TOEFL IBT Reading Practice Test 17 from Barron’s TOEFL iBT
The Reading section tests your ability to understand reading passages like those in college textbooks. The passages are about 700 words in length.
This is the short format for the Reading section. On the short format, you will read three passages. After each passage, you will answer 12-14 questions about it. You may take notes while you read, but notes are not graded. You may use your notes to answer the questions.
Some passages may include a word or phrase that is underlined in blue. Click on the word or phrase to see a glossary definition or explanation.
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Choose the best answer for multiple-choice questions. Follow the directions on the page or on the screen for computer-assisted questions. Most questions are worth 1 point, but the last question in each passage is worth more than 1 point.
The Reading section is divided into parts. Click on Next to go to the next question. Click on Back to return to previous questions. You may return to previous questions for all of the passages in the same part, but after you go to the next part, you will not be able to return to passages in the previous part. Be sure that you have answered all of the questions for the passages in each part before you dick on Next at the end of the passage to move to the next part.
You can dick on Review to see a chart of the questions you have answered and the questions you have not answered n each part. From this screen, you can return to the question you want to answer in the part that is open.
You will have 20 minutes to read each passage and answer the questions for that passage. You will have 60 minutes to complete all of the passages and answer all of the questions on the short format. A dock on the screen will show you how much time you have to complete the Reading section.
Reading 1 “Layers of Social Class”
Taken together, income, occupation, and education are good measures of people’s social standing. Using a layered model of stratification, most sociologists describe the class system in the United States as divided into several classes: upper, upper middle, middle, lower middle, and lower class. The different classes are arrayed along a continuum with those with the most money, education, and prestige at the top and those with the least at the bottom.
In the United States, the upper class owns the major share of corporate and personal wealth; it includes those who have held wealth for generations as well as those who have recently become rich. Only a very small proportion of people actually constitute the upper class, but they control vast amounts of wealth and power in the United States. Those in this class exercise enormous control throughout society. Some wealthy individuals can wield as much power as entire nations.
Despite social myths to the contrary, the best predictor of future wealth is the family into which you are born. Each year, the business magazine Forbes publishes a list of the 400 wealthiest families and individuals in the country. Of all the wealth represented on the Forbes 400 list, most is inherited, although since the 1990s, there has been some increase in the number of people on the list with self-created wealth. Those in the upper class with newly acquired wealth are known as the nouveau riche. Luxury vehicles, high-priced real estate, and exclusive vacations may mark the lifestyle of the newly rich. However, although they may have vast amounts of money, they are often not accepted into “old rich” circles.
-> The upper middle class includes those with high incomes and high social prestige. They tend to be well-educated professionals or-business executives. Their earnings can be quite high indeed—successful business executives can earn millions of dollars a year. It is difficult to estimate exactly how many people fall into this group because of the difficulty of drawing lines between the upper, upper middle, and middle classes. Indeed, the upper middle class is often thought of as “middle class” because their lifestyle sets the standard to which many aspire, but this lifestyle is actually unattainable by most.
The middle class is hard to define, in part because being “middle class” is more than just economic position. A very large portion of Americans identify themselves as middle class even though they vary widely in lifestyle and in resources at their disposal. But the idea that the United States is an open-class system leads many to think that the majority have a middle-class lifestyle; thus, the middle class becomes the ubiquitous norm even though many who call themselves middle class have a tenuous hold on this class position.
The lower middle class includes workers in the skilled trades and low- income bureaucratic workers, many of whom may actually define themselves as middle class. Also known as the working class, this class includes blue- collar workers (those in skilled trades who do manual labor) and many service workers, such as secretaries, hair stylists, food servers, police, and firefighters. Medium to low income, education, and occupational prestige define the lower middle class relative to the class groups above it. The term lower in this class designation refers to the relative position of the group in the stratification system, but it has a pejorative sound to many people, especially to people who are members of this class, many of whom think of themselves as middle class.
The lower class is composed primarily of the displaced and poor. People in this class have little formal education and are often unemployed or working in minimum-wage jobs. [A] People of color and women make up a disproportionate part of this class. The poor include the working poor—those who work at least 27 hours a week but whose wages fall below the federal poverty level. Six percent of all working people now live below the poverty line. The concept of the underclass has been added to the lower class. [B] The underclass includes those who are likely to be permanently unemployed and without means of eco¬nomic support. [C] Rejected from the economic system, those in the underclass may become dependent on public assistance or illegal activities. [D]
1. The word those in the passage refers to
A. characteristics
B. groups
C. classes
D. continuum
2. The word enormous in the passage is closest in meaning to
A. very large
B. very new
C. very early
D. very good
3. Which of the sentences below best expresses the information in the highlighted statement in the passage? The other choices change the meaning or leave out important information.
A. Although it is not generally accepted, your family provides the best prediction of your future wealth.
B. You can achieve great future wealth in spite of the family in which you may have been bom.
C. It is not true that your family will restrict the acquisition of your future wealth and level of social status.
D. Social myths are contrary to the facts about the future wealth and social status of your family.
4. Why does the author mention the “Forbes 400” in paragraph 3?
A. To explain the meaning of the listing that appears every year
B. To support the statement that most wealthy people inherit their money
C. To cast doubt on the claim that family income predicts individual wealth
D. To give examples of successful people who have modest family connections
Paragraph 3 is marked with an arrow [->].
5. The word exclusive in the passage is closest in meaning to
A. long
B. expensive
C. frequent
D. relaxing .
6. In paragraph 4, the author states that business and professional people with educational advantages are most often members of the
A. lower middle class
B. upper middle class
C. nouveau riche
D. upper class
Paragraph 4 is marked with an arrow [->].
7. According to paragraph 5, why do most people identify themselves as middle class in the United States?
A. They have about the same lifestyle as everyone else in the country.
B. They prefer not to admit that there are class distinctions in the United States.
C. They don’t really know how to define their status because it is unclear.
D. They identify themselves with the majority who have normal lifestyles.
Paragraph 5 is marked with an arrow [->].
8. The word primarily in the passage is closest in meaning to
A. mostly
B. somewhat
C. finally
D. always
9. What can be inferred about the working class in the United States?
A. They are often not able to find entry-level jobs.
B. They work in jobs that pay minimum wage,
C. They are service workers and manual laborers.
D. They are considered lower class.
10. According to paragraph 7, why has the underclass emerged?
A. The new term was necessary because the lower class enjoyed a higher lifestyle than it had previously.
B. The increase in crime has supported a new class of people who live by engaging in illegal activities.
C. Changes in the economy have caused an entire class of people to survive by welfare or crime.
D. Minimum-wage jobs no longer support a class of people at a standard level in the eco¬nomic system.
Paragraph 7 is marked with an arrow [->].
11. AH of the following are indicators of prestige in the United States EXCEPT
A. the level of education that a person has achieved
B. the amount of money that an individual has acquired
C. the type of employment that someone pursues
D. the hard work that a person does on a consistent basis
12. Look at the four squares [■] that show where the following sentence could be inserted in the passage.
The working poor constitute a large portion of those who are poor.
Where could the sentence best be added?
Click on a square [■] to insert the sentence in the passage.
13. Directions: An introduction for a short summary of the passage appears below. Complete the summary by selecting the THREE answer choices that mention the most important points in the passage. Some sentences do not belong in the summary because they express ideas that are not included in the passage or are minor points from the passage. This question is worth 2 points.
The levels of education, the acquisition of wealth, and occupational prestige deter¬mine social status in the United States.
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Answer Choices
A. People who have made their money more recently tend not to be accepted by those who have inherited their wealth from family holdings.
B. The lower class includes working people with low incomes and a new underclass of people who are dependent on welfare or engage in crime.
C. The upper class tends to acquire wealth through inheritance, whereas the upper middle class has a high income that they earn in their professions.
D. Although the lifestyle of the upper middle class is the goal for the majority, it is difficult for many people to maintain this standard of living.
E. Most people identify themselves as middle class, including blue-collar workers and service workers as well as bureaucratic employees.
F. it is still possible to move from one social class to another in the United States by working your way up the ladder in a corporate environment.
Reading Passage 2 Reading Passage 3 Answer Keys & Explanation
Reading 2 “Weather and Chaotic Systems ”
Weather and climate are closely related, but they are not quite the same thing. In any particular location, some days may be hotter or cooler, clearer or cloudier, calmer or stormier than others. The ever-varying combination of winds, clouds, temperature, and pressure is what we call weather. Climate is the long-term average of weather, which means it can change only on much longer time scales. The complexity of weather makes it difficult to predict, and at best, the local weather can be predicted only a week or so in advance.
Scientists today have a very good understanding of the physical laws and mathematical equations that govern the behavior and motion of atoms in the air, oceans, and land. Why, then, do we have so much trouble predicting the weather? To understand why the weather is so unpredictable we must look at the nature of scientific prediction.
Suppose you want to predict the location of a car on a road 1 minute from now. You need two basic pieces of information: where the car is now, and how fast it is moving. If the car is now passing Smith Road and heading north at 1 mile per minute, it will be 1 mile north of Smith Road in 1 minute.
Now, suppose you want to predict the weather. Again, you need two basic types of information: (1) the current weather and (2) how weather changes from one moment to the next. You could attempt to predict the weather by creating a “model world-” For example, you could overlay a globe of the Earth with graph paper and then specify the current temperature, pressure, cloud cover, and wind within each square. These are your starting points, or initial conditions. Next, you could input alt the initial conditions into a computer, along with a set of equations (physical laws) that describe the processes that can change weather from one moment to the next.
Suppose the initial conditions represent the weather around the Earth at this very moment and you run your computer model to predict the weather for the next month in New York City. The model might tell you that tomorrow will be warm and sunny, with cooling during the next week and a major storm passing through a month from now. But suppose you run the model again, making one minor change in the initial conditions—say, a small change in the wind speed somewhere over Brazil. [A] This slightly different initial condition will not change the weather prediction for tomorrow in New York City. [B] But for next month’s weather, the two predictions may not agree at all! [C]
The disagreement between the two predictions arises because the laws governing weather can cause very tiny changes in initial conditions to be greatly magnified over time. [D] This extreme sensitivity to initial conditions is sometimes called the butterfly effect: If initial conditions change by as much as the flap of a butterfly’s wings, the resulting prediction may be very different.
The butterfly effect is a hallmark of chaotic systems. Simple systems are described by linear equations in which, for example, increasing a cause produces a proportional increase in an effect. In contrast, chaotic systems are described by nonlinear equations, which allow for subtler and more intricate interactions. For example, the economy is nonlinear because a rise in interest rates does not automatically produce a corresponding change in consumer spending. Weather is nonlinear because a change in the wind speed in one location does not automatically produce a corresponding change in another location.
Despite their name, chaotic systems are not necessarily random. In fact, many chaotic systems have a kind of underlying order that explains the general features of their behavior even while details at any particular moment remain unpredictable. In a sense, many chaotic systems—like the weather—are “predictably unpredictable.” Our understanding of chaotic systems is increasing at a tremendous rate, but much remains to be learned about them.
14. According to the passage, it will be difficult to predict weather
A. unless we leam more about chaotic systems
B. because we don’t communicate globally
C. without more powerful computers
D. until we understand the physical laws of atoms
15. The word particular in the passage is closest in meaning to
A. basic
B. specific
C. unusual
D. new
16. The word govern in the passage is closest in meaning to
A. change
B. control
C. show
D. explain ‘
17. Why does the author mention “a car” in paragraph 3?
A. The car is an example of how conditions are used to make predictions.
B. The author digresses in order to tell a story about a car.
C. The car introduces the concept of computer models.
D. The mathematical equations for the car are very simple to understand.
Paragraph 3 is marked with an arrow [->].
18. Why do the predictions disagree for the computer model described in paragraph 5?
A. The conditions at the beginning were very different.
B. The model was not accurately programmed.
C. Computer models cannot predict weather.
D. Over time models are less reliable.
Paragraph 5 is marked with an arrow [->].
19. Why is weather considered a chaotic system?
A/ Because it is made up of random features
B/ Because it is not yet very well understood
C/ Because it is described by nonlinear equations
D/ Because it does not have an orderly structure
20. Based on information in paragraph 6, which of the following best explains the term “butterfly effecf ?
A/ Slight variations in initial conditions can cause very different results.
B/ A butterfly’s wings can be used to predict different conditions in various locations.
C/ The weather is as difficult to predict as the rate of a butterfly’s wings when it flaps them. ‘
D/ A butterfly flaps its wings in one location, which automatically produces a result in another place.
Paragraph 6 is marked with an arrow [->].
21. The phrase in which in the passage refers to
A/ the butterfly effect B/ chaotic systems C/ simple systems D/ linear equations
22. Why does the author mention “the economy” in paragraph 7?
A/ To contrast a simple system with a chaotic system
B/ To provide an example of another chaotic system
C/ To compare nonlinear equations with linear equations
D/ To prove that all nonlinear systems are not chaotic
Paragraph 7 is marked with an arrow [-»].
23. The word features in the passage is closest in meaning to
A/ problems B/ exceptions C/ characteristics D/ benefits
24. In paragraph 8, the author suggests that our knowledge of chaotic systems
A/ will never allow us to make accurate predictions
B/ has not improved very much over the years
C/ reveals details that can be predicted quite accurately
D/ requires more research by the scientific community
Paragraph 8 is marked with an arrow [->].
25. Look at the four squares [■] that show where the following sentence could be inserted in the passage.
For next week’s weather, the new model may yield a slightly different prediction.
Where could the sentence best be added?
Click on a square [■] to insert the sentence in the passage.
26. Directions: An introduction tor a short summary of the passage appears befow. Complete the summary by selecting the THREE answer choices that mention the most important points in the passage. Some sentences do not belong in the summary because they express ideas that are not included in the passage or are minor points from the passage. This question is worth 2 points.
Because weather is a chaotic system, it is very difficult to predict.
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*
*
Answer Choices
A/ The accuracy of weather prediction will improve as we make progress in the application of computers to equations.
B/ It is very easy to make predictions about the location of a car when you know where it is and how fast it is going.
C/ A slight variation in initial conditions will cause a very different prediction for weather over the long term.
D/ Because weather is chaotic but not ran¬dom, it may be described by nonlinear equations that provide for sensitive inter¬actions.
E/ The economic system demonstrates chaotic behavior, and it must be represented by a nonlinear equation.
F/ Weather is predictable only within a time frame of a few weeks because of the nature of scientific prediction.
Reading Passage 1 Reading Passage 3 Answer Keys & Explanation
Reading 3 “Building with Arches”
Round Arch and Vault
Although the round arch was used by the ancient peoples of Mesopotamia several centuries before our common era, it was most fully developed by the Romans, who perfected the form in the 2nd century B.C.E. The arch has many virtues. In addition to being an attractive form, it enables the architect to open up fairly large spaces in a wall without risking the building’s structural soundness. These spaces admit light, reduce the weight of the walls, and decrease the amount of material needed. As utilized by the Romans, the arch is a perfect semicircle, although it may seem elongated if it rests on columns. It is constructed from wedge-shaped pieces of stone that meet at an angle always perpendicular to the curve of the arch. Because of tensions and compressions inherent in the form, the arch is stable only when it is complete, when the top¬most stone, the keystone, has been set in place. For this reason an arch under construction must be supported from below, usually by a wooden framework.
Among the most elegant and enduring of Roman structures based on the arch is the Pont du Gard at Nimes, France, built about 15 c.e. when the empire was nearing its farthest expansion. At this time, Roman industry, commerce, and agriculture were at their peak. Engineering was applied to an ambitious system of public-works projects, not just in Italy but in the outlying areas as well. The Pont du Gard functioned as an aqueduct, a structure meant to trans¬port water, and its lower level served as a footbridge across the river. That it stands today virtually intact after nearly two thousand years (and is crossed by cyclists on the route of the famous Tour de France bicycle race) testifies to the Romans’ brilliant engineering skills. Visually, the Pont du Gard exemplifies the best qualities of arch construction. Solid and heavy, obviously durable, it is shot through with open spaces that make it seem light and its weight-bearing capa¬bilities effortless.
When the arch is extended in depth—when it is, in reality, many arches placed flush one behind the other—the result is called a barrel vault. This vault construction makes it possible to create large interior spaces. The Romans made great use of the barrel vault, but for its finest expression we look many hundreds of years later, to the churches of the Middle Ages.
The church of Sainte-Foy, in the French city of Conques, is an example of the style prevalent throughout Western Europe from about 1050 to 1200—a style known as Romanesque. Earlier churches had used the Roman round arch and barrel vault so as to add height to their churches. Until this period most churches had beamed wooden roofs, which not only posed a threat of fire but also limited the height to which architects could aspire. With the stone bar¬rel vault, they could achieve the soaring, majestic space we see in the nave of Sainte-Foy to span the spaces between the interior columns that ultimately held up the roof. With the Romanesque style, builders set a stone barrel vault as a ceiling over the nave, hiding the roof structure from view. The barrel vault uni¬fied the interior visually, providing a soaring, majestic climax to the rhythms announced by the arches below.
Pointed Arch and Vault
While the round arch and vault of the Romanesque era solved many prob¬lems and made many things possible, they nevertheless had certain draw¬backs. For one thing, a round arch, to be stable, must be a semicircle; therefore, the height of the arch is limited by its width. Two other difficulties were weight and darkness. Barrel vaults are both literally and visually heavy, calling for huge masses of stone to maintain their structural stability. They exert an outward thrust all along their base, which builders countered by setting them in massive walls that they dared not weaken with light-admitting openings. The Gothic period in Europe, which followed the Romanesque, solved these prob¬lems with the pointed arch. [A]
The pointed arch, while seemingly not very different from the round one, offers many advantages. [B] Because the sides arc up to a point, weight is channeled down to the ground at a steeper angle, and therefore the arch can be taller. The vault constructed from such an arch also can be much tailor than a barrel vault. [C] Architects of the Gothic period found they did not need heavy masses of material throughout the curve of the vault, as long as the major points of intersection were reinforced. [D]
Glossary
nave: the long central area in a church with aisles on each side
27. Why does the author mention the “keystone” in paragraph 1?
A/ To explain the engineering of an arch
B/ To provide historical background on arches
C/ To point out one of the virtues of arches
D/ To suggest an alternative to the arch
Paragraph 1 is marked with an arrow [->].
28. The word inherent in the passage is closest in meaning to
A/ uncertain B/ unsatisfactory C/ expansive D/ essential
29. The Pont du Gard mentioned in paragraph 2 has all of the following characteristics EXCEPT
A/ It was an aqueduct.
B/ It is still being used.
C/ It was built 2000 years ago.
C/ [t was repaired recently.
Paragraph 2 is marked with an arrow [->].
30. The word virtually in the passage is closest in meaning to
A/ obviously
B/ accurately
C/ routinely .
D/ practically
31. According to paragraph 3, what is the advantage of a barrel vault?
A/ it was used in the Middle Ages.
B/ Many arches were joined.
C/ The space inside was larger.
D/ It was a typical Roman look.
Paragraph 3 is marked with an arrow [->1]
32. What can be inferred from paragraph 4 about Romanesque architecture?
A/ Arches and barrel vaults were used in the designs.
B/ Wood beams characterized the buildings.
C/ The structures were smaller than those of Roman style.
D/ The architecture was popular during the Roman occupation.
Paragraph 4 is marked with an arrow [->].
33. Which of the sentences below best expresses the information in the highlighted statement in the passage? The other choices change the meaning or leave out important information.
A/ Architects wanted to build higher ceilings in churches, but they were limited because of the fire hazard caused by wooden beams in the roofs.
B/ The majority of the churches prior to this time were constructed with wooden roofs that caused a considerable fire hazard because of their height.
C/ The wood beams in the roofs of most churches before this period were a concern because of fire and the constraints they imposed on the height of the ceiling.
D/ The limitations on the architecture of the churches were a result of the construction materials and the limited vision of the architects.
34. The word achieve in the passage is closest in meaning to
A/ retain B/ accomplish C/ decorate D/ finance
35. The word their in the passage refers to
A/ masses B/ builders C/ stone D/ vaults
36. According to paragraph 5, why are Romanesque churches so dark?
A/ It was a characteristic of construction with pointed arches.
B/ it was too difficult to make windows in the heavy materials.
C/ Openings for light could have compromised the structure.
D/ Reinforcements covered the areas where light could shine in.
Paragraph 5 is marked with an arrow [->].
37. Gothic architects extended the height of their arches by
A/ using barrel vaults B/ designing pointed arches C/ including a nave D/ adding windows
38. Look at the four squares [■ ] that show where the following sentence could be inserted in the passage.
These reinforcements, called ribs, are visible in the nave ceiling of Reims Cathedral.
Where could the sentence best be added?
Click on a square [■] to insert the sentence in the passage.
39. Directions: Complete the table by matching the phrases on the left with the headings on the right. Select the appropriate answer choices and drag them to the type of architecture to which they relate. TWO of the answer choices will NOT be used. This question is worth 4 points.
To delete an answer choice, click on it. To see the passage, click on View Text.
| Answer Choices
A/ Allowed architects to create a taller arch |
Round Arch |
| * | |
| * | |
| * | |
| * | |
| Point Arch | |
| * | |
| * | |
| * | |
Reading Passage 1 Reading Passage 2 Reading Passage 4 Answer Keys & Explanation
Reading 4 “The Digital Divide”
The Challenge of Technology and Equity
Information technology is influencing the way many of us live and work today. We use the Internet to look and apply for jobs, shop, conduct research, make airline reservations, and explore areas of interest. We use e-mail and the Internet to communicate instantaneously with friends and business associates around the world. Computers are commonplace in homes and the workplace.
Although the number of Internet users is growing exponentially each year, most of the world’s population does not have access to computers or the Internet. Only 6 percent of the population in developing countries are connected to telephones. Although more than 94 percent of U.S. households have a tele¬phone, only 56 percent have personal computers at home and 50 percent have Internet access. The lack of what most of us would consider a basic communi¬cations necessity—the telephone—does not occur just in developing nations. On some Native American reservations only 60 percent of the residents have a telephone. The move to wireless connections may eliminate the need for tele¬phone lines, but it does not remove the barrier to equipment costs.
-> Who has Internet access? The digital divide between the populations who have access to the Internet and information technology tools and those who don’t is based on income, race, education, household type, and geographic location, but the gap between groups is narrowing. Eighty-five percent of households with an income over $75,000 have Internet access, compared with less than 20 percent of the households with incomes under $15,000. Over 80 percent of college graduates use the Internet as compared with 40 percent of high school completers and 13 percent of high school dropouts. Seventy-two percent of households with two parents have Internet access; 40 percent of female, single-parent households do. Differences are also found among house¬holds and families from different racial and ethnic groups. Fifty-five percent of white households, 31 percent of black households, 32 percent of Latino house¬holds, 68 percent of Asian or Pacific Islander households, and 39 percent of American Indian, Eskimo, or Aleut households have access to the Internet. The number of Internet users who are children under nine years old and persons over fifty has more than tripled since 1997. Households in inner cities are less likely to have computers and Internet access than those in urban and rural areas, but the differences are no more than 6 percent.
Another problem that exacerbates these disparities is that African-Americans, Latinos, and Native Americans hold few of the jobs in information technology. Women hold about 20 percent of these jobs and are receiving fewer than 30 percent of the bachelor’s degrees in computer and information science. The result is that women and members of the most oppressed ethnic groups are not eligible for the jobs with the highest salaries at graduation. Baccalaureate candidates with degrees in computer science were offered the highest salaries of all new college graduates.
Do similar disparities exist in schools? [A] Ninety-eight percent of all schools in the country are wired with at least one Internet connection. [B] The number of classrooms with Internet connections differs by the income level of students.Using the percentage of students who are eligible for free lunches at a school to determine income level, we see that a higher percentage of the schools with more affluent students have wired classrooms than those with high concentrations of low-income students. [C]
Access to computers and the Internet will be important in reducing disparities between groups. [D] It will require greater equality across diverse groups whose members develop knowledge and skills in computer and information technologies- The field today is overrepresented by white males. If computers and the Internet are to be used to promote equality, they will have to become . accessible to schools that cannot currently afford the equipment which needs to be updated regularly every three years or so. However, access alone is not enough. Students will have to be interacting with the technology in authentic settings. As technology becomes a tool for learning in almost all courses taken by students, it will be seen as a means to an end rather than an end in itself. If it is used in culturally relevant ways, all students can benefit from its power.
40. Why does the author mention “the telephone” in paragraph 2?
A/ To demonstrate that even technology like the telephone is not available to all
B/ To argue that basic telephone service is a first step to using the Internet
C/ To contrast the absence of telephone usage with that of Internet usage
D/ To describe the development of communications from telephone to Internet
Paragraph 2 is marked with an arrow [->].
41. Which of the sentences below best expresses the information in the highlighted statement in the passage? The other choices change the meaning or leave out important information.
A/ Most of the people in the world use the Internet now because the number of computers has been increasing every year
B/ The number of people who use computers and the Internet is increasing every year, but most people in the world still do not have connections.
C/ The number of computers that can make the Internet available to most of the people in the world is not increasing fast enough.
D/ The Internet is available to most of the people in the world, even though they don’t have their own computer terminals.
42. The word residents in the passage is closest in meaning to
A/ homes B/ towns C/ people D/ locations
43. The word eBminate in the passage is closest in meaning to
A/ accept B/ dispute C/ define D/ remove
44. Based on information in paragraph 3, which of the following best explains the term “digital divide?”
A/ The number of Internet users in developing nations
B/ The disparity in the opportunity to use the Internet
C/ Differences in socioeconomic levels among Internet users
D/ Segments of the population with Internet access
Paragraph 3 is marked with an arrow [->].
45. Why does the author give details about the percentages of Internet users in paragraph 3?
A/ To prove that there are differences in opportunities among social groups
B/ To argue for more Internet connections at all levels of society
C/ To suggest that improvements in Internet access are beginning to take place
D/ To explain why many people have Internet connections now
Paragraph 3 is marked with an arrow [->].
46. According to paragraph 3, which of the following households would be least likely to have access to the Internet?
A/ A household with one parent
B/ A black household
C/ A Latino household
D/ A household with both parents
Paragraph 3 is marked with an arrow [->].
47. According to paragraph 4, why are fewer women and minorities employed in the field of computer technology?
A/ They are not admitted to the degree programs.
B/ They do not possess the educational qualifications.
C/ They do not have an interest in technology.
D/ They prefer training for jobs with higher salaries.
Paragraph 4 is marked with an arrow [-»].
48. The word those in the passage refers to
A/ classrooms B/ students C/ schools D/ concentrations
49. The word concentrations in the passage is closest in meaning to
A/ protections B/ numbers C/ confidence D/ support
50. What can be inferred from paragraph 6 about Internet access?
A/ Better computers need to be designed.
B/ Schools should provide newer computers for students.
C/ The cost of replacing equipment is a problem.
D/ Technology will be more helpful in three years.
Paragraph 6 is marked with an arrow [->].
51. Look at the four squares [■ ] that show where the following sentence could be inserted in the passage.
Thus, the students who are most unlikely to have access at home also do not have access in their schools, increasing the divide between groups even further.
Where could the sentence best be added?
Click on a square [■] to insert the sentence in the passage.
52. Directions: An introduction for a short summary of the passage appears below. Complete the summary by selecting the THREE answer choices that mention the most important points in the passage. Some sentences do not belong in the summary because they express ideas that are not included in the passage or are minor points from the passage. This question is worth 2 points.
The availability of technology is unequal throughout the world.
Answer Choices
A/ Currently, only about 10 percent of all the schools in the United States are not wired for Internet access.
B/Less affluent schools have fewer Internet connections, and minorities as well as women hold fewer computer science degrees. .
C/ Children and teenagers are the two fastest growing segments of the popula¬tion gaining access to the Internet.
D/ Internet access is limited by education, income, geographic location, race, and the age and marital status of the head of household.
E/ Computer science graduates can earn almost $50,000.
F/ Access to the Internet is one way to encourage equality among diverse groups