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 conclusion can be drawn from the article?
- A. Glass is an essential part of our lives.
- B. Glass is rarely utilized in everyday items.
- C. Glass production is harmful to the environment.
- D. Glass technology is outdated and ineffective.
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: The correct answer is A: 'Glass is an essential part of our lives.' The passage highlights the significance of glass by mentioning its various uses in everyday items like windows, corrective lenses, telescopes, microscopes, cameras, drinking containers, and mirrors. It emphasizes how life would be different without glass, implying its essential role in modern civilization. The passage also discusses the composition and characteristics of glass, underlining its importance and versatility. Therefore, the statement that best reflects the implied message of the article is that glass is an essential part of our lives.
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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.
How many immigrants were taken in over the 100 years leading up to 1915?
- A. Probably about 1 million
- B. About 35 million
- C. 8.4 million
- D. About 4 million
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The correct answer is B: About 35 million. The text mentions that over the 100 years leading up to 1915, the United States took in approximately 35 million immigrants. This period saw a significant influx of immigrants, with the largest numbers coming in the late 1800s and early 1900s. The Immigration Act of 1924 later limited immigration, reducing the number of immigrants admitted per year. Answer choices A, C, and D do not align with the information provided in the text regarding the influx of immigrants during this period.
Photosynthesis is a process used by plants, algae, and certain bacteria to convert light energy into chemical energy stored in sugar molecules. This process is fundamental to life on Earth as it provides the primary source of energy for nearly all organisms. The energy is captured from sunlight by a pigment in the plants called chlorophyll, which gives plants their green color.
During photosynthesis, carbon dioxide from the air and water from the soil react in the presence of light to form sugars and oxygen. The oxygen is released into the atmosphere, which is crucial for the survival of most life forms on Earth. The sugars produced are used by the plant for energy and growth, storing excess energy as starch.
The process occurs in two main stages: the light-dependent reactions and the Calvin cycle. In the light-dependent reactions, energy from sunlight is absorbed by chlorophyll and converted into stored chemical energy in the form of ATP and NADPH. The Calvin cycle uses the ATP and NADPH produced in the light-dependent reactions to convert carbon dioxide into glucose.
Photosynthesis not only sustains plant life but also maintains the atmospheric oxygen levels and is a key factor in the carbon cycle, helping to regulate Earth's climate.
What would likely happen if chlorophyll were absent in plants?
- A. The rate of photosynthesis would increase
- B. Plants would not be able to capture light energy effectively
- C. Plants would produce more oxygen
- D. The Calvin cycle would be more efficient
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: If chlorophyll were absent in plants, they would not be able to capture light energy effectively. Chlorophyll is the pigment responsible for absorbing light energy during photosynthesis. Without chlorophyll, plants would lack the key component needed to convert light energy into chemical energy, resulting in a significant impairment of the photosynthesis process. This would lead to a decrease in the plant's ability to produce sugars and oxygen, ultimately impacting their growth and survival. Therefore, option B is the correct answer as the absence of chlorophyll would hinder the plant's ability to capture light energy efficiently.
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.
As used in the last sentence of this paragraph, the term 'concomitant' means?
- A. Accompanying
- B. Quiet
- C. Separate
- D. Unpredictable
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: In this context, the term 'concomitant' means 'accompanying'. It refers to problems or issues that occur together with something else. The sentence discusses the problems associated with alcohol abuse, such as the social drinker becoming alcoholic, drunken drivers contributing to highway deaths, and spousal and child abuse. These issues are all connected or 'accompanying' problems of alcohol abuse, making choice A, 'Accompanying', the correct answer.
Not only the students but also the professor___ stunned by the test results.
- A. Was
- B. Were
- C. Are
- D. Be
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: The correct answer is 'A: Was.' In this sentence, 'Not only the students but also the professor' is a compound subject. When there are two subjects joined by 'not only...but also,' the verb agrees with the subject closest to it. In this case, 'professor' is singular, so the correct verb form is 'was.' Therefore, the sentence should read, 'Not only the students but also the professor was stunned by the test results.'
Searching for medical information can be confusing, especially for first-timers. However, if you are patient and stick to it, you can find a wealth of information. Your community library is a good place to start your search for medical information. Before going to the library, you may find it helpful to make a list of topics you want information about and questions you have. Your list of topics and questions will make it easier for the librarian to direct you to the best resources. Many community libraries have a collection of basic medical references. These references may include medical dictionaries or encyclopedias, drug information handbooks, basic medical and nursing textbooks, and directories of physicians and medical specialists (listings of doctors). You may also find magazine articles on a certain topic. Look in the Reader’s Guide to Periodical Literature for articles on health and medicine from consumer magazines. Infotrac, a CD-ROM computer database available at libraries or on the Web, indexes hundreds of popular magazines and newspapers, as well as medical journals such as the Journal of the American Medical Association and New England Journal of Medicine. Your library may also carry searchable computer databases of medical journal articles, including MEDLINE/PubMed or the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature. Many of the databases or indexes have abstracts that provide a summary of each journal article. Although most community libraries don’t have a large collection of medical and nursing journals, your librarian may be able to get copies of the articles you want. Interlibrary loans allow your librarian to request a copy of an article from a library that carries that particular medical journal. Your library may charge a fee for this service. Articles published in medical journals can be technical, but they may be the most current source of information on medical topics.
What is the meaning of the word 'technical' as it is used in the fourth paragraph?
- A. requiring expert knowledge
- B. incomplete
- C. foreign
- D. plagiarized
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: The word 'technical' in the fourth paragraph refers to information that is complex and requires expert knowledge to understand. Medical journal articles are often technical in nature, containing specialized terminology and detailed research findings that may be challenging for the general public to interpret. Therefore, choice A, 'requiring expert knowledge,' is the correct meaning of 'technical' in this context.
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