Nurseries
If you thought nurseries were just for babies, well, think again! Being special kinds of farms, nurseries are used to raise plants in mass quantities. Plants, trees, and shrubs are typically grown in nurseries and then sold to farmers and gardeners to plant in homes, businesses and farms. Most nurseries are found in the more rural parts the country because much land is required to have a viable nursery. If a nursery sells plants to others, it must obtain a special permit from the local city or county, which keeps the competition fair and does not saturate the market with a large number of nurseries selling similar products.
Also on the grounds of nurseries are greenhouses which are made of glass or plastic panes that protect the plants from weather elements that may harm them and cause them not to grow and develop. The glass panels in greenhouses allow for sunlight to enter and moisture to be trapped inside. This creates a tropical environment which allows orchids and poinsettias to grow. It ensures that vegetables and fruits will grow large, which makes them valuable to farmers.
Nurseries are:
- A. Special types of farms.
- B. Places where people go for medical treatment.
- C. Schools for young children.
- D. Stores that sell electronics.
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Nurseries are special types of farms where plants, trees, and shrubs are grown in mass quantities to be sold to farmers and gardeners for planting. They require a significant amount of land and often have greenhouses to protect plants from adverse weather conditions, creating optimal growing environments. This distinguishes nurseries as agricultural establishments rather than medical facilities, educational institutions, or retail stores selling electronics.
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Exams
Subjective exams measure your ability in several areas. Besides recall information, you must be able to organize content logically and intelligently express yourself in a clearly understood manner. Subjective tests provide a greater opportunity for students to show their broad knowledge of a subject area. Answers may be in the form of paragraphs or lengthy essays.
When you review for an essay exam, concentrate on main ideas rather than details. Since essay tests are limited to a few questions, they are likely to deal with more important ideas of a subject. Prepare a list of questions that you think might be asked. Write an answer to each of your questions. Rather than writing complete sentences, jot down your thoughts in outline form. Doing so will help you organize the information so that you can express yourself clearly.
When you take the test, read through all the questions before you start to write. Allot time for each question, allowing more time for questions worth the most points. Read each question carefully to determine exactly what is being asked. Pay attention to words such as define, illustrate, explain, list, compare, and contrast. Each word requires a different type of response.
In answering subjective questions, the student should
- A. keep it brief and specific.
- B. capitalize the matching letters.
- C. include more than is asked.
- D. write out the words - true or false.
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: When answering subjective questions, it is advised to keep responses brief and specific, as indicated in the passage. While subjective exams allow for detailed answers, focusing on main ideas and organizing thoughts clearly is crucial. This approach suggests that students should provide concise and to-the-point responses while still ensuring they cover the topic adequately. Therefore, option A aligns best with the recommended strategy for answering subjective questions.
About 6% of the earth is covered by rainforests. The largest rainforest in the world is the
Amazon Basin, which stretches over 2.3 million square miles in nine different South American countries. This area is double the length of all the other remaining rainforests in the world. Brazil contains 60%of the Amazonian rainforest, since it lies at the mouth of the river Amazon. This river is the second largest in the world and contains more than one-fifth of the world's fresh water. The Amazon rainforest is a type of wet broadleaf forest. The weather there is very humid and warm as it rains quite a bit. Because of the high rainfall, the forest is very rich and green. The
tree leaves are pointed and narrow so that the raindrops can easily drop off wet plants. This
tropical rainforest has more living species than the entire European continent. There are over 400 types of insects living in one single rain forest tree for a total of 2.5 million species. One square kilometer of rainforest may contain over 75,000 types of trees and approximately 438,000
different kinds of plants, which comes to a total of 90,000 tons of greenery overall. The Amazon rainforest is home to 2,000 birds and mammals, with one in every five birds in the world living there. Local farmers have lived off this rich and diverse land for thousands of years. They have been able to find food and water here without destroying the land. The Kayapo people of Brazil
farm in an environmentally-friendly way. Instead of chemicals, they use burned wood to enrich the soil, and plant banana trees, which attract wasps. These wasps then feed on leafcutter ants and get rid of these harmful insects. The rainforest also offers a lot of tropical fruits, such as bananas and coconuts, as food.
Cinnamon is made from the bark of a rainforest tree. Amazonian Indians use the fruit and stem
of the Buruti plant as a drink, to make bread and to build houses. Many other plants are used as medicine. But the Amazon rainforest is in very big danger of disappearing. 9,169 square miles of
forest have been cut down in 2003 in Brazil alone. An area of the size of a football field is burned down basically every minute, which means that the rain forest may be gone by the year 2030.The dangers related to this type of activity are obvious. Trees take in poisonous carbon
dioxide from the air and give off oxygen. There is more oxygen and less carbon dioxide around a
rainforest. When trees are cut down, however, the amount of carbon dioxide increases, and the
air gets warmer. This leads to global warming, which is extremely harmful to the environment. It
is estimated that the burning of Brazilian rainforests alone produces 200 million metric tons of carbon dioxide ayear. Another danger connected with destroying the rainforest is the disappearance of plants and animals. When trees are cut down, plants and animals have no more
food left and slowly die out. Killing wild animals is illegal in Brazil, but there is plenty of stealing going on. 38 million animals are stolen and sold illegally each year. The most hunted
animals are birds, especially parrots, followed by snakes and the jaguar.
What is referred to as 'rich and diverse land' at the beginning of paragraph 3?
- A. 400 types of insects in the Amazon rainforest
- B. 2,000 birds and mammals in the Amazon rainforest
- C. The many kinds of plants growing in the Amazon rainforest
- D. The large variety of Amazonian plants and animals
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: In the text provided, the author mentions that the Amazon rainforest is home to 2,000 birds and mammals, which is an illustration of the rich and diverse ecosystem within the area. This information directly corresponds to the statement about the 'rich and diverse land' at the beginning of paragraph 3. Therefore, the correct answer is option B, as it aligns with the specific details presented in the text.
The Game of Bridge
The ebb and flow of laughter and silence fills the room as
four old friends gather to engage in a round of Bridge
playing. For the beginner, Bridge can be complicated, but
with time, effort, and a good teacher, even the novice can
become proficient.
Composed of two main parts, bidding and playing, Bridge
requires the player's undivided attention. The dealer deals
the entire deck of playing cards evenly between the for
players, with each person receiving thirteen cards. In the
bidding portion of the game, the four suits of cards in the
deck are ranked highest to lowest as follows:
spades, hearts, diamonds, and finally clubs. However,
during play all the suits of cards are considered equals,
and they go from highest to lowest from the ace being
high to the two cards being low. The highest number of
tricks wins. A trick is one card played by each player for a
total of four. After the lead player lays down his/her card,
the other players follow suit, if possible. The highest card
within the four "same suit" cards played wins the trick
and picks up all four cards. If a player cannot follow suit,
he/she plays any card, but to make the game more
interesting and challenging, one suit is named a trump suit
which means that if a player plays a card from the trump
suit, it always wins the trick. If two cards from the trump
suit are played, the highest card within the trump suit
wins the trick. Obviously, the team with the most tricks
wins the hand.
Throughout this passage, the word 'suit' means
- A. A set of clothing to be worn together
- B. Any of the four sets into which a deck of cards is divided
- C. To be convenient or right for
- D. To request or appeal persistently
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: In the context of the passage describing the game of Bridge, the word 'suit' refers to any of the four sets into which a deck of cards is divided, namely spades, hearts, diamonds, and clubs. These suits are used in both the bidding and playing phases of the game to determine card ranking and gameplay. Therefore, option B is the correct choice as it aligns with the specific meaning of 'suit' as related to playing cards in the context provided.
Isaac Asimov: Isaac Asimov (1920 - 1992) was a very prolific writer, best known for his works of science fiction and for his popular science books. Most of Asimov's popularized science books explain scientific concepts in a historical way, going as far back as possible to a time when the science in question was at its simplest stage.
Asimov is widely considered a master of the science-fiction genre and, along with Robert A. Heinlein and Arthur C. Clarke, was considered one of the 'Big Three' science-fiction writers during his lifetime. He also wrote mysteries and fantasy, as well as a great amount of nonfiction. Asimov wrote the Lucky Starr series of juvenile science-fiction novels using the pen name Paul French.
Asimov was afraid of flying, so he seldom traveled great distances, partly because his aversion to flying complicated the logistics of long-distance travel. He did enjoy traveling on cruise ships, and on several occasions he became part of the cruise's entertainment, giving science-themed talks. Asimov was an able public speaker, and enjoyed speaking to groups, especially at science fiction conventions.
For what type of writing was Mr. Asimov most famous?
- A. Popular Science.
- B. Science Fiction.
- C. Mystery.
- D. Juvenile Fiction.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The correct answer is B: Science Fiction. Asimov was most famous for his works of science fiction, where he excelled as a master of the genre. This is supported by the information in the extract that mentions Asimov's prolific writing in science fiction, his inclusion in the 'Big Three' science-fiction writers, and his juvenile science-fiction novels. Choices A, C, and D are incorrect as Asimov's primary fame and recognition come from his contributions to the science fiction genre rather than popular science, mystery, or juvenile fiction.
Glass
I wonder who first discovered glass. This commodity has been a part of civilization from the very beginning. Imagine a world without glass! How dark and dismal it would be. No windows, corrective lenses, telescopes, microscopes, cameras, sparkly drinking containers or mirrors. Life would not be the same without this wonderful discovery. Thank you, whoever found glass!
Glass is not an element, but a combination of several elements. It is a hard, brittle, transparent solid material composed mainly of silica, with additives to change the character of the glass. Common additives are soda, lime, lead, and boron. Each additive changes the properties of the final product. Soda and lime are the most common additives, accounting for about 90% of glass production. Adding lead increases reflectivity, causing the glass to "sparkle." The addition of boron changes the thermal and electrical properties of glass, allowing cookware that can be used in the oven without shattering.
What is the definition of the term 'brittle'?
- A. Flexible and resilient
- B. Easily broken
- C. Strong and durable
- D. Thick and heavy
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The correct definition of 'brittle' is 'Easily broken,' making choice B the correct answer. Brittle materials are prone to breaking or shattering when subjected to stress, lacking flexibility and resilience. In the context of the passage, glass is described as brittle, indicating its tendency to break easily when under pressure.
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