1 SNT Language Institute 1
Reading Test
65 MINUTES, 52 QUESTIONS
Turn to Section 1 of your answer sheet to answer the questions in this section.
DIRECTIONS
Each passage or pair of passages below is followed by a number of questions. After reading each passage or
pair, choose the best answer to each question based on what is stated or implied in the passage or passages
and in any accompanying graphics (such as a table or graph).
Questions 1-11 are based on the following
passage.
Recycling bins overflow after the
holidays, stuffed with gift wrapping and
tangled Christmas-tree lights. Rarely does
this junk earn a second thought. But where
5 does it all go? Probably Asia, and
particularly China, the largest importer of
recycling from the rich world. Those broken
lights, for example, may turn up in
Guangdong province where factories
10 salvage the copper wire and melt the
stripped plastic into new slipper soles.
China’s thriving economy is desperate for
stuff that consumers in America and
elsewhere carelessly throw away.
15 The multibillion-dollar recycling trade
stands as “one of globalization’s great,
green successes,” writes Adam Minter, an
American journalist, in Junkyard Planet. It
is also a largely unsung one, as under-
20 appreciated as a rusty bike. The industry
turns over as much as $500 billion annually,
and employs a huge number of people. After
years spent travelling the junk heaps of the
world, and a decade living in China, Mr.
25 Minter is keen to give the scrap-dealers their
due. Son of an American scrap-yard owner,
he approaches the industry with affectionate
curiosity, marveling at the “groan and
crunch” of machines that turn rubbish into
30 usable goods.
When Mr. Minter first moved to Shanghai
in 2002, the city had three subway lines; ten
years later it boasts one of the world’s
largest systems, with 11 lines and 270 miles
35 of track. Building booms in the developing
world, particularly in China, have caused an
explosion of demand for steel, copper and
other resources. Yet China lacks the raw
materials it needs, so it imports the metal,
40 often as scrap. This has pushed up prices; a
pound of copper has risen from 60 cents in
the late 1990s to nearly $3.40 today.
Americans, meanwhile, have more scrap
than they can handle. Known among scrap
45 traders as the “Saudi Arabia of Scrap,” the
country lacks real demand for
manufacturing materials. American labor
costs are too high-and environmental
regulations too onerous-for it to be cost-
50 effective to salvage most scrap anyway. For
the savvy, fast-talking businessmen of the
international scrap trade, this has created a
profitable exchange. It has also driven the
kind of innovation that diverts more junk
55 from landfills.
For example, people now worry more
about the afterlife of their mobile phones
than their cars because of the invention of
the motor shredder, which turns old vehicles
60 into scrap metal. In 1970, at least 20 million
rusting cars were abandoned across
America. In 2012, America recycled nearly
11.9 million cars. China, the world’s biggest
car buyer, has become the fastest growing
65 market for shredders. America’s trade
deficit with China reinforces the two
countries’ relationship as recycling partners.
Americans consume, and therefore dispose
of, more goods than their Chinese
CONTINUE
 5 1 SNT Language Institute 1
70 counterparts. And it is also often cheaper for
American scrap-yards to send their goods to
China than anywhere else in the world. This
is because shipping companies hauling
goods to America would rather not return to
75 China empty, and so they offer discounts on
what they call their “back-hauls.”
Whether Mr. Minter is accompanying a
Chinese scrap buyer on a road trip through
the American Midwest or trying to sell his
80 old mobile phones in Guiyu, China’s
controversial electronic-waste recycling
zone, he is an authorial, engaging guide
through the global trash trade. Dirty,
dangerous, cheap to get into and not without
1
85 romance, the junk business extracts value
from what others see as worthless. Mr. The main purpose of the passage can best be
Minter is not blind to the grim realities of described as
the industry. Wen’an country in China, a
place once known for its fertile soil, clear (A) describing the economic relationship
90 streams and peach trees, was the “most between two countries.
polluted place” he ever visited because of its (B) criticizing the environmental polices of
role in the plastic trade. a major world power.
But any recrimination over these (C) discussing the virtues of a valuable and
recycling practices is best directed at the growing industry.
95 rich world and at the increasingly wealthy (D) expressing an opinion about the rising
Chinese who are beginning to match their cost of certain metals.
wasteful, spendthrift counterparts in the
West. The recycling industry squeezes value
from used goods, but nothing is 100% 2

100 recyclable. The special chemistry of many
products, such as iPhone touchscreens,
means they cannot be recycled. Consumers
should be more aware of what is harmful,
and companies should be nudged to design
105 products that are easier to repair and
recycle. In the meantime, a bit more
appreciation might be spared for junkyards,
without which “the world would be a dirtier
and less interesting place.”
It can be reasonably inferred from the
passage that the author believes which one
of the following claims about the global
recycling industry?
(A) Its economic importance has been over-
emphasized.
(B) Its impact on other industries is largely
significant.
(C) It disproportionately benefits already
developed economies.
(D) Its benefits are often not fully
appreciated.

CONTINUE
 1 SNT Language Institute 1
10
3 (D) the swiftly expanding Chinese
Which choice provides the best evidence for
the answer to the previous question?
(A) Lines 5-7 (“Probably…world”)
(B) Lines 18-20 (“It is…bike”)
(C) Lines 26-30 (“Son…goods”)
(D) Lines 35-38 (“Building…resources”)
4 before.
The author’s attitude towards Adam
Minter’s book Junkyard Planet could best be
described as
(A) respectful and approving.
(B) perplexed and reserved.
(C) enthusiastic and worshipful.
(D) detached and unimpressed.
5 Which choice provides the best evidence for
As used in line 23, “boasts” most nearly means
(A) gloats.
(B) exaggerates.
(C) brags.
(D) features.
6 The purpose of the fourth paragraph (lines
According to the passage, the rapid
expansion of the global recycling trade in
the past few decades has been caused
mainly by
(A) the depletion of natural resources in Asia
through environmentally unsafe practices.
(B) the increased demand for resources to
sustain construction projects in the
developing world.
(C) the growing innovation in consumer
goods that has caused products to
become obsolete sooner.
population that has created a large new
market for American goods.
7
According to the passage, which of the
following claims is true about American
scrap metal?
(A) The price of scrap metal has increased
more since the late 1990s than ever
(B) Scrap metal has been used in the past to
construct subway lines in major
American cities.
(C) It is usually not profitable to recycle
scrap metal in America.
(D) Safety regulations prevent scrap metal
from being recycled for domestic
construction projects.
8
the answer to the previous question?
(A) Lines 31-35 (“When…track”)
(B) Lines 40-42 (“This has…today”)
(C) Lines 47-50 (“American…anyway”)
(D) Lines 53-55 (“It has…landfills”)
9
56-76) can best be described as
(A) providing evidence to support a claim
made in an earlier paragraph.
(B) defining terms that were introduced in
an earlier paragraph.
(C) describing a scenario that demonstrates
a general rule.
(D) articulating the disadvantages of a
position that was advocated for in an
earlier paragraph.
CONTINUE
 1 SNT Language Institute 1

10

As it is used in line 85, “extracts” most

nearly means

(A) removes.
(B) derives.
(C) selects.
(D) exacts.

11

Which one of the following claims is

supported by the chart?

(A) Total United States plastic exports to

China reached 200 million tons in 2012.
(B) From 1996 to 2012, the value of United
States scrap metal exported to China
was greater than the value of paper and
plastic exports combined.
(C) In 2001, China imported less than $50
million worth of scrap paper from
around the world.
(D) The United States exported a total of
$500 million worth of scrap metal in
2012.

15
CONTINUE
 1 SNT Language Institute 1
Questions 12-22 are based on the
following passage
Passage 1
110 Heart disease is the leading cause of death
in the U.S., and people with higher
cholesterol are at higher risk for heart
attacks. There’s good evidence that people
who already have heart disease benefit from
115 cholesterol-lowering medications, or statins.
Among those people, statin treatment
reduces risk of heart attack and may prolong
life.
But what about healthy people with high
120 cholesterol? Many doctors have taken the
evidence from studies of people with heart
disease and made a leap of logic: they’ve
treated millions of healthy people with
statins to prevent heart disease.
125 But there’s a serious problem with that
logic. For most healthy people, data show
that statins do not prevent heart disease, nor
extend life or improve quality of life. And
they come with considerable side effects.
130 That’s why I don’t recommend giving
statins to healthy people, even those with
higher cholesterol.
Despite research that has included tens of
thousands of people, there is no evidence
135 that taking statins prolongs life, although
cholesterol levels do decrease. Using the
most optimistic projections, for every 100
healthy people who take statins for five
years, one or two will avoid a heart attack.
140 One will develop diabetes. But, on average,
there is no evidence that the group taking
statins will live any longer than those who
don’t.
Some argue that clinical trials of statin use
145 among healthy people haven’t demonstrated
a reduced mortality rate because each
individual trial only follows patients for a
few years-not long enough to show a
reduction in mortality. Many doctors,
20
150 including me, believe that we need clinical
trials that actually follow healthy people
treated with statins for the long term to see
if treatment really results in lower mortality.
Statin proponents think such trials would be
155 prohibitively expensive. That’s a
disappointing stance, considering the
billions that have already been spent on
statin prescriptions and advertising.
Some statin supporters argue that even if
160 the data don’t support the benefits of statins
in healthy people, they might help and can’t
hurt. But that’s untenable, because statins
undeniably harm some people. Besides
increasing the risk for developing diabetes,
165 statins can cause memory loss, muscle
weakness, stomach distress, and aches and
pains. These aren’t merely anecdotal results,
as some critics assert; they’re document by
recent studies.
Passage 2
170 We don’t prescribe drugs to otherwise
healthy people without rigorous scientific
evidence. And, in this case, there is a
mountain of high-quality scientific
evidence.
175 Heart disease is an insidious process that
takes decades to manifest itself. Risk factors
for developing heart disease often go
unrecognized and undertreated until it’s too
late. So, the first manifestation of
180 cardiovascular disease is often sudden
cardiac death, heart attack or stroke-which
may result in disability or death. A little late
at that point to start prescribing statins.
Yet critics say we should wait until after a
185 patient has gone through one of these life-
shattering events before we prescribe a
statin. It makes no sense that a medication
that slows the progression of hardening of
the arteries would be harmful the day or
CONTINUE
 1 SNT Language Institute 1
190 week before a heart attack, but helpful the
day or week after a heart attack.
The totality of the available biologic,
observational and clinical-trial evidence
strongly supports the selective use of statin
195 therapy in adults demonstrated to be at high
risk for heart disease. Studies have
conclusively shown that statins prolong life
and reduce the risk of heart attack, stroke
and death in patients with known heart
200 disease. Similarly, they have been shown to
do the same in patients without heart
disease, but who are at high risk of
developing heart disease.
For instance, a study of 6,600 Scottish
205 men who hadn’t had heart attacks showed a
decrease in mortality rates after five years
with statin therapy. Likewise, the recent
world-wide Jupiter study of men and
women without prior heart disease showed
210 statins significantly decreased the risk of
death after two years in people with an
average age of 66.
Critics raise a number of complaints
about these studies-exaggerated, in my
215 view-but many other large prevention trials
of people with multiple risk factors have
consistently shown reductions in total
cardiovascular events of 30% to 40% with
the use of a statin.
12
The authors of both passages would most
likely agree on which of the following
statements?
(A) Drugs should never be prescribed to
healthy patients.
(B) Past studies measuring the effects of
statin use have been flawed.
(C) Statins are effective at treating patients
with heart disease.
(D) Statins should only be prescribed after a
patient has experienced a cardiovascular
incident.
13
Which one of the following pieces of
evidence is included in Passage 2 but not
Passage 1?
(A) A discussion of the side effects of
cholesterol-lowering medication
(B) Statistics from specific scientific studies
(C) Information about the prevalence of
statin use
(D) An analysis of the financial costs of
statin use
14
As used in line 38, “individual” most nearly
means
(A) peculiar.
(B) personal.
(C) secluded.
(D) particular.
15
It can be reasonably inferred from Passage 1
that the author would most likely
recommend statins for a patient
(A) who is male and between the ages of 65
and 74.
(B) who has an unusually high cholesterol
level.
(C) who is at a higher than average risk of
having a heart attack.
(D) who is already suffering from heart
disease.
16
Which choice provides the best evidence for
the answer to the previous question?
CONTINUE
25 1 SNT Language Institute 1
(A) Lines 4-6 (“There’s good…statins”)
(B) Lines 11-15 (“Many doctors…disease”)
(C) Lines 21-23 (That’s why…cholesterol”)
(D) Lines 40-44 (“Many…mortality”)
17
According to Passage 1, which of the
following best describes the relationship
between statins and diabetes?
(A) People with diabetes are not allowed to take
statins.
(B) People are more likely to develop
diabetes when using statins.
(C) Statins are often prescribed for the
treatment of diabetes.
(D) People are less likely to develop
diabetes when using statins.
18
Which of the following best summarizes the
position held by the author of Passage 2?
(A) Since it is unethical to treat people for a
disease they don’t have, statins should be
considered preventative medication and
prescribed to anyone who wants them.
(B) Since people with heart disease don’t
know they have it, doctors should
prescribe statins to patients who might
have or might develop heart disease.
(C) Since statins are not known to prevent
the development of heart disease,
doctors should only prescribe them to
patients at risk for diabetes.
(D) Since doctors only prescribe medicines
whose record of success is well-
documented, patients should trust their
doctor’s recommendations.
19
The main rhetorical effect of lines 72-73
(“A little late…statins”) is to
(A) specify the correct moment for
prescribing statins.
(B) provide information about when the
prescription of statins is most
appropriate.
(C) portray the opposing argument as
nonsensical and dangerous.
(D) convey a sense of regret about the
preventable death of a patient.
20
As used in line 84, “selective” most nearly
means
(A) exacting.
(B) choosy.
(C) judicious.
(D) exclusive.
21
How would the author of Passage 2 most
likely respond to the claim made in lines 35-
40 (“some…mortality”) of Passage 1?
(A) By asserting that certain studies have
shown a reduction in mortality for
healthy patients who use statins
(B) By agreeing that more studies need to be
conducted that follow patients for longer
periods of time
(C) By suggesting that scientists should
examine the quality of life of statin users
rather than just the risk of death
(D) By arguing that following patients for
only one year is enough to prove
reduced mortality in healthy patients
who use statins.
22
Which choice provides the best evidence for
the answer to the previous question?
(A) Lines 66-69 (“Risk…late”)
(B) Lines 77-81 (“It makes…attack”)
(C) Lines 86-90 (“Studies…disease”)
(D) Lines 69-71 (“For instance…therapy”)
CONTINUE
 1 SNT Language Institute 1
30
Questions 23-32 are based on the
following passage.
This passage is adapted from The Federalist
Papers: No. 3. Originally published between
1787 and 1788, Federalist Papers aimed to
build support for ratification of the United
States Constitution, which would unify the
States under a national government. In this
excerpt, John Jay addresses the “dangers
from foreign force and influence.”
220 The just causes of war, for the most part,
arise either from violation of treaties or from
direct violence. America has already formed
treaties with no less than six foreign nations.
It is of high importance to the peace of
225 America that she observe the laws of nations
towards all these power, and to me it
appears evident that this will be more
perfectly and punctually done by one
national government than it could be either
230 by thirteen separate States or by three or
four distinct confederacies. For this opinion
various reasons may be assigned.
The prospect of present loss or advantage
may often tempt the governing party in one
235 or two States to swerve from good faith and
justice; but those temptations, not reaching
the other States, and consequently having
little or no influence on the national
government, the temptation will be fruitless,
240 and good faith and justice be preserved. The
case of the treaty of peace with Britain adds
great weight to this reasoning.
If even the governing party in a State
should be disposed to resist such
245 temptations, yet as such temptations may,
and commonly do, result from
circumstances peculiar to the State, and may
affect a great number of the inhabitants, the
governing party many not always be able, if
250 willing, to prevent the injustice meditated,
or to punish the aggressors. But the national
government, not being affected by those
local circumstances, will neither be induced
to commit the wrong themselves, nor want
255 power or inclination to prevent or punish its
commission by others.
So far, therefore, as either designed or
accidental violations of treaties and the laws
of nations afford just causes of war, they are
260 less to be apprehended under one general
government than under several lesser ones,
and in that respect the former most favors
the safety of the people.
As to those just causes of war which
265 proceed from direct and unlawful violence,
it appears equally clear to me that one good
national government affords vastly more
security against dangers of that sort than can
be derived from any other quarter.
270 Because such violences are more
frequently caused by the passions and
interests of a part than of the whole; of one
or two States than of the Union. Not a single
Indian war has yet been occasioned by
275 aggressions of the present federal
government, feeble as it is; but there are
several instances of Indian hostilities having
been provoked by the improper conduct of
individual States, who, either unable or
280 unwilling to restrain or punish offenses,
have given occasion to the slaughter of
many innocent inhabitants.
Besides, it is well known that
acknowledgements, explanations, and
285 compensations are often accepted as
satisfactory from a strong united nation,
which would be rejected as unsatisfactory if
offered by a State or confederacy of little
consideration or power.
290 In the year 1685, the state of Genoa
having offended Louis XIV., endeavored to
appease him. He demanded that they should
send their Doge, or chief magistrate,
accompanied by four of their senators, to
295 France, to ask his pardon and receive his
terms. They were obliged to submit to it for
the sake of peace. Would he on any
occasion either have demanded or have
received the like humiliation from Spain, or
300 Britain, or any other powerful nation?
CONTINUE
 1 SNT Language Institute 1
23 As used in line 12, “distinct” most nearly
The main purpose of the passage can best be means
described as
(A) separate.
(A) illustrating how a united government (B) prominent.
should operate. (C) unmistakable.
(B) proposing a new form of government. (D) precise.
(C) explaining some of the benefits of
united government. 27

(D) recounting the recent history of the As used in line 14, “prospect” most nearly
United States. means

24
(A) hope.
Which of the following describes the overall (B) candidate.
structure of this passage? (C) view.
(D) possibility.
(A) A collection of loosely associated
thoughts on a common theme 28

(B) A criticism of a system followed by a
series of accusations
(C) A statement of a position followed by a
number of arguments in support of that
position
(D) A list of problems and step-by-step
solutions to those problems
25
According to Jay, which of the following
would most likely constitute a “just cause”
of war?
In lines 14-17, Jay raises the concern that
individual states, if left to their own devices,
might
(A) behave improperly towards other
nations for their own short-term gain.
(B) allow their citizens to over-indulge in
pleasurable activities.
(C) start practicing a different religion from
the rest of the union.
(D) attack other nations without the consent
of the national government.
29

(A) A country seeks to expand its borders.

Jay believes that “one general government”
(B) Treaty negotiations between two
is less likely than “several lesser ones” to
countries are stalled by one side’s
provoke a war (lines 41-42) because
refusal to compromise.
(C) One country discovers that its neighbor
(A) it is less likely to catch and punish
has been producing weapons and
foreign criminals.
training troops.
(B) it is less likely to break its treaties with
(D) A country repeatedly violates the terms
other nations.
of a treaty that it has signed.
(C) it is more likely to keep its people safe,
happy, and obedient.
(D) it will not be able to fund as many
foreign wars.

30
26

35
CONTINUE
 1 SNT Language Institute 1
Which of the following choices provides the
best evidence for the answer to the previous
question?

(A) Lines 1-4 (“The…nations”)

(B) Lines 38-44 (“So far…people”)
(C) Lines 64-70 (“Besides…power”)
(D) Lines 77-81 (“They…nation”)

31

In the sixth paragraph (lines 51-63), Jay

implies that the federal government has not
provoked conflicts with the Native
Americans because

(A) It is much weaker than they are and

would suffer serious casualties in the
case of war.
(B) it is unwilling to punish its citizens for
their inappropriate behavior.
(C) such conflicts arise from local concerns
that are not important to the nation as a
whole.
(D) such conflicts are best resolved on the
local level without federal interference.

32

The final paragraph (lines 71-81) serves to

(A) support the claim in the previous

paragraph with a historical example.
(B) direct the reader’s attention to the
United States’ relationship with France.
(C) predict what will happen to the United
States if Jay’s proposals are not acted
upon.
(D) illustrate how much superior the United
States are to Genoa.

40 CONTINUE
 1 SNT Language Institute 1
Questions 33-42 are based on the
following passage.
What would you give for a retinal chip
that let you see in the dark or for a next-
generation cochlear implant that let you hear
305 any conversation in a noisy restaurant, no
matter how loud? Or for a memory chip,
wired directly into your brain’s
hippocampus, that gave you perfect recall of
everything you read? Or for an implanted
310 interface with the Internet that automatically
translated a clearly articulated silent thought
(“the French sun king”) into an online
search that digested the relevant Wikipedia
page and projected a summary directly into
315 your brain?
Science fiction? Perhaps not for very
much longer. Brain implants today are
where laser eye surgery was several decades
ago. They are not risk-free and make sense
320 only for a narrowly defined set of patients-
but they are a sign of things to come. Unlike
peacemakers, dental crowns or implantable
insulin pumps, neuroprosthetics-devices that
restore or supplement the mind’s capacities
325 with electronics inserted directly into the
nervous system-change how we perceive the
world and move through it. For better or
worse, these devices become part of who we
are.
330 Neuroprosthetics aren’t new. They have
been around commercially for three
decades, in the form of the cochlear
implants used in the ears (the outer reaches
of the nervous system) of more than
335 300,000 hearing-impaired people around the
world. Last year, the Food and Drug
Administration approved the first retinal
implant, made by the company Second
Sight. Both technologies exploit the same
340 principle: an external device, either a
microphone or a video camera, captures
sounds or images and processes them, using
the results to drive a set of electrodes that
stimulate either the auditory or the optic
345 nerve, approximating the naturally occurring
output form the ear or the eye.
Another type of now-common implant,
used by thousands of Parkinson’s patients
around the world, sends electrical pulses
350 deep into the brain proper, activating some
of the pathways involved in motor control.
A thin electrode is inserted into the brain
through a small opening in the skull; it is
connected by a wire that runs to a battery
355 pack underneath the skin. The effect is to
reduce or even eliminate the tremors and
rigid movement that are such prominent
symptoms of Parkinson’s (though,
unfortunately, the device doesn’t halt the
360 progression of the disease itself).
Experimental trials are now under way to
test the efficacy of such “deep brain
stimulation” for treating other disorders as
well.
365 Electrical stimulation can also improve
some forms of memory, as the neurosurgeon
Itzhak Fried and his colleagues at the
University of California, Los Angeles,
showed in a 2012 article in the New
370 England Journal of Medicine. Using a setup
akin to a videogame, seven patients were
taught to navigate a virtual city environment
with a joystick, picking up passengers and
delivering them to specific stores.
375 Appropriate electrical stimulation to the
brain during the game increased their speed
and accuracy in accomplishing the task.
But not all brain implants work by
directly stimulating the brain. Some work
380 instead by reading the brain’s signals-to
interpret, for example, the intentions of a
paralyzed user. Eventually, neroprosthetic
systems might try to do both, reading a
user’s desires, performing an action like a
385 Web search and then sending the results
directly back to the brain.
CONTINUE
45 1 SNT Language Institute 1
How a Cochlear Implant Works
1) Microphone receives sound from
environment
2) Transmitter sends signal to implanted
receiver
3) Electrode array stimulates aural nerve
4) Brain receives and interprets signal from nerve
Adapted from National Institutes of Health,
“Cochlear Implants.”
33
Which one of the following best describes
the overall structures of the passage?
(A) Disparate facts are joined by a central
story.
(B) A common misconception is explained
and refuted.
(C) Speculation about the future is
supported with examples.
(D) An experiment is discussed to support a
prediction.
34
The series of questions in lines 1-14 (“What
would…your brain”) serves mainly to
(A) demonstrate the incredible advances that
have been achieved by a new
technology.
(B) prompt readers to consider the potential
value of hypothetical technologies.
(C) suggest that technologies that most of us
desire will soon be available.
(D) challenge readers to consider the true
costs of future advances in technology.
35
As used in line 19, “defined” most nearly
means
(A) explained.
(B) interpreted.
(C) characterized.
(D) delineated.
36
Which of the following statements is
supported by the passage?
(A) Neuroprosthetics are used exclusively to
treat brain disorders.
(B) Retinal implants are currently used by
nearly 300,000 people.
(C) Cochlear implants represent a
significant improvement over
pacemakers.
(D) Neuroprosthetics alter the way in which
patients experience the world.
37
It can reasonably inferred from the passage
that cochlear and retinal implants
(A) took a long time to become approved by
the Food and Drug Administration.
(B) attempt to recreate the sensations
experienced by the average person.
(C) allow the user to see or hear just as well
as someone who does not need these
implants.
(D) are as safe and effective as laser eye
surgery.
CONTINUE
 1 SNT Language Institute 1
50

38

Which choice provides the best evidence for 42

the answer to the previous question? Based on information from the passage and
graphic, which of the following best
(A) Lines 16-18 (“Brain…ago”) describes how a cochlear implant works?
(B) Lines 20-26 (“Unlike…through it”)
(C) Lines 29-34 (“They have…world”) (A) The aural nerve is replaced by an
(D) Lines 38-45 (“An external…eye”) implanted electrode, which receives
signals from a microphone.
39
(B) An implanted microphone sends a signal
directly to the brain.
As used in line 38, “exploit” most nearly (C) A microphone responds to signals from
means the brain by sending and receiving
sound through a series of transmitters.
(A) harness. (D) An implanted electrode receives signals
(B) abuse. from a microphone, and sends signals to
(C) deceive. the brain through the aural nerve.
(D) contrive.

40

Information provided by the passage

suggests that electrical stimulation of parts
of the nervous system

(A) is currently being used around the world

to cure patients with Parkinson’s
disease.
(B) could soon become a part of
commercially available video games.
(C) may have the potential to alleviate the
symptoms of patients living with a
variety of medical conditions.
(D) has been shown to improve memory in
seven out of every ten patients.

41

Which choice provides the best evidence for

the answer to the previous question?

(A) Lines 46-50 (“Another…control”)

(B) Lines 60-63 (“Experimental…well”)
(C) Lines 74-76 (“Appropriate…task”)
(D) Lines 58-60 (“Some work…user”)

CONTINUE
 1 SNT Language Institute 1
Questions 43-52 are based on the
following passage.
My travelling companion was a “Free
Trader,” whose name was Spear-a tall,
390 stoop-shouldered man with heavy eyebrows
and a shaggy, drooping moustache. The way
we met was amusing. It happened in a
certain frontier town. His first question was
as to whether I was single. His second, as to
395 whether my time was my own. Then he
slowly looked me over from head to foot.
He seemed to be measuring my stature and
strength and to be noting the color of my
eyes and hair.
400 Narrowing his vision, he scrutinized me
more carefully than before, for now he
seemed to be reading my character-if not my
soul. Then, smiling, he blurted out:
“Come, be my guest for a couple of
405 weeks. Will you?”
I laughed.
He frowned. But on realizing that my
mirth was caused only by surprise, he
smiled again and let flow a vivid description
410 of a place he called Spearhead. It was the
home of the northern fur trade. It was the
center of a great timber region. It was the
heart of a vast fertile belt that was rapidly
becoming the greatest of all farming
415 districts. It virtually stood over the very
vault that contained the richest veins of
mineral to be found in the whole Dominion-
at least that’s what he said-and he also
assured me that the Government had
420 realized it too, for was it not going to hew a
provincial highway clean through the forest
to Spearhead? Was it not going to build a
fleet of steamers to ply upon the lakes and
rivers in that section? And was it not going
425 to build a line of railroad to the town itself?
In fact, he also impressed upon me that
Spearhead was a town created for young
men who were not averse to becoming
wealthy in whatever line of business they
430 might choose. It seemed that great riches
55
were already there and had but to be lifted.
Would I go?
But when I explained that although I was
single, and quite free, I was not a
435 businessman, he became crestfallen, but
presently revived enough to exclaim:
“Well, what are you?”
“An artist,” I replied.
“Oh, I see! Well…we need an artist very
440 badly. You’ll have the field all to yourself in
Spearhead. Besides, your pictures of the fur
trade and of pioneer life would eventually
become historical and bring you no end of
wealth. You had better come. Better decide
445 right away, or some other artist chap will get
ahead of you.”
But when I further explained that I was
going to spend the winter in the wilderness,
that I had already written to the Hudson’s
450 Bay Factor at For Consolation and that he
was expecting me, Spear gloated:
“Bully boy!” and slapping me on the
shoulder, he chuckled: “Why, my town is
just across the lake from Fort Consolation.
455 A mere five-mile paddle, old chap, and
remember, I extend to you the freedom of
Spearhead in the name of its future mayor.
And, man alive, I’m leaving for there
tomorrow morning in a big four-fathom
460 birch bark. Be my guest. It won’t cost you a
farthing, and we’ll make the trip together.”
I gladly accepted. Free Trader Spear was
a character, and I afterward learned that he
was an Oxford University man, who, having
465 failed, left for Canada, entered the service of
the Hudson’s Bay Company, and had finally
been moved to Fort Consolation where he
served seven years, learned the fur-trade
business, and resigned to become a “free
470 trader”, as all fur traders are called who
carry on business in opposition to “The
Great Company.” We were eight days upon
the trip, but, strange to say, during each
day’s travel toward Spearhead, his
475 conversation in reference to that thriving
town made it appear to grow smaller and
smaller, until at last it actually dwindled
CONTINUE
 1 SNT Language Institute 1
down to such a point, that, about sunset on 46

the day we were to arrive, he turned to me As used in line 29, “richest” most nearly
480 and casually remarked: means
“Presently you’ll see Fort Consolation
and the Ojibwa village beyond. Spearhead is (A) wealthiest.
just across the lake, and by the bye, my boy, (B) most opulent.
I forgot to tell you that Spearhead is just my (C) most expensive.
485 log shack. But it’s a nice little place, and (D) most bountiful.
you’ll like it when you pay us a visit.”
47

43 Which of the following does Spear assure

Which of the following provides the most the narrator that he will gain if he comes to
reasonable summary of the passage? Spearhead?

(A) A businessman receives a rare financial
opportunity that he finds impossible to
pass up.
(B) An explorer undertakes a journey that he
later regrets.
(C) A well-educated fur trader attempts to
succeed independently.
(D) A man is persuaded into undertaking a
trip under false pretenses.
(A) The opportunity to make a great deal of
money
(B) A life of independence and adventure
(C) The reputation of one who opposes The
Great Company
(D) A tranquility which could not be found
in other cities
48

Which choice provides the best evidence for

44 the answer to the previous question?
Spear’s tone throughout the passage can
best be described as (A) Lines 25-28 (“It was…districts”)
(B) Lines 54-57 (“Besides…wealth”)
(A) eager insistence. (C) Lines 68-70 (“A mere…mayor”)
(B) reluctant acceptance. (D) Lines 85-90 (“We were…smaller”)
(C) zealous conviction.
(D) restrained confidence. 49

As used in line 69, “extend” most nearly

45 means
The suggestion that Spear was reading the
narrator’s soul (lines14-16) serves to (A) expand.
(B) increase.
(A) highlight Spear’s mystical inclinations. (C) proffer.
(B) emphasize the intensity of Spear’s (D) exert.
visual inspection.
(C) imply that the narrator has something to
hide.
(D) illustrate Spear’s ability to judge the
character of a stranger.

CONTINUE
60
1 SNT Language Institute 1
50

Which of the following best describes the

current relationship between Spear and the
Hudson’s Bay Company?

(A) Spear trades in competition with the

Hudson’s Bay Company.
(B) Spear lives in subservience to the
Hudson’s Bay Company.
(C) The Hudson’s Bay Company is
pointedly disinterested in Spear’s
activities.
(D) The Hudson’s Bay Company
appreciates the efforts of free traders
like Spear.

51

Which choice provides the best evidence for

the answer to the previous question?

(A) Lines 1-4 (“My travelling…

moustache”)
(B) Lines 23-24 (“It was…fur trade”)
(C) Lines 46-50 (“But when…are you”)
(D) Lines 82-85 (“and resigned…
Company”)

52

The final paragraph of the passage (lines 94-

99) serves mainly to

(A) describe the town of Spearhead in

detail.
(B) expose the true intentions of the
narrator’s companion.
(C) reveal how the narrator was deceived by
his companion.
(D) indicate the precise location of the
narrator’s destination.

CONTINUE