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Cystic fibrosis is a disease that is passed down through families. It is caused by a defective gene
that makes the body produce abnormally thick and sticky fluid, called mucus. This mucus builds
up in the breathing passages of the lungs and in the pancreas. The buildup of mucus results in
life-threatening lung infections and serious digestion problems. The disease may also affect the
sweat glands and a man's reproductive system. Millions of Americans carry a CF gene, but do
not have symptoms. This is because a person with CF must inherit two defective genes, one from
each parent. About 1 in 29 Caucasian Americans have the CF gene. It is more common among
those of northern or central European descent. Most children with CF are diagnosed by age 2.
For a small number, the disease is not detected until age 18 or older. These children often have a
milder form of the disease.
Which of the following describes the purpose of the passage?
A. To describe the causes of cystic fibrosis
B. To explain how cystic fibrosis is passed down through families
C. To overview the causes of CF and how it is carried
D. To review why some Americans have CF, but others do not
Which of the following groups is most likely to carry the cystic fibrosis (CF) gene?
- A. African Americans
- B. Asian Americans
- C. Caucasian Americans
- D. Native Americans
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Cystic fibrosis (CF) is more common among those of northern or central European descent, making Caucasian Americans most likely to carry the CF gene. The passage mentions that about 1 in 29 Caucasian Americans have the CF gene. While individuals of any ethnic background can carry the CF gene, it is more prevalent in Caucasian populations, as stated in the passage.
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A BIT ABOUT BICYCLES
Today, bicycles are so common that it's hard to believe they haven't always been around. But two hundred years ago, bicycles didn't even exist, and the first bicycle, invented in Germany in 1818, was nothing like our bicycles today. It was made of wood and didn't even have pedals. Since then, however, numerous innovations and improvements in design have made the bicycle one of the most popular means of recreation and transportation around the world. In 1839, Kirkpatrick Macmillan, a Scottish blacksmith, dramatically improved upon the original bicycle design. Macmillan's machine had tires with iron rims to keep them from getting worn down. He also used foot-operated cranks like pedals, so his bicycle could be ridden at a quick pace. It didn't look much like a modern bicycle, though, because its back wheel was substantially larger than its front wheel. In 1861, the French Michaux brothers took the evolution of the bicycle a step further by inventing an improved crank mechanism. Ten years later, James Starley, an English inventor, revolutionized bicycle design. He made the front wheel many times larger than the back wheel, put a gear on the pedals to make the bicycle more efficient, and lightened the wheels by using wire spokes. Although this bicycle was much lighter and less tiring to ride, it was still clumsy, extremely top heavy, and ridden mostly for entertainment. It wasn't until 1874 that the first truly modern bicycle appeared on the scene. (14) Invented by another Englishman, H.J. Lawson, the "safety bicycle" would look familiar to today's cyclists. This bicycle had equal-sized wheels, which made it less prone to toppling over. Lawson also attached a chain to the pedals to drive the rear wheel. With these improvements, the bicycle became extremely popular and useful for transportation. Today they are built, used, and enjoyed all over the world.
What has been added to the basic design of the bicycle?
- A. Gears and hand-operated brakes
- B. Electric motors and GPS systems
- C. Air conditioning and heated seats
- D. Folding frames and built-in speakers
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: The correct answer is A: Gears and hand-operated brakes. Over the years, the basic design of the bicycle has evolved through various innovations and improvements. Gears and hand-operated brakes were added to enhance the efficiency, speed, and safety of bicycles. These additions have significantly contributed to making bicycles more versatile and practical for both recreation and transportation purposes. Electric motors and GPS systems, air conditioning and heated seats, as well as folding frames and built-in speakers are not traditional features found in the basic design of bicycles.
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 isnÄ€™t an element, but a combination of several elements.
- B. Glass is the most important material in modern technology.
- C. Glass can only be used in decorative items.
- D. Glass is naturally occurring and needs no processing.
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: The correct answer is A: 'Glass isnÄ€™t an element, but a combination of several elements.' This statement is a factual detail mentioned in the article provided. It explains that glass is not an element itself but is made up of various elements like silica, soda, lime, lead, and boron. These additives are used to alter the properties of the glass. The article clearly states that glass is not an element, but rather a composite material. The other options are incorrect based on the information given in the article. Glass is not limited to decorative items, it has various practical uses in technology, and it is not naturally occurring but manufactured through specific processes.
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.
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 bodyÄ€™s cardiovascular system. The bodyÄ€™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 bodyÄ€™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 primary purpose of this passage?
- A. To inform the reader about the dangers of high blood pressure
- B. To inform the reader how high blood pressure leads to a higher risk of heart attack
- C. To inform the reader how the cardiovascular system regulates blood pressure
- D. To persuade the reader that controlling one's blood pressure is important
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The primary purpose of this passage is to inform the reader about how the cardiovascular system regulates blood pressure. The text explains the role of various components such as baroreceptors, chemoreceptors, and the kidneys in maintaining blood pressure within the body. It focuses on the mechanisms and functions of these regulators rather than discussing the dangers of high blood pressure, its link to heart attacks, or persuading the reader to control their blood pressure.
Nurseries: If you thought nurseries were just for babies, well, think again! Being special kinds of farms, nurseries are used to raise plants in mass quantities. Plants, trees, and shrubs are typically grown in nurseries and then sold to farmers and gardeners to plant in homes, businesses, and farms. Most nurseries are found in the more rural parts of the country because much land is required to have a viable nursery. If a nursery sells plants to others, it must obtain a special permit from the local city or county, which keeps the competition fair and does not saturate the market with a large number of nurseries selling similar products.
Also on the grounds of nurseries are greenhouses which are made of glass or plastic panes that protect the plants from weather elements that may harm them and cause them not to grow and develop. The glass panels in greenhouses allow for sunlight to enter and moisture to be trapped inside. This creates a tropical environment which allows orchids and poinsettias to grow. It ensures that vegetables and fruits will grow large, which makes them valuable to farmers.
Which of these statements about the text is a fact rather than an opinion?
- A. Famers do not like to get their plants from nurseries.
- B. The best and prettiest orchids and poinsettias are grown in greenhouses.
- C. Nurseries are the best places to grow vegetables.
- D. Greenhouses create tropical conditions at nurseries.
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: The correct answer is D: Greenhouses create tropical conditions at nurseries.
Rationale:
1. Fact vs. Opinion: The statement that greenhouses create tropical conditions is a fact because it can be proven or observed based on the information provided in the text.
2. Text Evidence: The text mentions that greenhouses are made of glass or plastic panes that create a tropical environment, allowing orchids and poinsettias to grow.
3. Logic: Greenhouses are designed to simulate tropical conditions by allowing sunlight in and trapping moisture, which aids in the growth of specific plants.
4. Incorrect Choices:
A: This is an opinion as it generalizes the preference of farmers without factual evidence.
B: This is an opinion as "best and prettiest" are subjective terms based on personal preference.
C: This is an opinion as it states nurseries are the best places to grow vegetables without providing factual evidence.