Placement Test

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Placement Test - HTML

Reading Comprehension

In this section, you will read a number of passages. Each one is followed by approximately ten questions about it. For questions 1-50, choose the one best answer, (a), (b), (c), or (d), to each question. Answer all questions following a passage on the basis of what is stated or implied in this passage.

Napoleon Bonaparte’s ambition to control all the area around the Mediterranean Sea led him and his French soldiers to Egypt. After losing a naval battle, they were forced to remain there for three long years. In 1799, while constructing a fort, a soldier discovered a piece of stele (a stone pillar bearing an inscription) known as the Rosetta stone, in commemoration of the town near the fort. This famous stone, which would eventually lead to the deciphering of ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics dating to 3100 B.C., was written in three languages: hieroglyphics (picture writing), demotic (a shorthand version of Egyptian hieroglyphics), and Greek. Scientists discovered that the characters, unlike those in English, could be written from right to left and in other directions as well. The direction in which they were read depended on how the characters were arranged. Living elements (animals, people, and body parts) were often the first symbols, and the direction that they faced indicated the direction for reading them.

Twenty-three years after the discovery of the Rosetta stone, Jean François Champollion, a French philologist fluent in several languages, was able to decipher the first word - Ptolemy - the name of an Egyptian ruler. This name was written inside an oval called a “cartouche.” Further investigation revealed that cartouches contained names of important people of that period. Champollion painstakingly continued his search and was able to increase his growing list of known phonetic signs. He and an Englishman, Thomas Young, worked independently of each other to unravel the deeply hidden mysteries of this strange language. Young believed that sound values could be assigned to the symbols, while Champollion insisted that the pictures represented words.

All of the following languages were written on the Rosetta stone EXCEPT

A.	French	C.	Greek
B.	demotic	D.	hieroglyphics

All of the following statements are true EXCEPT

A.	cartouches contained names of prominent people of the period	C.	one of Napoleon’s soldier’s discovered the Rosetta stone
B.	Champollion and Young worked together in an attempt to decipher the hieroglyphics	D.	Thomas Young believed that sound values could be assigned to the symbols

The word “deciphering” in paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to

A.	decoding	C.	discovery
B.	downfall	D.	probing

The first word deciphered from the Rosetta stone was

A.	cartouche	C.	demotic
B.	Ptolemy	D.	Champollion

Napoleon’s soldiers were in Egypt in 1799 because they were

A.	celebrating a naval victory	C.	waiting to continue their campaign
B.	looking for the Rosetta stone	D.	trying to decipher the hieroglyphics

The person responsible for deciphering the first word was

A.	Champollion	C.	Ptolemy
B.	Young	D.	Napoleon

Why was the piece of newly discovered stele called the Rosetta stone?

A.	It was shaped like a rosette.	C.	The town near the fort was called Rosetta.
B.	It was to honor Napoleon’s friend Rosetta.	D.	The fort was called Rosetta.

In paragraph 1, “ambition” is nearest in meaning to

A.	aspiration	C.	indifference
B.	indolence	D.	apathy

What is the best title for the passage?

A.	Napoleon’s Great Discovery	C.	Thomas Young’s Great Contribution
B.	Deciphering the Hieroglyphics of the Rosetta Stone	D.	The Importance of Cartouches

10.

In which paragraph of the reading passage is the direction for reading hieroglyphics discussed?

paragraph 1

paragraph 2

Sequoyah was a young Cherokee Indian, son of a white trader and an Indian squaw. At an early age, he became fascinated by “the talking leaf,” an expression that he used to describe the white man’s written records. Although many believed this “talking leaf” to be a gift from the Great Spirit, Sequoyah refused to accept that theory. Like other Indians of the period, he was illiterate, but his determination to remedy the situation led to the invention of a unique eighty-six-character alphabet based on the sound patterns that he heard.

His family and friends thought him mad, but while recuperating from a hunting accident, he diligently and independently set out to create a form of communication for his own people as well as for other Indians. In 1821, after twelve years of work, he had successfully developed a written language that would enable thousands of Indians to read and write.

Sequoyah’s desire to preserve words and events for later generations has caused him to be remembered among the important inventors. The giant redwood trees of California, called “sequoias” in his honor, will further imprint his name in history.

11.

What is the most important reason that Sequoyah will be remembered?

A.	California redwoods were named in his honor.	C.	He created a unique alphabet.
B.	He was illiterate.	D.	He recovered from his madness and helped humankind.

12.

The word “squaw” in paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to

A.	woman	C.	cook
B.	teacher	D.	trader

13.

How did Sequoyah’s family react to his idea of developing his own “talking leaf”?

A.	They arranged for his hunting accident.	C.	They decided to help him.
B.	They thought he was crazy.	D.	They asked him to teach them to read and write.

14.

What prompted Sequoyah to develop his alphabet?

A.	People were writing things about him that he couldn’t read.	C.	After his hunting accident, he needed something to keep him busy.
B.	He wanted to become famous.	D.	He wanted the history of his people preserved for future generations.

15.

In paragraph 1, the word “illiterate” means most nearly the same as

A.	fierce	C.	abandoned
B.	poor	D.	unable to read or write

16.

It is implied that Sequoyah called the written records “the talking leaf” because

A.	they played music	C.	he was going mad, and he thought the leaves were talking to him
B.	when he observed white people reading, they seemed to understand what was written	D.	it was the only way that the Great Spirit had of communicating with them

17.

Sequoyah could best be described as

A.	determined	C.	backwards
B.	mad	D.	meek

18.

What is the best title for the passage?

A.	Sequoyah’s Determination to Preserve the Cherokee Language	C.	Sequoyah’s Madness Leads to a New Language
B.	The Origin of the Cherokee Language	D.	The Origin of the “Sequoia” Trees in California

19.

In paragraph 1, “fascinated” is closest in meaning to

A.	absorbed	C.	confused
B.	exasperated	D.	imaginative

20.

All of the following are true EXCEPT

A.	Sequoyah developed a form of writing with the help of the Cherokee tribe	C.	Sequoyah spent twelve years developing his alphabet
B.	Sequoyah was a very observant young man	D.	Sequoyah was honored by having some trees named after him

The mighty, warlike Aztec nation existed in Mexico from 1195 to 1521. The high priests taught the people that the sun would shine, the crops would grow, and the empire would prosper only if the gods were appeased by human sacrifices and blood offerings from all levels of their society. The priests practiced forms of self-mutilation, such as piercing their tongues with thorns and flagellating themselves with thorn branches. They collected the small amount of blood produced y these practices and offered it to Huitzilopochtli and Quetzalcoatl, their chief gods. They insisted that all Aztecs needed to make some sort of daily sacrifice. Warriors were promised a place of honor in the afterlife if they died courageously in battle.

The Aztecs were constantly at war in order to have enough captives from battle to serve at sacrificial victims. The prisoners were indoctrinated before their deaths into believing that they, too, would find a place of honor in the afterlife and that their death insured the prosperity of the great Aztec nation. After being heavily sedated with marijuana or a similar drug, they were led up the steps to the top of the ceremonial centers where they accepted their fate passively, and their palpitating hearts were removed from their bodies as an offering to the gods.

21.

Why did the Aztecs offer human sacrifices?

A.	They were cruel and inhuman.	C.	They wanted to force the citizens to obey.
B.	They believed they had to pacify the gods.	D.	They wanted to deter crime.

22.

Before the sacrifices, the victims were

A.	tortured and harassed	C.	brainwashed and drugged
B.	fed and entertained	D.	interrogated and drugged

23.

In what manner did the victims accept their destiny?

A.	submissively	C.	violently
B.	rebelliously	D.	notoriously

24.

The word “appeased” in paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to

A.	glorified	C.	angered
B.	assaulted	D.	satisfied

25.

What is the best title for the passage?

A.	The Aztecs’ Need to Offer Human Sacrifice	C.	The History of the Mighty Aztec Nation
B.	Aztec Victims	D.	Aztec High Priests

26.

What did the Aztecs believe the gods craved in order to ensure the people’s survival?

A.	sunshine	C.	thorns
B.	blood	D.	drugs

27.

Which of the following is NOT given as a reason for offering human sacrifice?

A.	The sun would not rise.	C.	The warriors would not be famous.
B.	The crops would not grow.	D.	The empire would not be successful.

28.

Why were the victims willing to accept their fate?

A.	They liked to see the sun shine.	C.	They were made to believe they would have a place of honor in eternity.
B.	They wanted everyone to see them at the top of the ceremonial centers.	D.	They liked to take drugs.

29.

Which of the following is descried as a form of self-torture that the high priests practiced?

A.	indoctrination	C.	piercing their tongues
B.	heavy sedation	D.	sacrificing their victims

30.

In paragraph 1, the word “mighty” is closest in meaning to

A.	primitive	C.	meticulous
B.	unimposing	D.	powerful

Petroleum products, such as gasoline, kerosene, home heating oil, residual fuel oil, and lubricating oils, come from one source - crude oil found below the earth’s surface, as well as under large bodies of water, from a few hundred feet below the surface to as deep as 25,000 feet into the earth’s interior. Sometimes, crude oil is secured by drilling a hole into the earth, but more dry holes are drilled than those producing oil. Either pressure at the source or pumping forces crude oil to the surface.

Crude oil wells flow at varying rates, from about ten to thousands of barrels per hour. Petroleum products are always measured in forty-two-gallon barrels.

Petroleum products vary greatly in physical appearance: thin, thick, transparent, or opaque, but regardless, their chemical composition is made up of only two elements: carbon and hydrogen, which form compounds called hydrocarbons. Other chemical elements found in union with hydrocarbons are few and are classified as impurities. Trace elements are also found, but in such minute quantities that they are disregarded. The combination of carbon and hydrogen forms many thousands of compounds which are possible because of the various positions and unions of these two atoms in the hydrocarbon molecule.

The various petroleum products are refined by heating crude oil and then condensing the vapors. These products are the so-called light oils, such as gasoline, kerosene, and distillate oil. The residue remaining after the light oils are distilled is known as heavy or residual fuel oil and is used mostly for burning under boilers. Additional complicated refining processes rearrange the chemical structure of the hydrocarbons to produce other products, some of which are used to upgrade and increase the octane rating of various types of gasoline.

31.

All of the following are true EXCEPT

A.	crude oil is found below land and water	C.	pumping and pressure force crude oil to the surface
B.	crude oil is always found a few hundred feet below the surface	D.	many petroleum products are obtained from crude oil

32.

The word “minute” in paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to

A.	instant	C.	insignificant
B.	huge	D.	timely

33.

Many thousands of hydrocarbon compounds are possible because

A.	the petroleum products vary greatly in physical appearance	C.	the two atoms in the molecule assume many positions
B.	complicated refining processes rearrange the chemical structure	D.	the pressure needed to force it to the surface causes molecular transformation

34.

In paragraph 4, the word “upgrade” is closest in meaning to

A.	improve	C.	charge
B.	counteract	D.	unite

35.

Which of the following is true?

A.	The various petroleum products are produced by filtration.	C.	Chemical separation is used to produce the various products.
B.	Heating and condensing produce the various products.	D.	Mechanical means, such as centrifuging, are used to produce the various products.

36.

The word “opaque” in paragraph 3 means most nearly the same as

A.	transparent	C.	light
B.	turbid	D.	crude

37.

How is crude oil brought to the surface?

A.	expansion of the hydrocarbons	C.	vacuum created in the drilling pipe
B.	pressure and pumping	D.	expansion and contraction of the earth’s surface

38.

All of the following are listed as light oils EXCEPT

A.	distillate oil	C.	lubricating oil
B.	gasoline	D.	kerosene

39.

What are the principal components of all petroleum products?

A.	hydrogen and carbon	C.	crude oils
B.	residual fuel oils	D.	refined substances

40.

The word “condensing” in lparagraph 4 is nearest in meaning to

A.	cooling	C.	diluting
B.	expanding	D.	refuting

41.

The word “they” in paragraph 3 refers to

A.	impurities	C.	hydrocarbons
B.	minute quantities	D.	trace elements

In the United States, presidential elections are held in years evenly divisible by four (1884, 1900, 1964, etc.). Since 1840, American presidents elected in years ending with zero have died in office, with one exception. William H. Harrison, the man who served the shortest term, died of pneumonia only several weeks after his inauguration.
Abraham Lincoln was one of four presidents who were assassinated. He was elected in 1860, and his untimely death came just five years later. James A. Garfield, a former Union army general from Ohio, was shot during his first year in office (1881) by a man whom he wouldn’t give a job. While in his second term of office (1990), William McKinley, another Ohioan, attended the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, New York. During the reception, he was assassinated while shaking hands with some of the guests. John F. Kennedy was assassinated in 1963 in Dallas only three years after his election.
Three years after his election in 1920, Warren G. Harding died in office. Although it was never proved, many believe he was poisoned. Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected four times (1932, 1936, 1940, and 1944), the only man to serve so long a term. He had contracted polio in 1921 and eventually died of the illness in 1945.
Ronald Reagan, who was elected in 1980 and re-elected four years later, suffered an assassination attempt but did not succumb to the assassin’s bullets. He was the first to break the long chain of unfortunate events. Will the candidate in the election of 2012 be as lucky?

42.

All of the following were election years EXCEPT

A.	1960	C.	1888
B.	1930	D.	1824

43.

Which president served the shortest term in office?

A.	Abraham Lincoln	C.	William McKinley
B.	Warren G. Harding	D.	William H. Harrison

44.

Which of the following are true?

A.	All presidents elected in years ending in zero have died in office.	C.	Franklin D. Roosevelt completed four terms as president.
B.	Only presidents from Ohio have died in office.	D.	Four American presidents have been assassinated.

45.

How many presidents elected in years ending in zero since 1840 have died in office?

A.	7	C.	4
B.	5	D.	3

46.

The word “inauguration” in paragraph 1 means most nearly the same as

A.	election	C.	swearing-in ceremony
B.	acceptance speech	D.	campaign

47.

All of the following presidents were assassinated EXCEPT

A.	John F. Kennedy	C.	Abraham Lincoln
B.	Franklin D. Roosevelt	D.	James A. Garfield

48.

The word “whom” in paragraph 2 refers to

A.	Garfield	C.	a Union army general
B.	Garfield’s assassin	D.	McKinley

49.

The word “assassinated” in paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to

A.	murdered	C.	honored
B.	decorated	D.	sickened

50.

In paragraph 3, “contracted” is closest in meaning to

A.	communicated about	C.	agreed about
B.	developed	D.	notified