles
from Miami on the mainland, to Key West the farthest island on the highway and the southernmost city in the
United States.

The questions:

1. Which of the following is NOT mentioned about the Florida Keys?

(A) The Florida Keys are a chain of islands.
(B) The Florida Keys contain coral and limestone
(C) The Florida Keys are in the shape of an arc.
(D) The Florida Keys are not all inhabited.

2. Which of the following is NOT true about U.S. Highway 1?

(A) It is also known as the Overseas Highway

(B) It joins all of the islands in the Florida Keys.
(C) It has more than 40 bridges
(D) It connects Miami and Key West

Examples
The passage:

The words “capital” and “capitol” are confused in spelling

and in meaning by a lot of people who try to use them. Both
their spellings and their meanings are quite closely related. A
“capital “ is the location of the center of government while a
“capitol” is the actual building where the government officials
meet. Thus, in the United States for example, the Capitol
building is located in Washington, D.C. which is the capital
city of the United States.

The questions:

1. Where in the passage does the author define the word “capital”?
(A) Lines 1 - 2
(B) Line 3
(C) Line 4
(D) Lines 6 – 8

2. Where in the passage does the author mention where the U.S. Capitol can be found?
(A) Lines 1 - 2
(B) Line 3
(C) Lines 4 - 5
(D) Line 6 - 8