Multiple Choice
Identify the
letter of the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.
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Critical Reading
The questions below are based on the following
selection.
In this
excerpt from a Florida government land-use study, the authors describe how humans need to recognize
themselves as part of the ecosystem in which they live.
From a biological perspective, modern cities
and suburbs resemble the noisy, crowded bird colonies scattered on offshore islands and rocky
coastlands across the globe. In the animal kingdom, colonies are a fairly sustainable way of life,
providing two basic conditions are met. First, colonies can persist, even thrive, if the demand for
resources by the inhabitants does not exceed the supply readily available from surrounding areas.
Second, colonies can be sustained if the waste they produce does not poison its
inhabitants.
Like bird colonies, cities and suburbs draw
heavily on the resources of the surrounding environment. What was once a relatively small stream of
resources flowing into early cities, however, has in this century become a deluge. To satisfy
resource-hungry human colonies, land is often stripped bare, trampled, or overgrazed, soil is
subjected to erosion, a farmland is transformed into desert. Cities and suburbs also produce sizable
amounts of waste. Air pollution, hazardous waste, sewage sludge, garbage, and other wastes pour out
of our cities. . . .
The problem with human colonies is that they
violate the conditions required for sustainability. Metropolitan areas are out of balance with the
environment upon which they depend. . . . The ever persistent spread of cities will
continue to devour valuable farmland, forests, and pasture. Gobbling up land and polluting the water
and air upon which all life depends, our cities are on a collision course with the
future.
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1.
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The
authors compare human life in modern cities to a. | wolf colonies in forests. | c. | bird colonies on offshore islands. | b. | schools of fish
in lakes. | d. | human life in
rural areas. | | | | |
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2.
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Which
danger is not addressed in this selection? a. | As cities expand, they cover valuable
farmland. | b. | Overcrowding in cities may lead to
violence. | c. | Cities produce air and water
pollution. | d. | Farmland is often stripped or overgrazed to supply cities with
food. | | |
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3.
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With
which of the following statements would you expect the authors of this selection to
agree? a. | Humans should be
banned from Earth. | b. | Cities should be restructured so that fewer people can live
there. | c. | Human colonies need to meet certain conditions so people can
continue to live there. | d. | Birds in colonies react more intelligently than humans in
cities. | | |
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4.
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Which
line from the selection expresses the main idea? a. | From a biological perspective, modern cities and suburbs
resemble the noisy, crowded bird colonies. | b. | . . . colonies are a fairly sustainable way of
life . . . | c. | . . . cities and suburbs draw heavily on the
resources of the surrounding environment. | d. | Metropolitan areas are out of balance with the environment upon
which they depend. | | |
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5.
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Which
of the following facts from the selection supports the idea that “cities and suburbs draw
heavily on the resources of the surrounding environment”? a. | colonies can
persist . . . if the demand for resources . . . does not
exceed the supply readily available . . . | b. | To
satisfy . . . human colonies, land is often stripped bare or
trampled . . . | c. | Cities and suburbs also produce sizable amounts of
waste. | d. | . . . our cities are on a collision course with
the future. | | |
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6.
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The
authors of the selection are trying to warn readers to a. | protect offshore
islands inhabited by birds. | b. | relocate from cities and suburbs to rural
areas. | c. | bring metropolitan areas more into balance with the
environment. | d. | learn a lesson from how birds treat their
colonies. | | |
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7.
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Which
word best describes the overall tone of the selection? a. | Humorous | c. | Warning | b. | Educational | d. | Despairing | | | | |
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8.
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Which
of the following professionals would most likely have contributed to this selection? a. | Environmentalists | c. | Physicians | b. | Poets | d. | Attorneys | | | | |
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9.
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What
detail do the writers use to express how the quality of soil is changed? a. | What was once a
relatively small stream of resources flowing into early cities . . . [has] become a deluge. | b. | . . . wastes pour out of our cities. | c. | farmland is
transformed into desert | d. | colonies can persist . . . if the demand for resources . . . does not exceed the
supply . . . | | |
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10.
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Which
sentence or phrase from the selection expresses an opinion? a. | In the animal
kingdom, colonies are a fairly sustainable way of life, providing two basic conditions are
met. | b. | Like bird
colonies, cities and suburbs draw heavily on the resources of the surrounding
environment. | c. | Cities and suburbs also produce sizable amounts of
waste. | d. | . . . our cities are on a collision course with
the future. | | |
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Vocabulary and Grammar
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11.
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He
____ the last brick in the wall and then, exhausted, went home to ____ down for a few
minutes. a. | lie . . . lie | c. | laid . . . lie | b. | laid . . . lay | d. | lay . . . lay | | | | |
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12.
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Often, readers of “The Machine That Won the War” ____ to read more stories
by Isaac Asimov because they discover that works of science fiction ____ to them. a. | decides . . . appeals | c. | decides . . . appeal | b. | decide . . . appeal | d. | decide . . . appeals | | | | |
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13.
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There
had been several unexplained deaths ____ among adults, ____ among children, who would be stricken
suddenly while at play. a. | if . . . then | c. | but . . . but | b. | not
only . . . but even | d. | struck . . . dead | | | | |
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14.
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My
dream is the dream of a pond / ____ to mirror the sky / ____ let the willows and
ferns / Suck me dry a. | and . . . and | c. | when . . . if | b. | either . . . neither | d. | whether . . . but | | | | |
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15.
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She
wanted the dance rehearsal and the chorus rehearsal to go on ____ but many chorus members were also
in the dance group, and they couldn’t attend both rehearsals at the same time. a. | simultaneously | c. | alternately | b. | tremulously | d. | efficiently | | | | |
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The question(s) below consists (consist) of a related pair of words in CAPITAL
LETTERS followed by four lettered pairs of words. Choose the pair that best expresses a
relationship similar to that of the pair in capital letters.
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16.
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CIRCUMVENT : AVOID : : a. | door : wall | c. | advance : progress | b. | vent :
air | d. | circle :
geometry | | | | |
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17.
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TREMULOUS : CALM : : a. | dangerous : safe | c. | afraid : uninterested | b. | house :
home | d. | shiver :
cold | | | | |
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18.
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PERENNIAL : YEARLY : : a. | annual : daily | c. | fragrant : perfume | b. | perfect :
flawless | d. | blooming :
lilies | | | | |
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19.
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IDEOLOGY : IDEAS : : a. | creativity : art | c. | philosophy : intelligent | b. | biology :
life | d. | numbers :
mathematics | | | | |
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20.
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Which
of the following sentences is an example of correct agreement between a pronoun and an indefinite
pronoun antecedent? a. | Each person cast their vote. | b. | Anyone could
make a mistake filling out their forms. | c. | The students are tired of having their school closed because of
snow. | d. | Each person must decide what they can do to
help. | | |
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