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What effect does your voice have on others? Does it persuade or irritate, attract or repel? One of
the worst qualities is harshness. If you ever get the feeling that people are uncomfortable when you speak, it may be that your harsh tones are jarring their eardrums. Your voice will sound
unpleasant if it is shrill, grating, hard, piercing, brassy, to loud, or too nasal. Harsh voice qualities usually come from too much tension in the throat and jaw. Tension tightens muscles and blocks the relaxed voice tones essential to a pleasing impression. Because tension occurs in higher pitched voices, women tend to have shriller voices than men, which usually makes them
less desirable public speakers, newscasters, or political candidates.
What is the main idea presented in this paragraph?
- A. Some men possess harsh voices.
- B. Harsh voices are often associated with relaxed individuals.
- C. Women are perceived as less appealing political candidates due to their shriller voices.
- D. Not everyone is bothered by a harsh voice.
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The correct answer is C. The paragraph discusses how women tend to have shriller voices than men, making them less desirable as public speakers, newscasters, or political candidates. It explains that harsh voice qualities usually stem from tension in the throat and jaw, more prevalent in higher-pitched voices like those of women. This suggests that women may face challenges in certain professions due to voice characteristics, impacting their perception as political candidates.
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Facts about the One Dollar Bill
As Americans, we should all know some statistics about our currency.
The one dollar bill is a fascinating document with a varied historical beginning. Consisting of a cotton and linen blend with minute
red and blue silk fibers woven through it, the one dollar bill debuted in 1957. Due to the fact that the bill is constructed of material,
laundering it does not cause any permanent harm. A special blend of ink created from a secret formula is used to write on the dollar bill,
which acts as a deterrent to counterfeiters.
By sharing these important facts with others, a common understanding and appreciation of the one dollar bill is established.
By writing this passage, the author intended to
- A. teach the reader everything there is to know about the one dollar bill.
- B. share some little-known facts about the one dollar bill.
- C. entertain with a story about the development of the one dollar bill.
- D. defend the use of the one dollar bill.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The passage presents intriguing details such as the material composition, its historical debut in 1957, and the unique ink used, which suggests the author's intent to share interesting and lesser-known information. The focus is on providing facts about the one dollar bill rather than aiming to teach everything about it, entertain with a story, or defend its use.
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.
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.
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.
Which rainforest plant has more than one use?
- A. The banana
- B. The coconut
- C. Cinnamon
- D. The Buriti plant
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: The correct answer is D, the Buriti plant. The passage mentions that Amazonian Indians use the fruit and stem of the Buriti plant as a drink, to make bread, and to build houses. This plant demonstrates multiple uses within the rainforest ecosystem, making it the plant with more than one use among the options provided.
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 is the best summary of the passage?
- A. Electric currents within the body are due to electrostatic charges set off by the heart. Medical staff are trained to recognize any abnormalities within the heart.
- B. Every individual has unique electric currents on the surface of the body. The ECG measures and records these electric currents.
- C. The ECG systematically and rather quickly measures the stages at which the "wave of excitation" occurs within the heart and records them. This wave has three distinct steps that spread from the SA node to the AV node.
- D. The ECG measures the electric currents within the body. These currents are detected on the surface of the body when the body is connected to an amplifier.
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The correct answer is C because it accurately summarizes the passage by highlighting that the ECG systematically measures the stages of the 'wave of excitation' within the heart. This wave has three distinct steps that spread from the SA node to the AV node. The other options either focus on general information about electric currents or do not capture the specific details provided in the passage about the ECG and the heart's electrical activity.