Test 5 Reading Comprehension (Heinemann)

Questions 1-10
Long ago prehistoric man began to domesticate a number of wild plants and
animals for his own use. After centuries of being nomadic, of moving from place to
place in pursuit of game or of fresh supplies of plant food, humans were finally
Line able to stay in one place and systematically exploit the seasonal resources of one
(5) locality. This not only provided more abundant food but also allowed more people
to live on a smaller plot of ground. As a result, societies developed knowledge and
experience about the world around them; our present-day pets, livestock, and food
plants were taken from the wild and developed into the forms we know today.
As centuries passed and human cultures evolved and blossomed, humans
(10) began to organize their knowledge of nature into the broad field of natural history.
One aspect of early natural history concerned the use of plants for drugs and
medicine. The early herbalists sometimes overworked their imaginations in this
respect. For instance, it was widely believed that a plant or part of a plant that
resembled an internal organ would cure ailments of that organ. Thus, an extract
(15) made from a heart-shaped leaf might be prescribed for a person suffering from
heart problems. All early societies included individuals who learned to use plants
for medicinal purposes. Salves, potions, and brews made from leaves, roots, and
the fruits of plants were devised to cure illnesses, to heal wounds, to ward off
depression, and even as birth-control measures for women. Often the early
(20) herbalists of a society guarded the knowledge of medicinal uses of plants for their
select group. They became very powerful members of the early societies and were
sometimes credited with magical or religious powers.
Nevertheless, the overall contributions of these early observers provided the
rudiments of our present knowledge of drugs and their uses.
1. What does this passage mainly discuss? 6. The phrase "in this respect" in lines 12-13 refers to
(A) One aspect of early natural history (A) the development of human culture
(B) The beginning of agriculture (B) the development of the field of natural history
(C) Drugs and their uses (C) the use of plants for drugs and medicine
(D) The imagination of prehistoric man (D) the origin of knowledge of nature

2. According to the passage, domestication of plants 7. The word "extract" in line 14 is closest in meaning to
and animals probably occurred because of (A) design
(A) need for more readily available food (B) substance
(B) lack of wild animals and plants (C) fungus
(C) early man's power as a hunter (D) ailment
(D) the desire of prehistoric man to be nomadic
8. Which of the following statements can be inferred from the passage?
3. The word "this" in line 5 refers to (A) The shape of a plant is indicative of its ability
(A) providing food for man to cure ailments of a similarly shaped organ.
(B) man's domestication of plants and animals (B) Early herbalists were unimaginative.
(C) man's ability to live on a smaller plot of land (C) The work of early herbalists has nothing to do
(D) the earliest condition of prehistoric man with present day medicine.
(D) There is little relation between a cure for illness and
4. The word "blossomed" in line 9 is closest in meaning to the physical shape of a plant.
(A) produced flowers
(B) changed 9. What is the purpose of the author in this passage?
(C) learned (A) To persuade
(D) flourished (B) To inform
(C) To entertain
5. It can be inferred from the passage that an herbalist is (D) To ridicule
which of the following?
(A) A dreamer 10. The word "rudiments' in meaning to
(B) An early historian (A) beginnings
(C) Someone who uses plants in medicine (B) history
(D) A farmer (C) requirements
(D) protocol
Questions 11-21
Simply being bilingual does not qualify someone to interpret. Interpreting is not
merely a mechanical process of converting one sentence in language A into the
same sentence in language B. Rather, it's a complex art in which thoughts and
Line idioms that have no obvious analogues from tongue to tongue—or words that
(5) have multiple meanings—must quickly be transformed in such a way that the
message is clearly and accurately expressed to the listener.
At one international conference, an American speaker said, "You can’t make a
silk purse out of a sow's ear," which meant nothing to the Spanish audience. The
interpretation was, " A monkey in a silk dress is still a monkey" — an idiom the
(10) Spanish understood and that conveyed the same idea.
There are two kinds of interpreters, simultaneous and consecutive, each
requiring separate talents. The former, sitting in an isolated booth, usually at a
large multilingual conference, speaks to listeners wearing headphones,
interpreting what a foreign-language speaker says as he says it—actually a
(15) sentence behind. Consecutive interpreters are the ones most international
negotiators use. They are mainly employed for smaller meetings without sound
booths, headphones, and other high-tech gear. Equally taxing in its own way,
consecutive interpretation also requires two-person teams. A foreign speaker says
his piece while the interpreter, using a special shorthand, takes notes and during a
(20) pause, tells the client what was said. Consecutive translation constitutes the basis of
both types of interpretation, as it develops the requisite analytical skills. While 99
percent of the interpreter's work is done in the simultaneous mode, consecutive
translation is used whenever a high degree of accuracy is required.
11. What is the purpose of this passage? (C) consecutive interpreters
(A) To explain the scope of interpreting (D) separate talents
(B) To differentiate between simultaneous and 17. It can be inferred from the passage that a necessary
consecutive interpreters prerequisite of being a translator is
(C) To state the qualifications of an interpreter (A) being a linguist
(D) To point out the importance of an interpreter (B) being bilingual
12. In line 2 the word "converting" is closest in meaning to (C) being able to use high-tech equipment
(A) understanding (D) working well with people
(B) changing 18. According to the passage, which of the following would a
(C) reading consecutive interpreter be used for?
(D) concluding (A) A business transaction between two foreign speakers
13. The word "analogues" in line 4 is closest in meaning to (B) A large meeting of many nations
(A) dictionaries (C) A translation of a foreign book
(B) scripts (D) An interpretation of a major literary work
(C) counterparts 19. Based on the description given in the passage, what would a
(D) anthologies simultaneous interpreter be most in need of?
14. The author implies that most people are of the opinion (A) A dictionary or phrase book
that the skill of interpreting is (B) Advanced technical style in writing
(A) simpler than it really is (C) Headphones and a booth
(B) very complex and demanding (D) Shorthand skills and a notepad
(C) highly valued and admired 20. In line 17 the word "taxing" is closest in meaning to
(D) based on principles of business (A) expensive
15. The exarnple of the expression "You can't make a silk (B) rewarding
purse out of a sow's ear" in lines 7-8 is used to (C) worrisome
(A) show the differences in language A and language В (D) demanding
(B) stress the importance of word for word translation 21. It can be inferred from the passage that simultaneous
(B) emphasize the need for translation of the meaning of translation
the utterance (A) would be learned after mastering the skills of
(D) to point out the difference in attributes of animals consecutive translation
in English and Spanish (B) is more accurate than consecutive translation
16. The phrase "The former" in line 12 refers to (C) does not involve analytical skills
(A) simultaneous interpreters (D) is not in high demand
(B) the booth
Questions 22-32
Watching for wildlife in the forest, we rarely see past the surface of things.
Standing on the ground floor, we scan the leafy rafters, entirely overlooking the
living world in the soil beneath our feet.
Line The forests basement is a secret world. As different from our own world as
(5) water is from air, the soil seems quiet, even dead. But life bustles down below: a
cubic inch of topsoil may contain billions of creatures.
Predators and prey roam beneath as well as above the forest floor. Furthermore,
those upstairs and downstairs forest denizens live closely linked lives. Soil-
dwelling bacteria and fungi break down dead organic matter into molecules that
(10) above ground plants use for food. Those plants, as well as animals, mature and die,
leaving more organic matter to fuel the folks downstairs.
Like a well-insulated house, the soil protects its tenants from extreme
temperatures, and from rain and snow. It also provides a bulwark against
predators that roam the surface world. But the dense, protecting soil also limits
(15) mobility. Soil creatures must be specially equipped in order to travel easily
through their dark, constricting realm.
Earthworms and ants are the champion earth-movers, creating channels that
allow air and water to enter the soil. While ants travel relatively far from their
nests, earthworms work small areas, reprocessing vast amounts of soil into fertile
(20) "waste." In a single year, as much as 36 tons of soil may pass through the
alimentary tracts of all the earthworms living in an acre of soil.
22. The main topic of this passage is (C) radar
(A) life in the forest soil (D) tomb
(B) the life cycle of ants and worms 28. According to the passage, the soil offers creatures who live
(C) a description of a forest scene underground protection from all of the following EXCEPT
(D) the habits of the forest animals (A) enemies
23. The word "bustles" in line 5 is closest in meaning to (B) bad weather
(A) continues (C) bacteria and fungi
(B) is very active (D) extreme heat and cold
(C) threatens 29. The word "constricting" in line 16 is closest in meaning to
(D) waits (A) damp
24. It can be inferred from the passage that the forest soil is (B) heavy
(A) densely inhabited (C) deep
(B) sparsely inhabited (D) limiting
(C) devoid of life 30. According to the passage, it could be expected that ants
(D) unknown to man (A) move more earth than earthworms
25. The word "linked" in line 8 is closest in meaning to (B) are more mobile than earthworms
(A) related (C) live only above ground
(B) chained (D) perform similar functions to fungi
(C) mechanical 31. The word "reprocessing" in line 19 is closest in meaning to
(D) measured (A) transporting
26. According to the passage, what is the main function (B) arranging
of bacteria and fungi? (C) converting
(A) To help aerate the soil (D) eliminating
(B) To provide food for plant life 32. The author uses which analogy to discuss the soil of the forest?
(C) To kill mature plants (A) A laboratory
(D) To build walls in the soil (B) A tunnel
27. The word "bulwark" in line 13 is closest in meaning to (C) A vehicle
(A) barrier (D) A building
(B) gateway
 Questions 33-42
Over the years from the seventeenth century through the nineteenth and
beyond, as one style and fashion in building succeeded another, two very modest
but highly distinctive types of dwellings flourished continuously—the log cabin
Line and the Cape Cod cottage. Completely unpretentious in design, both varieties
(5) enjoyed widespread popularity, and their derivatives are still with us today.
While visiting Cape Cod in 1800, the president of Yale, Timothy Dwight,
observed that nearly all the homes of this whaling and shipbuilding center were
one and one-half stories, with central chimneys, small windows, and gabled roofs.
He referred to these dwellings as "Cape Cod houses," a type which originated
(10) with the Pilgrims, and which today can be found everywhere from Palo Alto to
Provincetown. Simplicity was the keynote of these houses. Nearly all these early
homesites were planned so the front of the house faced south. Fireplaces were the
only source of heat, and the low winter sun added warmth to the front rooms
which were usually reserved for formal occasions such as weddings, funerals, and
(15) entertaining the minister. The shingled exteriors of these cottages usually
weathered to a silvery gray. In Cape communities, where pretension was
abhorred, and where the homes of captain and crewman were undifferentiated,
even painted clapboards were considered "showy." As one Bostonian put it,
"Cape Cod residences have a peculiarity.... The houses and their surroundings
(20) seem of an unsuitable inferiority of style to those who live in them ... [men]
whose sons and daughters visit and marry in the best circles .... There is ... a
remarkable republican simplicity in the style of buildings; little distinction that
betokens wealth; and equality that extends to everything."

33. This passage mainly discusses

(A) two types of houses 38. The word "peculiarity" in line 19 is closest in meaning to
(B) the effect of the weather on house types (A) tendency
(C) the Cape Cod house (B) uniqueness
(D) peculiarities of the Cape Cod communities (C) defect
(D) tranquility
34. The word "succeeded" in line 2 is closest in meaning to
(A) outperformed 39. The passage characterizes the Cape Cod house as
(B) replaced (A) poorly built and inferior
(C) mimicked (B) free from affectation
(D) represented (C) strange and unsuitable
(D) large and airy
35. The word "derivatives" in line 5 is closest in meaning to
(A) photos 40. In line 18, the word "showy" is closest in meaning to
(B) foundations (A) not functional
(C) replicas (B) unusual
(D) furnishings (C) pretentious
(D) inferior
36. From the passage, which of the following can be inferred
about log cabins and Cape Cod cottages? 41. In lines 19-23, what was the Bostonian commenting on?
(A) They were the only available housing in the 17th (A) The craftsmanship of the era that produced the Cape Cod
and 18th centuries. (B) The lack of social class distinction
(B) They can still be seen today as a popular housing form. represented by the Cape Cod cottage
(C) They often appeared in high fashion magazines. (C) His particular distaste for the Cape Cod style
(D) They appealed to people who desired a distinctive style. (D) The high cost of the house for such a simple style

37. The word "abhorred" in line 17 is closest in meaning to 42. What will the following section of this text probably discuss?
(A) disliked (A) The Pilgrims' homes in England
(B) practiced (B) The opinion of the Bostonian about other styles of houses
(C) admired (C) A modem architectural style house
(D) tolerated (D) The log cabin style house
 Questions 43-50
Generally recognized as one of the significant musical artists of this century,
Aaron Copland succeeded so well in assimilating the materials of American
folksong into his own highly personal style that, in the eyes of the world, he came
Line to be regarded as "the" American composer of his time.
(5) The son of a Russian-Jewish immigrant to America, Copland was born on
November 14, 1900, in Brooklyn. By the time he was 15, he had decided to
become a composer. In 1921 he went to France, where he became the student of
Nadia Boulanger, a brilliant teacher who shaped the outlook of an entire
generation of American musicians.
(10) In his growth as a composer, Copland mirrored the important trends of his time.
After his return from Paris, he worked with jazz rhythms. There followed a period
during which he was strongly influenced by Stravinski's Neoclassicism, turning
toward an abstract style. In 1935, however, Copland took a change of direction that
began the most productive phase of his career. He realized that a new public for
(15) modem music was being created by the new media of radio, phonograph, and
film scores. Copland was therefore led to what became a most significant
development after the 1930s: the attempt to simplify the new music in order for it
to have meaning for a large public.
The decades that followed saw the production of the scores that spread
(15) Copland's fame throughout the United States and the world. Notable among these
were three ballets based on American folk material, an orchestral piece based on
Mexican melodies and rhythms, and a series of film scores. Typical too of the
Copland style are two major works that were written in time of war—both
drawing on the life and speeches of Abraham Lincoln for their inspiration.
(25) In his later years Copland refined his treatment of Americana. "I no longer feel
the need of seeking out conscious Americanism. Because we live here and work
here, we can be certain that when our music is mature it will also be American in
quality." As composer, teacher, and conductor, Copland has succeeded in
expressing "the deepest reactions of the American consciousness to the American
scene."

43. According to the passage, Copland is mostly famous for (D) The war
(A) the range of types of compositions he produced
(B) the treatment of American topics in his music
(C) his study with the famous French teacher, Nadia Boulanger 47. The word "mirrored" in line 10 is closest in meaning to
(D) his ability as a conductor (A) represented
(B) denied
44. The word "assimilating" in line 2 is closest in meaning to (C) understood
(A) combining (D) investigated
(B) referring
(C) avoiding 48. According to the passage, in the decade after 1935
(D) assigning Copland's compositions became
(A) more abstract
45. All of the following are mentioned in the passage as types (B) more complex
of compositions Copland produced EXCEPT (C) more refined
(A) concertos (D) more simplified
(B) film scores
(C) ballets 49. In line 20 the word "these" refers to
(D) operas (A) three ballets
(B) the scores
46. Which of the following did the author cite as having a major (C) the decades
influence on the most productive phase of Copland's career? (D) the United States
(A) His work with the French teacher, Nadia Boulanger
(B) The realization of a new public created by new media 50. With which of the following generalizations can it be
(C) Stravinski's Neoclassicism inferred that Copland would agree?
(A) American composers must consciously work (C) American composers will surely produce
with American topics. music reflective of America.
(B) Only mature composers can produce American music. (D) American folk material has little place in American music.
This is the end of Section 3.
PRACTICE TEST FIVE WRITING QUESTION
Time: 30 minutes
Exercise is an important part of a healthy lifestyle. Some people prefer to join an exercise program or to do exercises at home. Others prefer to
get their exercise through sports and athletic activities. In which of these ways do you prefer to get exercise? Give reasons for your preference.