Monday/Tuesday

Day One

MAIN IDEA

Because severe storms are fairly common in the United States during the springtime and because most people are not affected too greatly by them, people often ignore important warnings and instructions during severe storms. Some people hear the tornado siren screaming and think of the other times it sounded without any serious danger. Naturally, after a few "false" alarms, they just begin ignoring the siren altogether.
Unfortunately, that is the exact wrong thing to do. Sure, most of the time the worst of the severe weather will affect someone else. This might not always be true. If tornadoes affect your area, you need to have supplies and a plan to ensure your safety. All you need to remember are a few important things.
You and your family should know the safest place in your house to be during a tornado. Unless you have a basement or a cellar, the safest place will usually be an inner room, closet, or hallway without any windows. Take some blankets, a couple gallons of water, a flashlight, a battery-operated radio for weather updates, and a first-aid kit with you. It's also handy if your cell phone is fully charged.
If you live in a trailer or a mobile home, get out and find a more secure place to ride out the storm. Do not try to outrun a tornado in your car. Seek shelter in a stable building. Oftentimes, there will be a community center or school nearby that has been appointed for just such emergencies. If you are caught outdoors, try to get inside quickly. If it is impossible to get inside, try to find a low-lying place, such as a ditch, lie face-down, and cover your head.
It may seem like a lot of trouble for a storm that seems never to hit you, but getting caught in a severe storm is one of those times that the old saying rings especially true: You are better off safe than sorry.
6. / What is the main idea of the fourth paragraph?
/ A. / why you should never try to outrun a tornado in your car or truck
/ B. / where to find a ditch to lie in and cover your head during a tornado
/ C. / what to do if you are outside or in an unstable building during a tornado
/ D. / why schools and community centers are good places to be during a tornado
15 years ago there was nothing but farmland as far as the eye could see. Obviously, it is not that way today and will never be that way again, but I keep the memory in my mind. The development started 14 years ago when a company decided to build a new mall out this way. At the time, the location was ten miles outside of town, and everybody in town thought the mall would fail. After the mall, came the restaurants; first fast food, followed by sit-down restaurants. Once developers saw that the restaurants could be successful, they started building more places for people to shop for food, clothes, and other necessities. Finally, they started building houses, and more houses, and then apartments. Since then, the town has grown so much that you can hardly get around it, and the only place you will see a large patch of grass is at one of the public parks. They call it progress, but I am not sure that less grass and more places to spend money equal progress.
10. / Which would be the best title of the passage?
/ A. / Company Builds Mall Outside of Town
/ B. / The Results of 15 Years of Development
/ C. / New Homes and Apartments Built
/ D. / Public Parks Remain Despite Development

Thursday/Friday

DAY Two: MAIN IDEA

Buenos Aires, the capital city of Argentina, is known as the "Paris of South America" for its rich cultural treasures and its ability to attract a great many tourists. Lately, however, a bizarre problem has hit the city: it has become very difficult to make change. Indeed, this small economic crisis has come to be known as the great Buenos Aires coin shortage.
People commonly deal in transactions involving only small change, so the problem affects most people in the city. The city buses, the most common form of public transportation, take only change. A quick walk through any of the shopping districts of Buenos Aires will show the casual visitor many "No Coins" signs in storefront windows. Also, taxi rides are a smidgen more expensive as many drivers have begun rounding prices up to avoid dealing with change. The longest line in the city's central subway station is not for purchasing tickets or getting on the train, it's at the change window!
If you hope to visit this beautiful, up-and-coming city soon, dealing with these small inconveniences is worth it! The artistic treasures, the delicious food, the music, and the nightlife make visiting Buenos Aires truly special. Don't let the great Buenos Aires coin shortage stop you. You do need to plan to spend extra time locating coins for many of your simpler purchases and exchanges. If you are entering the city from other parts of Argentina, get a bag of coins, and take them with you! You may end up being more popular than you've ever been before!
11. / Which of the following sentences from the articlebestdescribes the main idea of the second paragraph?
/ A. / "A quick walk through any of the shopping districts of Buenos Aires will show the casual visitor many "No Coins" signs in storefront windows."
/ B. / "The longest line in the city's central subway station is not for purchasing tickets or getting on the train, it's at the change window!"
/ C. / "Also, taxi rides are a smidgen more expensive as many drivers have begun rounding prices up to avoid dealing with change."
/ D. / "People commonly deal in transactions involving only small change, so the problem affects most people in the city."
12. / Which of the following sentences from the third paragraphbestsupports the paragraph's main idea that visiting
Buenos Aires is worth the inconvenience of locating change?
/ A. / "You may end up being more popular than you've ever been before!"
/ B. / "If you are entering the city from other parts of Argentina, get a bag of coins and take them with you!"
/ C. / "You do need to plan to spend extra time locating coins for many of your simpler purchases and exchanges."
/ D. / "The artistic treasures, the delicious food, the music, and the nightlife make visiting Buenos Aires truly special."

Monday/Tuesday Day Three

DAY ONE: AUTHOR’S PURPOSE

Author's Purpose
Vitamin D is often overlooked as an important component of nutrition. Vitamin D strengthens bones, promotes hair growth, and may even help people with depression. While exposure to sunlight provides us with Vitamin D, not everyone spends time outdoors. Moreover, because Vitamin D is found in fish and dairy foods, people with a vegan diet may not get enough of it. People ought to pay strict attention to the amount of Vitamin D they consume. During the wintertime, when sunlight is at a minimum, it is wise to keep Vitamin D supplements in your home. In this way, you can be sure to stay looking and feeling your best.
1. / Based on the passage, which of thesebestdescribes the author's attitude toward Vitamin D?
/ A. / angry
/ B. / indifferent
/ C. / curious
/ D. / appreciative
2. / Read the last sentence of the paragraph. It is clear that the author wants readers to
/ A. / get plenty of exercise during the winter months.
/ B. / take the health benefits of Vitamin D seriously.
/ C. / think of Vitamin D as a healthy alternative to sunlight.
/ D. / learn about ways to maintain a proper vegan diet.
Cruise ships might be a fun way to take a vacation, but they do far too much damage to the environment. The ships are harmful to marine life. Research suggests that cruise ships produce more than three times the amount of CO2that airplanes do. Furthermore, cruise-ship passengers do not spend enough time at a given destination to learn about its culture. Thus, the passengers do not promote local culture. The next time you want to take a vacation, try taking a train or plane to your destination instead.
3. / Read the last sentence of the paragraph. It is clear that the author wants readers to
/ A. / think about the ways in which airplanes harm the environment.
/ B. / find an alternative to cruise ships when taking a vacation.
/ C. / compare the speeds of different modes of transportation.
/ D. / learn about the impact of CO2on cruise-ship passengers.
4. / Based on the passage, which of thesebestdescribes the author's attitude toward cruise ships?
/ A. / appreciative
/ B. / neutral
/ C. / concerned
/ D. / confused

Thursday/Friday Day Four

What is art? People debate this question all the time. This is because society's definition of art is confusing. For example, most of the items that one finds in an art museum should not be called "art." These are merely historical artifacts that people—or museum curators—have paid money to acquire. True art, on the other hand, is never sold. Instead, if it is to be called "art," it must be free. Likewise, a true artist will never sell his or her creations, because the artist knows that true art cannot be exchanged for money.
5. / Based on the passage, it is clear that the author wants readers to
/ A. / create and sell their best artworks.
/ B. / avoid paying money to go to museums.
/ C. / donate historical artifacts to museums.
/ D. / rethink the popular definition of art.
6. / Which of thesebestdescribes the author's tone in this passage?
/ A. / eager
/ B. / confident
/ C. / uncertain
/ D. / humorous
It is disappointing that so few of today's scientists have chosen to research the health benefits of meditation. For thousands of years, many cultures have practiced meditation to promote relaxation and concentration. Yet, very few people in the Western World take the time to meditate. Are we so distracted by our busy schedules that we cannot see the value in taking a few minutes to relax and breathe deeply? Practitioners of meditation say that it reduces stress and regulates metabolism, heart rate, and respiration. Until modern science produces research to confirm these claims, many people will continue to ignore the health benefits of meditation.
7. / Based on the passage, which of thesebestdescribes the author's attitude toward the amount of research that has been done on meditation?
/ A. / uncertain
/ B. / disappointed
/ C. / insecure
/ D. / neutral
8. / Read the fourth sentence of the paragraph. It is clear that the author wants readers to
/ A. / take responsibility for the health of others.
/ B. / learn about ways to research meditation.
/ C. / think of meditation as a way to stay busy.
/ D. / take the benefits of meditation seriously.