Reading Practice 3

READING COMPREHENSION
PRACTICE TEST 03

Questions 1-10

By far the most important United States export product in the eighteenth and nineteenth
centuries was cotton, favored by the European textile industry over flax or wool because it was
easy to process and soft to tile touch. Mechanization of spinning and weaving allowed
significant centralization and expansion in the textile industry during this period, and at the same
time the demand for cotton increased dramatically. American producers were able to meet this
demand largely because of tile invention of the cotton gin by Eli Whitney in 1793. Cotton could
be grown throughout the South, but separating the fiber – or lint – from the seed was a
laborious process. Sea island cotton was relatively easy to process by hand, because its fibers
were long and seeds were concentrated at the base of the flower, but it demanded a long
growing season, available only along the nation's eastern seacoast. Short-staple cotton required
a much shorter growing season, but the shortness of the fibers and their mixture with seeds
meant that a worker could hand-process only about one pound per day. Whitney's gin was a
hand-powered machine with revolving drums and metal teeth to pull cotton fibers away from
seeds. Using the gin, a worker could produce up to 50 pounds of lint a day. The later
development of larger gins, powered by horses, water, or steam, multiplied productivity further.

The interaction of improved processing and high demand led to the rapid spread of the
cultivation of cotton and to a surge in production. It became the main American export, dwarfing
all others. In 1802, cotton composed 14 percent of total American exports by value. Cotton had
a 36 percent share by 1810 and over a 50 percent share in 1830. In 1860, 61 percent of the
value of American exports was represented by cotton. In contrast, wheat and wheat flour
composed only 6 percent of the value of American exports in that year. Clearly, cotton was king
in the trade of the young republic. The growing market for cotton and other American
agricultural products led to an unprecedented expansion of agricultural settlement, mostly in
the eastern half of the United States---west of the Appalachian Mountains and east of the
Mississippi River.

1. The main point of the passage is that the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries were a time
when
(A) the European textile industry increased its demand for American export products.
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(B) mechanization of spinning and weaving dramatically changed the textile industry.
(C) cotton became a profitable crop but was still time-consuming to process. (D)
cotton became the most important American export product.

2. The word "favored" in paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to

(A) preferred (B) recommended (C) imported (D) included

3. All of the following are mentioned in the passage as reasons for the increased demand for
cotton EXCEPT
(A) cotton's softness
(B) cotton's ease of processing
(C) a shortage of flax and wool
(D) the growth that occurred in the textile industry.

4. The word "laborious" in paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to

(A) unfamiliar (B) primitive (C) skilled (D) difficult

5. According to the passage, one advantage of sea island cotton was its
(A) abundance of seeds (B) long fibers
(C) long growing season (D) adaptability to different climates

6. Which of the following can be inferred from the passage about cotton production in the United
States after the introduction of Whitney's cotton gin?
(A) More cotton came from sea island cotton plants than before.
(B) More cotton came from short-staple cotton plants than before.
(C) Most cotton produced was sold domestically.
(D) Most cotton produced was exported to England.

7. The word "surge" in paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to

(A) sharp increase (B) sudden stop
(C) important change (D) excess amount

8. The author mentions "wheat and wheat flour" in paragraph 2 in order to (A)
show that Americans exported more agricultural products than they imported.
(B) show the increase in the amount of wheat products exported.

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(C) demonstrate the importance of cotton among American export

products. (D) demonstrate that wheat farming was becoming more
profitable.

9. The word "unprecedented" in paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to

(A) slow (B) profitable (C) not seen before (D) never explained

10. According to the passage, the Mississippi River was

(A) one of the boundaries of a region where new agricultural settlement took
place. (B) a major source of water for agricultural crops.
(C) the primary route by which agricultural crops were transported.
(D) a main source of power for most agricultural machinery.

Questions 11-19

The origins of nest-building remain obscure, but current observation of nest-building activities
provide evidence of their evolution. Clues to this evolutionary process can be found in the
activities of play and in the behavior and movements of birds during mating, such as incessant
pulling at strips of vegetation or scraping of the soil. During the early days of the reproductive
cycle, the birds seem only to play with the building materials. In preparation for mating, they
engage in activities that resemble nest-building, and continue these activities throughout and
even after the mating cycle. Effective attempts at construction occur only after mating.

Although nest-building is an instinctive ability, there is considerable adaptability in both site

selection and use of materials, especially with those species which build quite elaborate
constructions. Furthermore, some element of learning is often evident since younger birds do
not build as well as their practiced elders. Young ravens, for example, first attempt to build with
sticks of quite unsuitable size, while a jackdaw's first nest includes virtually any movable object.
The novelist John Steinbeck recorded the contents of a young osprey nest built in his garden,
which included three shirts, a bath towel, and one arrow.

Birds also display remarkable behavior in collecting building materials. Crows have been seen
to tear off stout green twigs, and sparrow hawks will dive purposefully onto a branch until it
snaps and then hang upside down to break it off. Golden eagles, over generations of work,
construct enormous nests. One of these, examined after it had been dislodged by high winds,

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weighed almost two tons and included foundation branches almost two meters long. The
carrying capacity of the eagles, however, is only relative to their size ant1 most birds are able to
carry an extra load of just over twenty percent of their body weight.

11. The word "obscure" in paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to

(A) interesting (B) unclear (C) imperfect (D) complex

12. According to the passage, which of the following activities is characteristic of the early part
of the reproductive cycle of birds?
(A) Selecting a mate (B) Collecting nest-building materials (C) Playing with
nest-building materials (D) Building a nest

13. The word "display" in paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to

(A) communicate (B) imitate (C) initiate (D) exhibit

14. The novelist John Steinbeck is mentioned in paragraph 2 because

he (A) conducted a scientific study on the behavior of ospreys.
(B) was the first to describe where ospreys built their nests.
(C) described the materials ospreys can use to build their nests.
(D) compared the size of osprey nests with the nests of other species.

15. Which of the following birds are mentioned as those that build nests that include unusual
objects?
(A) Ravens (B) Ospreys (C) Crows (D) Sparrowhawks

16. According to the passage, when gathering materials to build their nests, sparrowhawks do
which of the following?
(A) Hang upside down (B) Select only green twigs (C) Use objects blowing in the wind (D)
Collect more branches than necessary

17. The word "these" in paragraph 3 refers to

(A) golden eagles (B) generations (C) winds (D) nests
18. The word "load" in paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to
(A) weight (B) number (C) section (D) level

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19. The author mentions twenty percent in paragraph 3 to indicate that

(A) eagles are twenty percent bigger than most birds.
(B) twenty percent of all nests include foundation branches.
(C) the nests of eagles are twenty percent of larger than those of other
birds. (D) birds can carry twenty percent of their own weight.

Questions 20-30

A survey is a study, generally in the form of an interview or a questionnaire, that provides

information concerning how people think and act. In the United States, the best-known surveys
are the Gallup poll and the Harris poll. As anyone who watches the news during campaigns
presidential knows, these polls have become an important part of political life in the United
States.

North Americans are familiar with the many "person on the street? interviews on local television
news shows. While such interviews can be highly entertaining, they are not necessarily an
accurate indication of public opinion. First, they reflect the opinions of only those people who
appear at a certain location. Thus, such samples can be biased in favor of
commuters, middle-class shoppers, or factory workers, depending on which area the
newspeople select. Second, television interviews tend to attract outgoing people who are willing
to appear on the air, while they frighten away others who may feel intimidated by a camera. A
survey must be based on a precise, representative sampling if it is to genuinely reflect a
broad range of the population.

In preparing to conduct a survey, sociologists must exercise great care in the wording of
questions. An effective survey question must be simple and clear enough for people to
understand it. It must also be specific enough so that there are no problems in interpreting the
results. Even questions that are less structured must be carefully phrased in order to elicit the
type of information desired. Surveys can be indispensable sources of information, but only if the
sampling is done properly and the questions are worded accurately.

There are two main forms of surveys: the interview and the questionnaire. Each of these forms
of survey research has its advantages. An interviewer can obtain a high response rate

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because people find it more difficult to turn down a personal request for an interview than to
throw away a written questionnaire. In addition, an interviewer can go beyond written questions
and probe for a subject's underlying feelings and reasons. However, questionnaires have the
advantage of being cheaper and more consistent.

20. What does the passage mainly discuss?

(A) The history of surveys in North America
(B) The principles of conducting surveys
(C) Problems associated with interpreting surveys
(D) The importance of polls in American political life

21. The word "they" in paragraph 2 refers to

(A) North Americans (B) news shows (C) interviews (D) opinions

22. According to the passage, the main disadvantage of person-on-the-street interviews is that
they
(A) are not based on a representative sampling
(B) are used only on television
(C) are not carefully worded
(D) reflect political opinions

23. The word "precise" in paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to

(A) planned (B) rational (C) required (D) accurate

24. According to paragraph 3, which of the following is most important for an effective survey?
(A) A high number of respondents
(B) Carefully worded questions
(C) An interviewer's ability to measure respondents' feelings
(D) A sociologist who is able to interpret the results
25. The word "exercise" in paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to
(A) utilize (B) consider (C) design (D) defend

26. The word "elicit" in paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to

(A) compose (B) rule out (C) predict (D) bring out

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27. It can be inferred from the passage that one reason that sociologists may become frustrated
with questionnaires is that
(A) respondents often do not complete and return questionnaires
(B) questionnaires are often difficult to read
(C) questionnaires are expensive and difficult to distribute
(D) respondents are too eager to supplement questions with their own opinions

28. According to the passage, one advantage of live interviews over questionnaires is that live
interviews
(A) cost less (B) can produce more information (C) are easier to interpret (D) minimize the
influence of the researcher

29. The word "probe" in paragraph 4 is closest in meaning to

(A) explore (B) influence (C) analyze (D) apply

30. Which of the following terms is defined in the passage?

(A) Survey (paragraph 1) (B) Public opinion (paragraph 2) (C) Representative
sampling (paragraph 2) (D) Response rate (paragraph 4)
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