Food
Food and drink are necessary and desirable, but their
abuse can cause serious physical and metal problem.
Many physicians believe that overeating is one of the
country's main health problems, since it places a great
strain on the heart, can lead to diabetes, and often shortens
the individual's life span. To fill an emotional void. People
often turn to food when they are bored or lonely.
Another area of concern is alcohol consumption. The
results of alcohol abuse are widely publicized. The social
drinker who becomes alcoholic, the drunken driver's
contribution to highway death, spousal and child abuse,
are all concomitant problems associated with alcohol
abuse.
The author seems to?
- A. Oppose drinking alcohol
- B. Favor strict diet
- C. Oppose regulation of personal habits
- D. Favor moderation
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: The author discusses the negative consequences of overeating and alcohol abuse, highlighting the strain they place on health and the risks involved. The text emphasizes the importance of moderation by pointing out the dangers of excess in both food consumption and alcohol intake. Therefore, the author's stance appears to be in favor of moderation rather than strict dieting or complete opposition to personal habits like alcohol consumption.
You may also like to solve these questions
Blood Pressure Regulators
The body comprises systems that have evolved and diversified to maintain essential functions and processes. One such system is the cardiovascular system, which includes critical regulators of blood pressure. The heart serves as the body’s pump, ensuring a steady flow of vital oxygen to all cells while facilitating the removal of carbon dioxide and other waste products. Given that blood pressure varies at different points throughout the body, various components are necessary to regulate it effectively.
Three primary components involved in blood pressure regulation are baroreceptors, chemoreceptors, and the kidneys. Baroreceptors, which are stretch receptors made up of fine branching nerve endings, are located along the walls of arteries near the heart and in other areas of the body. When these baroreceptors detect stretching in the arterial walls, they send impulses to the heart, arteries, and veins, leading to an increase or decrease in blood pressure.
Chemoreceptors, found along the walls of the arteries, monitor changes in oxygen levels, carbon dioxide, and pH. For instance, a drop in oxygen levels triggers these receptors to send impulses that raise blood pressure. The kidneys also play a crucial role in blood pressure regulation by absorbing salts and water while eliminating waste. Hormones secreted by the adrenal cortex influence the kidneys to retain or excrete salt and water, thereby affecting blood volume and, consequently, blood pressure.
What is a major difference in the way baroreceptors and chemoreceptors work from the way the kidneys work?
- A. Baroreceptors and chemoreceptors both work within the walls of the arteries, sending out impulses to raise or lower blood pressure, whereas the kidneys help control blood volume.
- B. Baroreceptors and chemoreceptors both work to help maintain blood volume, whereas the kidneys take care of salts, water, and waste removal.
- C. Baroreceptors and chemoreceptors must work together to control blood pressure, whereas the kidneys work with the adrenal cortex.
- D. Baroreceptors and chemoreceptors are both located near the adrenal cortex, whereas the kidneys are located near the heart.
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Baroreceptors and chemoreceptors function within the walls of the arteries, monitoring and sending impulses to regulate blood pressure based on stretch and oxygen levels. In contrast, the kidneys play a role in controlling blood volume by absorbing salts, water, and removing wastes. The major difference lies in the functions: baroreceptors and chemoreceptors focus on regulating blood pressure, while the kidneys primarily manage blood volume. Therefore, choice A is correct as it highlights this distinction clearly.
Have you ever wondered why the whistle of a traveling, distant locomotive predicts its approach several yards before anyone actually sees it? Or why an oncoming ambulance's screaming siren is heard momentarily several feet before the ambulance comes into full view, before it passes you, and why its siren is still heard faintly well after the ambulance is out of sight?
What you are witnessing is a scientific phenomenon known as the Doppler Effect. What takes place is truly remarkable. In both of these instances, when the train or ambulance moves toward the sound waves in front of it, the sound waves are pulled closer together and have a higher frequency. In either instance, the listener positioned in front of the moving object hears a higher pitch. The ambulance and locomotive are progressively moving away from the sound waves behind them, causing the waves to be farther apart and to have a lower frequency. These fast-approaching modes of transportation distance themselves past the listener, who hears a lower pitch.
What is the main idea of the passage?
- A. Trains and ambulances produce specific sounds
- B. Low-frequency waves produce high-pitched sounds.
- C. High-frequency waves produce low-pitched sounds.
- D. The Doppler Effect explains why sound is heard more strongly initially and then faintly after a moving object has passed.
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: The main idea of the passage is to explain the phenomenon known as the Doppler Effect, which describes how the frequency of sound waves changes as a source of sound moves relative to an observer. The passage illustrates this with examples of a traveling train and ambulance. As the objects approach the listener, the sound waves are compressed, resulting in a higher frequency and a higher pitch heard by the observer. Conversely, as the objects move away, the sound waves are stretched, leading to a lower frequency and a lower pitch. Therefore, the correct answer is D, as it summarizes the key concept of the Doppler Effect and its impact on sound perception.
Electrocardiogram
The rhythmic sounds of "beep... beep... beep..." signify the measurement of the heart muscle's strength. This rhythmic signal varies from person to person and is recorded as an electrocardiogram (ECG). Within the body, a complex array of systemic neural responses generates electric currents that can be detected on the skin's surface. When a person is connected to an amplifier, these impulses are captured by an electrocardiograph. Most of the information gathered pertains to the heart, as it emits electric currents in waves. This "wave of excitation" propagates through the heart wall and is associated with electrical changes. The process occurs in three distinct phases. First, the "wave of excitation," accompanied by an electrical change, lasts for about 1 to 2 seconds following the contraction of the cardiac muscle. These electrical impulses are rhythmically discharged from the sinoatrial (SA) node, which acts as the heart's natural pacemaker, signaling the atrium to contract. The peak of the ECG reading is attributed to the atrioventricular (AV) node, which triggers the excitation of the ventricles. Finally, as the ventricles relax, any changes in the wave pattern can alert trained medical personnel to potential abnormalities within the heart.
What are the three phases of the "wave of excitation"?
- A. The discharge from the SA node, the peak ECG, and the excitement of the ventricle.
- B. The excitement of the ventricle, the relaxing of the ventricle, and the systemic neural response.
- C. The contraction of the atrium, the relaxation of the atrium, and the contraction of the ventricle.
- D. The excitation of the atrium, the excitement of the ventricle, and the relaxing of the ventricle.
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: The correct answer is D: 'The excitation of the atrium, the excitement of the ventricle, and the relaxing of the ventricle.' The 'wave of excitation' in the heart occurs in three main steps. Firstly, the excitation starts with the discharge from the SA node, indicating the contraction of the atrium. Secondly, the peak ECG reading is caused by the excitement of the ventricle. Lastly, the wave ends with the relaxing of the ventricle. Understanding these steps is crucial for interpreting electrocardiograms and identifying any abnormalities in the heart's electrical activity.
Let's Go to the Circus
Everyone loves a circus! The bright lights, fanciful costumes, and fierce wild animals delight and entertain folks of all ages. The circus calls to the child in each one of us. Ernest Hemingway wrote that it "is the only ageless delight that you can buy for money..."
"Circus" is a magic word inspiring all sorts of exciting, colorful images. It's a theater of mind-boggling feats, elephants thundering around the rings, horses dancing, clowns cavorting and the sequins glittering under the lights.
There are historical references to animal displays and athletic competitions from the earliest days of civilization. The Romans were famous for their extravaganzas in the Coliseum. The shows we see today cannot compare to those great spectacles, but all who go to a circus enjoy the experience. It allows us all to be a child again and watch in awe as the athletes perform on the high wire or control the savage beasts in the center ring.
What does 'cavorting' mean in the second paragraph?
- A. Making balloon animals
- B. Hitting each other
- C. Squirting water at the audience
- D. Running and jumping
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: In the context of the passage, 'cavorting' generally means to jump or leap around in a lively or playful way. It describes clowns moving about energetically in a fun and playful manner, aligning with the idea of running and jumping. The word 'cavorting' adds to the colorful and exciting imagery of the circus performance described in the text.
People of Hispanic origin were on the North American continent centuries before settlers arrived
from Europe in the early 1600s and the thirteen colonies joined together to form the United
States in the late 1700s. The first census of the new nation was conducted in 1790, and counted about four million people, most of whom were white. Of the white citizens, more than 80%
traced their ancestry back to England. There were close to 700,000 slaves and about 60,000 "free Negroes". Only a few Native American Indians who paid taxes were included in the census count, but the total Native American population was probably about one million. By 1815, the population of the United States was 8.4 million. Over the next 100 years, the
country took in about 35 million immigrants, with the greatest numbers coming in the late 1800s and early 1900s. In 1882, 40,000 Chinese arrived, and between 1900 and 1907, there were more
than 30,000 Japanese immigrants. But by far, the largest numbers of the new immigrants were
from central, eastern, and southern Europe. An enormous amount of racial and ethnic assimilation has taken place in the United States. In 1908, play-write Israel Zangwill first used the term "melting pot" to describe the concept of a place where many races melted in a crucible and re-formed to populate a new land. Some years during the first two decades of the 20th century, there were as many as one million new
immigrants per year, an astonishing 1 percent of the total population of the United States.
In 1921, however, the country began to limit immigration, and the Immigration Act of 1924
virtually closed the door. The total number of immigrants admitted per year dropped from as many as a million to only 150,000. A quota system was established that specified the number of
immigrants that could come from each country. It heavily favored immigrants from northern and western Europe and severely limited everyone else. This system remained in effect until 1965, although after World War II, several exceptions were made to the quota system to allow in
groups of refugees.
In line 21, the term 'virtually' is closest in meaning to which of the following?
- A. effectively
- B. occasionally
- C. thoroughly
- D. undeservedly
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: The term 'virtually' is used to convey the idea that something is almost or nearly the case. In this context, it implies that the Immigration Act of 1924 came very close to completely closing the door on immigration. The most suitable synonym for 'virtually' in this context is 'effectively,' indicating that the act was highly efficient in achieving its goal of restricting immigration.
Nokea