TYPE 2 FACTUAL INFORMATION QUESTIONS

Factual information questions require you to identify central information and details explicitly given in the
passage. They may also ask if information is true, not true, or not included in the passage.

Typical factual information questions:

 The author mentions all of the following as a cause of X EXCEPT…  Where in the passage does the
author give an example of X?
 According to the passage, what is the least important aspect of X?
 According to the passage, which of the following is true of X?

Exercise 2: Study each of the passages, and choose the best answers to the questions that follow.

PASSAGE ONE:
Because all dramatic productions begin with a script, there is a constant need for playwrights and
scriptwriters. Beginning writers may work on "spec," or speculation; they do not know if their play or screenplay
Line will find a buyer. Playwrights generally submit their work to a theater. The theater may produce the play or hold
readings of it. A few theaters have regular positions for playwrights in residence, but in general, even established
(5) playwrights work on a freelance, or job-by-job, basis.
This is also true of scriptwriters who write screenplays and teleplays for film and television production
companies. Established writers in the broadcasting industry may work steadily for a particular television
program, but many writers work on a script-by-script basis.
Stage and screen writers may initially learn their trade in colleges and universities that offer degree
(10) programs in play and screenplay writing. Requirements of the programs usually include reading the works of other
writers and writing an original play or screenplay.

1. According to the passage, "spec" writers sell their plays or scripts by

A. working for a specific theater or production company

B. submitting their work to a theater or production company
C. first becoming established writers
D. holding readings of their work

2. The author makes the point that both playwrights and scriptwriters

A. usually begin working on a freelance basis

B. usually begin working for one theater or production company
C. are required to earn a college degree
D. usually begin by writing plays and later writing screenplays

3. Which of the following sentences should NOT be included in a summary of the passage?
A. Many writers work on a job-by-job basis.
B. Some universities have degree programs in writing for the stage and screen.
C. It is difficult to get established as a film or television writer.
D. There is always a need for new writers and new dramatic material.
 PASSAGE TWO:
What made Native American and European subsistence cycles so different from one another in colonial
America had less to do with their use of plants than with their use of animals. Domesticated grazing animals and
Line the plow were the most distinguishing characteristics of European agricultural practices. The Native Americans'
relationship to the deer, moose, and beaver they hunted was far different from that of the Europeans to the
(5) pigs, cows, sheep, and horses they owned.
Where Natives had contented themselves with burning the woods and concentrating their hunting in the fall
and winter months, the English sought a much more total and year-round control over their animals' lives. The
effects of that control could be seen in most aspects of New England's rural economy, and by the end of the
colonial period were responsible for a host of changes in the New England landscape: the endless miles of
(10) fences, the silenced voices of the vanished wolves, the system of country roads, and the new fields covered with
grass, clover, and buttercups.

4. What is the main point the author makes?

A. Native Americans and Europeans competed over plants and animals.

B. Native Americans and Europeans tried to control animals in New England.
C. Europeans had to learn how to hunt the deer, moose, and beaver.
D. Native Americans and Europeans differed in their use of animals.

5. The author mentions cows and sheep as examples of

A. European subsistence cycles

B. animals owned by European settlers
C. animals hunted by Native Americans
D. animals eaten by wolves

6. Which of the following is NOT mentioned as an agricultural practice of Europeans in New England?

A. Burning the woods

B. Building fences
C. Plowing fields
D. Growing grass and clover
 PASSAGE THREE:
A tornado undergoes considerable changes in size, shape, and behavior during its life cycle. The tornado
usually develops within a cumulonimbus cloud and subsequently extends toward the ground. We see this stage
Line as a rotating funnel cloud that descends from the cloud base. When the rotating column of air reaches the
ground, it becomes a tornado by definition. Sometimes dust and debris begin whirling on the ground before the
(5) funnel actually touches down. In weak tornadoes, particularly in dry climates, this ground-level dust whirl may
be visible before the funnel cloud.
During the tornado's mature stage, the funnel reaches its greatest width. It is usually nearly vertical, and most
of the time is touching the ground, though skipping may occur along a lengthy path. At this time, the tornado
causes severe damage to whatever it encounters.
(10) During the tornado's shrinking stage, the funnel narrows and tilts away from its vertical position. Now the path
of damage becomes smaller. As the tornado decays, the funnel stretches into a rope shape, and the visible
portion becomes contorted and finally dissipates. This stage is often called the rope stage because of its
appearance.

7. According to the passage, a rotating funnel cloud is defined as a tornado when it

A. develops in a cumulonimbus cloud

B. is observed by humans
C. touches the ground
D. causes dust and debris to begin whirling

8. During which stage is a tornado the most dangerous?

A. The formation stage

B. The mature stage
C. The shrinking stage
D. The rope stage

9. In its final stage, a tornado resemble

A. a dust whirl
B. a funnel
C. a rope
D. a vertical cloud

10. The passage discusses all of the following EXCEPT

A. how to recognize a tornado

B. the life cycle of a tornado
C. the appearance of a tornado
D. how to avoid a tornado
.