PRACTICE 1

During the heyday of the railroads, when America's rail system provided the bulk of
the country's passenger and freight transportation, various types of railroad cars
were in service to accomplish the varied tasks handled by the railroads. One type of
car that was not available for public use prior to the Civil War; however, was a
sleeping car; ideas for sleeping cars abounded at the time, but these ideas were
unworkable. It unfortunately took the death of a president to make the sleeping car a
viable reality.

Cabinet-maker George M. Pullman had recognized the demand for sleeping cars and
had worked on developing experimental models of sleeping cars in the decade
leading up to the Civil War. However, in spite of the fact that he had made
successful test runs on the Chicago and Alton Railroads with his models, he was
unable to sell his idea because his models were too wide and too high for existing
train stations and bridges. In 1863, after spending time working as a storekeeper in
a Colorado mining town, he invested his savings of twenty thousand dollars, a huge
fortune at that time and all the money that he had in the world, in a luxurious
sleeping car that he named the Pioneer. Pullman and friend Ben Field built the
Pioneer on the site of the present-day Chicago Union Station. For two years,
however, the Pioneer sat on a railroad siding, useless because it could not fit through
train stations and over bridges.

Following President Lincoln's assassination in 1865, the state of Illinois, Lincoln's

birthplace, wanted to transport the presidential casket in the finest fashion possible.
The Pullman Pioneer was the most elegant car around; in order to make the Pullman
part of the presidential funeral train in its run from Springfield to Chicago, the state
cut down station platforms and raised bridges in order to accommodate the luxurious
railway car. The Pullman car greatly impressed the funeral party, which included
Lincoln's successor as president, General Ulysses S. Grant, and Grant later

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 requested the Pioneer for a trip from Detroit to Chicago. To satisfy Grant's request
for the Pioneer, the Michigan Central Railroad made improvements on its line to
accommodate the wide car, and soon other railroads followed. George Pullman
founded the Pullman Palace Car Company in partnership with financier Andrew
Carnegie and eventually became a millionaire.

1. Which of the following best states the main idea of the passage?
A. America’s railroads used to provide much of the country’s transportation.
B. President Lincoln’s assassination in 1965 shocked the nation.
C. George Pullman was the only one to come up with the idea for a sleeping car.
D. Pullman’s idea for a sleeping car became workable after Lincoln’ death.
2. A “heyday” in paragraph 1 is most probably
A. a time for harvest
B. a period with low prices
C. a period of great success
D. a type of railroad schedule
3. It can be inferred from the passage that before the Civil War, sleeping cars
A. were used abundantly
B. were thought to be a good idea
C. were only used privately
D. were used by presidents
4. The word “test” in paragraph 2 could best be replaced by
A. Exam
B. Trial
C. Inspection
D. Scientific
5. What was the initial problem that made Pullman’s cars unusable?
A. They were too large.
B. They were too expensive.

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 C. They were too slow.
D. They were too unusual.
6. What is stated in the passage about George Pullman?
A. He once had a job in a store.
B. He always lived in Chicago.
C. He worked in a mine
D. He saved money for his project.
7. The word “site” in paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to
A. Factory
B. View
C. Location
D. Foundation
8. Why did the state of Illinois want to use the Pullman in Lincoln’s funeral train?
A. It was superior to other cars.
B. It was the only railroad car that could make it from Springfield to Chicago.
C. Ulysses S. Grant requested it.
D. The Pullman Palace Car Company was a major Illinois business.

9. It can be inferred from the passage that the Michigan Central Railroad
A. was owned by George Pullman
B. controlled the railroad tracks between Detroit and Chicago
C. was the only railroad company to accommodate wide cars
D. was the sole manufacturer of the Pioneer
10. This passage would most likely be assigned in which of the following courses?
A. Engineering
B. Political science
C. Finance
D. History

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 PRACTICE 2

The final battle of the War of 1812 was the Battle of New Orleans. This battle gave
a clear demonstration of the need for effective communication during wartime; it is
also showed the disastrous results that can come to pass when communication is
inadequate.

The War of 1812 was fought between Great Britain and the very young country of
the United States only a very few years after the United States had won its
independence from Britain. The United States had declared war against Britain in
June of 1812, mostly because of interference with U.S. shipping by the British and
because of the shanghaiing of U.S. sailors for enforced service on British vessels.
The war lasted for a little more than two years, when a peace treaty was signed at
Ghent, in Belgium, on the 24th of December, 1814.

[A] Unfortunately, the news that the Treaty of Ghent had been signed and that the
war was officially over was not communicated in a timely manner over the wide
distance to where the war was being contested. [B] Negotiations for the treaty and
the actual signing of the treaty took place in Europe, and news of the treaty had to be
carried across the Atlantic to the war front by ship. [C]

Early in January of 1815, some two weeks after the peace treaty had been signed,
British troops in the southern part of the United States were unaware that the war
had officially ended. Over 5,000 British troops attacked U.S. troops. During the
ensuing battle, known as the Battle of New Orleans, the British suffered a huge
number of casualties, around 2.000 and Americans lost 71, all in a battle fought only
because news of the peace treaty that had already been signed in Ghent had not yet
reached the battlefield. [D]

1. The main idea of this passage is that

A. the War of Independence was unnecessary

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 B. the War of 1812 was unnecessary
C. the Treaty of Ghent was unnecessary
D. the Battle of New Orleans was unnecessary
2. The pronoun “it” in paragraph 1 refers to
A. battle
B. demonstration
C. communication
D. wartime
3. The expression “come to pass” in paragraph 1could best be replaced by
A. happen
B. overthrow
C. self-destruct
D. circumvent
4. According to the passage, when did the United States win its independence from
Britain?
A. Shortly before the War of 1812
B. During the War of 1812
C. Just after the War of 1812
D. Long after the War of 1812
5. According to the passage, some U.S. sailors were
A. taken forcibly to Shanghai
B. made to go to Ghent
C. forced to work on British ships
D. responsible for causing the War of 1812
6. It is NOT stated in the passage that Ghent was
A. where negotiations took place
B. the site of the final battle
C. where the treaty was signed
D. far from the battlefield

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7. The word “contested” in paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to
A. played
B. fought
C. discussed
D. examined
8. It can be determined from the passage that, of the following dates, the Battle of New
Orleans was most probably fought
A. on December 10, 1814
B. on December 24, 1814
C. on January 1, 1815
D. on January 8, 1815
9. Where can the following sentence be inserted in the passage?
`‘A totally unnecessary loss of life was incurred as a result of the amount of time
that it took to inform the combatants of the treaty.’
A. [A] B.[B]
C. [C] D.[D]

10. Which paragraph describes the battle that took place after the signing of the treaty?
A. The first paragraph
B. The second paragraph
C. The third paragraph
D. The last paragraph

PRACTICE 3
Mount Rushmore is a well-known monument in the Black Hills of South Dakota
that features the countenances of four United States presidents: Washington,
Jefferson, Roosevelt, and Lincoln. What is not so well known is that the process of
creating this national treasure was not exactly an uneventful one.

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 Mount Rushmore was the project of the visionary sculptor John Gutzen de la Mothe
Borglum, who was born in Idaho but studied sculpture in Paris in his youth and
befriended the famous French sculptor Auguste Rodin. In 1927 Borglum was
granted a commission by the federal government to create the sculpture on Mount
Rushmore. Though he was nearly sixty years old when he started, he was
undaunted by the enormity of the project and obstacles that it engendered. He
optimistically asserted that the project would be completed within five years, not
caring to recognize the potential problems that such a massive project would
involve, the problems of dealing with financing, with government bureaucracy, and
with Mother Nature herself. An example of what Mother Nature had to throw at the
project was the fissure—or large crack—that developed in the granite where
Jefferson was being carved. Jefferson had to be moved to the other side of
Washington, next to Roosevelt because of the break in the stone. The work that had
been started on the first Jefferson had to be dynamited away.

Mount Rushmore was not completed within the five years predicted by Borglum and
was in fact not actually completed within Borglum’s lifetime, although it was
almost finished. Borglum died on March 6, 1941, at the age of seventy-four, after
fourteen years of work on the presidents. His son, Lincoln Borglum, who had
worked with his father throughout the project, completed the monument within
eight months of his father’s death.

11. Which of the following best expresses the main idea of the passage?
A. Mount Rushmore was a huge project filled with numerous obstacles.
B. Mount Rushmore is a famous American monument.
C. Mount Rushmore has sculptures of four United States presidents on it.
D. John Gutzen de la Mothe Borglum created Mount Rushmore.
12. Which of the following best describes the relationship between Borglum and Rodin in
Borglum’s early years?
A. Borglum studied about Rodin in Paris.

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 B. Borglum was far more famous than Rodin as a sculptor.
C. Borglum and Rodin were born and raised in the same place.
D. Borglum and Rodin were friends.
13. The word “nearly” in paragraph 2 could best be replaced by
A. Over
B. Closely
C. Almost
D. Barely
14. Which of the following is NOT true about Borglum?
A. He began Mount Rushmore around the age of sixty.
B. He predicted that Mount Rushmore would be finished around 1932.
C. Mount Rushmore was finished when Borglum predicted it would be.
D. Borglum worked on Mount Rushmore for more than a decade.
15. It can be inferred from the passage that Borglum was someone who
A. expected the best to happen
B. set realistic goals
C. never tried anything too challenging
D. was always afraid that bad things were going to happen
16. A “fissure” in paragraph 2 is
A. a discoloration
B. a break
C. an unevenness
D. a softness
17. Why does the author mention the fact that the carving of Thomas Jefferson was
moved?
A. It shows what a perfectionist Borglum was.
B. It demonstrates Borglum’s artistic style.
C. It gives insight into Jefferson’s character.
D. It is an example of a problem caused by nature.

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18. The pronoun “it” in paragraph 3 refers to
A. The first Jefferson
B. Mount Rushmore
C. Borglum’s lifetime
D. Fourteen years of work
19. Which of the following is closest in meaning to the expression “within eight months
of his father’s death” in paragraph 3?
A. More than eight months before his father’s death
B. Less than eight months before his father’s death
C. Less than eight months after his father’s death
D. More than eight months after his father’s death
20. This passage would most likely be assigned reading in a course on
A. art history B. geography
C. management D. government

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PRACTICE 4

A rather surprising geographical feature of Antarctica is that a huge freshwater lake, one
of the world’s largest and deepest, lies hidden there under four kilometers of ice. Now
known as Lake Vostok, this huge body of water is located under the ice block that
comprises Antarctica. The lake is able to exist in its unfrozen state beneath this block of
ice because its waters are warmed by geothermal heat from the earth’s core. The thick
glacier above Lake Vostok actually insulates it from the frigid temperatures (the lowest
ever recorded on Earth) on the surface.

The lake was first discovered in the 1970s while a research team was conducting an aerial
survey of the area. Radio waves from the survey equipment penetrated the ice and
revealed a body of water of indeterminate size. It was not until much more recently that
data collected by satellite made scientists aware of the tremendous size of the lake; the
satellite-borne radar detected an extremely flat region where the ice remains level
because it is floating on the water of the lake.

The discovery of such a huge freshwater lake trapped under Antarctica is of interest to
the scientific community because of the potential that the lake contains ancient microbes
that have survived for thousands upon thousands of years, unaffected by factors such as
nuclear fallout and elevated ultraviolet light that have affected organisms in more
exposed areas. The downside of the discovery; however, lies in the difficulty of
conducting research on the lake in such a harsh climate and in the problems associated
with obtaining uncontaminated samples from the lake without actually exposing the lake
to contamination. Scientists are looking for possible ways to accomplish this.
1. The purpose of the passage is to
A. explain how Lake Vostok was discovered
B. provide satellite data concerning Antarctica
C. discuss future plans for Lake Vostok
D. present an unexpected aspect of Antarctica’s geography

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2. The word “lies” in paragraph 1 could best be replaced by
A. sleeps B. sits
C. tells falsehoods D. inclines
3. What is true of Lake Vostok?
A. It is completely frozen.
B. It is a saltwater lake.
C. It is beneath a thick slab of ice.
D. It is heated by the sun.
4. Which of the following is closest in meaning to “frigid” in paragraph 1?
A. Extremely cold B. Never changing
C. Quite harsh D. Rarely recorded
5. All of the following are true about the 1970 survey of Antarctica EXCEPT that it
A. was conducted by air
B. made use of radio waves
C. did not measure the exact size of the lake
D. was controlled by a satellite
6. It can be inferred from the passage that the ice would not be flat if
A. there were no lake
B. the lake were not so big
C. Antarctica were not so cold
D. radio waves were not used
7. The word “microbes” in paragraph 3 could best be replaced by
A. Pieces of dust
B. Trapped bubbles
C. Tiny organisms
D. Rays of light
8. The passage mentions which of the following as a reason for the importance of Lake
Vostok to scientists
A. It can be studied using radio waves.

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 B. It may contain uncontaminated microbes.
C. It may have elevated levels of ultraviolet light.
D. It has already been contaminated.
9. The word “downside” in paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to
A. bottom level
B. negative aspect
C. underside
D. buried section
10. The paragraph following the passage most probably discusses
A. further discoveries on the surface of Antarctica
B. problems with satellite-borne radar equipment
C. ways to study Lake Vostok without contaminating it
D. the harsh climate of Antarctica

PRACTICE 5

The origins of nest-building remain obscure, but current observation of nest-building

activities provides evidence of their evolution. Clues to this evolutionary process can
be found in the activities, in the behavior and movements of birds during mating, such
as incessant pulling at strips of vegetation or scraping of the soil. During the early days
of the reproductive cycle, the birds seem only to play with the building materials. In
preparation for mating, they engage in activities that resemble nest-building, and
continue these activities throughout and even after the mating cycle. Effective attempts
at construction occur only after mating.

Although nest-building is an instinctive ability, there is considerable adaptability in

both site selection and use of materials, especially with those species which build quite
elaborate constructions. Furthermore, some elements of learning are often evident
since younger birds do not build as well as their practiced elders. Young ravens, for

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 example, first attempt to build with sticks of quite unsuitable size, while a jackdaw's
first nest includes virtually any movable object. The novelist John Steinbeck recorded
the contents of a young osprey nest built in his garden, which included three shirts, a
bath towel, and one arrow.

Birds also display remarkable behavior in collecting building materials. Crows had
been seen to tear off stout green twigs, and sparrow hawks will dive purposefully onto
a branch until it snaps and then hang upside down to break it off. Golden eagles, over
generations of work, construct enormous nests. One of these, examined after it had
been dislodged by high winds, weighed almost two tons and included foundation
branches almost two meters long. The carrying capacity of the eagles, however, is only
relative to their size and most birds are able to carry an extra load of just over twenty
percent of their body weight.

11. The word "obscure" in paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to

A. interesting B. unclear
C. imperfect D. complex
12. According to the passage, which of the following activities is the characteristic of the
early part of the reproductive cycle of birds?
A. Selecting a mate
B. Collecting nest-building materials
C. Playing with nest-building materials
D. Building a nest
13. The word "display" in paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to
A. communicate B. imitate
C. initiate D. exhibit

14. The novelist John Steinbeck is mentioned in line 16 because he

A. conducted a scientific study on the behavior of ospreys
B. was the first to describe where ospreys built their nests

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 C. described the materials ospreys can use to build their nests
D. compared the size of osprey nests with the nests of other species
15. Which of the following birds are mentioned as those that build nests that include
unusual objects?
A. Ravens B. Ospreys
C. Crows D. Sparrow-hawks
16. According to the passage, when gathering materials to build their nests, sparrow-
hawks do which of the following?
A. Hang upside down
B. Select only green twigs
C. Use objects blowing in the wind
D. Collect more branches than necessary
17. The word "these" in paragraph 3 refers to
A. golden eagles B. generations
C. winds D. nests
18. The word "load" in paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to
A. weight B. number
C. section D. level
19. The author mentions ‘twenty percent’ in the last paragraph to indicate that
A. eagles are twenty percent bigger than most birds
B. twenty percent of all nests include foundation branches
C. the nests of eagles are twenty percent of larger than those of other birds
D. birds can carry twenty percent of their own weight
20. This passage would probably be assigned reading in a course on
A. zoology
B. natural science
C. construction
D. psychology

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