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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 a fact stated in the article?
- A. Glass is an element that can be mixed with other elements.
- B. Glass is not an element, but a combination of several elements.
- C. Glass with lead is the most common type produced today.
- D. Glass is found in nature in the form of obsidian.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The correct answer is B: Glass is not an element, but a combination of several elements. This statement is supported by the text, which clearly explains that glass is composed of several elements such as silica, soda, lime, lead, and boron. Glass is not a standalone element but a mixture of these components.
Rationale:
1. Glass is not an element: The text explicitly states that glass is not an element but a combination of several elements, emphasizing the composite nature of glass.
2. Mixture of elements: The text mentions silica, soda, lime, lead, and boron as components of glass, highlighting the varied composition of glass.
3. Clarification of glass composition: By mentioning the additives used to change the character of glass, the text reinforces the idea that glass is a combination of elements rather than a single element.
Summary of incorrect choices:
A: Incorrect because the text clearly states that glass is not an element, but a combination of several elements.
C:
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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.
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 the 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 systolic pressure over diastolic pressure.
- D. Loss of arterial wall elasticity is always caused by disease.
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: The passage discusses that an increase in blood pressure can be due to the loss of arterial wall elasticity, which can occur with age or disease. However, it does not state that the loss of arterial wall elasticity is always caused by disease. Therefore, choice D is not a fact mentioned in the passage, making it the correct answer.
ALL THE JAZZ
Jazz has been described as "the art of expression set to music" and "America's great contribution to music." It has served as popular art, enjoying periods of widespread public interest during the "jazz age" of the 1920s, the "swing era" of the late 1930s, and the peak popularity of modern jazz in the late 1950s. The standard narrative is that jazz originated around the end of the 19th century in New Orleans before moving up the Mississippi River to cities like Memphis, St. Louis, and finally Chicago. Jazz emerged by blending elements of ragtime, marching band music, and the blues. However, its roots trace back to tribal African drum beats and European musical structures. Buddy Bolden, a New Orleans barber and cornet player, is generally considered the first real jazz musician, emerging around 1891. What sets jazz apart from earlier musical forms is its emphasis on improvisation. Unlike traditional music, where composers write entire pieces on paper for musicians to follow exactly, jazz offers a starting point—a skeletal guide for musicians to improvise around. Many early jazz musicians were poor sight readers, with some unable to read music at all. Consequently, they often struggled to make a living, working menial jobs to survive. The second wave of New Orleans jazz musicians included notable figures like Joe Oliver, Kid Ory, and Jelly Roll Morton. These artists formed small bands, built upon earlier styles, and enhanced the music's complexity, achieving greater success. This energetic style became known as "hot jazz" due to its fast tempos and rhythmic drive. A young cornet player named Louis Armstrong was discovered by Joe Oliver in New Orleans. Armstrong went on to become one of the greatest and most successful musicians of all time, later emerging as a global star. The impact of Armstrong and other talented early jazz musicians transformed our perception of music.
Where and when did jazz originate?
- A. Southern US, 18th century
- B. Northern US, 19th century
- C. Western US, 20th century
- D. New Orleans, 20th century
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Jazz originated in New Orleans in the 20th century. The standard legend is that it originated around the end of the 19th century in New Orleans, making the 20th century the correct time period. New Orleans is specifically mentioned as the birthplace of Jazz in the question's extract, solidifying it as the correct location of origin.
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.
Based on the provided information, the reader can conclude that lightning:
- A. Always consists of a single stroke
- B. Is harmless and does not pose any risk
- C. Consists of a main stroke and several smaller strokes
- D. Only occurs during thunderstorms
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The correct answer is C: 'Consists of a main stroke and several smaller strokes'. The text explains that lightning is actually a series of multiple events, starting with a leader stroke followed by as many as 40 smaller strokes of lightning. This information contradicts choice A, which suggests lightning always consists of a single stroke. Choice B is incorrect because the text clearly states that lightning causes injuries, deaths, and forest fires, indicating that it poses risks. Choice D is incorrect as lightning rods protect buildings even when there is no thunderstorm, suggesting that lightning can occur independently of thunderstorms. Therefore, the conclusion drawn from the text is that lightning consists of a main stroke and several smaller strokes, making option C the correct answer.
The Water Cycle
Water is needed to sustain practically all life functions on planet Earth. A single drop of this compound is composed of an oxygen atom that shares its electrons with each of the two hydrogen atoms.
The cycle starts when precipitation, such as rain, snow, sleet, or hail, descends from the sky onto the ground. Water that is not absorbed immediately from the precipitation is known as runoff. The runoff flows across the land and collects in groundwater reservoirs, rivers, streams, and oceans.
Evaporation takes place when liquid water changes into water vapor, which is a gas. Water vapor returns to the air from surface water and plants.
Ultimately, condensation happens when this water vapor cools and changes back into droplets of liquid. In fact, the puffy, cotton clouds that we observe are formed by condensation. When the clouds become heavily laden with liquid droplets, precipitation ensues.
Which literary genre best describes this passage?
- A. Narrative nonfiction.
- B. Essay.
- C. Realistic fiction.
- D. Speech.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The passage describes the water cycle in a factual and informative manner, making it an essay. It presents scientific concepts clearly without storytelling elements or fictional narratives, which distinguishes it from narrative nonfiction or realistic fiction. Additionally, the passage does not aim to persuade or motivate an audience, as would be characteristic of a speech.