STRUCTURE POST-TEST
Time-25 minutes
(including the reading of the directions)
This section is designed to measure your ability to recognize language that is appropriate for standard written English. There are two types of questions in this section, with special directions for each type.
Structure
Directions: Questions 1-15 are incomplete sentences. Beneath each sentence you will see four words or phrases, marked (A), (B), (C), and (D). Choose the one word or phrase that best completes the sentence. Then, on your answer sheet, find the number of the question and fill in the space that corresponds to the letter of the answer you have chosen. Fill in the space so that the letter inside the oval cannot be seen.
Look at the following examples.
Example I
The president __ the election by a landslide.
- won
- he won
- yesterday
- fortunately
The sentence should read, "The president won the election by a landslide." Therefore, you should choose (A).
Example II
When ___the conference?
- the doctor attended
- did the doctor attend
- the doctor will attend
- the doctor's attendance
The sentence should read, "When did the doctor attend the conference?" Therefore, you should choose (B).
1. _____ range in color from pale yellow to bright orange.
2. Carnivorous plants _____ insects to obtain nitrogen.
3. A federal type of government results in _____
4. February normally has twenty-eight days, but every fourth year, _____ has twenty-nine.
5. Evidence suggests that one-quarter of operations _____ bypass surgery may be unnecessary.
6. _____ a tornado spins in a counterclockwise direction in the northern hemisphere, it spins in the opposite direction in the southern hemisphere.
7. The Caldecott Medal, _____ for the best children's picture book, is awarded each January
8. Sports medicine is a medical specialty that deals with the identification any treatment of injuries to persons _____
9. The Wilmington Oil Field, in Long Beach, California, is one of _____ oil fields in the continental United States.
10. Thunder occurs as _____ through air, causing the heated air to expand and collide with layers of cooler air.
11. The population of Houston was ravaged by yellow fever in 1839 _____ in 1867.
12. Researchers have long debated _____ Saturn's moon Titan contains hydrocarbon oceans and lakes.
13. According to Bernoulli's principle, the higher the speed of a fluid gas, _____ the pressure.
14. The flight instructor, _____ at the air base, said that orders not to fight had been issued.
15. In the northern and central parts of the state of Idaho _____ and churning rivers.
5 out of 7
READING POST-TEST
Now set your clock for 55 minutes.
This section is designed to measure your ability to read and understand short passages similar in topic and style to those that students are likely to encounter in North American universities and colleges.
Directions: In this section you will read several passages. Each one is followed by a number of questions about it. You are to choose the one best answer, (A), (B), (C), or (D). to each question. Then, on your answer sheet, find the number of the question and fill in the space that corresponds to the letter of the answer you have chosen.
Answer all questions about the information in a passage on the basis of what is stated or implied in that passage.
Read the following passage:
John Quincy Adams, who served as the sixth president of the United States from 1825 to 1829, is today recognized for his masterful statesmanship and diplomacy. He dedicated his life to public service, both in the presidency and in the various other political offices that he held. Throughout his political career he demonstrated his unswerving belief in freedom of speech, the antislavery cause, and the right of Americans to be free from European and Asian domination.
Example I
To what did John Quincy Adams devote his life?
- Improving his personal life
- Serving the public
- Increasing his fortune
- Working on his private business
According to the passage, John Quincy Adams "dedicated his life to public service." Therefore, you should choose (B).
Example II Sample Answer
In line 4, the word "unswerving" is closest in meaning to
- moveable
- insignificant
- unchanging
- diplomatic
The passage states that John Quincy Adams demonstrated his unswerving belief "throughout his career." This implies that the belief did not change. Therefore, you should choose (C).
Questions 1-10
A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon moves in front of the Sun and hides at least some part of the Sun from the earth. In a partial eclipse, the Moon covers part of the Sun; in an annular eclipse, the Moon covers the center of the Sun, leaving a bright ring of light around the Moon; in a total eclipse, the Sun is completely covered by the Moon.
It seems rather improbable that a celestial body the size of the Moon could completely block out the tremendously immense Sun, as happens during a total eclipse, but this is exactly what happens. Although the Moon is considerably smaller in size than the Sun, the Moon is able to cover the Sun because of their relative distances from Earth. A total eclipse can last up to 7 minutes, during which time the Moon's shadow moves across Earth at a rate of about .6 kilometers per second.
2. In which type of eclipse is the Sun obscured in its entirety?
3. The word "ring" in line 3 could best be replaced by
4. A "celestial body" in line 5 is most probably one that is found
5. What is the meaning of "block out" line 5?
6. According to the passage, how can the Moon hide the Sun during a total eclipse?
7. The word "relative" in line 8 could best be replaced by
8. The passage states that which of the following happens during an eclipse?
9. The word "rate" in line 9 is closest in meaning to
10. When in the passage does the author mention the rate of a total eclipse?
Questions 11-20
While the bald eagle is one national symbol of the United States, it is not the only one. Uncle Sam, a bearded gentleman costumed in the red, white, and blue stars and stripes of the nation's flag, is another well-known national symbol. According to legend, this character is based on Samuel Wilson, the owner of a meat-packing business in Troy, New York. During_ the War of 1812, Sam Wilson's company was granted a government contract to supply meat to the nation's soldiers; this meat was supplied to the army in barrels stamped with the initials U.S., which stood for United States. However, the country was at that time relatively young, and the initials U.S. were not commonly used. Many people questioned what the initials represented, and the standard reply became "Uncle Sam," for the owner of the barrels. It is now generally accepted that the figure of Uncle Sam is based on Samuel Wilson, and the U.S. Congress has made it official by adopting a resolution naming Samuel Wilson as the inspiration for Uncle Sam.
11. The paragraph preceding this passage most probably discusses
12. Which of the following is the most appropriate title for this passage?
13. Which of the following is NOT mentioned about Uncle Sam's appearance?
14. The word "costumed" in line 2 could most easily be replaced by
15. Sam Wilson was the proprietor of what type of business?
16. The word "granted" in line 5 means
17. According to the passage, what was in the barrels stamped U.S.?
18. The word "initials" in line 6 means
19. The word "official" in line 10 is closest in meaning to
20. In 1812, people most probably answered that the letters "U.S." written on the barrels stood for "Uncle Sam" because
Questions 21-31
Most people think of deserts as dry, flat areas with little vegetation and little or no rainfall, but this is hardly true. Many deserts have varied geographical formations ranging from soft, rolling hills to stark, jagged cliffs, and most deserts have a permanent source of water. Although deserts do not receive a high amount of rainfall—to be classified as a desert, an area must get less than twenty-five centimeters of rainfall per year—there are many plants that thrive on only small amounts of water, and deserts are often full of such plant life.
Desert plants have a variety of mechanisms for obtaining the water needed for survival. Some plants, such as cactus, are able to store large amounts of water in their leaves or stems; after a rainfall these plants absorb a large supply of water to last until the next rainfall. Other plants, such as the mesquite, have extraordinarily deep root systems that allow them to obtain water from far below the desert's arid surface.
21. What is the main topic of the passage?
22. The passage implies that
23. The passage describes the geography of deserts as
24. The word "source" in line 3 means
25. According to the passage, what causes an area to be classified as a desert?
26. The word "thrive" in line 5 means
27. The word "mechanisms" in line 7 could most easily be replaced by
28. Which of the following is mentioned in the passage about cacti?
29. "Mesquite" in line 10 is probably
30. The word "arid" in line 11 means
31. Where in the passage does the author describe desert vegetation that keeps water in its leaves?
Questions 32-41
American jazz is a conglomeration of sounds borrowed from such varied sources as American and African folk music, European classical music, and Christian gospel songs. One of the recognizable characteristics of jazz is its use of improvisation: certain parts of the music are written out and played the same way by various performers, and other improvised parts are created spontaneously during a performance and vary widely from performer to performer.
The earliest form of jazz was ragtime, lively songs or rags performed on the piano, and the best- known of the ragtime performers and composers was Scott Joplin. Born in 1868 to former slaves, Scott Joplin earned his living from a very early age playing the piano in bars along the Mississippi. One of his regular jobs was in the Maple Leaf Club in Sedalia, Missouri. It was there that he began writing the more than 500 compositions that he was to produce, the most famous of which was "The Maple Leaf Rag."
32. This passage is about
33. The word "conglomeration" in line 1 could best be replaced by
34. In line 3, the word "improvisation" involves which of the following?
35. According to the passage, ragtime was
36. Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?
37. The word "living" in line 8 could most easily be replaced by
38. The word "regular" in line 9 could best be replaced by
39. The word "which" in line 10 refers to
40. The name of Scott Joplin's most famous composition probably came from
41. The paragraph following the passage probably discusses
Questions 42-50
The idea of determinism, that no event occurs in nature without natural causes, has been postulated as a natural law yet is under attack on both scientific and philosophical grounds. Scientific laws assume that a specific set of conditions will unerringly lead to a predetermined outcome. However, studies in the field of physics have demonstrated that the location and speed of minuscule particles such as electrons are the result of random behaviors rather than predictable results determined by pre-existing conditions. As a result of these studies, the principle of indeterminacy was formulated in 1925 by Werner Heisenberg. According to this principle, only the probable behavior of an electron can be predicted. The inability to absolutely predict the behavior of electrons casts doubt on the universal applicability of a natural law of determinism. Philosophically, the principal opposition to determinism emanates from those who see humans as creatures in possession of free will. Human decisions may be influenced by previous events, but the ultimate freedom of humanity may possibly lead to unforeseen choices, those not preordained by preceding events.
42. It is implied in the passage that a natural law
43. The word "unerringly" in line 3 could be most easily replaced by
44. The idea of determinism is refuted in this passage based on
45. The word "minuscule" in line 4 is closest in meaning to
46. According to the passage, which of the following is NOT true about the principle of indeterminacy?
47. The expression "emanates from" in line 10 could most easily be replaced by
48. It is implied in the passage that free will is
49. The word "unforeseen" in line 12 is closest in meaning to
50. Where in the passage does the author mention who developed the contrary principle to determinism?
7 out of 7
