Nokea
Changing Time: I have a major problem with Daylight Saving Time (DST). I really wish they would abolish the practice of changing the time on us every year. 'Spring ahead, Fall back' should disappear from our language.
Although an early goal of DST was to reduce evening usage of incandescent lighting, formerly a primary use of electricity, modern heating and cooling usage patterns greatly differ, and research about how DST currently affects energy use is limited and often contradictory. The reason for the time shift has become irrelevant.
DST's occasional clock shifts present other challenges. They complicate timekeeping and can disrupt meetings, travel, billing, recordkeeping, medical devices, and heavy equipment. Many computer-based systems can adjust their clocks automatically, but this can be limited and error-prone, particularly when DST rules change.
I vote to abolish DST. Can I count on your vote?
To what word or phrase does the word 'they' in the third paragraph refer?
- A. Clock shifts.
- B. Computer-based systems.
- C. DST's.
- D. Challenges.
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: The correct answer is A: Clock shifts. In the third paragraph, the word 'they' refers to the subject of the previous sentence, which is "occasional clock shifts." This is evident from the context that follows, discussing how the clock shifts complicate timekeeping and disrupt various aspects. Choices B, C, and D are incorrect because 'they' does not directly refer to computer-based systems (B), DST's (C), or challenges (D) in the given paragraph. The key to identifying the correct answer lies in understanding the pronoun reference and its connection to the context provided in the surrounding sentences, which clearly point to clock shifts as the subject referred to by 'they.'
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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 statement is implied by the article?
- A. Glass is an essential part of our lives.
- B. The use of glass preceded civilization.
- C. Glass is used in all aspects of our daily lives.
- D. Glass is a modern invention.
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Step 1: Glass is described as a commodity that has been a part of civilization from the very beginning, implying its essential role in our lives.
Step 2: The article highlights various crucial uses of glass in our daily lives, such as windows, corrective lenses, telescopes, etc.
Step 3: The author expresses gratitude for the discovery of glass, indicating its significance and essential nature.
Step 4: Therefore, the correct statement implied by the article is that "Glass is an essential part of our lives."
Summary:
- Choice A is correct because the article emphasizes the essential role of glass in civilization and daily life.
- Choices B and D are incorrect as the article does not mention that glass use preceded civilization or that glass is a modern invention.
- Choice C is incorrect as the article does not state that glass is used in all aspects of daily life, only highlighting specific important uses.
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 5, the word 'ancestry' is closest in meaning to
- A. origins
- B. inheritance
- C. color
- D. freedom
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: The word 'ancestry' refers to a person's family or ethnic background, which aligns most closely with the term 'origins'. Ancestry typically denotes the lineage or heritage of individuals, emphasizing where they come from or their roots. 'Inheritance' refers more to the passing down of property or traits, 'color' is unrelated to the context of ancestry, and 'freedom' does not capture the meaning of 'ancestry'. Therefore, 'origins' is the most appropriate term to convey the concept in this context.
Blood Pressure Regulators The body is composed of systems that have evolved and diversified in order to maintain the natural functions and processes they regulate. One such system that has these regulators is the body’s cardiovascular system. The body’s pump, which regulates the flow of vitally needed oxygen to all cells of the body, as well as the discard of carbon dioxide and other waste products, is the heart. Because blood pressure varies at different points within the body, differing components are needed to keep the body’s blood pressure regulated. Three of the basic components are baroreceptors, chemoreceptors, and the kidneys. Baroreceptors are stretch receptors composed of fine branching nerve endings and are contained along the walls of the arteries near the heart and in other areas of the body as well. Impulses are related to this stretching along the arterial walls, which causes these baroreceptors to send out even more impulses to the heart, arteries, and veins, causing the blood pressure to go either up or down. Chemoreceptors are located along the walls of the arteries and monitor changes in oxygen level, carbon dioxide, and pH. Just think! A fall in oxygen causes receptors to send impulses to raise the blood pressure. The kidneys play a role in regulating blood pressure by absorbing salts and water and removing wastes. Hormones secreted by the adrenal cortex cause the kidney to keep or let go of any salt and water. This has an influence on blood volume and consequently on blood pressure.
What is the primary purpose of this text?
- A. To inform the reader about the dangers of high blood pressure
- B. To inform the reader how high blood pressure leads to a higher risk of a heart attack
- C. To inform the reader how the cardiovascular system regulates blood pressure
- D. To persuade the reader that controlling one's blood pressure is important
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The primary purpose of this text is to provide information on how the cardiovascular system regulates blood pressure. The passage discusses the role of different components like baroreceptors, chemoreceptors, and the kidneys in maintaining blood pressure. It explains how these components work together to regulate blood pressure within the body. The text does not focus on dangers of high blood pressure, risks of heart attacks, or persuading the reader, making choice C the most appropriate answer.
One of the best ways to understand a group of people is to know what makes them laugh. Laughter encompasses the limits of the soul and serves social, psychological, and physiological functions. In humor, life is redefined and accepted. Irony and satire provide much keener insights into a group's collective psyche and values than do years of research. It has always been a great disappointment to Native Americans that the humorous side of their life has not been mentioned by experts on native American affairs. Rather, the image of the stern-faced redskin has been presented by the American Westerns.
What statement is presented in the passage?
- A. Native Americans rarely laugh.
- B. Native American humor is often overlooked.
- C. Western Americans neglect the needs of Native Americans.
- D. Western Americans neglect the needs of Native Americans.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The correct answer is B: 'Native American humor is often overlooked.' The passage discusses how humor is a significant aspect of understanding a group of people and mentions that the humorous side of Native American life has been neglected by experts on Native American affairs. This indicates that Native American humor is often overlooked, making choice B the most accurate statement based on the passage.
Over the last few decades, medical experts have changed their thinking on the health effects of some common foods and beverages. Higher-fat foods and some alcoholic beverages like red wine and beer, once viewed as top threats to a healthy lifestyle, are now seen by many as less harmful and even as having some health benefits. But there is perhaps no topic that the medical community has reversed its
thinking on more often than coffee. Since long before the advent of modern medicine, public opinion regarding the health effects of coffee has been diverse and ever-changing. Opinion on coffee's health effects can be traced back several centuries. In the 1600s, doctors in England touted coffee as a cure for alcoholism, but some women complained that coffee was making their husbands impotent. They may have been correct, as caffeine is a
diuretic and can irritate the prostate (dehydration and prostatitis can both lead to erectile dysfunction). In the late 1700s, coffeehouses began opening all over colonial America, where coffee was seen as a healthy stimulant that helped the colonists work longer hours. But by the early 1900s, public concern grew as coffee consumption was blamed for a variety of common ailments, such as nervousness, indigestion, and insomnia. In the 1970s, medical journals published studies that linked coffee consumption with high blood pressure and an increased risk of heart attacks. In 2001, a meta-study indicated that coffee was responsible for a 20% increase in risk for urinary tract cancer. But starting in 2007, to the surprise of many, meta-studies began to show positive health effects of coffee consumption. A 2007 study showed that coffee was viewed by many as "practically a health food." However, CNN also warned that given the long history of flip-flops on the health effects of coffee, medical and public opinion on coffee could easily turn negative again.
What is the definition of the term insomnia as mentioned in the third paragraph?
- A. Difficulty sleeping.
- B. Double vision.
- C. Dizziness.
- D. Drowsiness.
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Insomnia, as mentioned in the passage, is described as one of the common ailments attributed to coffee consumption. The term refers to the difficulty or trouble in falling asleep or staying asleep, which aligns with choice A, 'Difficulty sleeping.' Insomnia is characterized by a persistent problem with sleep patterns, leading to inadequate or poor-quality sleep, rather than symptoms like double vision, dizziness, or drowsiness.