Question 1-8

When Jules Verne wrote Journey to the Center of the
Earth in 1864, there were many conflicting theories about the
nature of the Earth's interior. Some geologists thought that it
contained a highly compressed ball of incandescent gas, while
others suspected that it consisted of separate shells, each made
of a different material. Today, well over a century later, there
is still little direct evidence of what lies beneath our feet. Most
of our knowledge of the Earth's interior comes not from mines
or boreholes, but from the study of seismic waves - powerful
pulses of energy released by earthquakes.

The way that seismic waves travel shows that the Earth's
interior is far from uniform. The continents and the seabed
are formed by the crust - a thin sphere of relatively light, solid
rock. Beneath the crust lies the mantle, a very different layer
that extends approximately halfway to the Earth's center.
There the rock is the subject of a battle between increasing
heat and growing pressure.

In its high levels, the mantle is relatively cool; At greater
depths, high temperatures make the rock behave more like a
liquid than a solid. Deeper still, the pressure is even more
intense, preventing the rock from melting in spite of a
higher temperature.

Beyond a depth of around 2,900 kilometers, a great
change takes place and the mantle gives way to the core. Some
seismic waves cannot pass through the core and others are bent
by it. From this and other evidence, geologists conclude that
the outer core is probably liquid, with a solid center. It is
almost certainly made of iron, mixed with smaller amounts
of other elements such as nickel.

The conditions in the Earth's core make it a far more
alien world than space. Its solid iron heart is subjected to
unimaginable pressure and has a temperature of about 9,000oF.
Although scientists can speculate about its nature, neither
humans nor machines will ever be able to visit it.

1. The word "conflicting" in line 2 is closest in meaning to

(A) controlling
(B) outdated
(C) opposing
(D) important

2. What is today's richest source of information about the Earth's interior for geologists?

(A) Boreholes
(B) Shells
(C) Seismic waves
(D) Mines

3. The word "There" in line 16 refers to the

(A) mantle
(B) crust
(C) seabed
(D) Earth's center.

4. Which of the following is a primary characteristic of the Earth's mantle?

(A) Light, solid rock
(B) Uniformity of composition
(C) Dramatically increasing pressure
(D) Compressed, incandescent gas

5. The phrase "gives way to" in line 24 is closest in meaning to

(A) runs along
(B) rubs against
(C) turns into
(D) floats on

6. The word "it" in line 26 refers to

(A) mantle
(B) core
(C) change
(D) depth

7. Why does the author state in line 30-31 that the Earth's core is "more alien" than space?

(A) Government funds are not available to study the Earth's core.
(B) Scientists aren't interested in the characteristics of the Earth's core.
(C) It is impossible to go to the Earth's core to do research.
(D) The Earth's core is made of elements that are dangerous to humans.

8. The word "speculate" in line 33 is closest in meaning to

(A) report
(B) learn
(C) worry
(D) hypothesize


Question 9-20

Despite the road improvements of the turnpike era (1790-
1830). Americans continued as in colonial times to depend
wherever possible on water routes for travel and transportation.
The larger rivers, especially the Mississippi and the
Ohio, became increasingly useful as steamboats grew in
number and improved in design.

River boats carried to New Orleans the corn and other
crops of northwestern farmers, the cotton and tobacco of
southwestern planters. From New Orleans, ships took the
cargoes on to eastern seaports. Neither the farmers of the west
nor the merchants of the east were completely satisfied with
this pattern of trade. Farmers could get better prices for their
crops if the alternative existed of sending them directly eastward
to market and merchants could sell larger quantities of
their manufactured goods if these could be transported more
directly and more economically to the west.

New waterways were needed. Sectional jealousies and
constitutional scruples stood in the way of action by the federal
government and necessary expenditures were too great for
private enterprise. If extensive canals were to be dug, the job
would be up to the various states.

New York was the first to act. It had the natural advantage
of a comparatively level route between the Hudson River
and Lake Erie, through the only break in the entire
Appalachian Mountain chain. Yet the engineering tasks were
imposing. The distance was more than 350 miles and there
were ridges to cross and a wilderness of woods and swamps to
penetrate. The Erie Canal begun in 1817 and completed in
1825, was by far the greatest construction job that Americans
had ever undertaken. It quickly proved a financial success as
well. The prosperity of the Erie encouraged the state to
enlarge its canal system by building several branches.
The range of the New York canal system was still further
extended when the states of Ohio and Indiana, inspired by the
success of the Erie Canal, provided water connections between
Lake Erie and the Ohio River.

9. What does the passage suggest was the principal route for transporting crops to the east prior in 1825?

(A) River to road
(B) Canal to river
(C) River to ocean
(D) Road to canal.

10.It can be inferred from the passage that shipping cargo east by way of New Orleans was

(A) Advantageous for manu factures
(B) Inexpensive for merchants
(C) Not economical for farmers
(D) Considered economical by the government

11.The word "alternative" in line 13 is closest in meaning to

(A) option
(B) transition
(C) intention
(D) authorization

12.The word "them" in line 9 refers to

(A) crops
(B) farmers
(C) prices
(D) merchants

13.Which of the following products would a northwestern farmer in the early nineteenth century be most likely to purchase from the east?

(A) Grain
(B) Vegetables
(C) Textiles
(D) Fruit.

14.According to the passage, where was the Erie Canal located?

(A) Between Ohio and Indiana.
(B) Along the Appalachian Mountains
(C) Between Lake Erie and the Ohio River
(D) Across New York State.

15.The word "imposing" in line 26 could best be replaced by

(A) impractical
(B) successful
(C) demanding
(D) misleading

16.The word "penetrate" in line 28 is closest in meaning to

(A) cut down
(B) go through
(C) fill up
(D) take over

17.The word "its" in line 32 refers to

(A) prosperity
(B) Erie
(C) System
(D) State

18.The word "extended" in line 34 is closest in meaning to

(A) increased
(B) constructed
(C) deepened
(D) measured

19.According to the passage, Indiana and Ohio supported the development of the New York canal system by

(A) helping to build the Erie Canal.
(B) Building branches to connect it with the Ohio River
(C) Providing much of the water for the Erie Canal.
(D) Contributing financially to the construction costs

20.What does the paragraph following the passage probably discuss?

(A) Industry on Lake Erie
(B) Canals in Ohio and Indiana
(C) Sectional jealousies in Indiana and Ohio
(D) Travel on the Erie Canal.


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