Reading Skills

Reading Skills: For this section, you will read short passages and answer questions about them. Some
questions will be about information which you can find directly in the passage. For other questions, you
must make inferences (a guess based on the entire passage) from what you have read.

1. At some point in your life, you might think that having a pet is a good idea. Pets can bring
lots of joy to our lives, but they are also a hugeresponsibility. In order to be a good pet owner,
youwill need to have the time, space, and money to properly care for your pet for as long as
it lives. After all, that cute little puppy will turn into a dogwho may live for 9 to 18 years, or
longer!
From the passage, the reader can conclude that:
a. The author is concerned about pet welfare.
b. The author owns a dog.
c. The author is a veterinarian.
d. The author thinks dogs are the best pet.

2. Some people are afraid to fly in an airplane.Statistics show, however, that air travel is
actuallymuch safer than traveling by car. In fact, accordingto one source, a person is 72 times
more likely todie in a car accident than in an airplane crash. From the information in the
passage, the readercan assume that:
a. It is safer to fly than to drive.
b. There are more airplane crashes than caraccidents.
c. The author would rather drive than fly.
d. If you fly, the airplane will not crash.

3. The word “family” can be confusing. Some familiesinclude two parents and children. Other
families may only have one parent and one child. Then, there are extended families, which
include other family members, such as uncles, aunts, grandparents, and cousins. You can
probably thinkof even more types of families.
What is the main idea of the following passage?
a. There are three different kinds of families.
b. The word “family” can mean many different things.
c. It is confusing to be in an extended family.
d. A family that includes two parents is alwayspreferable.

4. There is another reason to spend time in the sun, besides getting a tan. The sun is a source of
vitamin D, which is important for several reasons. Vitamin D has been found to be helpful in
maintaining both physical and mental health. Some studies have shown that vitamin D can
also help prevent certain diseases.
From reading the passage, the reader can assumethat the author:
a. takes vitamin D pills every day
b. is interested in health information
c. has a disease that could be helped with vitaminD
d. always uses sunscreen
5. People often complain about beavers building dams on their property and causing damage.
Actually, these beaver dams do people a favor by serving as a filter for the water that flows
throughthem. The water on the other side of the dam is actually cleaner than it was before it
went throughthe dam. So, the filtered water requires less purification before people can drink
it.
As used in this passage, the phrase “requires lesspurification” means:
a. does not need to be pumped
b. does not need as much cleaning
c. needs chemicals added
d. is not needed by the body

6. Mosquito bites can be an itchy part of summer in many areas. Experts say that there are ways
to reduce the risk of being bitten. They say that mosquitos are attracted to people wearing
dark orbright clothing, people with higher body temperatures, and people with certain blood
types. Wearing insect repellent can help keep these pests from biting.
From this passage, the reader can assume that.
a. you probably will not be bitten right after youexercise in hot weather
b. if you follow the directions in the passage, youwill never be bitten by a mosquito
c. children are more likely than adults to bebitten by mosquitoes
d. wearing white or light colored clothing wouldprobably keep mosquitoes away

7. Have you ever heard the expression, “crazy as a loon?” Some people think that this saying
comes from the eery calls of this water bird. The loon is the state bird of Minnesota and it can
make somevery strange and spooky sounds, which might sound crazy.

It is also a bit strange that the loon can only take off to fly from a water surface. It cannot
take offfrom land. From this passage, the reader can assume that:
a. The loon cannot take off from an ice-covered lake.
b. Loons have crazy eating habits.
c. You would probably see a loon in the desert.
d. Loons cannot fly.

8. The next time someone asks you if you are “on a diet,” your correct answer should be, “Yes.”
Actually everyone is “on a diet,” because “diet” simply means “all the things you eat and
drink.” Your diet may or may not be a healthy one, but thesum of the things you put into your
body is your “diet.”
As used in the passage, the phrase “the sum of thethings” means:
a. just beverages
b. diet food
c. all of the things you put in your body
d. unhealthy food

9. Nicky Clayton, professor of comparative cognitive at University of Cambridge, has uncovered

hidden powers in the minds of corvids, the avian family of crows, jays and ravens. In one study
she pitted corvids against kids in a puzzle requiring cause-and-effect reasoning : A treat or toy
floats on water in a tall narrow tube, below where beaks or small fingers can reach. A jay
quickly realizes that dropping pebbles into the tube raises the water level and floats the food
into reach. But children younger than 8 have a hard time figuring that out, if at all.
 According to the passage, Clayton’s experiment revealed that a jay understood that:
a. It could manipulate the water level in order to obtain a treat
b. It would only have a short period of time to eat the treat
c. Dropping pebbles into a tube of water would push the treat down out of it reach
d. Researchers would reward it with treats based on how quickly it completed tasks

10. In business and in life, marketing CEO Elizabeth Barrutia has learned how to embrace
opportunities and never give up. These lessons in resilience and tenacity she hopes to pass on
to the next generation of media and marketing professionals.

“I would really like to be able to empower the next generation of young people, including
those that I have helped to train, nurture and mentor. My goal is ensure they go on to become
even more productive, capable and self-reliant in their future endeavors,” she said.

The passage indicates that one of Barrutia’s goals is to:

a. Enjoy stronger relationships with her employees while also making her business more
productive
b. Help younger professionals in the media and marketing industry to face challenges and
succeed
c. Encourage other CEOs to take a more personal approach in training their new employees
d. Provide media and marketing internship opportunities to young people as a way to recruit
capable employees

11. Gordon Parks is one of America’s most celebrated photographers. He is also one of the most
misunderstood. Museums and galleries around the world have celebrated him as the creator
of some of the 20th century’s most iconic images. Yet to appreciate only his achievements as
an artist is to underestimate his importance as a documentary photographer and journalist.
The photo essays Parks produced, primarily for LIFE magazine from the 1940s to the 1970s,
on issues relating to poverty and social justice, established him as one of the era’s most
significant interpreters of American society.
The central claim of the passage assumes a significant distinction between which of the
following?
a. American photographers and international photographers
b. Artistic photography and documentary photography
c. Photography exhibits in museums and photography shows in galleries
d. American culture in the 1940s and American culture in the 1970

12. The local dry cleaner has a reputation for fast, reliable service. The sign in the window reads
“Same-Day Shirt Service”
According to the passage, which of the following is true about the local dry cleaner?
a. It will match other dry cleaner’s prices
b. It is a large business
c. It will clean shirts in one day
d. It is the least expensive dry cleaner in town

13. Solar eclipses happen when the Moon blocks light from the Sun and casts a shadow on Earth.
A total eclipse only happens is some regions. It is dangerous to look at the Sun during eclipse,
since the rays can cause eye damage. Special filters and pinhole projectors allow safe viewing
 of an eclipse.
According to the passage, solar eclipses are caused when
a. The Moon prevents the Sun’s light from reaching earth
b. Earth travels in between the Sun and the Moon
c. The Sun and the Moon are visible at the same time
d. Rays of the Sun become too dangerous to look at

14. In many species of birds, individuals are able to walk and feed as soon as they are born and
will follow the first moving object they see after hatching. The object is usually the mother,
but, as Konrad Lorenz showed, newly hatched geese will even follow a human being. The
benefit of this behavior seems to be to keep the young birds near the protection of the
mother.
The passage suggests that the tendency of newborn geese to follow the first moving objecy
they see most probably serves to:
a. Enhance their safety
b. Enable them to locate water
c. Make them visible to humans
d. Develop their flying skills

15. Camilia’s brother-in-law offered to take the family to the movies. They decided to attend the
5:00 p.m. show since it is always less crowded than the later shows. However, they arrived
late at the theater because of the traffic and had attend the 7:00 p.m. show
It can be inferred from the passage that the 7:00 p.m. show was most likely:
a. Not as entertaining as the earlier show
b. Earlier than the film they had planned to see
c. More expensive than any of the earlier shows
d. More crowded than the show they had missed
Writing Skills
Sentence Meaning: For this section, each sentence has a blank space. Choose the word orphrase that
makes the sentence meaningful and correct.
1. We hope _______ on vacation this Saturday.
a. to go c. to going
b. going d. to have been going

2. Bob is upset because he saw the bad accident _____ this morning.
a. was happening c. happened
b. has happened d. happen

3. As we drove through the darkness, we saw another car coming _____ the
curve in the road.
a. through c. over
b. under d. around

4. I finally ________ to buy this new car after I looked at several models.
a. to decide c. decided
b. deciding c. had decided

5. That restaurant has dishes that are not _____ anywhere else.
a. to be served c. serving
b. served d. to serve
c.
6. Michael looked for oncoming traffic then walked _____ the street to meet his friend.
a. Among
b. across
c. around
d. behind

7. Miles Davis was a_____ jazz artist, recording morethan 35 studio albums in his career.
a. best-selling
b. famous
c. versatile
d. prolific

8. Jeff was always good at making people laugh, buthe finally found a way to get paid for it.
What is Jeff’s most likely profession?
a. a journalist
b. a philanthropist
c. a professor
d. a comedian

9. My sister Hannah is known as one of the most talented and actresses in her local theater
 community.
a. beautifulest
b. beautifully
c. beautiful
d. very beautiful

10. I told everyone to come to my party at 8 p.m., butmost people arrived much _____, long after
the party had already started.
a. lately
b. later
c. latest
d. late

11. Because of his strength, speed, and skills on the field, Dwayne _____ a perfect candidate for
the NBA draft when he graduated from college.
a. wasn’t
b. was
c. isn’t
d. is

12. General Carter held strategy meetings _____ his most trusted advisors to help him decide the
bestplan of action.
a. about
b. with
c. without
d. around

13. Tanya ____ lots of new bicycle equipment, when she acquired her first sponsorship, because of
hergreat abilities as a rider.
a. gave
b. was giving
c. was gave
d. was given

14. Because she has already gained 20 pounds sincewe bought her a month ago, our new puppy is surely
____very large indeed.
a. being
b. will be
c. going to be
d. been

15. After my little brother graduates from high school, my whole family ____on vacation inHawaii!
a. has gone
b. goes
c. is going
d. go