ENGLISH III, M12
- Answer the question according to the text!
Text 1
Our eyes and ears might be called transformers because they sense the light and sound around us and turn them into electrical impulses that the brain can interpret. These electrical impulses that have been transformed by the eyes and ears reach the brain and are turned into messages that we can interpret. For the eye, the process begins as the eye admits light waves, bends them at the cornea and lens, and then focuses them on the retina. At the back of each eye, nerve fibers bundle together to form optic nerves, which join and then split into two optic tracts. Some of the fibers cross so that part of the input from the right visual field goes into the left side of the brain, and vice versa. The process in the ear is carried out through sensory cells that are carried in fluid-filled canals and that are extremely sensitive to vibration. Sound that is transformed into electricity travels along nerve fibers in the auditory nerve. These fibers form a synapse with neurons that carry the messages to the auditory cortex on each side of the brain.
1. According to the author, we might call our eyes and ears “transformers” because:
(A)They sense light and sound.
(B)They create electrical impulses.
(C)The brain can interpret the input.
(D)The messages travel in the brain.
2. Which of the following is closest in meaning to the word “admits” in line 5?
(A)selects
(B)interprets
(C)lets in
(D)focuses on
3. In line 5, what does the word “them” refer to?
(A)light waves
(B)processes
(C)eyes
(D)messages
4. The word “bundle” in line 6 could best be replaced by which of the following?
(A)group
(B)grow
(C)branch
(D)settle
5. The word “split” as used in line 7 is closest in meaning to which of the following?
(A)tear
(B)fracture
(C)separate
(D)crack
6. Which part of the passage best describes the first step in transforming light into electrical impulses?
(A)Lines 4-7
(B)Lines 7-8
(C)Lines 8-10
(D)Lines 11-12
7. According to the passage, when input from the right visual field goes into the left side of the brain, what happens?
(A)The nerve fibers bundle together.
(B)The optic nerves split.
(C)The retina receives light waves.
(D)Input from the left field goes to the right side.
8. The phrase “carried out” in line 9 could best be replaced by which of the following?
(A)brought over
(B)taken away
(C)accomplished
(D)maintained
9. Which of the following is most similar to the word “vibration” as used in line 10?
(A)sound
(B)movement
(C)light
(D)heat
10. According to the passage, optic nerves eventually:
(A)bend
(B)split
(C)admit light waves
(D)become messages
B. Questions 131-140 are based on the following passage:
It is said that George Washington was one of the first to realize how important the building of canals would be to the nation’s development. In fact, before he became President, he headed the first company in the Unites States to build a canal, which was to connect the Ohio and Potomac rivers. It was never completed, but it showed the nation the feasibility of canals. As the country expanded westward, settlers in western New York, Pennsylvania, and Ohio needed a means to ship goods. Canals linking natural waterways seemed to supply an effective method.
In 1791 engineers commissioned by the state of New York investigated the possibility of a canal between Albany on the Hudson River and Buffalo on Lake Erie to link the Great Lakes area with the Atlantic seacoast. It would avoid the mountains that served as a barrier to canals from the Delaware and Potomac rivers.
The first attempt to dig the canal, to be called the Erie Canal, was made by private companies but only a comparatively small portion was built before the project was halted for lack of funds. The cost of the project was an estimated $ 5 million, an enormous amount for those days. There was some on-again-off-again federal funding, but this time the War of 1812 put an end to construction. In 1817, DeWitt Clinton was elected Governor of New York and persuaded the state to finance and build the canal. It was completed in 1825, costing $ 2 million more than expected.
The canal rapidly lived up to its sponsors’ faith, quickly paying for itself through tolls. It was far more economical than any other form of transportation at the time. It permitted trade between the GreatLake region and the East coast, robbing the Mississippi River of much of its traffic. It allowed New York to supplant Boston, Philadelphia, and other eastern cities as the chief center of both domestic and foreign commerce. Cities sprang up along the canal. It also contributed in a number of ways to the North’s victory over the South in the Civil War.
An expansion of the canal was planned in 1849. Increased traffic would undoubtedly have warranted its construction had it not been for the development of the railroads.
131. Why does the author most likely mention George Washington in the first paragraph?
(A)He was President at the time the Erie Canal was build.
(B)He was involved in pioneering efforts to build canals.
(C)He successfully opened the first canal in the United States.
(D)He commissioned engineers to study the possibility of building the Erie Canal.
132. The word “feasibility” in line 5 is closest in meaning to
(A)profitability
(B)difficulty
(C)possibility
(D)capability
133. According to the passage, the Erie Canal connected the
(A)Potomac and OhioRivers
(B)Hudson river and Lake Erie
(C)Delaware and PotomacRivers
(D)Atlantic Ocean and Hudson River
134. The phrase “on-again-off-again” in line 15 could be replaced by which of the following with the least change in meaning?
(A)intermittent
(B)unsolicited
(C)ineffectual
(D)gradual
135. The completion of the Erie Canal was financed by
(A)New York.
(B)Private companies.
(C)The federal government.
(D)DeWitt Clinton.
136. The actual cost of building the Erie Canal was
(A)$ 5 million.
(B)Less than had been estimated.
(C)$7 million.
(D)More than could be repaid.
137. The word “tolls” in line 20 is closest in meaning to which of the following?
(A)jobs
(B)grants
(C)links
(D)fees
138. Which of the following is NOT given as an effect of the building of the Erie Canal in paragraph 4?
(A)It allowed the east coast to trade with the great Lakes area.
(B)It took water traffic away from the Mississippi River.
(C)It helped determine the outcome of the Civil war.
(D)It established Boston and Philadelphia as the most important centers of trade.
139. What can be inferred about railroads in 1849 from the information in the last paragraph?
(A)They were being planned but had not yet been built.
(B)They were seriously underdeveloped.
(C)They had begun to complete with the Erie Canal for traffic.
(D)They were weakened by the expansion of the canal.
140. The word “warranted” in line 27 is closest in meaning to
(A)guaranteed.
(B)justified.
(C)hastened.
(D)prevented.