Fina Exam Practice #3

Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow.

1. Plants define and are the producers in most ecosystems. Humans derive most of their sustenance
from three flowering plants: wheat, corn, and rice. All three of these plants are in the grass
family and are collectively, along with other species, called grains. Most of the Earth's six billion
people live a simple way of life, growing their food on family plots. The continued growth of
these plants is essential to human existence. A virus or other disease could hit any one of these
three plants and cause massive loss of life from starvation.
2. Wheat, corn, and rice originated and were first cultivated in different parts of the globe. Wheat is
commonly used to produce flour and bread. It was first cultivated in the Near East (Iran, Iraq,
and neighboring countries) about 8,000 B.C.; hence, it is thought to be one of the earliest
cultivated plants. Wheat was brought to North America in 1520 by early settlers. Corn, or what is
properly called maize, was first cultivated in Central America about 7,000 years ago.
Disagreement still exists as to exactly what the wild plant looked like and where it originally
grew. The most recent theory is that maize was developed from a plant called teosinte, which
grows in the highlands of central Mexico. By the time Europeans were exploring Central
America, over 300 varieties had already been in existence—growing from Canada to Chile. We
now commonly grow six major varieties of corn: sweet, pop, flour, dent, pod, and flint. Rice had
its origin in southeastern Asia several thousand years ago, where it grew in swamps. Today we
are familiar with white and brown rice, which differ in the extent of processing. Brown rice
results when the seeds are threshed to remove the hulls—the seed coat and complete embryo
remain. If the seed coat and embryo are removed, leaving only the starchy endosperm, white rice
results. Unfortunately, the seed coat and embryo are a good source of vitamin B and fat-soluble
vitamins. Today, rice is grown throughout the tropics and subtropics where water is abundant.
3. Do you have an "addiction" to sugar? This simple carbohydrate comes almost exclusively from
two plants—sugarcane (grown in South America, Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean) and
sugar beets (grown mostly in Europe and North America). Each provides about 50% of the
world's sugar.
4. Many foods are bland or tasteless without spices. In the Middle Ages, wealthy Europeans
spared no cost to obtain spices from the Near and Far East. In the fifteenth and sixteenth

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 centuries, major expeditions were launched in an attempt to find better and cheaper routes for
spice importation. The explorer Columbus convinced the queen of Spain that he would find a
shorter route to the Far East by traveling west by ocean rather than east by land. Columbus's idea
was sound, but he encountered a little barrier, the New World. This discovery later provided
Europe with a wealth of new crops, including corn, potatoes, peppers, and tobacco.
5. Our most popular drinks—coffee, tea, and cola—also come from flowering plants. Coffee
originated in Ethiopia, where it was first used (along with animal fat) during long trips for
sustenance and to relieve fatigue. Coffee as a drink was not developed until the thirteenth century
in Arabia and Turkey, and it did not catch on in Europe until the seventeenth century. Tea is
thought to have been developed somewhere in central Asia. Its earlier uses were almost
exclusively medicinal, especially among the Chinese, who still drink tea for medical reasons.
The drink as we now know it was not developed until the fourth century. By the mid-seventeenth
century it had become popular in Europe. Cola is a common ingredient in tropical drinks and was
used around the turn of the century, along with the drug coca (used to make cocaine), in the
"original” Coca-Cola.
6. Rubber is another plant that has many uses today. The product had its origin in Brazil from the
thick, white sap of the rubber tree. Once collected, the sap is placed in a large vat, where acid is
added to coagulate the latex. When the water is pressed out, the product is formed into sheets or
crumbled and placed into bales. Much stronger rubber, such as that in tires, was made by
adding sulfur and heating in a process called vulcanization; this produces a flexible material less
sensitive to temperature changes. Today, though, much rubber is synthetically produced.
7. An actively researched area of plant use today is that of medicinal plants. Currently about 50%
of all pharmaceutical drugs have their origins from plants. The treatment of cancers appears to
rest in the discovery of miracle plants. Indeed, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and most
pharmaceutical companies have spent millions (or, more likely, billions) of dollars to send
botanists out to collect and test plant samples from around the world. Tribal medicine men, or
shamans, of South America and Africa have already been of great importance in developing
numerous drugs.
8. Numerous plant extracts continue to be misused for their hallucinogenic or other effects on the
human body: coca for cocaine and crack, opium poppy for morphine, and yam for steroids.
In addition, we should not forget or neglect the aesthetic value of plants. Flowers brighten any
yard, ornamental plants accent landscaping, and trees provide cooling shade during the summer

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 and break the wind of winter days. Plants also produce oxygen, which is so necessary for all
plants and animals.

Comprehension Questions

1. If a virus or other disease destroyed one of the major grains on Earth, the result would be

a. a major economic problem.

b. massive loss of life from starvation.
c. an increase in the cultivation of the other two major grains.
d. a major shift in people's diets.

2. Sugar comes from

a. sugarcane. b. sugar beets.

c. both sugarcane and sugar beets. d. neither sugarcane nor sugar beets.

3. To get spices from the Near and far East in the middle ages, rich Europeans

a. did not know the cost of these spices

b. did not have to pay
c. paid whatever spices cost just to get them
d. paid no cost

4. Vulcanizing rubber by adding sulfur to rubber sap and heating it produces rubber that is

a. stronger. b. more flexible.

c. less sensitive to temperature changes. d. all of the above.

5. The treatment of cancers is due to

a. miracles of shamans
b. botanists in South America and Africa
c. drugs that constitute 50% of all pharmaceutical drugs
d. drugs that are originally from plants

6. Plant extracts that have been misused for their hallucinogenic and other effects on the body
include

a. teosinte and maize. b. coca, opium poppy, and latex.

c. coca, opium poppy, and yams. d. sugar beets and coca.

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 7. ‘sustenance’ in paragraph 1 means

a. a hearty meal
b. something that sustains life or health
c. foods containing a high sugar content
d. foods that provide vitamin B and fat-soluble vitamins

8. ‘cultivated’ in paragraph 2 means

a. grown b. fertilized

c. harvested d. marketed

9. ‘bland’ in paragraph 4 means

a. exotic tasting b. lacking flavor; neutral in taste

c. spicy; stimulating to the taste d. nutritious

10. ‘coagulate’ in paragraph 6 means

a. change from a liquid into a thickened mass

b. become soft and fluffy
c. shrink in size
d. spoil; become unusable

11. ‘medicinal’ in paragraph 6 means

a. pertaining to home remedies b. used by doctors

c. having the taste of a medicine d. pertaining to medicine

12. Which of the following represents the overall main idea of the selection?

a. Most of the Earth's 5.6 billion people depend on wheat, corn, and rice for sustenance.
b. Besides their practical uses, plants also offer simple beauty.
c. Plants and materials produced from them are important in our everyday life.
d. The medicinal value of plants has generally been under appreciated.

13. The organization of the material in paragraph 6 can best be described as a

a. comparison b. list

c. sequence d. definition

Read the following paragraphs and answer the questions that follow

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 A. Have you ever wondered how cities develop? According to the concentric zone theory of urban
growth, they develop outward in expanding rings or zones. At the center is the central business
district. Expanding outward from it are the manufacturing district, low-class, middle-class, and
high-class residential areas. Even farther out are the heavy manufacturing and outlying business
district. The most distant zones are the residential suburb, industrial suburb, and the commuters'
zone.

14. The main idea sentence of this paragraph is

a. Have you ever wondered how cities develop?

b. According to the concentric zone theory of urban growth, cities develop outward in
expanding rings or zones.

c. Expanding outward from the cities are the manufacturing district, low-class, middle-class, and
high-class residential areas.

d. The most distant zones are the residential suburb, industrial suburb, and the commuters' zone.

15. The topic of the paragraph is

a. Urban growth
b. Concentric zone theory of urban growth
c. Cities develop outward in expanding rings or zones.
d. Zones

16. The writing pattern of organization used in the paragraph is

a. definition b. spatial order
c. description d. compare/contrast

B. The mall has become the equivalent of the old-time village green, a gathering place as
comprehensive as the medieval cathedral. In those days, the cathedral played a vital role in
people's daily lives. Today, that role has largely been assumed by the mall. Like village greens
and cathedrals, malls provide nearly all the social activities one could want. This gathering place
provides opportunities for sports and entertainment, music and dramatic performances,
socializing with friends, having a meal or a snack, and of course, buying or simply admiring an
endless array of consumer goods. The people of medieval Europe walked, so their obvious
gathering place was the cathedral in the center of town. However, the people of suburban North
America drive cars; their obvious gathering place is the mall.

17. The main idea sentence of this paragraph is

a. In the past, the cathedral played a vital role in people's daily lives.
b. Today, that role has largely been assumed by the mall.
c. The mall has become the equivalent of the old-time village green, a gathering place as
comprehensive as the medieval cathedral.
d. American people have always enjoyed social gatherings.

18. The topic of the paragraph is

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 a. The mall
b. The old-time village green
c. Both a and b
d. The mall has become the equivalent of the old-time village green, a gathering place as
comprehensive as the medieval cathedral.

19. The writing pattern of organization used in the paragraph is

a. definition b. spatial order
c. description d. compare/contrast

C. Several factors have led to a dramatic growth in two-income families in the United States. The
high costs of housing and of maintaining a comfortable lifestyle, the high level of taxes, and the
cultural emphasis on "having it all" have made it difficult if not impossible for many households
to live on just one income. Furthermore, many women today simply want a career outside the
home.

20. The main idea sentence of this paragraph is

a. Many women today want a career outside the home
b. It is impossible for American families to live on just one income.
c. Several factors have led to a dramatic growth in two-income families in the United
States.
d. The cultural emphasis on "having it all" have made it difficult if not impossible for many
households to live on just one income.

21. The topic of the paragraph is

a. Two income families in the United States
b. Several factors have led to a dramatic growth in two-income families in the United States.
c. Dramatic growth
d. Dramatic growth in the United States

22. The writing pattern of organization used in the paragraph is

a. definition b. cause/effect
c. description d. compare/contrast

D. Have you ever read about the rules of conduct in an examination? They are clear. First, no books,
calculators or papers are allowed in the test room. Proctors will not allow anyone with such items to take
the test. Second, anyone caught cheating will be asked to leave the room. Third, his or her test sheet will
be taken. Fourth, the incident will be reported to the proper authority. Finally, at the end of the test
period, all materials will be returned to the proctor. Failure to abide by these rules will result in a failing
grade for this test.

23. The main idea sentence of this paragraph is

a. Failure to abide by these rules will result in a failing grade for this test.
b. At the end of the test period, all materials will be returned to the proctor.
c. The rules of conduct in an examination are clear.
d. Have you ever read about the rules of conduct in an examination?

24. The topic of the paragraph is

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 a. Cheating in an examination b. Proctors in an examination

c. The materials in an examination d. The rules of conduct in an examination

25. The writing pattern of organization used in the paragraph is

a. comparison-contrast b. description

c. sequence d. spatial