Reading Comprehension

1. According to the author, all of-the following evidence relating to the first birds was found EXCEPT
(A) nesting materials
(B) four skeletons in good condition
(C) two fragmented skeletons
(D) a single feather

2. The word "preserved" in line 8 is closest in meaning to
(A) confused with others
(B) gradually weakened
(C) protected from destruction
(D) lost permanently

3. It can be inferred from the passage that the Archaeopteryx were classified as birds on the basis of
(A) imprints of bones
(B) imprints of feathers
(C) the neck structure
(D) skeletons

4. The word "they" in line 11 refers to
(A) indications
(B) fossils
(C) dinosaurs
(D) characteristics

5. Why does the author mention "a crow" in line 12?
(A) to indicate the size of Archaeopteryx
(B) To specify the age of the Archaeopteryx fossils
(C) To explain the evolutionary history of Archaeopteryx
(D) To demonstrate the superiority of the theropod to Archaeopteryx

6. It can be inferred from the passage that theropods were
(A) dinosaurs
(B) birds
(C) Archaeopteryx
(D)crows

7. The word "constant" in line 16 is closest in meaning to
(A) comfortable
(B) combined
(C) consistent
(D) complementary

8. The author mentions all of the following as examples of complex behavior patterns evolved by birds EXCEPT
(A) migrating
(B) nesting
(C) singing
(D) running

9. The word "attained" in line 24 is closest in meaning to
(A) required
(B) achieved
(C) observed
(D) merited



10. What does the passage mainly discuss?
(A) The differences between government and newspaper weather forecasting in the United States.
(B) The history of publishing weather maps in United States newspapers
(C) A comparison of regional and national weather reporting in the United States.
(D) Information that forms the basis for weather forecasting in the United States

11 . The word "resumed" in line 7 is closest in meaning to
(A) began again
(B) held back
(C) thought over
(D) referred to

12. According to the passage, one important reason why newspapers printed daily weather maps during the first half of the twentieth century was
(A) the progress in printing technology
(B) a growing interest in air transportation
(C) a change in atmospheric conditions
(D) the improvement of weather forecasting techniques
13. What regular service did The Associated Press and United Press International begin to offer subscribing newspapers in the 1930's?
(A) A new system of weather forecasting
(B) An air-mass analysis
(C) Twice daily weather maps
(D) Cloud-cover photographs

14. The phrase "attests to" in line 21 is closest in meaning to
(A) makes up for
(B) combines with
(C) interferes with
(D) gives evidence of

15. The word "others" in line 24 refers to
(A) newspapers
(B) ways
(C) temperature maps
(D) weather maps

16. The word "drab" in line 24 is closest in meaning to
(A) precise
(B) poor
(C) simple
(D) dull

17. In contrast to the weather maps of USA Today, weather maps in The New York Times tended to be
(A) printed in foil color
(B) included for symbolic reasons
(C) easily understood by the readers
(D) filled with detailed information

18. The word "prominent" in line 27 is closest in meaning to
(A) complex
(B) noticeable
(C) appealing
(D) perfect

19. The author uses the term "Ironically" in line 29 to indicate that a weather map's
appearance
(A) is not important to newspaper publishers
(B) does not always indicate how much information it provides
(C) reflects how informative a newspaper can be
(D) often can improve newspaper sales


20. What does the passage mainly discuss?
(A) The role of instinct in animal behavior
(B) Observations that suggest consciousness in animal behavior
(C) The use of food in studies of animal behavior
(D) Differences between the behavior of animals in their natural environments and in laboratory experiments.

21. Which of the following is NOT discussed as an ability animals are thought to have?
(A) Selecting among choices
(B) Anticipating events to come
(C) Remembering past experiences
(D) Communicating emotions

22. What is the purpose of the honeybee dance?
(A) To determine the quantity of food at a site
(B) To communicate the location of food
(C) To increase the speed of travel to food sources
(C) T identify the type of nectar that is available

23. The word "yet" in line 16 is closest in meaning to
(A) however
(B) since
(C) generally
(D) so far

24. What did researchers discover in the study of honeybees discussed in paragraph 2?
(A) Bees are able to travel at greater speeds than scientists thought.
(B) The bees could travel 25% farther than scientists expected.
(C) The bees were able to determine in advance where scientists would place their food.
(D) Changing the location of food caused bees to decrease their dance activity.

25. It can be inferred from the passage that brain size is assumed to
(A) be an indicator of cognitive ability
(B) vary among individuals within a species
(C) be related to food consumption
(D) correspond to levels of activity
26. Why are otters and mussel shells included in the discussion in paragraph 3?
(A) To provide an example of tool use among animals
(B) To prove that certain species demonstrate greater ability in tool use than other species

27. The word "rudimentary" in line 21 is closest in meaning to
(A) superior
(B) original
(C) basic
(D) technical
28. It can be inferred from the statement about mother chimpanzees and their young (lines 21-23) that young chimpanzees have difficulty
(A) communicating with their mothers
(B) adding quantities
(C) making choices
(D) opening hard nuts

29. The phrase "the one" in line 26 refers to the
(A) study
(B) pair
(C) chimpanzee
(D) ability

30. Scientists concluded from the experiment with chimpanzees and chocolate chips
that chimpanzees
(A) lack abilities that other primates have
(B) prefer to work in pairs or groups
(C) exhibit behavior that indicates certain mathematical abilities
(D) have difficulty selecting when given choices


31. What does the passage mainly discuss?
(A) The artwork of James and Sarah Miriam Peale
(B) How Philadelphia became a center for art in the nineteenth century
(C) Nineteenth-century still-life paintings in the United States
(D) How botanical art inspired the first still-life paintings
32. Which of the following is mentioned as a characteristic of the still lifes of James and Sarah Miriam Peale?
(A) Simplicity
(B) Symbolism
(C) Smooth texture
(D) Social commentary
33. The word "biting" in line 8 is closest in meaning to
(A) simple
(B) sorrowful
(B) frequent
(D) sharp

34. The word "It" in line 14 refers to
(A) Luncheon Still Life
(B) one of the Peales' pieces
(C) a larger scale
(D) the number of objects

35. The word "heightened" in line 18 is closest in meaning to
(A) complicated
(B) directed
(C) observed
(D) increased

36. The word "meticulous" in line 24 is closest in meaning to
(A) careful
(B) significant
(C) appropriate
(D) believable

37. Which of the following terms is defined in the passage?
(A) "repertoire" (line 5)
(B) "satire" (line 9)
(C) "additive" (line 19)
(D) "rendering" (line 24)

38. All of the following are mentioned as characteristics of Roesen's still lifes EXCEPT that they
(A) are symbolic
(B) use simplified representations of flowers and fruit
(C) include brilliant colors
(D) are large in size

39. Which of the following is mentioned as the dominant theme in Roesen's painting?
(A) Fertility
(B) Freedom
(C) Impermanence
(D) Abundance


40. Which of the following does the passage mainly discuss?
(A) Chemical causes of ice ages
(B) Techniques for studying ancient layers of ice in glaciers
(C) Evidence of a relationship between levels of carbon dioxide and global temperature
(D) Effects of plant life on carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere

41. The word “accumulated” in line 6 is closest in meaning to ----------- .
(A) spread out
(B) changed
(C) became denser
(D) built up

42. According to the passage, the drilling of the glacier in eastern Antarctica was important because it
(A) allowed scientists to experiment with new drilling techniques
(B) permitted the study of surface temperatures in an ice-covered region of Earth
(C) provided insight about climate conditions in earlier periods
(D) confirmed earlier findings about how glaciers are formed

43. The phrase "tantamount to" in line 7 is closest in meaning to
(A) complementary to
(B) practically the same as
(C) especially well suited to
(D) unlikely to be confused with

44. According to the passage, Grenoble, France, is the place where
(A) instruments were developed for measuring certain chemical elements
(B) scientists first recorded atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide
(C) scientists studied the contents of an ice core from Antarctica

45. According to the passage, scientists used isotopes from the water of the ice core to determine which of following?
(A) The amount of air that had bubbled to the surface since the ice had formed
(B) The temperature of the atmosphere when the ice was formed
(C) The date at which water had become locked in the glacier
(D) The rate at which water had been frozen in the glacier

46. The word "remarkable" in line 14 is closest in meaning to
(A) genuine
(B) permanent
(C) extraordinary
(D) continuous

47. The word "link" in line 23 is closest in meaning to
(A) tension
(B) connection
(C) attraction
(D) distance

48. The passage implies that the warmest temperatures among the periods mentioned occurred
(A) in the early eighteenth century
(B) 160,000 years ago
(C) at the end of each ice age
(D) between 360 and 285 million years ago

49. According to the passage, the Carboniferous period was characterized by
(A) a reduction in the number of coal deposits
(B) the burning of a large amount of coal
(C) an abundance of plants
(D) an accelerated rate of glacier formation

50. The passage explains the origin of which of the following terms?
(A) Glacier (line5)
(B) Isotopes (line 11)
(C) Industrial Revolution (line 21)
(D) Carboniferous period (lines 26)