Inside Reading Unit 9 Test

Name: ___________________________________ Date: ____________________________

Read this passage carefully and answer the questions that follow.

Improving Corn

In the summer of 2012, little rain fell across the region in the United States known as the “corn
belt.” Corn from this region is used in products sold all over the world. Corn, though, doesn’t
grow in fields without water. As a result, there was a shortage of corn. Because corn is a key
ingredient in many grocery store items, the shortage of corn made food prices around the world
go up. No one seemed prepared for the effects this extreme weather brought.

However, some companies have been working on a solution. They’ve been researching how to
alter corn so it can grow in these dry conditions. And these companies have benefited farmers in
the past. For example, they engineered corn so that it can survive the pests and other bugs that
eat it. In contrast to those changes, making corn survive with little water is much more
complicated. For instance, if the dry conditions are at the beginning, middle, or end of a growing
season, the corn is affected differently. Responding to all these conditions is difficult. One
strategy scientists have used is making the pores on the surface of corn leaves smaller. This is
important because these pores regulate the water in the plant. This alteration would make it so
that corn can survive while absorbing very little water. Although companies don’t expect to
achieve the same results that good weather would produce, they do hope to improve the corn
crop in times of extreme dryness. In fact, companies have tested the newly altered corn. In one
case, the engineered corn produced 7 percent more crop than the corn that hadn’t been altered.
This is a small improvement, but with food prices on the rise, a small improvement is better than
none.

Reading Comprehension

Mark each statement as T (True) or F (False) according to the Reading.

1. ____ Food prices went up because there was a shortage of corn.

2. ____ Companies are altering corn so it can grow with very little water.

3. ____ Corn can survive some pests and bugs that eat it.

4. ____ By altering corn, companies hope to achieve the same results that good weather
produces.

5. ____ Companies have tested the altered corn, and it produced 20 percent more crop than
the corn that wasn’t altered.

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 Reading Skill: Identifying Contrast Signals

Select the best answer for each question below.

6. __ Which statement has information that contrasts with this sentence from the Reading:
“No one seemed prepared for the effects this extreme weather brought.”

a. The shortage of corn made food prices across the world go up.
b. However, some companies have been working on a solution.
c. And these companies have benefited farmers in the past.

7. __ Which statement has information that contrasts with this sentence from the Reading:
“For example, they engineered corn so that it can survive the pests and other bugs that eat it.”

a. In contrast to those changes, making corn survive with little water is much more
complicated.
b. For instance, if the dry conditions are at the beginning, middle, or end of a growing
season, the corn is affected differently.
c. However, some companies have been working on a solution.

8. __ Which sentence contains two contrasting ideas?

a. For instance, if the dry conditions are at the beginning, middle, or end of a growing
season, the corn is affected differently.
b. In fact, companies have tested the newly altered corn.
c. Although companies don’t expect to achieve the same results that good weather would
produce, they do hope to improve the corn crop in times of extreme dryness.

9. __ Which signal word that shows contrasting ideas is NOT used in the Reading above?

a. but
b. although
c. instead

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Vocabulary: Fill in the blank

Fill in the blank with the correct word that completes each sentence below.

absorbed achieve benefit maintained principle

regulations requires strategy theory transport

10. In my college application, I wrote an essay on what I hope to _____________ in my life.

11. The building ______________ say that there needs to be an exit on every floor.

12. The job ______________ you to have a car.

13. I forgot to eat lunch. I was too ___________ in my work to leave the office.

14. Even after they showed the video of her stealing, she ____________ that she didn’t do it.

15. I did not buy the painting on ____________. I had reason to believe it was stolen.

16. Her ___________ for winning the race was to start out ahead of everyone else, and then
keep her position.

17. What is the cheapest way to _____________ food across the ocean?

18. Seat belt laws ____________ everyone. Every year they prevent deaths from car
accidents.

19. My __________ is that she wouldn’t have stolen the sweater if she knew she was being
videotaped.

Writing Prompt

20. Businesses are engineering food. They are changing it so it can grow in different
environments. Researchers are also altering food so it tastes different. Think of a food that you
would like to change. You can change it so it grows in a different environment or change it so it
tastes different. What would you do? What effects would it have? Think about how altering a
food would affect farmers and food prices, as well as people’s health, food traditions, and
culture. Write at least six to eight sentences.

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