Reading Test

65 Minutes—52 Questions

This section corresponds to Section 1 of your answer sheet.

Directions: Read each passage or pair of passages, then answer the questions that follow. Choose your answers based on what the passage(s) and any accompanying graphics state or imply.

1. According to the passage, how did Levin first know that Kitty was at the Zoological Gardens?
A) Kitty’s carriage was parked near the entrance.
B) Nikolay said he had been skating with Kitty earlier.
C) He saw her talking with another woman near the pond.
D) Kitty invited him to meet her there at a certain time.

2. As used in line 10, “swarmed” most nearly means
A) invaded.
B) gathered.
C) flew.
D) obstructed.

3. The passage most strongly suggests that which of the following is true of Levin?
A) He worries about his appearance.
B) He wants Kitty to be more enthusiastic.
C) He is a very passionate person.
D) He is wary of his surroundings.

4. Which choice provides the best evidence for the answer to the previous question?
A) Lines 7–12 (“It was a bright, frosty day . . . in the Russian style”)
B) Lines 22–27 (“An acquaintance met him . . . merry voices”)
C) Lines 40–46 (“The place where . . . there to skate”)
D) Lines 50–55 (“On that day . . . hygienic motives”)

5. What theme does the passage communicate through the experiences of Levin?
A) Love is a powerful emotion.
B) People long to have company.
C) Life should be filled with joy.
D) People are meant to work hard.

6. The passage most strongly suggests that which of the following is true of how Levin appears to others?
A) People think that Levin looks agitated because of the way he is acting.
B) People think that Levin is sick because he seems to be feverish.
C) People think that Levin seems normal because he is doing nothing unusual.
D) People think that Levin is in trouble because he is not protecting himself emotionally.

7. Which choice provides the best evidence for the answer to the previous question?
A) Lines 1–6 (“At four o’clock . . . at the entrance”)
B) Lines 9–12 (“Crowds . . . the Russian style”)
C) Lines 24–30 (“He went . . . he knew her”)
D) Lines 62–67 (“Nikolay Shtcherbatsky . . . your skates on”)

8. As used in line 20, “conjured” most nearly means
A) begged.
B) created.
C) summoned.
D) tricked.

9. The author’s use of the word “throbbing” in line 1 implies that Levin
A) has cut himself badly.
B) has a sudden pain in his chest.
C) is about to collapse.
D) is in an agitated state.

10. Based on the tone of this passage, what emotion does the author wish the reader to feel about Levin?
A) Empathy
B) Cynicism
C) Hostility
D) Disgust

11. The primary purpose of President Roosevelt’s speech is to
A) highlight the individuality inherent in patriotism.
B) define the basic needs of the country.
C) request money to support worthy causes.
D) promote support for essential human rights.

12. Which choice provides the best evidence for the answer to the previous question?
A) Lines 14–16 (“The basic things . . . are simple”)
B) Lines 30–31 (“Many subjects . . . improvement”)
C) Lines 52–54 (“If the Congress . . . applause”)
D) Lines 55–57 (“In the future days . . . freedoms”)

13. As used in line 40, “sacrifice” most nearly means
A) religious offerings to a deity.
B) service in the military.
C) losses of limbs in battle.
D) surrender of interests to a greater good.

14. The passage most strongly suggests a relationship between which of the following?
A) Protection of human rights abroad and military service
B) Spread of freedom abroad and defense of democracy at home
C) Defeat of tyrants abroad and establishment of democratic government at home
D) Investment in global democracies abroad and strengthening of patriotism at home

15. Which choice provides the best evidence for the answer to the previous question?
A) Lines 24–29 (“These are . . . expectations”)
B) Lines 52–54 (“If the Congress . . . applause”)
C) Lines 73–78 (“That is no . . . of a bomb”)
D) Lines 94–97 (“Freedom means . . . unity of purpose”)

16. In line 53, “pocketbooks” most nearly refers to
A) local, state, and national taxes.
B) war debt accumulated by the nation.
C) citizens’ individual monetary interests.
D) Americans’ personal investment in the defense industry.

17. In lines 73–75 (“That is no . . . generation”), President Roosevelt is most likely responding to what counterclaim to his own argument?
A) The spread of global democracy is idealistic and unrealistic.
B) The defeat of tyrannical dictators in Europe is implausible.
C) The commitment of the American people to the war effort is limited.
D) The resources of the United States are insufficient to wage war abroad.

18. Which choice offers evidence that the spread of global democracy is achievable?
A) Lines 47–48 (“No person . . . this program”)
B) Lines 56–57 (“we look forward . . . human freedoms”)
C) Lines 83–84 (“Since the beginning . . . in change”)
D) Line 97 (“Our strength . . . purpose”)

19. In lines 62–66 (“The third is . . . world”), President Roosevelt sets a precedent by which he would most likely support which of the following policies?
A) Military defense of political borders
B) Investment in overseas business ventures
C) Aid to nations struggling due to conflict and other causes
D) Reduction of domestic services to spur job growth

20. The function of the phrase “the so-called new order of tyranny” in line 76 is to
A) connect the global conflict for human rights to citizens on a personal level.
B) demonstrate the power of the global opposition to the United States.
C) present an alternative vision of the world without democracy.
D) provide examples of the political and social revolutions underway.

Questions 21–31 are based on the following passage and supplementary material.

21. The stance the author takes in the passage is best described as that of
A) an advocate of women’s suffrage proposing a constitutional amendment.
B) a legislator reviewing the arguments for and against women’s suffrage.
C) a scholar evaluating the evolution and impact of the women’s suffrage movement.
D) a historian summarizing the motivations of women’s suffrage leaders.

22. Lines 71–72 (“America’s election laws . . . equal for all”) most clearly support which claim?
A) The founders of the Constitution did not provide for free and fair elections.
B) The United States still had work to do to secure equal voting rights for some people.
C) Most women in the United States did not want suffrage and equal rights.
D) The women’s suffrage movement perpetuated discriminatory voting laws.

23. Which choice provides the best evidence for the answer to the previous question?
A) Lines 14–15 (“The American . . . in 1848”)
B) Lines 42–43 (“In 1893 . . . to vote”)
C) Lines 64–65 (“Congress . . . the Constitution”)
D) Lines 80–82 (“The Voting Rights Act . . . voting laws”)

24. As used in line 58, “galvanized” most nearly means
A) displaced.
B) divided.
C) excited.
D) organized.

25. The function of lines 76–77 (“Laws, like . . . could change”) is to
A) connect the success of legislative reform with shifts in public sentiment.
B) dissuade reformers from focusing on grassroots activity rather than political campaigns.
C) evaluate the effectiveness of judicial rulings based on popular response to public polls.
D) reject the need for legal actions and court proceedings to attain social change.

26. The passage most strongly suggests that
A) the American government adapts to the changing needs and ideas of society.
B) the best-organized reform movements are most likely to achieve their goals.
C) the nation is more vulnerable to change during the confusion of wartime.
D) the civil rights movement would not have happened without women suffragists.

27. Which choice provides the best evidence for the answer to the previous question?
A) Lines 4–7 (“Electronic ballot casting . . . our next president”)
B) Lines 7–10 (“Voting has . . . monarchical rule”)
C) Lines 17–20 (“The meeting . . . dozen men”)
D) Lines 77–80 (“The civil rights . . . advancement”)

28. The graphic most clearly illustrates which idea?
A) The Nineteenth Amendment happened as a result of World War I.
B) The states slowed reform of national voting rights laws.
C) Women’s suffrage resulted from a slow evolution of events.
D) Acts of civil disobedience won support for suffrage in Congress.

29. In line 61, the word “authenticity” most nearly means
A) reliability.
B) realism.
C) legitimacy.
D) truth.

30. The passage suggests that President Wilson contributed to the success of the women’s suffrage movement by
A) circulating government propaganda in support ofwomen’s suffrage.
B) framing the fight in World War I as a fight for democracy and freedom.
C) engaging in a foreign war to distract the nation from political debate.
D) working with legislators to write the Nineteenth Amendment.

31. The graphic helps support which statement referred to in the passage?
A) Early women suffragists did not live to vote in national elections.
B) The Nineteenth Amendment passed within a few years of its introduction.
C) A majority of state representatives opposed women’s suffrage in 1918.
D) Many state governments approved suffrage before the federal government did.

32. Based on the information in Passage 1, which of the following could be dated using carbon-14 dating?
A) An iron pot found in a cave
B) A rock at the bottom of a quarry
C) An arrowhead made from bone
D) The remains of a house made from stone

33. Which choice provides the best evidence for the answer to the previous question?
A) Lines 9–11 (“For example . . . carbon-13”)
B) Lines 26–29 (“Living plants . . . dioxide”)
C) Lines 29–32 (“After the plant . . . rate”)
D) Lines 37–40 (“Carbon-14 dating . . . animals”)

34. As used in line 24, “decay” most nearly means
A) yield.
B) deteriorate.
C) discharge.
D) circulated.

35. Which statement best describes the relationship between carbon-12 and carbon-14 in living tissue?
A) There is more carbon-14 than carbon-12.
B) There is more carbon-12 than carbon-14.
C) The ratio of carbon-12 to carbon-14 is constant.
D) The ratio of carbon-12 to carbon-14 fluctuates greatly.

36. Which choice provides the best evidence for the answer to the previous question?
A) Lines 12–13 (“Some combinations . . . time”)
B) Lines 23–24 (“Carbon-14 atoms . . . decay”)
C) Lines 26–29 (“Living plants . . . carbon dioxide”)
D) Lines 29–32 (“After the plant . . . rate”)

37. In Passage 2, the author refers to an accident that results in the release of iodine-131 as a “short-term concern” (line 71) because the initial amount of radiation released is
A) low but will drop slowly.
B) high but will drop quickly.
C) low and will drop quickly.
D) high and will drop slowly.

38. According to Passage 2, living tissue exposed to radioactive material can
A) be destroyed by high levels of heat caused by the radiation.
B) become radioactive itself and damage surrounding tissue.
C) suffer injury when the cells’ components are damaged.
D) be killed by extra protons released by the radioactive material.

39. As used in line 73, “original” most nearly means
A) earliest.
B) unique.
C) unusual.
D) critical.

40. According to Passage 2, scientists use the half-life of radioactive material to determine the
A) amount of danger posed by radiation immediately following a nuclear accident.
B) likelihood of a nuclear accident involving the release of radioactive material at any given location.
C) amount of radiation contained in a sample of iodine-131 or cesium-137 used in nuclear reactions.
D) length of time that must pass until an area is safe after the release of radioactive material.

41. Which generalization about the study of physics is supported by both passages?
A) The study of atomic and nuclear physics can have many applications in a variety of fields.
B) The study of physics has helped revolutionize how archaeologists study artifacts.
C) Scientists use physics to keep people and wildlife safe following a nuclear accident.
D) Scientists use different concepts to date ancient items and assess danger from nuclear accidents.

42. Based on the graph and the information in the passages, which statement is accurate?
A) Carbon-14 has a half-life of about 5,400 years.
B) The half-life of carbon-14 is similar to that of cesium-137.
C) The half-life of iodine-131 is greater than that of cesium-137.
D) All radioactive materials have a half-life of 30 to 5,400 years.

43. The central focus of the passage is
A) the field of biomimicry, which is the study of materials and systems found in nature and replicated in ways that benefit people.
B) the work of George de Mestral, the Swiss chemist who invented Velcro® after observing burrs under a microscope.
C) the ways in which architects use termite mounds as models for human-made structures in Zimbabwe.
D) how scientists are seeking ways to improve energy efficiency as nonrenewable energy sources decline.

44. Which choice provides the best evidence for the answer to the previous question?
A) Lines 1–6 (“In 1948 . . . hooks”)
B) Lines 13–19 (“You might say . . . ever will’”)
C) Lines 24–29 (“Termite mounds . . . structures”)
D) Lines 84–89 (“The driving . . . more important”)

45. The author includes a quote in paragraph 4 in order to
A) explain why architects are looking to biomimicry for solutions in architecture.
B) provide an argument for more scientists to study biomimicry.
C) give an explanation as to why someone might choose a career in architecture.
D) provide a counterargument to the author’s central claim.

46. Based on the information in paragraph 6, how does the shell of an abalone shrimp compare with soft chalk?
A) The essential building blocks are arranged in a similar manner, but the material that makes up the shell of an abalone shrimp is harder.
B) Both are made from the same essential building blocks, but the shell of the abalone shrimp is much harder because of the manner in which the materials are arranged.
C) The essential building blocks of both are the same, but the abalone shrimp shell is harder because the soft chalk lacks a protein binding the materials together.
D) They are made from different essential building blocks, but they have a similar hardness because the materials are arranged in a similar manner.

47. In paragraph 9, what is the function of the quote from Pawlyn about efficiency?
A) To convince readers that Pawlyn is an expert in his field
B) To prove that great strides are being made in creating products that do not generate waste
C) To demonstrate the limits of what biomimicry can achieve
D) To support the statement that energy efficiency “has never been more important”

48. In line 32, “principles” most nearly means
A) sources.
B) attitudes.
C) standards.
D) concepts.

49. Of the following, the most reasonable inference from the passage is that
A) more scientists will utilize solutions developed through biomimicry in the future.
B) the field of biomimicry will eventually decline as more nonrenewable resources are discovered.
C) scientists will leave the fields they are currently working in and begin research in biomimicry.
D) doctors will create a self-healing skin called an “autonomic materials system” using methods based in biomimicry.

50. Which choice provides the best evidence for the answer to the previous question?
A) Lines 37–41 (“Designers . . . screens”)
B) Lines 57–59 (“Often it is . . . synthetically”)
C) Lines 65–69 (“Examples like . . . color”)
D) Lines 94–98 (“Biomimicry . . . bio-rock”)

51. As used in line 94, “radical” most nearly means
A) pervasive.
B) drastic.
C) essential.
D) revolutionary.

52. The graphic and caption that accompany this passage help illustrate how biomimicry can be used to
A) make a solar plant more attractive.
B) increase waste generated by energy sources.
C) improve the efficiency of existing technologie
D) replicate a pattern common in nature.