praxis reading
A flight over the eastern portion of Antarctica crosses territory so monotonous it could lull an insomniac into unshakable slumber. But beneath the boring white ice blanket lies half a continent of virtually uncharted territory—a terra incognita so completely hidden that scientists have little clue what riches await discovery. In recent years, Russian and British glaciologists have identified an immense lake—one of Earth's largest and deepest—buried beneath 4,000 meters of ice immediately below Russia's Vostok Station. Cut off from the rest of Earth for a million years or more, Lake Vostok may harbor ancient species of microbes, unknown to science, that are able to withstand conditions at the edge of survivability. Moreover, a thick layer of sediment at the bottom of the lake could hold novel clues to the planet's climate going back tens of millions of years. The mysterious body of water inspires even otherworldly interest: NASA hopes to use the lake to test methods for detecting life on other planets. Along with the potential rewards come a host of challenges. Researchers must find a way to penetrate the icy covering without introducing any microorganisms or pollutants into the sealed-off water. End of reading passage. ( 1 )Which of the following best expresses the main idea of the passage? ( 2 ) According to the passage, the thick layer of sediment at the bottom of Lake Vostok could reveal (3) Which of the following best describes the organization of the passage? (4) The passage implies which of the following about life-forms in Lake Vostok?
( 1 ) scientists have discovered one of Earth's Largest lakes in Antarctica, which may harbor ancient species of microbes and provide answers about life extreme conditions ( 2) clues to Earth's past climate (3) the topography of eastern Antarctica is described and then a particular part of the region is discussed in detail (4) they exist in a sealed environment that is vulnerable to foreign
Despite life's vast diversity, all creatures—from yeasts to humans, from microbes that live in near-boiling water to those that tolerate freezing temperatures—spell out their genetic instructions using the same four DNA chemical units, known as bases, that are represented by the letters A, C, G, and T. Different three-letter combinations specify amino acids, which are strung together like beads to make the proteins that carry out most functions in a cell. With rare exceptions, all living things use the same twenty amino acids. The genetic code, then, is a language of four letters used to make twenty words. Despite the limited vocabulary, those words can be used to make the huge variety of sentences and paragraphs that characterize life. End of reading passage. (1) It can be inferred from the passage that the "letters" and "words" mentioned in lines 10-11 ("letters used to make twenty words") refer respectively to (2) The final paragraph is primarily concerned with
(1) bases and amino acids (2) making a point using analogy
Throughout history artists have typically found it difficult to support their careers without help from patrons. Artists of the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920's, a movement in which literature, visual arts, music, and dance by African Americans flourished, were no exception. In fact, the Harlem Renaissance might not have been possible without the support of several African American patrons who were willing to finance and organize gatherings of both visual artists and writers. A'Lelia Walker's "Dark Tower" salon in Harlem served as a place for intellectuals to meet. Although Walker did not financially support any artists directly, her willingness to host and fund gatherings enabled African American artists to make contacts with wealthy promoters. Another important patron was Jessie Fauset. Until recently, historians and literary critics have neglected her instrumental role in promoting the work of others, especially as editor of The Crisis and The Brownies' Book. When Fauset believed that particular writers had a contribution to make, she published them (often at her own expense) and championed their work. For example, Fauset "discovered" Langston Hughes, the well-known poet of the Harlem Renaissance, and sparked his literary career with the publication of "The Negro Speaks of Rivers." Despite their essential role, supporters of the arts during this period have long been overshadowed by the figures they promoted—writers such as Langston Hughes and Countee Cullen. End of reading passage. (1) the primary purpose of the passage is to (2) Which of the following organizational plans is evident in the passage? (3) According to the passage, which of the following is true of A'Lelia Walker? (4) The passage suggests which of the following about the historians and literary critics mentioned in line 14 ("historians and literary critics") ? (5) Which of the following sources would be most likely to support the view expressed by the author in the first paragraph?
(1) describe the contributions of particular supports of the alerts in a given period (2) expressing a hypothesis and then supporting that hypothesis with specific example (3) she facilitated contact between artists and promoters (4) they failed to appreciate the importance of Fauset's role in fostering artists of the Harlem Renaissance (5) letters from well-known writers saying that attending gatherings at Walker's salon helped further their careers
There are no fewer than seven oil sketches and two pastel studies for Mary Cassatt's painting Mother and Child in a Boat (1908). Yet only the finished work was exhibited in Cassatt's one-woman show in Paris the same year as the painting. This says something about the artist's attitude toward her work: for her, the product was the point, not the process. The sketches were suitable as gifts to friends or to her longtime housekeeper, Mathilde, whose "Mathilde X" sale in Paris shortly after the artist's death is widely accepted as the beginning of true international recognition of Cassatt's work. End of reading passage. ( 1 ) In the passage, the word "process" (line 6 ("process") ) refers specifically to ( 2) It can be inferred from the passage that at the time of the 1908 exhibition, Mary Cassatt did not (3)The author of the passage suggests that Mary Cassatt did not exhibit her preliminary sketches in public because she
(1) making preliminary sketches for a painting (2) enjoy wide international fame (3) felt the end result expressed the intention of the painting
Retail is undergoing a radical downsizing of its space needs due to increasing online sales, an economy that is decreasingly consumer driven, and a declining population in their peak retail spending years. To stay competitive, shopping centers will require a higher percentage of experiential tenants, those that cannot readily be replaced by the Internet. For example, tenants providing higher-end takeout meals, high-grade services like health spas, and facilities for pets such as dog hotels are illustrative of retailers not easily replaced online. Alternatively, shopping centers can be converted into medical clinics and offices to serve rapidly growing health care needs. End of reading passage. Passage 2 One of the pioneers in entertainment destination attractions is the Mall of America in Minnesota. The 4.2-million-square-foot mall features Nickelodeon Universe, an indoor theme park located within the common area. The mall reports that in 2009, 30 percent of the mall's visitors came specifically to visit the park, not to shop. In addition to the draw of Nickelodeon Universe, the mall held 400 special events during the year, including celebrity appearances, cooking demonstrations, and book signings. In 2009, in the heart of an economic recession, the Mall of America's customer traffic rose 3.5 percent and sales rose 1.5 percent. End of reading passage. (1) Which of the following best describes the relationship between the two passages? (2) Which of the following is used in the development of both Passage 1 and Passage 2? (3) Which of the following claims is supported by both passages? (4) The tone of both passages is best described as (5) Passage 1 mentions "increasing online sales" (line 2 ("increasing online sales") ) most likely to (6) Which of the following, if true, would most weaken the implied conclusion of Passage 2 ?
(1) passage 2 provides an illustration that supports a claim made in passage 1 (2) specific example (3) to better serve their retailer's financial interests, shopping malls should offer consumers selective experiences in addition to retail goods (4)neutral (5) provide a reason for the downsizing of retail space needs (6) during 2009, shopping centers featuring only retail shops experienced a 3 percent increase in both customer traffic and sales
History books, plays, and films are widely popular these days. Certainly, history helps us make sense of the world we live in, but it can also be fascinating, even fun. How can even the best novelist or playwright invent someone like Augustus Caesar or Catherine the Great, Galileo or Florence Nightingale? How can screenwriters create better action stories or human dramas than exist, thousand upon thousand, throughout the many centuries of recorded history? There is a thirst out there both for knowledge and for entertainment, and the makers of books, plays, and films have responded with enthusiasm. End of reading passage. (1) The author would be most likely to agree with which of the following statements about history books? (2) The passage is primarily concerned with
(1) they can have more interesting characters than do works of fiction (2) providing an explanation for a current phenomenon
In 1920, a weather bureau meteorologist assured readers of the United States Department of Agriculture Yearbook that weather was worth "speaking of." The bureau had been claiming 88 percent forecast accuracy since 1905, but on a scale so large that local weather conditions were often at variance with the forecast. Public confidence in the predictions waned, opening the way for ridicule. Part of the problem was the use of ambiguous forecasting terms. A more serious problem lay in the interpretation of forecasts by the public and the ways in which users acted on them. Finally, and most troublesome, there were the limits on weather forecasts imposed by the chaotic nature of the atmosphere. End of reading passage. (1) The passage provides information for answering most fully which of the following questions? (2) Which of the following best describes the organization of the passage?
(1) what accounted for the public's lack of faith in the weather bureau's weather predictions (2) a problem is noted, and then its causes are identified
Besides size, the main difference between a brown dwarf and a planet is in their formation. A brown dwarf, like a star, is formed by the gravitational collapse of a cloud of gas. A planet is created by the accretion of a core and gases from the disk of gas and dust surrounding a new star. End of reading passage. Which of the following would be the most appropriate phrase or word to insert at the beginning of the last sentence in the passage?
by contrast
Beginning of reading passage. A married woman would not be considered for employment at the earliest women's colleges in the United States, even, it seems, when she was clearly the best candidate available. Wellesley College, established in 1875 and committed to hiring women—21 of its first faculty of 22 were women—could hardly have done better than to hire Ellen Swallow Richards, the most prominent woman chemist in New England at the time. Yet there is no evidence that founder Henry Durant ever considered her for Wellesley's professorship of chemistry, perhaps because she was married. End of reading passage. The main purpose of the passage is to
discuss a faculty hiring policy at the earliest women's colleges
In contrast to people who have read the modernized version of the well-known Lewis and Clark expedition, the reader who has had any contact with an unmodernized text of the journals knows that Captain William Clark was one of the most defiant, as well as most inventive, spellers ever to attempt to use the English language. Clark's efforts to subdue the word "Sioux" are the moral equivalent of Beowulf's epic struggle with the sea monster. Unless I have miscounted, he spelled it 23 different ways. End of reading passage. The passage suggests which of the following about the expedition journals of Lewis and Clark?
modernized versions of the journals standardize
Until recently, theories about the effects of drought in the collapse of the Maya civilization were discounted, largely because the climatological evidence was virtually nonexistent. Now cores from lowland lakes and the Caribbean seafloor have provided dramatic testimony of the power of drought to topple civilizations. End of reading passage. The passage is primarily concerned with
pointing out an effect of certain scientific discoveries
Though farming tends to be a family business in that the principal workers are often related by kinship or marriage, it differs from other types of family businesses in two essential ways. First, farming is more than an economic activity; it is a family lifestyle based on shared beliefs about living and working on the farm. Second, family members are apprenticed into the occupation of farming while still children. Consequently, farms are far more likely to be passed from generation to generation than are other businesses. End of reading passage. The author mentions that farming is a family lifestyle based on shared beliefs primarily in order to
support the assertion that farming differs from other types of family businesses
Beginning of reading passage. The flu vaccine, made from killed flu virus, must be designed each year to counter prevalent flu strains. Studies have shown that among the elderly the vaccine cuts the chance of hospitalization by at least half and the chance of death by four-fifths. Among healthy young adults, the vaccine is 70 to 90 percent effective at averting the flu entirely. End of reading passage. Which of the following statements is most consistent with the information in the passage?
there is a good chance that a healthy young adult will avoid the flu completely if he or she receives a flu vaccine
Beginning of reading passage. A married woman would not be considered for employment at the earliest women's colleges in the United States, even, it seems, when she was clearly the best candidate available. Wellesley College, established in 1875 and committed to hiring women—21 of its first faculty of 22 were women—could hardly have done better than to hire Ellen Swallow Richards, the most prominent woman chemist in New England at the time. Yet there is no evidence that founder Henry Durant ever considered her for Wellesley's professorship of chemistry, perhaps because she was married. End of reading passage. Which of the following inferences is most directly supported by information in the passage?
through Wellesley hired women, a man made the decision about which women to hire
The excessive amount of time it can take to download a song is not the only problem with using the Internet for music. Finding music that one likes is also a problem, given that there are many more songs online than there are at one's local music store, and given that songs by the innumerable bands on the Internet are not reviewed in the mainstream press or played on television or radio. Talent-scout websites, however, can help—by calling for auditions and then posting with reviews songs by unsigned or independent artists. End of reading passage. Which of the following best describes the organization of the passage?
two problems are presented, and then a solution is provided for one of them
Reviewing books is at once exciting and depressing. Every batch of new books holds the hope of a wonderful discovery, and indeed over the course of a few years, I have found, and enthusiastically reviewed, several excellent books. However, too many new books are plainly the work of sometime creative-writing students who, having been taught various formulas for writing fiction, have been satisfied not to venture very far beyond them. End of reading passage. The author's attitude toward books written according to formulas taught in creative-writing courses can best be described as
unenthusiastic