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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 best summary of this passage?
- A. The body's pump, the heart, regulates the flow of oxygen to all cells of the body and discards waste products that include carbon dioxide. The kidneys help in this process by absorbing salts and water.
- B. There are several systems to maintain the natural functions and processes of the body. One system is the cardiovascular system, which regulates blood pressure through baroreceptors, chemoreceptors, and the kidneys.
- C. Baroreceptors help regulate blood pressure and are found along the wall of the arteries. Baroreceptors send out impulses to the heart, arteries, and veins, resulting in the lowering or raising of blood pressure.
- D. Chemoreceptors monitor changes in oxygen level that affect blood pressure.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The correct summary of the passage is option B. It effectively captures the key points discussed in the text, which include the role of the cardiovascular system in regulating blood pressure through baroreceptors, chemoreceptors, and the kidneys. Options A, C, and D either focus on specific details or do not encompass the broader scope of systems involved in maintaining blood pressure regulation as discussed in the passage.
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Doppler Effect
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 ambulanceÄ€™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.
Which sound waves have a higher pitch?
- A. Sound waves that are closer together
- B. Sound waves that are farther apart
- C. Sound waves that travel a long distance
- D. Sound waves that travel a short distance
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: The correct answer is A: Sound waves that are closer together. The Doppler Effect explains that when a source of sound is moving towards an observer, the sound waves are compressed, resulting in a higher frequency and thus a higher pitch. This phenomenon occurs when the source of the sound moves closer, causing the waves to be closer together. As the object moves away, the waves stretch out, leading to a lower frequency and a lower pitch. Therefore, sound waves that are closer together have a higher pitch, while those that are farther apart have a lower pitch.
Homophones
English is a vibrant, changing, dynamic language. It allows people to express their thoughts in diverse ways, as there are many synonyms and antonyms to choose from. The hardest part for the English speaker - or those learning English as a second language - is learning about homonyms. These are words that sound alike but are spelled different ways, with different meanings. One example is "One". This word, spelled "one" means the numeral 1, an amount. If spelled "won," it means to be victorious. No wonder spelling is a difficult skill to master! Other homonyms encountered by the beginning English speaker are "to, two, too," "four, for, fore," "there, their, they're" and "son, sun" to name just a few. This is one reason that "Spell check" programs on word processing computers cannot be completely accurate, because the way a word is spelled depends on the context of the sentence. Proofreaders will always be in demand.
Which statement accurately describes homonyms?
- A. Words that sound alike but are spelled differently and have different meanings.
- B. Words that sound the same, are spelled the same, but have different meanings.
- C. Words that sound different, are spelled differently, but have the same meaning.
- D. Words that sound different, are spelled the same, and have the same meaning.
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: The correct answer is A: Homonyms are words that sound alike but are spelled differently and have different meanings. Examples include 'two' and 'too,' 'there' and 'their,' and 'son' and 'sun.' Understanding homonyms is essential for mastering the English language, as they can lead to confusion in writing and communication. Spell check programs may not always catch errors related to homonyms because the correct spelling depends on the context of the sentence. Therefore, it is crucial to understand the distinctions between homonyms to effectively convey meaning in written and spoken language.
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 was the author's reason for writing?
- A. Inform readers about Native American history
- B. Entertain with stories of Native American humor
- C. Persuade people to take a broader view on Native Americans
- D. Criticize misconceptions about Native American culture
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The author's reason for writing is to persuade people to take a broader view of Native Americans. The passage discusses how humor can provide insights into a group's collective psyche and values, highlighting the disappointment that Native Americans feel when their humorous side is overlooked in favor of stereotypical portrayals. By emphasizing the importance of understanding the humorous aspects of Native American life, the author aims to persuade readers to consider a more comprehensive perspective on Native American culture.
Lightning Strikes: The old wives' tale of "Lightning never strikes twice" has been proven untrue time and time again. Lightning forms from negative and positive charges within clouds and from the earth below. When these charges react with each other, the air between the cloud and the earth ionizes, which produces a lightning flash. Lightning is actually a series of multiple events consisting of a leader stroke of lightning, followed by as many as 40 smaller strokes of lightning. Being just split seconds apart, these strokes of lightning often reflect off the lining of the clouds.
Lightning rods that extend from above the roof to the ground protect buildings by forming a low resistance path for the lightning so that the lightning does not enter the building, but rather defuses as it penetrates the ground.
Some myths about lightning need to be explained. Lightning does strike tall buildings often, and during a particularly violent storm, a tall building may be hit by lightning several times. The safest place during a thunder and lightning storm is in a metal car or lying flat, face down, in the open, not under a tree as the myth suggests.
Many people believe that thunder and lightning are connected; however, this proves to be true only about 50% of the time, so if you're waiting for the clap of thunder, you're missing out on some exciting strokes of lightning!
Lightning causes injuries, deaths, and forest fires each year. However, some scientists reveal the positive aspects of lightning because it releases nitrogen into the atmosphere which the raindrops then deliver to earth to fertilize our soil.
In paragraph two, the word penetrates means
- A. To be absorbed by the mind.
- B. To pierce.
- C. Having or showing great insight.
- D. To discover or understand.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The correct answer is B: To pierce. The word "penetrates" in the context of the passage refers to lightning making its way through the ground as it strikes. Lightning rods provide a low-resistance path for the lightning to follow, allowing it to pierce through the ground safely. Choices A, C, and D do not accurately reflect the meaning of the word "penetrates" in this context. Choice A, "To be absorbed by the mind," does not relate to the physical action of lightning entering the ground. Choice C, "Having or showing great insight," and choice D, "To discover or understand," do not align with the action of lightning piercing through the ground. Therefore, choice B is the correct answer as it directly corresponds to the physical action described in the passage.
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 oftheworldĆ¢Ä‚¬Ä„¢sfresh 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.
How can you describe the Amazon rainforest?
- A. It rains all the time, making the forest consistently green.
- B. The weather is hot, which deters many tourists from visiting.
- C. The plants have pointed and narrow shapes to allow rainwater to easily pour off them.
- D. The Amazon River provides a significant amount of fresh water.
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: The correct answer is A. The description of the Amazon rainforest provided in the passage emphasizes the high levels of rainfall in the region, leading to a very humid and warm environment that supports lush greenery. The passage mentions that the tree leaves are shaped in a way that raindrops can easily drop off wet plants, contributing to the constant greenness of the forest. This information aligns with choice A, making it the most accurate description of the Amazon rainforest based on the provided passage.