TOEFL IBT Reading Practice Test 23 from Delta’s Key to the Next Generation TOEFL Test – Six Practice Tests for The iBT by Nancy Gallagher
Reading Section Directions
The Reading section measures your ability to read and understand passages in English. You will read three passages and answer questions about them. Answer all questions based on what is stated or implied in the passages.
Most questions are worth one point. The last question in each set is worth more than one point. For this question, the directions will indicate how many points you can receive.
Some passages have one or more words in bold type. For these bolded words, you will see a definition in a glossary at the end of the passage.
Allow 20 minutes to read each passage and answer the questions about it. You may now begin the first passage.
DEVELOPMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF TALL BUILDINGS
Until the nineteenth century, most tall buildings were constructed of load-bearing masonry walls. Masonry walls had to be thick, particularly at the base, to support a building’s great weight. Stoneworkers built these walls by placing stone upon stone or brick upon brick, adding strength and stability by placing layers of mortar or cement between the stones. Floors and roofs had to be supported by wooden beams, but the major vertical force of buildings was supported by thick masonry walls. This imposed serious limitations on the number and size of windows.
In the 1850s, an alternative was emerging that would eliminate the need for exterior weight-bearing walls: a three-dimensional grid of metal beams and columns. The introduction of metal construction made it possible to build larger interior spaces with fewer columns than before. The new construction was capable of supporting all the loads to which a building might be subjected, including the vertical forces caused by the weight of the floors and the horizontal forces caused by the wind or earthquakes.
The first buildings to depart from the load-bearing wall tradition were iron-framed. Wrought iron, shaped by hammering the heated metal or rolling it under extreme pressure, contains almost no carbon, and when used as floor beams, it can support a great deal of weight. An interior wrought iron skeleton supported all of the building’s weight. Exterior walls of reinforced concrete acted mainly as weatherproofing. As masonry yielded to concrete, walls that once bore weight evolved into thin curtain walls that would allow more j^jjj^lows,. These modifications produced sturdier, lighter, and taller buildings that quickly became known as skyscrapers. Skyscrapers satisfied the growing need for office space, warehouses, and department stores. Buildings of eight or more stories quickly transformed the city skyline and dominated the central business districts of American cities such as New York, Chicago, and St. Louis.
Skyscrapers differed from previous tall structures with their use of technical innovations such as cast iron and the elevator. The development of cast iron technology, in which molten iron is poured into a mold, made modern plumbing possible. Cast iron pipes, fittings, and valves could deliver pressurized water to the many floors of tall buildings and drain wastewater out. The invention of the mechanical elevator made it possible to construct even taller buildings. Before the elevator, office buildings were rarely more than four or five stories high. In 1857, the first passenger elevator equipped with safety brakes prevented the elevator from falling to the basement when a cable broke. The elevator made the upper floors as rentable as the first floor, liberating architecture from dependence on stairways and human muscle.
Not only did these innovations have important uses in the engineering of tall buildings, but they also erased the traditional architectural distinctions separating the bottom, middle, and top of a building. Architects designed towers that reached to the heavens in a continuous vertical grid. Iron construction established the principle of repetitive rhythms as a natural expression of construction, as well as the idea that buildings could be made of new materials on a vast scale.
Construction techniques were refined and extended over the next several decades to produce what architectural historians have called “true skyscrapers,” buildings over twenty stories high. The invention of steel was particularly significant, as steel T-beams and I-beams replaced iron in these new structures. Steel weighs less than half as much as masonry and exceeds both masonry and iron in tension and compression strength as well as resistance to fatigue. Steel rivets replaced iron bolts and were in turn replaced by electric arc welding in the 1920s. The skyscraper’s steel skeleton could meet all of the structural requirements while occupying very little interior space. Exterior curtain walls could be quite thin, since their only function now was to let in light and keep the weather out.
1. Which of the following was a typical characteristic of tall buildings before the nineteenth century?
(?) Stone floors and roofs
(?) Thick walls of stone or brick
(?) A large number of tall windows
(?) An interior frame of metal
2. The word force in paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to
(A) appearance
(B) shape
(C) load
(D) movement
3. All of the following are given as benefits of iron-frame construction EXCEPT
(?) sturdy walls made of stone or brick
(?) large interior spaces with few columns
(?) a skeleton that supported heavy loads
(?) exterior walls with many windows
4. Which sentence below best expresses the essential information in the highlighted sentence in paragraph 3? Incorrect choices change the meaning in important ways or leave out essential information.
(?) Although masonry walls could bear heavier loads, architects preferred concrete walls because they were easier to build.
(?) Walls used to be made of load-bearing masonry; now they were thin and made of concrete, so more windows were possible.
(?) Because tall buildings had such thin exterior wails, the windows needed curtains to prevent heat loss through the concrete.
(?) Masonry replaced concrete as the material for outside walls, and this allowed skyscrapers to have a lot of windows.
5. According to the passage, which of the following statements is true of the earliest skyscrapers?
(?) They required the labor of stone workers.
(?) They were eight or more stories high.
(?) They had very thick exterior walls.
(?) They were constructed with steel beams.
6. Why does the author discuss the elevator in paragraph 4?
(?) To illustrate an important use of cast iron technology
(?) To compare the elevator with the office building
(?) To explain why early elevators were dangerous
(?) To show how an innovation contributed to architecture
7. The word rentable in paragraph 4 is closest in meaning to
(?) strong
(?) beautiful
(?) large
(?) desirable
8. The word they in paragraph 5 refers to
(?) innovations
(?) uses
(?) buildings
(?) architects
9. The word refined in paragraph 6 is closest in meaning to
(?) reviewed
(?) copied
(?) made cheaper
(?) improved
10. According to the passage, why did steel replace iron in the construction of skyscrapers?
(?) Steel is stronger than iron and resists fatigue better.
(?) Steel allows architects more freedom of expression.
(?) Steel is more available and less expensive than iron.
(?) Steel does not rust, so it lasts longer than iron does.
11. It can be inferred from the passage that the author most likely believes which of the following about the skyscraper?
(A) The skyscraper is most beautiful when constructed of traditional materials.
(B) Cast iron technology and the elevator made the skyscraper possible.
(C) Most technology used in the skyscraper existed before the nineteenth century.
(D) The definition of “true skyscraper” will probably change in the future.
12. Look at the four squares [A], [B], [C], [D] which indicate where the following sentence could be added to the passage. Where would the sentence best fit?
Sophisticated plumbing was needed to service bathrooms and also to heat buildings with either steam or hot water.
[A] Skyscrapers differed from previous tall structures with their use of technical innovations such as cast iron and the elevator. The development of cast iron technology, in which molten iron is poured into a mold, made modern plumbing possible. [B] Cast iron pipes, fittings, and valves could deliver pressurized water to the many floors of tall buildings and drain wastewater out. The invention of the mechanical elevator made it possible to construct even taller buildings.[C] Before the elevator, office buildings were rarely more than four or five stories high. In 1857, the first passenger elevator equipped with safety brakes prevented the elevator from falling to the basement when a cable broke. The elevator made the upper floors as rentable as the first floor, liberating architecture from dependence on stairways and human muscle.[D]
13. Read the first sentence of a summary of the passage. Complete the summary by selecting the THREE answer choices that express the most important ideas in the passage. Some sentences do not belong in the summary because they express ideas that are not presented in the passage or are minor ideas in the passage. This question is worth 2 points.
In the nineteenth century, there were several important developments in the construction of tall buildings.
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Answer Choices
(A) Masonry walls were built very thick at the base to support the building’s mass.
(B) The development of metal-frame construction eliminated the need for load-bearing walls.
(C) Heating iron or subjecting it to pressure enabled iron workers to create new shapes.
(D) An iron or steel skeleton supported the building’s weight, and concrete walls kept the weather out.
(E) A growing need for office buildings and department stores led to the invention of the skyscraper.
(F) Inventions such as the elevator and steel beams allowed taller buildings than ever before.
GENERAL SYSTEMS THEORY
1 The Greek word “systema” means union, and scientists use the word “system” to describe a collection of several components that are linked to one another by functional relationships. Everything outside the system is known as the surroundings. Most scientific literature is a description of the components of a system, their relationships with one another, and their relationships with other systems. Although each science has its own systems with their own subject matter and networks of relationships, the formal characteristics of systems are similar for all sciences. The scientific discipline called genera! systems theory formulates principles that are valid for systems in general, no matter the elements involved and the relations or forces among them.
2 Systems can be divided into two types: closed systems and open systems. A closed system receives no supply of energy from outside and transfers no energy outwards. An open system receives energy from its surroundings and transfers it out again.
3 A closed system is isolated from its surroundings. The energy supply of a closed system is limited and is progressively used up by the processes operating within the system. The ability of the system to function decreases as the available energy is exhausted. Without any additional energy supplied from the outside, the system’s processes stop altogether and no further change is possible in the system. A mill wheel supplied with water from a non-refillable container is a closed system. Once the container of water is empty, the wheel no longer turns because there is no water to turn it. In a truly closed system, the water would have to be collected below the mill wheel in a second container to ensure that the system did not supply any energy to the outside.
4 Some scientists argue that there are few truly closed systems in nature, and many define closed systems more broadly as those allowing energy but not mass to cross the system boundary. By this definition, the Earth system as a whole is a closed system. The boundary of the Earth system is the outer edge of the atmosphere, and except for the occasional meteorite, virtually no mass is exchanged between the Earth system and the rest of the universe, However, energy in the form of solar radiation passes from the sun, through the atmosphere to the Earth’s surface, which in turn radiates energy back out to space across the system boundary. Hence, energy passes across the Earth’s system boundary, but mass does not, making it a closed system.
5 In an open system, energy and mass can be transferred between the system and its surroundings. Living organisms are open systems. They absorb light energy or chemical energy in the form of organic molecules and release heat and metabolic waste products, such as carbon dioxide, to the surroundings. Generally, relationships exist between the components of a system and its surroundings, that is, other systems. Each open system is part of a larger system that receives and gives off energy. In an open system, the energy is continually resupplied from sources outside the system. In the example of the mill wheel, if the non -refillable water container is replaced by a reservoir fed continuously by a stream, it becomes an open system because the energy supply is renewed from the outside.
6 The natural environment is made up of open systems. These can behave as closed systems temporarily if the energy supply is halted for a period. If, for example, the stream to the reservoir supplying the mill dries up for a long period, the energy consumption of the mill wheel cannot be balanced by new energy supply. The water in the reservoir is used up, and if the dry period is long enough, the mill wheel stops turning. Eventually, the stream may flow again, filling the reservoir and turning the mill wheel again. This occurs bccause the stream-reservoir-mill system is itself a part of the Earth’s much larger systems of water circulation and water budget, which include condensation, precipitation, run-off, and evaporation. The water systems receive their energy supply from the Earth’s heat budget, which in turn receives its energy supply from the sun’s radiation.
14. According to the passage, the concept of systems involves all of the following EXCEPT
(X) the components of a collection
(X) the functional relationships among parts
(X) the links between different systems
(X) the origin of the scientific method
15. Which sentence below best expresses the essential information in the highlighted sentence in paragraph 1 ? Incorrect choices change the meaning in important ways or leave out essential information.
(X) Every science has a unique set of systems with characteristics and relationships that do not exist in any other science.
(X) The subject matter of systems is the same for all sciences, but the structure of system relationships can vary.
(X) System components and relationships differ for each science, yet systems in all sciences share similar properties.
(X) It is difficult to distinguish one system from another because all systems in all sciences have similar characteristics.
16. The word them in paragraph 1 refers to
(X) sciences
(X) principles
(X) elements
(X) forces
17. The word exhausted in paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to
A. increased
B. used
C. resupplied
D. wasted
18. In paragraph 3, the author discusses the example of a mill wheel to illustrate what point about closed systems?
(X) The energy supply of a closed system is limited.
(X) Closed systems are rare in the natural environment,
(X) The Earth system as a whole is a closed system.
(X) Closed systems get energy from their surroundings.
19. According to paragraph 4, the Earth system as a whole is a closed system because
(X) the Earth receives no energy from outside the system boundary
(X) the boundary of the Earth system is clearly defined
(X) no mass crosses the system boundary, but some energy does
(X) the Earth system uses energy from solar radiation to support life
20. It can be inferred from paragraph 5 that living organisms
(X) are part of a larger system that receives and gives off energy
(X) can transfer energy but not mass across the system boundary
(X) do not have functional relationships with their surroundings
(X) can survive in a closed system only if there is a water supply
21. The phrase dries up in paragraph 6 is closest in meaning to
(X) slowly rises
(X) becomes warmer
(X) is polluted
(X) stops flowing
22. Which of the following statements can be inferred from paragraph 6?
(X) If a mill wheel stops turning, it will not start again until the following year.
(X) The mill wheel is temporarily a closed system during long dry periods.
(X) Condensation, precipitation, run-off, and evaporation act as closed systems.
(X) The Earth’s heat budget is a closed system because its energy supply is limited.
23. Why does the author mention water circulation and water budget in paragraph 6?
(A) To give examples of open systems that behave as closed systems
(B) To illustrate the point that open systems are part of larger systems
(C) To emphasize the importance of water in the Earth system
(D) To introduce a discussion of threats to the Earth’s energy supply
24. Look at the four squares [A], [B], [C], [D] which indicate where the following sentence could be added to the passage. Where would the sentence best fit?
For example, the hot tea in a vacuum bottle does not interact with the environment outside the bottle.
A closed system is isolated from its surroundings. [A] The energy supply of a closed system is limited and is progressively used up by the processes operating within the system. [B] The ability of the system to function decreases as the available energy is exhausted. Without any additional energy supplied from the outside, the system’s processes cease altogether and no further change is possible in the system. [C] A mill wheel supplied with water from a non- refillable container is a closed system. Once the container of water is empty, the wheel no longer turns because there is no water to turn it. In a truly closed system, the water would have to be collected below the mil! wheel in a second container to ensure that the system did not supply any energy to the outside. [D]
25. Select the appropriate sentences from the answer choices and match them to the type of system that they describe. TWO of the answer choices will NOT be used. This question is worth 3 points.
| Answer Choices
(A) It is a collection of things that have no relationship to one another. (B) Its processes eventually use up all of its limited energy supply. (C) Both energy and mass can pass across the system boundary. (D) It is part of a larger system with which it interacts and exchanges energy. (E) No exchanges of mass occur between the system and its surroundings. (F) It is a large mass of a single element that cannot be changed in any way. (G) The energy supply is continually renewed from the surroundings. |
Closed System |
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| Open System | |
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| * | |
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LIFE SUCCESS AND SATISFACTION
1 Life satisfaction, which can be defined as general happiness or well being, is related to several demographic and personal qualities. The factor of age is important because the elements that make up life satisfaction may differ from one age to the next, Income is more likely to predict life satisfaction among middle-aged and older adults than among young adults. Health is a more significant predictor of happiness among older adults than among the young or the middle-aged. However, average levels of life satisfaction do not change significantly with age. Generally speaking, older adults are as satisfied with their lives as are younger or middle-aged adults.
2 There is no single element that guarantees high life satisfaction for everyone who possesses it. Happiness seems to consist of many things that each person weighs differently, such as income, education, work, and relationships. However, certain factors are reliable predictors of life satisfaction. One such predictor is health, especially one’s perception of one’s own health rather than a doctor’s objective health assessment. Another predictor of life satisfaction is a feeling of being in charge of one’s own life and a sense of authority over one’s own decisions. Adults who feel that they have some choices and options are generally happier than those who feel that their lives are controlled by others or by fate or chance. For example, older adults who experience financial strain feel less life satisfaction mainly because the problem signals a loss of control over their lives.
3 The largest predictor of life satisfaction appears to be the adequacy of social relationships, especially marriage and family relationships. The perceived quality rather than the quantity of social interactions is most strongly related to happiness. Satisfaction with one’s close personal relationships is more closely linked to overall life satisfaction than either demographic factors or satisfaction with other key aspects of adult life such as occupation. This is true even among highly educated men, who typically have a very high commitment to their work. The quality of social support available in one’s key relationships affects the ability to handle stress and life changes as well as one’s ongoing level of life satisfaction.
4 Studies suggest that family background and early-adulthood resources are predictors of psychological health or success at midlife. People who age well are those who start out well. One study showed that the happiest and most successful middle-aged adults had grown up in warm, supportive, intellectually stimulating families. Well-adjusted or successful middle-aged adults began adulthood with more personal resources, including better psychological and physical health at college age. They also had been practical and well organized in college and had shown greater intellectual competence.
5 However, no measure of early family environment or early adult competence remained a significant predictor of psychological well being at the end of middle age. One study of men revealed that at the age of 65, there were no childhood or early-adulthood characteristics that distinguished between men who had turned out well and those who had not. However, what did predict success and well being at age 65 was the men’s health and adjustment at midlife. These results suggest that a successful adult life is not something preordained from childhood or early adulthood but rather something created out of the opportunities available over the course of one’s life. Late-life success is related more directly to midlife qualities or experiences. People who start out with certain advantages have a greater chance of experiencing further advantages; however, it is what one does with the experiences—both positive and negative—that determines long-term life satisfaction. The choices that people make in early adulthood help shape who they are at midlife, and those midlife qualities in turn influence who they become later in life.
Glossary:
demographic: relating to demography, the study of human populations
26. What point does the author make about the relationship of age to life satisfaction?
(A) Age is the primary factor in determining life satisfaction.
(B) The factors that determine life satisfaction are the same at every age.
(C) Average levels of life satisfaction are similar for every age group.
(D) Young adults are more satisfied with their lives than older adults are.
27. According to the passage, all of the following are predictors of life satisfaction EXCEPT
A. health
B. age
C. control of own life
D. family relationships
28. The phrase in charge of in paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to
(A) worried about
(B) responsible for
(C) lucky in
(D) controlled by
29. The word problem in paragraph 2 refers to
(A) authority
(B) fate or chance
(C) financial strain
(D) less life satisfaction
30. The word adequacy in paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to
A. knowledge
B. appearance
C. memory
D. quality
31. What can be inferred from paragraph 3 about social relationships?
(A) Close social relationships are likely to influence long-term health and happiness.
(B) People with good family relationships also have good social relationships at work.
(C) Highly educated people usually have many different kinds of social relationships.
(D) The number of social relationships is more important than the type of relationship.
32. What does the author say about people who are well adjusted and successful at midlife?
(X) They are more satisfied with their lives than young adults are.
(X) They perceive themselves as successful even when it is not true.
(X) They are generally better adjusted than their parents were.
(X) They probably had positive personal qualities as young adults.
33. Which sentence below best expresses the essential information in the highlighted sentence in paragraph 5? Incorrect choices change the meaning in important ways or leave out essential information.
(A) The most important predictors of psychological health do not change between early adulthood and midlife.
(B) Neither family background nor qualities of early adulthood can predict life satisfaction beyond middle age.
(C) Middle-aged people are likely to be well adjusted if their experiences as young adults were mostly positive.
(D) There is no reliable way to measure the influence of family relationships on the mental health of older adults.
34. Why does the author discuss a study of men in paragraph 5?
(A) To illustrate a point about satisfaction late in life
(B) To explain differences among men of different ages
(C) To emphasize the importance of family relationships
(D) To argue for more psychological studies about men
35. The word preordained in paragraph 5 is closest in meaning to
A. appreciated
B.forgotten
C. determined
D.organized
36. It can be inferred from paragraph 5 that the author most likely believes which of the following about long-term life satisfaction?
(A) It is affected by the decisions made throughout adulthood.
(B) It is measured differently for men and for women.
(C) It is directly related to having advantages during childhood.
(D) It is purely the result of chance and cannot be predicted.
37. Look at the four squares [A], [B], [C], [D] which indicate where the following sentence could be added to the passage. Where would the sentence best fit?
Men who had had good relationships with both of their parents in childhood were better adjusted at midlife than were other men in the study.
Studies suggest that family background and early-adulthood resources are predictors of psychological health or success at midlife. People who age well are those who start out well.[A] One study showed that the happiest and most successful middle-aged adults had grown up in warm, supportive, intellectually stimulating families. [B] Well-adjusted or successful middle-aged adults began adulthood with more personal resources, including better psychological and physical health at college age. [C] They also had been practical and well organized in college and had shown greater intellectual competence. [D]
38. Read the first sentence of a summary of the passage. Complete the summary by selecting the THREE answer choices that express the most important ideas in the passage. Some sentences do not belong in the summary because they express ideas that are not presented in the passage or are minor ideas in the passage. This question is worth 2 points.
Several factors influence the life success and satisfaction of adults.
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Answer Choices
(A) Health is very important to the happiness of older adults but less significant for the young and middle-aged.
(B) Health and a sense of personal control are important elements of a person’s happiness and well being.
(C) The perceived quality of one’s social relationships is the most reliable predictor of life satisfaction.
(D) Young adults experience both positive and negative feelings more strongly than older adults do.
(E) Health and adjustment during midlife have a direct effect on the life satisfaction of men at age 65.
(F) Experiences and choices at each stage of life influence one’s success and satisfaction at the next stage.
THE ILLUSION OF FILM
1 Film is an illusion because the moving pictures seen on the screen are not moving at all. A film is actually a series of tiny still pictures, or frames. They appear to be moving because the retina of the human eye retains the impression of an object for a split second after that object has actually disappeared. This principle is known as the persistence of vision. When we look at a single frame of film, the image persists in the brain’s visual center for a fraction of a second. Then, the next frame comes along and the brain has to catch up with the new image. Thus, our eyes and brain trick us into thinking that we see a smoothly moving image rather than a series of still ones.
2 Another illusion of film is known collectively as special effects, the tricks and techniques that filmmakers use when makeup, costume, and stunts are still not enough to make a scene convincing. Special-effects artists apply science to filmmaking, showing us things that no plain camera could ever photograph. Even since the introduction of computer graphics in recent decades, the films of today still rely on some special effects that have existed since the early years of cinema.
3 One category of special effects is called optical or visual effects, tricks made with the camera. One of the pioneers of optical effects was the French filmmaker Georges Melies, who invented a technique called stop-motion photography. With this technique, a scene is filmed, the camera is stopped, the scene is changed in some way, and then the camera rolls again. Stop-motion photography can create the illusion of an actor disappearing on screen. In one short film, an actor’s clothes keep returning to his body as he tries to get undressed. Melies also invented a technique known as split screen. By putting a card over the camera lens, he prevented half of the frame of film from being exposed. He filmed a scene on the uncovered half of the frame and then backed up the same strip of film in his camera. For the second shot, he covered the exposed half and took another series of pictures on the half that had been covered the first time. With the technique of split screen, it is possible to achieve illusions such as having the same actor play twins.
4 Mechanical effects are another category of special effects. Mechanical effects are objects or devices used during the filming to create an illusion, such as feathers or plastic chips to simulate snow, and wires to create the illusion that people are flying. Many sound effects are mechanical effects. Wood blocks create a horse’s hoofbeats, and a vibrating sheet of metal sounds like thunder. During the silent film era, the music machine called the Kinematophone was popular because it could produce the sounds of sirens, sleigh bells, gunfire, baby cries, and kisses—all at the press of a key.
5 Other mechanical effects are puppets, robots of all sizes, and tiny copies of buildings or cities. To reduce the cost of studio sets or location photography, special-effects technicians create painted or projected backgrounds, which replace the set or add to it. For example, in a long shot of a town, the set might be only a few feet high, and the remainder of the town is painted onto a sheet of glass positioned in front of the camera during filming. In a 1916 silent film called The Flying Torpedo, mechanical effects created the appearance of an enemy invasion of the California seacoast. Technicians threw small contact—rigged explosives into toy cities, scattering the tiny buildings into the air. An artist painted a row of battleships on a board that was only six feet long. Carpenters drilled small holes in the ships, which were filled with small charges of flash powder to simulate guns. An electrician wired the charges so they could be fired on cue from a small battery. For audiences of the time, the effect was of a real fleet of ships firing on the California coast.
6 Sometimes optical and mechanical effects are used together. For the original 1933 version of King Kong, the filmmakers wanted to show the giant ape climbing the Empire State Building in New York City. To show Kong’s climb, the special-effects technicians built a tiny movable model of the ape and a proportionately small model of the Empire State Building. Then, stop-motion photography was used to create the illusion that Kong was moving up the building.
39. Why does the author discuss the principle of persistence of vision in paragraph 1 ?
(A) To introduce a discussion of human vision
(B) To explain how we remember images
(C) To support the idea that film is an illusion
(D) To compare two types of special effects
40. The phrase catch up with in paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to
(A) hurry to process
(B) put aside
(C) search for
(D) obtain from memory
41. The author primarily defines special effects as
(A) phenomena that cannot be explained logically
(B) techniques and devices to create illusions in film
(C) sounds and images that cause an emotional response
(D) methods used by filmmakers of the silent film era
42. The word rolls in paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to
(A) changes
(B) operates
(C) breaks
(D) reverses
43. The word simulate in paragraph 4 is closest in meaning to
(A) make it easier to film
(B) put on top of
(C) improve the texture of
(D) create the appearance of
44. It can be inferred from paragraph 4 that silent films
(A) were projected by a machine called the Kinematophone
(B) relied more on special effects than on acting ability
(C) used sound effects to make scenes more convincing
(D) are still very popular with movie audiences today
45. All of the following would necessarily involve mechanical effects EXCEPT
(A) using wires to make objects fly
(B) filming each half of a frame separately
(C) hitting a sheet of metal to create thunder
(D) building a small model of a town
46. Which sentence below best expresses the essential information in the highlighted sentence in paragraph 5? Incorrect choices change the meaning in important ways or leave out essential information.
(X) The most effective way to lower the cost of a film is to replace location photography with studio sets or backgrounds.
(X) Special effects technicians build painted or projected backgrounds that appear more realistic than location photography.
(X) One way to reduce costs is to repaint old studio sets and use them again; this also adds to the number of available sets.
(X) Painted and projected backgrounds are special effects that improve or replace sets, thus making filming less expensive.
47. The word which in paragraph 5 refers to
(?) carpenters
(?) holes
(?) ships
(?) guns
48. What point does the author make in paragraph 6 about the 1933 film King Kong?
(A) The film combined two different types of special effects.
(B) The filmmakers trained a giant ape to climb up a building.
( C) Stop-motion photography was invented during the filming.
(D) King Kong remains very popular with audiences today.
49. Look at the four squares [A], [B], [C], [D] which indicate where the following sentence could be added to the passage. Where would the sentence best fit?
In another example, an actor appears to take off his head and place it on a table.
One category of special effects is called optical or visual effects, tricks made with the camera. One of the pioneers of optical effects was the French filmmaker Georges Melies, who invented a technique called stop-motion photography. With this technique, a scene is filmed, the camera is stopped, the scene is changed in some way, and then the camera rolls again. [A] Stop-motion photography can create the illusion of an actor disappearing on screen. In one short film, an actor’s clothes keep returning to his body as he tries to get undressed. [B] Melies also invented a technique known as split screen. [C] By putting a card over the camera lens, he prevented half of the frame of film from being exposed. He filmed a scene on the uncovered half of the frame and then backed up the same strip of film in his camera. For the second shot, he covered the exposed half and took another series of pictures on the half that had been covered the first time. With the technique of split screen, it is possible to achieve illusions such as having the same actor play twins. [D]
50. Select the appropriate sentences from the answer choices and match them to the category of special effects that they describe. TWO of the answer choices will NOT be used. This question is worth 3 points.
| Answer Choices
(A) Objects and devices are used during filming to create an illusion. (B) The eye retains the image of an object after the object has actually disappeared. (C) Tricks of the camera produce images of things that are not real. (D) Puppets, robots, explosives, and small models are examples of these effects. (E) Stop-motion photography makes an actor disappear on screen. (F) A computer program makes one object appear to change into another. (G) They created the illusion of ships attacking a town in a 1916 silent film. |
Optical Effects |
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WATER AND LIFE ON MARS
1 The presence or absence of water has a direct bearing on the possibility of life on other planets. In the nineteenth century, it was commonly accepted that life, perhaps even intelligent life, was widespread in the solar system, and Mars was an obvious target in the search for life. New photographic technology offered a way for astronomers to learn more about the red planet. In 1888, Italian astronomer Giovanni Schiaparelli produced images that showed a network of long, thin, dark lines crossing the surface of Mars. He called these features canali in Italian, which became “canals” or “channels” in English. The strange appearance of the canals suggested to some scientists that they had been formed artificially rather than naturally. The mystery deepened when Schiaparelli observed that many of the canals in the photographs were actually double.
2 Other photographic images of Mars revealed its seasonally changing polar ice caps and features that appeared to be ancient islands located in what was now a dry streambed. When the islands were first discovered, some scientists speculated that a thick water-laden atmosphere capable of generating heavy rains had once existed on Mars. However, others remained unconvinced of the presence of water. Then, in 1963, a team of astronomers obtained a good photographic plate of the near-infrared spectrum of Mars. The photograph showed that, faintly but definitely, water vapor lines could be seen. This photograph established that there really was water on Mars, though the amount was very small. Today, the presence of water vapor in the Martian atmosphere is generally accepted, as is the belief that the atmosphere was once much denser than it is now, with a much greater abundance of water vapor.
3 The surface of Mars is dry today, but it does contain significant amounts of ice and signs that liquid water once flowed over the planet. All of the locations where evidence of water has been found are ancient, probably formed very early in Martian history. Data transmitted from spacecraft on Mars in 2004 have revealed that water was once common across a vast region of the planet, possibly as shallow lakes or seas that dried out and then filled up again. There are signs that the wind blew debris around during dry stages. These seas and lakes extended across hundreds of thousands of square miles, creating habitable conditions during long stretches of time billions of years ago.
4 Evidence of water includes the presence of various minerals known as evaporates, deposits left behind when liquid water turns to vapor. Small areas of mineral deposits have been found in Valles Marineris, a huge hole on Mars that is larger than the Grand Canyon on Earth. The minerals there contain water, so they had to be formed in the presence of water. Geologic research has also turned up clay and gypsum deposits that were formed by water in the soil. Rocks that clearly formed in water extend throughout 300 meters of layered materials in several locations across the Martian plains. The layers were built up over time, which means water was present, at least temporarily, for extended periods on ancient Mars.
5 Besides the ice packs at Mars’s poles, astronomers have discovered a frozen sea near its equator. This frozen sea is the size of the North Sea on Earth and appears similar to the ice packs on Antarctica. Scientists have also detected evidence of lava flows 20 million years ago as well as signs that some volcanoes may still be active. Several recently formed volcanic cones near Mars’s North Pole indicate that the planet’s core may interact with the surface, meaning there was both warmth and moisture in the recent past—circumstances that might have supported life.
6 Liquid water is the key ingredient for life as we know it. Of all the other planets in the solar system, Mars is most like Earth. The fact that water existed on ancient Mars does not necessarily mean life ever emerged there; however, all of the available evidence does suggest that Mars meets all the requirements that are needed for life to exist.
51. According to the passage, what has been a major focus of research about Mars?
(A) How Mars compares to other planets in the solar system
(B) Who built the network of canals on the surface of Mars
(C) Whether signs of water indicate that life has existed on Mars
(D) How soon astronauts from Earth will be able to go to Mars
52. Astronomers of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries studied Mars mainly through
(A) ancient writings
(B) photographic images
(C) Martian soil samples
(D) data sent by spacecraft
53. It can be inferred from paragraph 1 that Schiaparelli’s observation of canals on Mars led to
(A) direct proof that life has existed on Mars
(B) the rejection of Schiaparelli’s ideas by other scientists
(C) the search for canals on other planets in the solar system
(D) new questions about intelligent life on Mars
54. What discovery led some scientists to think that the Martian atmosphere had produced heavy rains in the past?
(A) A network of canals on the surface
(B) Ancient islands in a dry streambed
(C) Water vapor lines on a photographic plate
(D) Volcanic cones near the planet’s North Pole
55. Which sentence below best expresses the essential information in the highlighted sentence in paragraph 2? Incorrect choices change the meaning in important ways or leave out essential information.
(A) Most scientists believe there is water vapor in the Martian atmosphere, which is now less dense than it was in the past.
(B) The amount of water vapor in the Martian atmosphere has changed many times in the past, and scientists generally accept this.
(C) The atmosphere of Mars used to contain only water vapor, but now scientists know that several other gases are also present.
(D) Scientists used to believe that Mars had no atmosphere, but now most think it has a very dense atmosphere of water vapor.
56. The phrase filled up in paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to
(A) got smaller
(B) were frozen
(C) became wet
(D) turned to rock
57. The word habitable in paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to
(A) dangerous
(B) suitable for life
(C) mysterious
(D) capable of changing
58. Layers of rock in several places on the Martian plains are evidence that
(A) Mars was formed at the same time as Earth
(B) both wind and water erosion occurred there
(C) water was present there for a long time
(D) liquid water is no longer present on Mars
59. All of the following indicate the presence of water on Mars EXCEPT
(A) images of polar ice caps
(B) a 1963 photograph
(C) clay and gypsum deposits
(D) evidence of lava flows
60. The word ingredient in paragraph 6 is closest in meaning to
(A) factor
(B) definition
(C) image
(D) result
61. Why does the author compare Mars to Earth in paragraph 6?
(A) TO emphasize that there is more water on Earth than on Mars
(B) To point out that Mars has the conditions for life to exist
(C) To state that there are no differences between Mars and Earth
(D) To explain why life emerged on Earth but not on Mars
62. Look at the four squares, [A], [B], [C], [D] which indicate where the following sentence could be added to the passage. Where would the sentence best fit?
Astronomers already knew that Mars had some kind of atmosphere because of the occasional presence of bright features that looked like clouds.
The presence or absence of water has a direct bearing on the possibility of life on other planets. [A] In the nineteenth century, it was commonly accepted that life, perhaps even intelligent life, was widespread in the solar system, and Mars was an obvious target in the search for life. [B] New photographic technology offered a way for astronomers to learn more about the red planet. In 1888, Italian astronomer Giovanni Schiaparelli produced images that showed a network of long, thin, dark lines crossing the surface of Mars. [C] He called these features canali in Italian, which became “canals” or “channels” in English. The strange appearance of the canals suggested to some scientists that they had been formed artificially rather than naturally. [D] The mystery deepened when Schiaparelli observed that many of the canals in the photographs were actually double.
63. Read the first sentence of a summary of the passage. Complete the summary by selecting the THREE answer choices that express the most important ideas in the passage. Some sentences do not belong in the summary because they express ideas that are not presented in the passage or are minor ideas in the passage. This question is worth 2 points.
Scientists have long searched for evidence of water and life on Mars.
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Answer Choices
(A) Early photographs of Mars showed what appeared to be canals, polar ice caps, and ancient islands.
(B) Dry streambeds, lakes, and seas suggest that Mars does not have enough water to support life.
(C) The Martian atmosphere contains water vapor, and liquid water once flowed over the planet’s surface.
(D) Evaporates are mineral deposits that are left behind when liquid water turns to vapor.
(E) Mineral deposits and a frozen sea provide evidence of water on Mars in the past and present.
(F) Because Mars is so similar to Earth, scientists believe that humans will be able to live on Mars in the future.