Nokea
The Rainforest
The Amazon River Basin is home to the largest rainforest on Earth. The basin -- roughly the size of the forty-eight contiguous United States -- covers some 40% of the South American continent, and portions of eight countries. The basin is drained by the Amazon River, the world's largest river in terms of discharge, and the second longest river in the world after the Nile.
Since 1970, over 600,000 square kilometers (232,000 square miles) of Amazon rainforest have been destroyed. This deforestation is mainly due to land clearing for pastureland by commercial and speculative interests, misguided government policies, and commercial exploitation of forest resources.
Deforestation of the rainforest has long-term implications. The loss of habitat for many creatures ensures their extinction. The loss of vegetation depletes the oxygen in the atmosphere, which some say causes global warming.
What is the definition of 'habitat' as used in the last paragraph?
- A. Environmentally friendly processes.
- B. Factor that causes abnormal behavior.
- C. Rainforest.
- D. A natural environment where species live and grow normally.
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: In the context of the passage, 'habitat' refers to the natural environment where various species live and thrive. This aligns with the explanation in the last paragraph regarding the loss of habitat due to deforestation, which threatens the survival of many creatures. The other options do not accurately reflect the meaning of 'habitat.'
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Health Care's Numbers Game: The game of health care is a risky one. Today emergency rooms are acting as primary care physicians for thousands of patients. This trend produces a vicious cycle of hospitals raising emergency room costs and passing that increase along to paying patients, who in turn pass it along to insurance companies, who in turn raise rates so even more people cannot afford the premium or the co-payment.
For years, indigent people have used emergency rooms for very minor illnesses rather than seeing an outside doctor, but now emergency rooms are seeing people with insurance, but who cannot afford the co-payment or the deductible for the office visit.
If we don't change the way the healthcare game is played, we're all going to lose.
In sentence three, the word premium means
- A. An amount to be paid for an insurance policy.
- B. Something highly valued or esteemed.
- C. An addition to ordinary wages; a bonus.
- D. A gift provided with a purchase
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: The correct answer is A: An amount to be paid for an insurance policy. In the context of the passage, the word "premium" refers to the cost that individuals pay for their insurance coverage. This is evident from the sentence mentioning "raising rates so even more people cannot afford the premium or the co-payment." Choice B, "Something highly valued or esteemed," is incorrect as it does not align with the context of discussing healthcare costs. Choice C, "An addition to ordinary wages; a bonus," is incorrect as it does not relate to insurance costs. Choice D, "A gift provided with a purchase," is also incorrect as it does not fit the context of discussing healthcare expenses. The definition of "premium" as an amount paid for an insurance policy is the most appropriate interpretation in this scenario.
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.
What is the definition of 'prolific' as used in the first paragraph?
- A. Highly productive.
- B. Eccentric.
- C. Literate.
- D. Against war.
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: The correct answer is A: Highly productive. In the context of the passage, "prolific" is used to describe Isaac Asimov as being very productive in his writing endeavors. He produced a large number of works in various genres, including science fiction, popular science, mysteries, and fantasy. This term emphasizes his vast output and the sheer volume of his literary contributions.
Choice B (Eccentric) is incorrect because the passage does not mention anything about Asimov being eccentric. Choice C (Literate) is incorrect as well, as the term "prolific" does not refer to being literate but rather to being highly productive. Choice D (Against war) is also incorrect as there is no mention of war or any anti-war sentiment associated with the term "prolific" in the given context.
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: In this sentence, 'students' and 'professor' are part of a compound subject joined by 'not only...but also,' which makes the subject singular. Since the subjects are singular, the correct verb to use is 'was,' making choice A the correct answer.
Blood Pressure Lub-dub! Lub-dub! Lub-dub! This sound is made by the rapid contracting and extending of the chamber doors on the inside of the heart. This ventricular contracting injects roughly 70 mL of blood into a vascular system with a given volume at differing pressure. Blood pressure refers to the pressure in the arterial system; and it is typically taken in the brachial artery of the arm because the pressure at different places along the circulatory route is different. Blood pressure is simply the force that the blood exerts in all directions within any given area and is the basis for the movement of blood from the heart, through the body, and back to the heart. This pressure is commonly expressed as a ratio of the systolic pressure over the diastolic pressure. The systolic pressure or “high peak†pressure takes place within the arterial system as ventricles contract and force blood into the arteries. The diastolic pressure or “low peak†pressure takes place within this arterial system just before the next ventricular contraction. An increase in blood pressure can occur if the arterial walls lose some of their elasticity with age or disease.
Which of the following is not a fact stated in the passage?
- A. Ventricular contracting injects roughly 70 mL of blood into a vascular system.
- B. Blood pressure is typically measured in the brachial artery of the arm.
- C. Blood pressure is commonly expressed as a ratio of the systolic pressure over the diastolic pressure.
- D. Loss of arterial wall elasticity is always caused by disease.
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: The correct answer is D. The passage does not state that loss of arterial wall elasticity is always caused by disease. It mentions that an increase in blood pressure can occur if the arterial walls lose some elasticity with age or disease, implying that the loss of elasticity can also be age-related. The other statements are all directly supported by the passage: A discusses the volume of blood injected by ventricular contraction, B explains where blood pressure is typically measured, and C describes how blood pressure is commonly expressed as a ratio of systolic over diastolic pressure.
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 does the sentence ‘people of Brazil farm in an environmentally friendly way’ mean in paragraph 3?
- A. They do not poison the soil when farming.
- B. They use natural chemicals to make the soil rich.
- C. They plant and don't cut down banana trees.
- D. They do not kill insects even if they are harmful.
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: The sentence ‘people of Brazil farm in an environmentally friendly way’ in paragraph 3 implies that the farmers do not poison the soil when farming. This is supported by the information provided in the passage that the Kayapo people of Brazil use burned wood to enrich the soil instead of chemicals. By choosing this method, they maintain the fertility of the soil without causing harm to the environment. Options B, C, and D are not directly supported by the passage and do not align with the environmentally friendly farming practice described.