ASVAB Paragraph Comprehension

The 1980 New York Mets season was the 19th regular season for the Mets, who played home games at Shea Stadium. Led by manager Joe Torre, the team had a 67-95 record, yielding a 5th place finish in the National League East. A. Being flexible B. Being submissive or compiant C. Complying with the requests or desires of others D. Giving way under pressure

D. Giving way under pressure

Six years ago, lawyer-banker-scholar Charles Morris wrote a prophetic book - 'Two-Trillion-Dollar Meltdown: Easy Money, High-Rollers and the Great Credit Crunch' - that foresaw the 2008 Great Recession before it clobbered America and the world. Now Morris has reversed course and sees good times ahead. His forthcoming book, 'Comeback,' predicts that surging U.S. energy independence will bring a buoyant rise in American manufacturing and jobs. The implication of this passage is that you should pay attention to Charles Morris because: A. The U.S. is becoming more energy independent B. His new book is a best seller C. He's a published author D. His predictions have come true once already

D. His predictions have come true once already

The Urnero (Leptodactylus latinasus) is a species of frog in the Leptodactylidae family. It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist shrubland, subtropical or tropical dry lowland grassland, subtropical or tropical seasonally wet or flooded lowland grassland, freshwater marshes, intermittent freshwater marshes, pastureland, rural gardens, and ponds. What can you conclude about the Urnero? A. It prefers an urban habitat. B. It's found primarily in Central America. C. It prefers a habitat with high altitude. D. It prefers a wet habitat.

D. It prefers a wet habitat.

C QUESTION 23 13 of 28 ongtime Attorney General Darrell McGraw was a fierce enforcer of state consumer protection laws, winning billions from firms and fly-by-night outfits that Committed consumer violations. For West Virginia illness and death caused by cigarettes, McGraw won two lawsuit settlements from 23 tobacco firms for $1.7 billion and $200 million. In 2002, McGraw won $56 million from 15 coal companies that used "independent contractors" to duck state workers' compensation obligations. A company who has violated state consumer protection laws in West Virginia would likely have which of the following opinions of Mr. McGraw? A. Misleading B. Inflamatory C. Positive D. Negative

D. Negative

Ohio started the month of July with its pedal to the metal. The Buckeye State became the 34th state to adopt the 70 miles-an-hour speed limit. Drivers can now do up to 70 on more than 570 of Ohio's 1,332 miles of interstate highway. Congress repealed the 55 mph national limit in 1995. Despite predictions of calamity and carnage on the highways, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported in October 1998 that 'the traffic death rate dropped to a record low level in 1997'. That pattern has continued since then. You can infer from this paragrah that higher speed limits the traffic death rate. A. Increase B. Have no effect on C. Are not linked to D. Reduce

D. Reduce

A utility cooperative is a type of cooperative that is tasked with the delivery of a public utility such as electricity, water or telecommunications to its members. Profits are either reinvested for infrastructure or distributed to members in the form of 'patronage' or 'capital credits', which are essentially dividends paid on a member's . investment into the cooperative Each customer is a member and owner of the business with an equal say as every other member of the cooperative, unlike investor-owned utilities where the amount of say is governed by the number of shares held. A utility cooperative is most similar to which of the following types of organizations? A. A partnership. B. A military organization. C. A monarchy. D. A dictatorship.

A. A partnership.

The expert predicted that America's gross domestic product will return to more than 3 percent yearly expansion. For example, Dow Chemical is investing $4 billion in Texas plastics production that will be operational by 2017. Such growth requires cheap oil and natural gas - and "by 2020 or so, the United States will surpass Saudi Arabia in oil output, and Russia in gas." He continued: "The big attraction is the low price of natural gas, the lowest-carbon fossil fuel, which can be produced profitably at about a third the price per unit of energy as other hydrocarbons. That is particularly attractive to chemical companies. It is the raw material for plastics, Styrofoam, tires, sealants, adhesives, films, liquid crystal screens, nylons, polyesters nearly everything around us." In this passage, what's going to cause America's future growth? A. Cheap oil and natural gas B. Dow Chemical's $4 billion investment in Texas

A. Cheap oil and natural gas

Warren Wilfred Freer (27 December 1920-29 March 2013), was a New Zealand politician and member of the Labour Party. Freer represented the Mount Albert electorate in Parliament from 1947 to 1981, when he retired. He was only 26 when he entered Parliament in a by-election for the Mount Albert seat following the death of Arthur Richards, and he held the seat for 34 years until he was succeeded by Helen Clark and then David Shearer. He was a cabinet minister in the Third Labour Government of 1972-1975, holding the portfolios of Trade and Industry and of Energy Resources and was a candidate for the deputy leadership of the New Zealand Labour Party in 1974, dropping out in the third ballot. 1955 he was the first Western politician to visit China. In According to this passage: A. Freer was a cabinet minister when he was in his 50's. B. Freer was born in New Zealand. C. Freer was elected head of the New Zealand Labour

A. Freer was a cabinet minister when he was in his 50's.

War Horse is a children's novel by Michael Morpurgo. It was first published in Great Britain by Kaye & Ward in 1982. The story recounts the experiences of Joey, a horse purchased by the Army for service in World War I France and the attempts of young Albert, his previous owner, to bring him safely home. It formed the basis of both an award winning play (2007) and an acclaimed film (2011). Which of the following is NOT true about this novel? A. Joey was purchased by the Navy. B. This novel was first published in 1982. C. War horse is a children's novel. D. Albert is trying to bring Joey home.

A. Joey was purchased by the Navy.

Conan of Aquilonia is a collection of four linked fantasy short stories written by L. Sprague de Camp and Lin Carter featuring Robert E. Howard's seminal sword and orcery hero Conan the Barbarian. 11 of The stories were originally published in Fantastic for August 1972, July 1973, July 1974, and February, 1975. The collected stories were intended for book publication by Lancer Books, but this edition never appeared due to Lancer's bankruptcy. The first book edition was issued in paperback by Ace Books in May 1977 and the first British edition was published by Sphere Books in October 1978. Which publication did NOT publish content from this series of short stories? A. Lancer Books B. Ace Books C. Sphere Books D. Fantastic

A. Lancer Books

The Doppler effect (or Doppler shift), named after the Austrian physicist Christian Doppler, who proposed it in 1842 in Prague, is the change in frequency of a wave (or other periodic event) for an observer moving relative to its source. It is commonly heard when a vehicle sounding a siren or horn approaches, passes, and recedes from an observer. The received frequency is higher (compared to the emitted frequency) during the approach, it is identical at the instant of passing by, and it is lower during the recession. In this paragraph, what is 'relative'? A. The position of the observer compared to the source. GRATISEXAM Free Practice Exams http://www.gratisexam.com/ B. The hearing of the observer compared to the source. C. The frequency of the observer compared to the source.

A. The position of the observer compared to the source.

An oil tanker, also known as a petroleum tanker, is a merchant ship designed for the bulk transport of oil. There are two basic types of oil tankers: the crude tanker and the product tanker. Crude tankers move large quantities of unrefined crude oil from its point of extraction to refineries. Product tankers, generally much smaller, are designed to move petrochemicals from refineries to points near consuming markets. What is the primary difference between crude tankers and product tankers? A. The product tanker carries refined oil products while the crude tanker carries unrefined oil. B. The product tanker carries consumer goods while the crude tanker carries industrial goods. C. The product tanker is small while the crude tanker is large

A. The product tanker carries refined oil products while the crude tanker carries unrefined oil.

hey returned to the beach, where blankets spotted the slope to the water. An advancing wall of clouds, black and gray, darkening the expanse of ground beneath, pproached from the west. To the east and above them, the sky remained clear, the sun warm, as if collaborating in the deception. The "deception" referred to in the passage is that A. there is no storm approaching B. the sky is clear in the east C. it is too cold to swim D. the sun is warm

A. there is no storm approaching

Alaska is a state in the United States, situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with the international boundary with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait. Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area, the 4th least populous and the least densely populated of the 50 United States. Approximately half of Alaska's 731,449 residents live within the Anchorage metropolitan area Alaska's economy is dominated by the oil, natural gas, and fishing industries; it has these resources in abundance. Of the following, which is not true? A. Alaska is the least densley populated state in the United States. B. Alaska has more people per square mile than the state of Rhode Island. C. Alaska has an international boundary with Canada. D. Approximately half of Alaska's residents live ne

B. Alaska has more people per square mile than the state of Rhode Island.

The expert predicted that America's gross domestic product will return to more than 3 percent yearly expansion. For example, Dow Chemical is investing $4 billion in Texas plastics production that will be operational by 2017. Such growth requires cheap oil and natural gas and "by 2020 or so, the United States will surpass Saudi Arabia in oil output, and Russia in gas." He continued: "The big attraction is the low price of natural gas, the lowest-carbon fossil fuel, which can be produced profitably at about a third the price per unit of energy as other hydrocarbons. That is particularly attractive to chemical companies. It is the raw material for plastics, Styrofoam, tires, sealants, adhesives, films, liquid crystal screens, nylons, polyesters nearly everything around us." In this passage, what's going to cause America's future growth? A. Increased plastics production B. Cheap oil and natural gas C. Dow Chemical's

B. Cheap oil and natural gas

The South Shore Estuary is an estuary located along the south shore of Long Island, between the mainland and the outer barrier islands, in eastern New York state. stretches for over 70 miles (110 km) from West Bay in Nassau County to the Shinnecock Bay in Suffolk County. According to this passage where is the South Shore Estuary located? A. Off the coast of Long Island B. Eastern New York state C. The south shore of Manhattan D. West Nassau County

B. Eastern New York state

Plasma is one of the four fundamental states of matter (the others being solid, liquid, and gas). Heating a gas may ionize its molecules or atoms (reducing or increasing the number of electrons in them), thus turning it into a plasma, which contains charged particles: positive ions and negative electrons or ions. What does the word 'state' most closely mean in the context of this paragraph? A. Category B. Form C. Territory D. Condition

B. Form

Mercury is the closest planet to the sun. As such, it circles the sun faster than all the other planets, which is why Romans named it after the swift-footed messenger god Mercury. Mercury was known since at least Sumerian times roughly 5,000 years ago, where it was often associated with Nabu, the god of writing. Mercury was also given separate names for its appearance as both a morning star and as an evening star. Greek astronomers knew, however, that the two names referred to the same body. Heraclitus believed that both Mercury and Venus orbited the Sun, not the Earth. According to this passage: A. Neptune circles the sun faster than Mercury circles the sun. B. Mercury could have been known before Sumerian times. C. The Greeks were more advanced scientifically than the Sumerians. D. Mercury was unknown before 5,000 years ago.

B. Mercury could have been known before Sumerian times.

Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest- tossed, to me. I lift my lamp beside the golden door." - Emma Lazarus, inscription for the Statue of Liberty In the context of this paragraph the word "teeming" means: A. Alone B. Overflowing C. Smelly D. Wet

B. Overflowing

Pragmatism is a philosophical tradition that began in the United States around 1870. Pragmatism is a rejection of the idea that the function of thought is to describe, represent, or mirror reality. Instead, pragmatists develop their philosophy around the idea that the function of thought is as a instrument or tool for prediction, action, and problem solving. Pragmatists contend that most philosophical topics such as the nature of knowledge, language, concepts, meaning, belief, and science are all best viewed in terms of their practical uses and successes rather than in terms of representative accuracy. Pragmatism would best be described as a philosophy that focuses on: A. Describing and understanding the nature of reality. B. Practicality and present problem solving. C. Reflection and learning from the past. D. Imagination and planning for the future.

B. Practicality and present problem solving.

On Monday, after a long quarter-century, West Virginians said goodbye to their state's 6 percent food tax. Now to see what, if any, business we've been missing. In 1989, retailers warned that sales in West Virginia would go down if legislators imposed a 6 percent tax on food. "Whatever they put on would be passed on to the consumer," Charles Forth, who owned supermarkets in both West Virginia and Ohio, told the newspaper in February 1989. "Six percent is $6 on $100. That will make a difference when people are already hurting and trying to make ends meet." http://www.gratisexam.com/ It's a lot easier to drive customers away than to win them back, a fact legislators should bear in mind when it comes to taxation. The author is that eliminating the 6 percent food tax will bring customers back to West Virginia stores. A. Denying B. Skeptical C. Guaranteeing D. Confident

B. Skeptical

In linguistics, the comparative method is a technique for studying the development of languages by performing a feature-by-feature comparison of two or more languages with common descent from a shared ancestor, as opposed to the method of internal reconstruction, which analyzes the internal development of a single language over time. Which of the following would be the most useful for someone using the comparitive method in linguistics when studying a particular language: A. Two editions of the same text written one-hundred years apart. B. The same text written in two different dialects of the language.

B. The same text written in two different dialects of the language.

The orientation of a large expanse of glass in a house is important. Improperly positioned, it can cost precious fuel dollars, whereas good orientation can minimize heat lost in the winter and gained in the summer. The best direction to face is south, to make good use of solar energy. Since the sun is low in the southern sky during the winter, orienting any glass in that direction will allow light to shine through and help heat the home. During the summer, the sun is higher in the sky, and an overhang from the roof will shield the glass from direct sunlight. According to the passage, large expanses of glass should be positioned to A. take advantage of summer sunlight B. control heat gain and loss. http://www.gratisexam.com/ C. shield the house from the low winter sun D. avoid blockage of sunlight by an overhanging roof

B. control heat gain and loss.

certain areas, water is so scarce that every attempt is made to conserve it. For instance, on one oasis in the Sahara Desert the amount of water necessary ach date palm tree has been carefully determined. How much water should each tree be given? A. no water at all B. exactly the amount required C. water on alternate days D. water only if it is healthy

B. exactly the amount required

Endemism is the ecological state of being unique to a defined geographic location, such as an island, nation or other defined zone, or habitat type; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsewhere. The extreme opposite of endemism is cosmopolitan distribution. Based on this passage, which of the following statements is false? A. An organism that is indigenous to Australia can be found in India. B. Endemism requires an organism be unique to a defined geographic location. C. An organism that is endemic to Australia can be found in India.

C. An organism that is endemic to Australia can be found in India.

A perennial stream or perennial river is a stream or river (channel) that has continuous flow in parts of its stream bed all year round during years of normal rainfall. 'Perennial' streams are contrasted with 'intermittent' streams which normally cease flowing for weeks or months each year, and with 'ephemeral' channels that flow only for hours or days following rainfall. Which of the following is the correct order of stream type from the least amount of time flowing to the most amount of time flowing over the course of a year? A. Perennial, intermittent, ephemeral. B. Perennial, ephemeral, intermittent. C. Ephemeral, intermittent, perennial. D. Ephemeral, perennial, intermittent.

C. Ephemeral, intermittent, perennial.

Balluta Bay is a bay on the northeast coast of Malta within St. Julian's. It is a popular recreation spot used for swimming, diving, and water sports, with a triangular pjazza surrounded by cafes and shaded by Judas trees. Its skyline is dominated by the neo-gothic Carmelite Parish Church and the stunning art nouveau Balluta Buildings, which are apartment buildings on the eastern shore, as well as a cluster of terraced townhouses in the local variant of Georgian-style architecture. The south shore of Balluta Bay features Le Meridien St. Julian's Hotel, built on the grounds surrounding the 18th century Villa Cassar Torregiani. In what type of publication would you be most likely to find the above passage? A. In a newspaper real estate ad. B. In a magazine devoted to water sports. C. In a travel guide to Malta. D. In a book about historic buildings in Malta.

C. In a travel guide to Malta.

Volunteer hosts went to the airport, picked up assigned students, fed them dinner, took them to the opening lecture at the Clay Center, put them in spare bedrooms for the night, then fed them breakfast this morning and will deliver the outstanding teens to buses that convey them to the mountain retreat where they undergo a month of intensive science training and outdoor fun. Luckily, this year, enough local families volunteered to host all the brilliant youths. In the past, the number of guest homes sometimes fell short, and some of the visitors slept on cots and sleeping bags at local churches. They're adventurous teens and don't mind this makeshift camp-in but it's better if friendly hosts give them a more personal welcome for their stay. Which of the following topics would the next paragraph in this passage most likely cover?

C. Instructions for how local families can volunteer to become hosts

The Republican Party, also commonly called the GOP (for 'Grand Old Party'), is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, the other being the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery activists in 1854, it dominated politics nationally for most of the period from 1860 to 1932. There have been 18 Republican presidents, the first being Abraham Lincoln, serving from 1861 to 1865, and the most recent (as of 2013) being George W. Bush, serving from 2001 to 2009. Based on this passage, which of the following statements is not true? A. The Republican Party was formed by people opposed to slavery. B. The Democratic Party is a major political party in the United States. C. The Republican Party lost national political influence after the Civil War.

C. The Republican Party lost national political influence after the Civil War.

From a building designer's standpoint, three things that make a home livable are the client, the building site, and the amount of money the client has to spend. According to this statement, to make a home livable, A. the prospective piece of land makes little difference B. it can be built on any piece of land C. the design must fit the owner's income and site D. the design must fit the designer's income

C. the design must fit the owner's income and site

Speed skating is a competitive form of ice skating in which the competitors race each other in traveling a certain distance on skates. Types of speed skating are long track speed skating, short track speed skating, and marathon speed skating. Short track speed skating takes place on a smaller rink, normally the size of an ice hockey rink. Distances are shorter than in long track racing, with the longest Olympic race being 3000 meters. Races are usually held as knockouts, with the best two in heats of four or five qualifying for the final race, where medals are awarded. Disqualifications and falls are not uncommon. The sport originates from pack-style events held in North America and was officially sanctioned in the 1970s, becoming an Olympic sport in 1992. Although this form of speed skating is newer, it is growing faster than long track speed skating, largely because short track can be done on an ice hockey rink r

D. Short track speed skating is more exiting due to frequent disqualifications and falls

The Vikings were seafaring north Germanic people who raided, traded, explored, and settled in wide areas of Europe, Asia, and the North Atlantic islands from the late 8th to the mid-11th centuries. The Vikings employed wooden longships with wide, shallow-draft hulls, allowing navigation in rough seas or in shallow river waters. The ships could be landed on beaches, and their light weight enabled them to be hauled over portages. These versatile ships allowed the Vikings to travel as far east as Constantinople and the Volga River in Russia, as far west as Iceland, Greenland, and Newfoundland, and as far south as Nekor. This period of Viking expansion, known as the Viking Age, constitutes an important element of the medieval history of Scandinavia, Great Britain, Ireland, Russia, and the rest of Europe. According to this passage, which of the following is NOT an advantage of longships? A. They were light in weight.

D. They could hold many Viking warriors.

A thin transparent layer of oxide protects the metal titanium against corrosion. The same thin layer attracts artists interested in making their art with the help of technology. By using heat or electricity, an artist can thicken the oxide layer and thereby turn the metal a range of vivid colors. According to the passage, some artists work with titanium because it A. is transparent B. does not corrode C. generates its own heat D. can assume a variety of colors

D. can assume a variety of colors

The eastern part of Texas will ambush the senses of all who enter it with preconceptions of sand and cacti around every bend. It has a look and atmosphere that loes not fit the boots-and-saddle image of the state. The author implies that the look and atmosphere of east Texas does NOT resemble that of the A. marshlands B. mountains C. seashore D. desert

D. desert

Twenty-five percent of all household burglaries can be attributed to unlocked windows or doors. Crime is the result of opportunity plus desire. To prevent crime, it is each individual's responsibility to A. provide the desire B. provide the opportunity C. prevent the desire D. prevent the opportunity

D. prevent the opportunity

Nations are political and military units, but they are not necessarily the most important units in economic life, nor are they very much alike in any economic sense. All that nations really have in common is the political fact of their sovereignty. Indeed, the failure of national governments to control economic forces suggest that nations are irrelevant to promoting economic success. According to the paragraph, the economic power of nations is: A. controlled by political and military success. B. the basis of their political success. C. limited to a few powerful nations. D. relatively unimportant.

D. relatively unimportant.

Deadweight tonnage is a measure of how much weight a ship is carrying or can safely carry. It is the sum of the weights of cargo, fuel, fresh water, ballast water, rovisions, passengers, and crew. Which of the following does NOT go into the calculation of deadweight tonnage? A. weight of food B. weight of fuel C. weight of fresh water D. weight of the ship

D. weight of the ship