Reading – Exercise 1

1. Two thousands years ago, Eclid, a greek mathematician, organzed everything that was known
abou geometry into a logical system.He did his job so successfully that high school stdents in the
USA today, 2000 yeas later, still stuy Eulidean Geometry.

Question: the main idea of the passage is that

a. Euclid was Greek
b. Euclid was a mathematician
c. Euclidean geometry has been in use for a long time
d. It is time to replace Euclidean geometry with more modern system

2. In the words of Thomas De Quincey, “It is notorious that the memory strengthens as you lay
burdens upon it.” If, like most people, you have trouble recalling the names of those you have
just met, try this: The next time you are introduced, plan to remember the names. Say to
yourself, “I’ll listen carefully; I’ll repeat each person’s name to be sure I have it, and I will
remember.” You’ll discover how effective this technique is and probably recall those names for
the rest of your life.

The passage suggests that people remember names best when they:
a. are intelligent
b. are interested in people
c. meet new people
d. decide to do so

3. With varying success, many women around the world today struggle for equal rights.
Historically, women have achieved greater equality with men during periods of social adversity.
The following factors initiated the greatest number of improvements for women: violent
revolution, world war, and the rigors of pioneering in an undeveloped land. In all three cases,
the essential element that improved the status of women was a shortage of men, which
required women to perform many of society’s vital tasks.

We can conclude from the information in this passage that

a. women today are highly successful in winning equal rights
b. historically, women have only achieved equality through force
c. historically, the principle of equality alone has not been enough to secure women equal
rights
d. only pioneer women have been considered equal to men

4. In 1970 about sixty small and medium-sized factories in the United States adopted a four-day
workweek. According to the plan, workers work forty hours but instead of the usual five-day
week, they now work only four days. Workers are enthusiastic about the three-day weekly
vacation. According to management, productivity has increased about 18% since the inception
of the new plan. Absenteeism has dropped by 69% and lateness is almost non-existent.

The passage suggests that a four-day workweek may result in

a. 40 hour workweeks for factory workers.
 b. 69% lateness or absenteeism among workers.
c. significant changes in the 1970s.
d. increased productivity, enthusiasm, and attendance.

5. The smaller a group is, the more opportunities we have to get to know other people well and to
establish close ties with them. Two-person groups are the setting for many of our most intense
and influential relationships.
In three-person groups, coalitions become possible, with two members joining force against a
third member. Five-person groups are large enough so that people feel they can express their
emotions freely and even risk antagonizing one another, yet they are small enough so that
members show regard for one another’s feelings and needs.

This passage’s main idea is that

a. two-person groups are an important part of our lives.
b. a five-person group is better than a two-person group.
c. groups play a central part in every human activity, within family, the workplace, and the
government.
d. the number of people in a group affects relationships within the group.

6. All water molecules form six-sided structures as they freeze and become snow crystals. The
shape of a snow crystal is determined by temperature, vapor, and wind conditions in the upper
atmosphere. A snow crystal is always symmetrical because these conditions affect all six of its
sides simultaneously.

The purpose of the passage is to present

a. opposing scientific theories
b. a solution to a problem
c. a personal observation
d. factual information

7. Farmers in the Sotheasters United States had to rid their land of palmettto trees in order to
farm. Their job was not easy until H.C Webb invented a machine that cleared away palmettos.
With this machine a farmer could clear from tean acres as much unwanted palmetto growth in
one day as ten farmers could clear away by hand in ten days.

Question: What was the vales of Wee’s inventions?

a. It was new.
b. It saved labor.
c. It increased the numer of palmetoo trees grown
d. It made the southeateern United States the best farmland

8. The gorilla is a realtively quiet animal but it does have a variety of calls including grunts, hoots,
and the roar given by an aggressive male. The well-known chest beating is performed bith males
and females. When performed by males, it is part of a ritual that may inlude running about,
tearing at vegetation, and slapping the groud. The purpose of this display is unknown, but at
times it appears to be used to intimidate outsiders.
 Question: What is the passage about?
a. a.How gorrillas live
b. Where gorrillas live
c. some type gorillas behaviors
d. what enemies gorillas have

9. The gorilla is a realtively quiet animal but it does have a variety of calls including grunts, hoots,
and the roar given by an aggressive male. The well-known chest beating is performed bith males
and females. When performed by males, it is part of a ritual that may inlude running about,
tearing at vegetation, and slapping the groud. The purpose of this display is unknown, but at
times it appears to be used to intimidate outsiders.

Question: Male gorillas probably slap the ground and tear up leaves in order to
a. Search for food
b. Attack females
c. Avoid making any noises
d. Scare away outsiders

10. The wheel is considered one of the most important mechanical inventions of all time. Many
technologies since the invention of the wheel have been based on its principles, and since the
industrial revolution, the wheel has been a basic element of nearly every machine constructed
by humankind. No one knows the exact time and place of the invention of the wheel, but its
beginnings can be seen across many ancient civilizations.

The passage suggests that the wheel is an important invention because it

a. forms the basis of so many later inventions
b. is one the world’s most famous inventions
c. can be traced to many ancient cultures
d. is one of the world’s oldest inventions

Passage 1
The realm of blogging and other user-generated web content, like personal home pages, has a Wild
West, anything can-happen feel to it. A guy who has never written a children’s book goes from blogging,
to networking, to causing a stir, and ends up with a book deal. A couple of women who find their
conversations about dating incredibly amusing turn out to be right, and end up with a television deal
from a major cable channel. While it is growing and changing more rapidly than anyone ca accurately
track, the world of blogging is still a place where anyone can stand out, make a splash, be seen, be
heard, and be successful.

Passage 2

A blog can seem like a waste of time to some, since there is no guarantee readers will come and
comment. Maintaining it with new posts and an interesting layout can seem like a chore. Why does
someone bother to create a blog if it isn’t to peddle a product or to get in touch with consumers? “The
principal reason to blog is because you have something to say,” claims one expert in blogging. “While
the cadre of readers may be small, it is not how many sets of eyeballs are reading your materials that’s
important, but who the eyeballs belong to. Blogs are written by influencers, and it is often other
influencers that read them.

11. At the end of passage 2, (“while …them”) the expert emphasizes

a. Function over form
b. Theory over ambition
c. Ethics over ambition
d. Quality over quantity

12. The author of passage 2 suggests that “some” would most likely view the description in Passae 1
(‘the world … successful”) as
a. surprisingly apt
b. overly optimistic
c. needlessly pedantic
d. insufficiently detailed

13. Unlike the author of Passage 1, the author of passage 2 implies that keeping a blog might:
a. benefit the community
b. involve irksome tasks
c. attract favorable attention
d. reward real creativity