TEAS Reading Questions Related

The area known as the Bermuda Triangle has become such a part of popular culture that it can be difficult to separate fact from fiction. The interest first began when five Navy planes vanished in 1945, officially resulting from "causes or reasons unknown." The explanations about other accidents in the Triangle range from the scientific to the supernatural. Researchers have never been able to find anything truly mysterious about what happens in the Bermuda Triangle, if there even is a Bermuda Triangle. What is more, one of the biggest challenges in considering the
phenomenon is deciding how much area actually represents the Bermuda Triangle. Most consider
the Triangle to stretch from Miami out to Puerto Rico and to include the island of Bermuda.
Others expand the area to include all of the Caribbean islands and to extend eastward as far as the
Azores, which are closer to Europe than they are to North America.
The problem with having a larger Bermuda Triangle is that it increases the odds of accidents.
There is near-constant travel, by ship and by plane, across the Atlantic, and accidents are expected
to occur. In fact, the Bermuda triangle happens to fall within one of the busiest navigational
regions in the world, and the reality of greater activity creates the possibility for more to go wrong.
Shipping records suggest that there is not a greater than average loss of vessels within the
Bermuda Triangle, and many researchers have argued that the reputation of the Triangle makes
any accidents seem out of the ordinary. In fact, most accidents fall within the expected margin of
error. The Increase in ships from East Asia no doubt contributes to an increase in accidents. And
as for the story of the Navy planes that disappeared within the Triangle, many researchers now
conclude that it was the result of mistakes on the part of the pilots who were flying into storm
clouds and simply got lost.

Which of the following sentences is most representative of a summary sentence for this passage?

• A. The problem with having a larger Bermuda Triangle is that it increases the odds of accidents.
• B. The area that is called the Bermuda Triangle happens to fall within one of the busiest navigational regions in the world, and the reality of greater activity creates the possibility for more to go wrong.
• C. One of the biggest challenges in considering the phenomenon is deciding how much area actually represents the Bermuda Triangle.
• D. Researchers have never been able to find anything truly mysterious about what happens in the Bermuda Triangle, if there even is a Bermuda Triangle.

An adult skeleton had 206 bones. The skeleton has two major divisions: the axil skeleton and the appendicular skeleton. The axial skeleton, which consists of 80 bones including the skull, vertebrae, and rib, is located down the center of the body. The axial skeleton protects vital organs such as the brain and heart. The appendicular skeleton consists of 126 ones of the arms, legs, and the bones that attach these bones to the axial skeleton. The appendicular skeleton includes the scapulae (shoulder blades), clavicles (collarbones), and pelvic (hip) bones.

Which of the following bones is not associated with the leg?

• A. femur
• B. tibia
• C. patella
• D. radius

Eventually, his son King Charles II would be crowned, and this Charles is believed to have converted secretly to the Catholic Church. Charles II died without a legitimate heir, and his brother James ascended to the throne as King James II. James was recognized to be a practicing Catholic, and his commitment to Catholicism would prove to e his downfall. James's wife Mary Beatrice lost a number of children during their infancy, and when she became pregnant again in 1687 the public became concerned. If James had a son, that son would undoubtedly be raised a Catholic, and the English people would not stand for this. Mary gave birth to a son, but the story quickly circulated that the royal child had died and the child named James's heir was a foundling smuggled in. James, his wife, and his infant son were forced to flee; and James's Protestant daughter Mary was crowned the queen. In spite of a strong resemblance to the ing, the young James was generally rejected among the English and the Lowland Scots, who referred to him as "the Pretender." But in the Highlands the Catholic princeling was welcomed. He inspired a group known as Jacobites, to reflect the Latin version of his name. His own son Charles, known affectionately as Bonnie Price Charlie, would eventually raise an army and attempt to recapture what he believed to be his throne. The movement was soundly defeated at the Battle of Culloden in 1746, and England and Scotland have remained ostensibly Protestant ever since.

What is the author's likely purpose in writing this passage about Queen Victoria?

• A. To persuade the reader to appreciate the accomplishments of Queen Victoria, especially when placed against the failures of her forebears.
• B. To introduce the historical impact of the Victorian Era by introducing the queen who gave that era its name.
• C. To explain how small events in history led an unlikely princess to become the queen of England.
• D. To indicate the role that King George III's many sons played in changing the history of England.

Starting in 1856, Alfred, Lord Tennyson began publishing his compilation of Arthurian legends that became known as Idylls of the King. these poems were based on the earlier medieval collection Le More of Arthur, by Sir Thomas Malory, which dated to the middle of the 15th century. Malory's work, which is believed to be largely a translation of older French stories, was written in prose style. It combine date earlier tales into a single grouping for English readers. As the title suggests, Malory's focus was largely on the epic nature of Arthur's life. Malory also included chapters on knights such as Lancelot and Gareth, and he discussed the relationships between Tristan and Isolde, and Lancelot and Guinevere. Instead of embracing the romance angle, however, Malory focused more on the moral elements within these stories. Tennyson, though heavily influenced by Malory, took a different approach to the Arthurian stories. For one, he wrote them in poetry form, not prose. Additionally, Tennyson, as a Victorian poet, was more interested in the romantic qualities of the stories, and included the distinct elements of nature and elegy. Idylls of the King has a softer focus overall. For Instance, in Malory's work, Guinevere faces execution for her adultery, and is only spared when Lancelot rides in to rescue her. In Tennyson's work, Arthur chooses to forgive Guinevere, and she chooses to spend the rest of her days doing good works in a convent. some literary scholars believe that Tennyson was writing an allegory about social problems and the need for social justice that existed during Tennyson's own time. Charles Dickens is remembered for doing the same thing in his novels about the abuses of lower-class children in Victorian England.

Which of the following sentences distracts the reader from the main focus of the passage?

• A. Malory's work, which is believed to be largely a translation of older French stories, was written in prose style.
• B. Instead of embracing the romance angle, however, Malory focused more on the moral elements within these stories.
• C. In Tennyson's work, Arthur chooses to forgive Guinevere, and she chooses to spend the rest of her days doing good works in a convent.
• D. Charles Dickens is remembered for doing the same thing in his novels about the abuses of lower-class children in Victorian England.

George Washington emerged out of the American Revolution as an unlikely
champion of liberty. On June 14, 1775, the Second Continental Congress
created the Continental Army, and John Adams, serving in the Congress,
nominated Washington to be its first commander. Washington fought under
the British during the French and Indian War, and his experience and prestige
proved instrumental to the American war effort. Washington provided
invaluable leadership, training, and strategy during the Revolutionary War. He
emerged from the war as the embodiment of liberty and freedom from
tyranny.
After vanquishing the heavily favored British forces, Washington could have
pronounced himself as the autocratic leader of the former colonies without
any opposition, but he famously refused and returned to his Mount Vernon
plantation. His restraint proved his commitment to the fledgling state's
republicanism. Washington was later unanimously elected as the first
American president. But it is Washington's farewell address that cemented his
legacy as a visionary worthy of study.
In 1796, President Washington issued his farewell address by public letter.
Washington enlisted his good friend, Alexander Hamilton, in drafting his
most famous address. The letter expressed Washington's faith in the
Constitution and rule of law. He encouraged his fellow Americans to put aside
partisan differences and establish a national union. Washington warned
Americans against meddling in foreign affairs and entering military alliances.
Additionally, he stated his opposition to national political parties, which he
considered partisan and counterproductive.
Americans would be wise to remember Washington's farewell, especially
during presidential elections when politics hits a fever pitch. They might want
to question the political institutions that were not planned by the Founding Fathers, such as the nomination process and political parties themselves.

In which of the following materials would the author be most likely to include this passage?

• A. A history textbook
• B. An obituary
• C. A fictional story
• D. A newspaper editorial