Online English Test

Synonym TOEFL - Lesson 4

2011-01-18T23:24:00.002+07:00

Tìm từ đồng nghĩa với từ được gạch chân - Bài số 4

1. The same questions repeated over and over soon made them weary.
(A) suspicious
(B) tired
(C) disturbed
(D) cautious
2. They have radically changed the rules since I played football.
(A) slightly
(B) completely
(C) fundamentally
(D) reasonably
3. Jim's decided to buy a phonograph even though they are now redundant.
(A) old-fashioned
(B) reproduced
(C) unnecessary
(D) quaint
4. His plan was rejected because it just wasn't feasible.
(A) unrealistic
(B) inconceivable
(C) attainable
(D) attractive
5. The yearly growth of the gross national product is often used as an indicator of a nation's economy.
(A) sluggish
(B) haphazard
(C) routine
(D) annual
6. The cost of living in the United States has risen at a rate of 6 percent per year during the last ten-year period.
(A) tenth
(B) century
(C) decade
(D) quarter
7. Carbohydrates are plentiful in nature where they serve as an immediate source of energy.
(A) abundant
(B) obscure
(C) unstable
(D) reliable
8. The knife that is displayed in the museum is more than one thousand years old and was a gift to the president of the United States from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
(A) nadir
(B) rancor
(C) dagger
(D) boulder
9. Thrift is an excellent virtue, especially for young people who wish to purchase their own home.
(A) honesty
(B) industriousness
(C) openmindedness
(D) frugality
10. The party that we are planning for midterm will give students, instructors, conversation partners, host families and friends an opportunity to mix in a social setting.
(A) mingle
(B) stir
(C) smear
(D) weave
11. Pain signals, in the form of electrical impulses, are carried to the brain by the nerves.
(A) hurts
(B) lights
(C) cells
(D) shocks
12. The choice of a particular career is influenced by a number of factors.
(A) usefulness
(B) success
(C) desirability
(D) selection
13. Chimpanzees are frequently used as stand-ins for human beings in experiments.
(A) partners
(B) role-models
(C) stand-bys
(D) substitutes
14. His involuntary reflexes betrayed his feelings.
(A) automatic
(B) unbelievable
(C) unnecessary
(D) unreasonable
15. A balanced diet should include fish and fowl as well as red meat.
(A) fruit
(B) birds
(C) vegetables
(D) cheese and milk
16. The Constitution guarantees that private homes will not be searched without a warrant.
(A) special guard
(B) written authorization
(C) national emergency
(D) small payment
17. The barometer is used by weather forecasters to detect changes in air pressure.
(A) determine
(B) mystify
(C) announce
(D) reduce
18. The change in population distribution was barely noticeable to the demographers conducting the study.
(A) often
(B) hardly
(C) never
(D) softly
19. The Baltimore oriole has wings with white bars and a bright orange breast.
(A) light
(B) brilliant
(C) intelligent
(D) illuminated
20. The plane that crashed was carrying a group of entertainers en route to the State Fair.
(A) troupe
(B) bump
(C) prop
(D) shop

Xem lại bài Synonym TOEFL - Lesson 4 và bài Synonym TOEFL - Lesson 3

Level A ( Trình độ A )

Level B ( Trình độ B )

Level C ( Trình độ C )

TOEFL Test

Incorrect word-TOEFL

Synonym TOEFL - Lesson 3

2009-06-12T16:56:00.001+07:00

Tìm từ đồng nghĩa với từ được gạch chân - Bài số 3

1. The recent medical breakthrough was the culmination of many long years of experimentation.
(A) result
(B) climax
(C) abyss
(D) cultivation
2. Magma is the primary source of all the earth's rocks.
(A) cheapest
(B) first
(C) nearest
(D) worst
3. Saint Elmo's Fire is a phenomenon that occurs when ships discharging harmless electrical charges into the atmosphere appear to shine.
(A) fade
(B) shrink
(C) glow
(D) vanish
4. Milk is purified by heating it at 60*C for thirty minutes.
(A) cleansed
(B) stored
(C) mixed
(D) packaged
5. Although monkeys occasionally menace their enemies, they are usually not dangerous unless they are provoked.
(A) pursue
(B) consume
(C) threaten
(D) kill
6. In the Navajo household, grandparents and other relatives play indispensable roles in raising the children.
(A) dominant
(B) exemplary
(C) essential
(D) demanding
7. Regular use of this cream will help to relieve the rough, dry condition of your skin.
(A) alleviate
(B) abstract
(C) evaporate
(D) abbreviate
8. Because leeches' behavior patterns are simple, it is relatively easy to identify which neurons govern which behavior.
(A) apparently
(B) comparatively
(C) obviously
(D) consequently
9. After the bottom fell out of the market, he was virtually bankrupt.
(A) completely
(B) finally
(C) practically
(D) dishonestly
10. She didn't say much, but her tone of voice insinuated more.
(A) blamed
(B) suggested
(C) demanded
(D) intervened
11. When calcium carbonate crystallizes from a solution, limestone is formed.
(A) made
(B) framed
(C) destroyed
(D) outlined
12. After receiving her check, Suzy endorsed it and took it to the bank.
(A) destroyed
(B) signed
(C) folded
(D) deposited
13. The professor's introductory remarks concerned the development of the laser beam.
(A) preliminary
(B) final
(C) supplementary
(D) interminable
14. The speaker was asked to condense his presentation in order to allow his audience to ask questions.
(A) abbreviate
(B) expand
(C) continue
(D) delay
15. Immigrants entering the United States at the turn of the century often encountered living conditions radically different from those they had left behind.
(A) apparently
(B) drastically
(C) admittedly
(D) tragically
16. Discretionary funds are included in most budgets to cover expenses that the contractor might run into during the work.
(A) forget to do
(B) pay for
(C) meet unexpectedly
(D) add on
17. A nurse practitioner has training in a specialized area of medicine.
(A) an honorable
(B) a difficult
(C) a prescribed
(D) a distinct
18. The United States government issues three types of passports: diplomatic, official, and regular.
(A) orders
(B) circulates
(C) retains
(D) relies on
19. Ice Age fossils from the La Brea tar pits in Los Angeles are now on display in the Natural History Museum in Los Angeles County.
(A) located
(B) on exhibit
(C) under supervision
(D) stored
20. The protesting crowd dispersed after the rally.
(A) scattered
(B) became violent
(C) fought
(D) danced

Synonym TOEFL - Lesson 2

2009-06-12T16:55:00.000+07:00

Tìm từ đồng nghĩa với từ được gạch chân - Bài số 2

1. Perhaps more than anything else, it was onerous taxes that led to 'the Peasants' Revolt in England in 1381.
(A) multiple
(B) unjust
(C) burdensome
(D) infamous
2. An appendectomy is a routine operation.
(A) cheap
(B) small
(C) usual
(D) quick
3. In the play "Who is afraid of Virginia Woolf?" a woman and her husband spend most of their time quarreling.
(A) bickering
(B) gossiping
(C) teasing
(D) chuckling
4. Jane suffered a light blow on her head as she got out of the car.
(A) jump
(B) hump
(C) bump
(D) stump
5. Since the research studies have shown a relationship between cancer and cigarette smoking, many people have cut down.
(A) ceased smoking
(B) become frightened
(C) decreased the number of cigarettes
(D) gotten sick
6. After Senator Smith announced that he planned to run for president, the telephone at campaign headquarters rang continuously.
(A) incessantly
(B) ignorantly
(C) incisively
(D) impartially
7. Since Ron has such an intense dislike for flying, I am certain that he will not want to go with us.
(A) avarice for
(B) aversion to
(C) affection for
(D) affirmation of
8. The American bald eagle is not really bald in the usual sense.
(A) mighty
(B) majestic
(C) hairless
(D) flightless
9. He was fired because of his misconduct at the office party.
(A) mistake
(B) impropriety
(C) condition
(D) singing
10. The 1908 Siberian meteorite explosion brought about considerable depletion of the northern hemisphere's ozone layer.
(A) was caused by
(B) resulted in
(C) brought back
(D) was initiated by
11. A two-thirds majority in Congress is required if a bill is to become law.
(A) necessary
(B) desirable
(C) acquired
(D) optional
12. The Chinese people worship their ancestors.
(A) fossils
(B) elders
(C) forefathers
(D) heirs
13. The dog saw his reflection in the pool of water.
(A) image
(B) bone
(C) imagination
(D) leash
14. John didn't enjoy the rock concert because he thought the tempo was bad.
(A) audience
(B) rhythm
(C) singer
(D) weather
15. The old utilities building was demolished and a new highrise took its place.
(A) renovated
(B) razed
(C) remodeled
(D) reconciled
16. Joyce is loved by all her friends because she is very congenial.
(A) pleasant
(B) wealthy
(C) courageous
(D) sensitive
17. Prehistoric cave art portrayed animals in motion.
(A) enhanced
(B) hindered
(C) criticize
(D) depicted
18. The members of the committee were assembled quickly.
(A) advised
(B) informed
(C) gathered
(D) consulted
19. A chameleon is a kind of lizard known for its ability to change color.
(A) scope
(B) magnitude
(C) span
(D) hue
20. It takes roughly 4000 pounds of petals to make a single pound of rose oil.
(A) as much as
(B) amazingly
(C) more or less
(D) relatively

Synonym TOEFL - Lesson 1

2009-06-12T16:53:00.000+07:00

Tìm từ đồng nghĩa với từ được gạch chân - Bài số 1

1. In certain types of poisoning, immediately give large quantities of soapy or salty water in order to induce vomiting.
(A) control
(B) clean
(C) cause
(D) stop
2. He was mystified by the look on the stranger's face.
(A) perplexed
(B) shocked
(C) upset
(D) excited
3. I was horrified to see the child about to cross the expressway alone.
(A) ashamed
(B) shocked
(C) nervous
(D) surprised
4. The secretary left after weeks of harassment by the manager of her department.
(A) teasing
(B) irritation
(C) absence
(D) goading
5. It is very discourteous to intrude during someone's conversation.
(A) find fault
(B) disagree
(C) be in the way
(D) leave quickly
6. The Civil War in 1863 cut the United States into two nations - a southern Confederacy and a northern Union.
(A) severed
(B) acknowledged
(C) integrated
(D) alienated
7. Relaxation therapy teaches one not to fret over small problems.
(A) worry about
(B) get angry about
(C) get involved in
(D) look for
8. Proximity to the court house makes an office building more valuable.
(A) Interest in
(B) Similarity to
(C) Nearness to
(D) Usefulness for
9. The new amphitheater was based on the ancient Greek design.
(A) underwater theater
(B) oval theater
(C) sound and light theater
(D) mini-theater
10. Primary education in the United States is compulsory.
(A) free of charge
(B) required
(C) excellent
(D) easy
11. The fer-de-lance, a kind of viper, is one of the most poisonous snakes.
(A) deadly
(B) vicious
(C) bad tasting
(D) unhealthy
12. In the early days of baseball, the game was played by young men of means and social position.
(A) with skill
(B) with equipment
(C) with money
(D) with ambition
13. Mounting evidence indicates that acid rain is damaging historic sites in Boston and Philadelphia.
(A) Hanging
(B) Tentative
(C) Increasing
(D) Irrefutable
14. Carpets from countries such as Persia and Afghanistan often fetch high prices in the United States.
(A) Artifacts
(B) Rugs
(C) Pottery
(D) Textiles
15. Though many scientific breakthroughs have resulted from mishaps, it has taken brilliant thinkers to recognize their potential.
(A) misunderstandings
(B) accidents
(C) misfortunes
(D) incidentals
16. A multitude of people attended the fund-raising presentation in the mall.
(A) small number
(B) select group
(C) huge crowd
(D) large herd
17. Jan took many snapshots while on vacation in Europe.
(A) notes
(B) gifts
(C) photos
(D) clothes
18. John was not promoted because his work did not meet the manager's expectations.
(A) anticipations
(B) expenditures
(C) expertise
(D) gaudiness
19. Ralph Nader always speaks out about everything.
(A) declares his opinion
(B) agrees
(C) quarrels
(D) has an interest
20. Unorganized guessing will not raise a test score as significantly as choosing one letter as a "guess answer" for the entire examination.
(A) Cryptic
(B) Haphazard
(C) Economical
(D) Subsequent

Reading-Comprehension-Lesson 157

2007-11-16T18:17:00.001+07:00

Đọc đoạn văn sau và trả lời các câu hỏi: The cause of tooth decay is acid, which is produced by bacteria in
the mouth. The acid removes minerals from tooth enamel, allowing
tooth decay to begin; the saliva in your mouth encourages remineralization
and neutralizes the acid. The rate at which bacteria in the mouth
5 produce acid depends on the amount of plaque on the teeth, the composition
of the microbial flora, and whether the bacteria of the plaque have
been "primed" by frequent exposure to sugar. To keep your teeth healthy,
a regular dental hygiene program should be followed.

10 Removing plaque with a toothbrush and dental floss temporarily reduces
the numbers of bacteria in the mouth and thus reduces tooth decay.
It also makes the surfaces of the teeth more accessible, enabling
saliva to neutralize acid and remineralize lesions. If fluoride is
present in drinking water when teeth are forming, some fluoride is
15 incorporated into the enamel of the teeth, making them more resistant
to attack by acid. Fluoride toothpaste seems to act in another way,
by promoting the remineralization of early carious lesions.

In addition to a regular dental hygiene program, a good way to keep
20 your teeth healthy is to reduce your intake of sweet food. The least
cavity-causing way to eat sweets is to have them with meals and not
between. The number of times you eat sweets rather than the total
amount determines how much harmful acid the bacteria in your saliva
produce. But the amount of sweets influences the quality of your
25 saliva. Avoid, if you can, sticky sweets that stay in your mouth
a long time. Also try to brush and floss your teeth after eating
sugary foods. Even rinsing your mouth with water is effective. Whenever
possible, eat foods with fiber, such as raw carrot sticks, apples,
celery sticks, etc., that scrape off plaque, acting as a toothbrush.
30 Cavities can be greatly reduced if these rules are followed when
eating sweets.1. What does this passage mainly discuss?
(A) Good nutrition
(B) Food with fiber
(C) Ways to keep your teeth healthy
(D) Fluoridization and cavities
2. According to the passage, all of the following statements about plaque are true EXCEPT
(A) It consists of acid producing bacteria
(B) It is not affected by eating sweets
(C) It can be removed from teeth by brushing and flossing
(D) It reduces the positive effect of saliva
3. We can infer from the passage that one benefit of fluoride to healthy teeth is
(A) It strengthens tooth enamel
(B) It stimulates saliva production
(C) It makes teeth whiter
(D) It is a replacement for brushing and flossing in dental care
4. The word "it" in line 12 refers to
(A) dental floss
(B) bacteria
(C) removal of plaque
(D) plaque
5. What can be concluded from the passage about sweets?
(A) All sweets should be avoided.
(B) Sweets should be eaten with care.
(C) It is better to eat sweets a little at a time throughout the day.
(D) Sticky sweets are less harmful than other sweets.
6. The word "scrape off" in line 29 is closest in meaning to
(A) repel
(B) rub together with
(C) remove
(D) dissolve
7. It can be inferred from the passage that foods with fiber are
(A) sugary
(B) expensive
(C) sticky
(D) abrasive
8. According to the passage, the value of eating foods with fiber is that
(A) they contain Vitamin A
(B) they are less expensive than a toothbrush
(C) they are able to remove the plaque from your teeth
(D) they contain no sugar
9. The author of the passage states that the amount of acid produced by the bacteria in your saliva increases
(A) with the amount of sweets you eat
(B) with the number of times you eat sweets
(C) if you eat sweets with your meals
(D) if you eat sticky sweets

Back Test with: Reading-Comprehension-Lesson 156 and Reading-Comprehension-Lesson 157

Reading-Comprehension-Lesson 156

2007-11-16T18:00:00.001+07:00

Đọc đoạn văn sau và trả lời các câu hỏi: When Daniel Boone died peacefully in bed in his son Nathan's elegant
stone Missouri farmhouse on September 26, 1820, the surge of emigrants
along the Oregon Trail was still a generation away. But Boone already
exemplified the pioneer at his best. He was neither the physical
5 giant (five feet nine) nor the innocent child of nature that legend
has made of him. He was an intelligent, soft spoken family man who
cherished the same wife for 57 years. He befriended Indians, preferred
company to solitude, and when he told his wife it was time to move
because a newcomer had settled some 70 miles away, he was joking.
10
Pennsylvania-born, Boone was one of 11 children in a family of Quakers
who migrated to North Carolina. There Boone was recruited at age
40 to undertake a scheme designed to open up Kentucky to settlers
and establish it as a 14th colony. He arranged a deal by which the
15 Cherokees sold 20 million acres for $20,000 worth of goods to Boone's
employers, the Transylvania Company. It was all fair and square-the
Indians had an attorney, an interpreter, and the sound advice of
their squaws. The deal completed, Boone led a party from Tennessee
through the Cumberland Gap, hacked out the Wilderness Road, and set
20 up a town- Boonesboro-and a government. Elected a legislator, he
introduced on the first session's first day a bill to protect game
against wanton slaughter and a second bill to "improve the breed
of horses." He got 2,000 acres for his work, but after the Revolution-in
which Boone won considerable fame as a militia commander-the scheme
25 of the Transylvania Company was declared illegal and Boone lost his
land. Undaunted, he staked out more claims-and lost them because
he impatiently neglected to register his deeds. Ever hopeful, he
accepted an invitation from Spanish-held Missouri to come and settle
there and bring others with him. The Spanish gave him 8,500 acres
30 and made him a judge. But the Louisiana Purchase, which embraced
Missouri, again left him-but not his children-landless. Old and broke,
Boone cheerfully continued hunting and trapping long after his hands
shook. Shortly before he died, he was talking knowledgeably with
young men about the joys to be experienced in settling California.1. What is the author's purpose in writing this passage?
(A) To chronicle the life of a model pioneer
(B) To romanticize the legend of Daniel Boone
(C) To show Boone's many successes on the frontier
(D) To trace Boone's explorations in Kentucky, Missouri, and Louisiana
2. The word "surge" in line 2 is closest in meaning to
(A) remains
(B) attraction
(C) rush
(D) rumor
3. It can be inferred that one area in which Boone was NOT successful was
(A) politics
(B) hunting and trapping
(C) business
(D) the military
4. The phrase "fair and square" in lines 16 is closest in meaning to
(A) honest
(B) simple
(C) efficient
(D) lucrative
5. It can be inferred from the passage that Boone died
(A) a rich man
(B) an eternal optimist
(C) in California
(D) a lonely trapper
6. According to the passage, where is Boone's namesake city located?
(A) In North Carolina
(B) In Transylvania
(C) In Kentucky
(D) In Missouri
7. The Transylvania Company wanted Boone to
(A) settle Kentucky
(B) be fair to the Indians
(C) ensure animal rights
(D) claim Missouri
8. The word "undaunted" in line 26 is closest in meaning to
(A) unscrupulous
(B) fearless
(C) undiscouraged
(D) uninformed
9. According to the passage, the Louisiana Purchase
(A) legitimized Boone's land claim in Missouri
(B) revoked the earlier Spanish bequest to Boone
(C) drove the Spanish from the East
(D) excluded Missouri from its jurisdiction
10. What can be inferred from the passage about Boone's children?
(A) They were better off financially than Boone.
(B) They supported Boone's desire to settle new areas.
(C) They lived in Kentucky.
(D) They had no land due to Boone's bad investments.
11. The author's attitude toward Daniel Boone in the passage can be best described as
(A) admiring
(B) critical
(C) admonishing
(D) indifferent

Back Test with: Reading-Comprehension-Lesson 156 and Reading-Comprehension-Lesson 155

Reading-Comprehension-Lesson 155

2007-11-16T17:51:00.001+07:00

Đọc đoạn văn sau và trả lời các câu hỏi: This rapid transcontinental settlement and these new urban industrial
circumstances of the last half of the 19th century were accompanied
by the development of a national literature of great abundance and
variety. New themes, new forms, new subjects, new regions, new authors,
5 new audiences all emerged in the literature of this half century.
As a result, at the onset of World War I, the spirit and substance
of American literature had evolved remarkably, just as its center
of production had shifted from Boston to New York in the late 1880s
and the sources of its energy to Chicago and the Midwest. No longer
10 was it produced, at least in its popular forms, in the main by solemn,
typically moralistic men from New England and the Old South; no longer
were polite, well-dressed, grammatically correct, middle-class young
people the only central characters in its narratives; no longer were
these narratives to be set in exotic places and remote times; no
15 longer, indeed, were fiction, poetry, drama, and formal history the
chief acceptable forms of literary expression; no longer, finally,
was literature read primarily by young, middle class women. In sum,
American literature in these years fulfilled in considerable measure
the condition Walt Whitman called for in1867 in describing Leaves
20 of Grass: it treats, he said of his own major work, each state and
region as peers "and expands from them, and includes the world ...
connecting an American citizen with the citizens of all nations."
At the same time, these years saw the emergence of what has been
designated "the literature of argument," powerful works in sociology,
25 philosophy, psychology, many of them impelled by the spirit of exposure
and reform. Just as America learned to play a role in this half century
as an autonomous international political, economic, and military
power, so did its literature establish itself as a producer of major
works.1. The main idea of this passage is
(A) that the new American literature was less provincial than the old
(B) that World War I caused a dramatic change in America
(C) that centers of culture shifted from East to West
(D) that most people were wary of the new literature
2. It can be inferred from lines 1-3 that the previous passage probably discussed
(A) the importance of tradition to writers
(B) new developments in industrialization and population shifts
(C) the fashions and values of 19th century America
(D) the limitations of American literature to this time
3. The word "evolved" in line 7 is closest in meaning to
(A) became famous
(B) turned back
(C) diminished
(D) changed
4. The word "it" in line 10 refers to
(A) the population
(B) the energy
(C) American literature
(D) the manufacturing
5. The word "exotic" in line 14 is closest in meaning to
(A) urban
(B) unusual
(C) well-known
(D) old-fashioned
6. The author uses the word "indeed" in line 15 for what purpose?
(A) To emphasize the contrast he is making
(B) For variety in a lengthy paragraph
(C) To wind down his argument
(D) To show a favorable attitude to these forms of literature
7. The phrase "these years" in line 18 refers to
(A) 1850-1900
(B) the 1900s
(C) the early 1800s
(D) the present
8. It can be inferred from the passage that Walt Whitman
(A) disliked urban life
(B) was disapproving of the new literature
(C) wrote Leaves of Grass
(D) was an international diplomat
9. All of the following can be inferred from the passage about the new literature EXCEPT
(A) It was not highly regarded internationally
(B) It introduced new American themes, characters, and settings
(C) It broke with many literary traditions of the past
(D) It spoke to the issue of reform and change
10. This passage would probably be read in which of the following academic courses?
(A) European history
(B) American literature
(C) Current events
(D) International affairs

Back Test with: Reading-Comprehension-Lesson 154 and Reading-Comprehension-Lesson 155

Reading-Comprehension-Lesson 154

2007-11-16T17:45:00.001+07:00

Đọc đoạn văn sau và trả lời các câu hỏi: Until recently, most American entrepreneurs were men. Discrimination
against women in business, the demands of caring for families, and
lack of business training had kept the number of women entrepreneurs
small. Now, however, businesses owned by women account for more than
5 $40 billion in annual revenues, and this figure is likely to continue
rising throughout the 1990s. As Carolyn Doppelt Gray, an official
of the Small Business Administration, has noted, "The 1970s was the
decade of women entering management, and the 1980s turned out to
be the decade of the woman entrepreneur".
10
What are some of the factors behind this trend? For one thing, as
more women earn advanced degrees in business and enter the corporate
world, they are finding obstacles. Women are still excluded from
most executive suites. Charlotte Taylor, a management consultant,
15 had noted, "In the 1970s women believed if they got an MBA and worked
hard they could become chairman of the board. Now they've found out
that isn't going to happen, so they go out on their own".

In the past, most women entrepreneurs worked in "women's" fields: cosmetics
20 and clothing, for example. But this is changing. Consider ASK Computer
Systems, a $22-million-a-year computer software business. It was
founded in 1973 by Sandra Kurtzig, who was then a housewife with
degrees in math and engineering. When Kurtzig founded the business,
her first product was software that let weekly newspapers keep tabs
25 on their newspaper carriers-and her office was a bedroom at home,
with a shoebox under the bed to hold the company's cash. After she
succeeded with the newspaper software system, she hired several bright
computer-science graduates to develop additional programs. When these
were marketed and sold, ASK began to grow. It now has 200 employees,
30 and Sandra Kurtzig owns $66.9 million of stock.

Of course, many women who start their own businesses fail, just as
men often do. They still face hurdles in the business world, especially
problems in raising money; the banking and finance world is still
35 dominated by men, and old attitudes die hard. Most businesses owned
by women are still quite small. But the situation is changing; there
are likely to be many more Sandra Kurtzigs in the years ahead.1. What is the main idea of this passage?
(A) Women today are better educated than in the past, making them more attractive to the business world.
(B) The computer is especially lucrative for women today.
(C) Women are better at small businesses than men are.
(D) Women today are opening more businesses of their own.
2. The word "excluded" in line 13 is closest in meaning to
(A) not permitted in
(B) often invited to
(C) decorators of
(D) charged admission to
3. All of the following were mentioned in the passage as detriments to women in the business world EXCEPT
(A) women were required to stay at home with their families
(B) women lacked ability to work in business
(C) women faced discrimination in business
(D) women were not trained in business
4. In line 17, "that" refers to
(A) a woman becomes chairman of the board
(B) women working hard
(C) women achieving advanced degrees
(D) women believing that business is a place for them
5. According to the passage, Charlotte Taylor believes that women in the 1970s
(A) were unrealistic about their opportunities in business management
(B) were still more interested in education than business opportunities
(C) had fewer obstacles in business than they do today
(D) were unable to work hard enough to succeed in business
6. The author mentions the "shoebox under the bed" in the third paragraph in order to
(A) show the frugality of women in business
(B) show the resourcefulness of Sandra Kurtzig
(C) point out that initially the financial resources of Sandra Kurtzig's business were limited
(D) suggest that the company needed to expand
7. In line 20, the word "this" refers to
(A) women becoming entrepreneurs
(B) women buying cosmetics and clothing
(C) women working in "women's fields"
(D) women staying at home
8. The expression "keep tabs on" in line 24-25 is closest in meaning to
(A) recognize the appearance of
(B) keep records of
(C) provide transportation for
(D) pay the salaries of
9. The word "hurdles" in line 33 can be best replaced by
(A) fences
(B) obstacles
(C) questions
(D) small groups
10. It can be inferred from the passage that the author believes that businesses operated by women are small because
(A) women prefer a small intimate setting
(B) women can't deal with money
(C) women are not able to borrow money easily
(D) many women fail at large businesses
11. The author's attitude about the future of women in business is
(A) skeptical
(B) optimistic
(C) frustrated
(D) negative

Back Test with: Reading-Comprehension-Lesson 154 and Reading-Comprehension-Lesson 153

Reading-Comprehension-Lesson 153

2007-11-16T17:34:00.000+07:00

Đọc đoạn văn sau và trả lời các câu hỏi: While most desert animals will drink water if confronted with it,
for many of them the opportunity never comes. Yet all living things
must have water, or they will expire. The herbivores find it in desert
plants. The carnivores slake their thirst with the flesh and blood
5 of living prey. One of the most remarkable adjustments, however,
has been made by the tiny kangaroo rat, who not only lives without
drinking but subsists on a diet of dry seeds containing about 5%
free water. Like other animals, he has the ability to manufacture
water in his body by a metabolic conversion of carbohydrates. But
10 he is notable for the parsimony with which he conserves his small
supply by every possible means, expending only minuscule amounts
in his excreta and through evaporation from his respiratory tract.

Investigation into how the kangaroo rat can live without drinking
15 water has involved various experiments with these small animals.
Could kangaroo rats somehow store water in their bodies and slowly
utilize these resources in the long periods when no free water is
available from dew or rain? The simplest way to settle this question
was to determine the total water content in the animals to see if
20 it decreases as they are kept for long periods on a dry diet. If
they slowly use up their water, the body should become increasingly
dehydrated, and if they begin with a store of water, this should
be evident from an initial high water content. Results of such experiments
with kangaroo rats on dry diets for more than 7 weeks showed that
25 the rats maintained their body weight. There was no trend toward
a decrease in water content during the long period of water deprivation.
When the kangaroo rats were given free access to water, they did
not drink water. They did nibble on small pieces of watermelon, but
this did not change appreciably the water content in their bodies,
30 which remained at 66.3 to 67.2 during this period.

This is very close to the water content of dry-fed animals (66.5),
and the availability of free water, therefore, did not lead to any
"storage" that could be meaningful as a water reserve. This makes
35 it reasonable to conclude that physiological storage of water is
not a factor in the kangaroo rat's ability to live on dry food.1. What is the topic of this passage?
(A) Kangaroo rats
(B) Water in the desert
(C) Desert life
(D) Physiological experiments
2. The word "expire" inline 3 is closest in meaning to
(A) become ill
(B) die
(C) shrink
(D) dehydrate
3. Which of the following is NOT a source of water for the desert animals?
(A) Desert plants
(B) Metabolic conversion of carbohydrates in the body
(C) The blood of other animals
(D) Streams
4. The word "it" in line 3 refers to
(A) a living thing
(B) the desert
(C) the opportunity
(D) water
5. The author states that the kangaroo rat is known for all of the following EXCEPT
(A) the economy with which it uses available water.
(B) living without drinking water.
(C) breathing slowly and infrequently.
(D) manufacturing water internally.
6. The word "parsimony" in line 10 is closest in meaning to
(A) intelligence.
(B) desire.
(C) frugality.
(D) skill.
7. It is implied by the author that desert animals can exist with little or no water because of
(A) less need for water than other animals.
(B) many opportunities for them to find water.
(C) their ability to eat plants.
(D) their ability to adjust to the desert environment.
8. The word "deprivation" inline 26 is closest in meaning to
(A) preservation.
(B) renewal.
(C) examination.
(D) withholding.
9. According to the passage, the results of the experiments with kangaroo rats showed that
(A) kangaroo rats store water for use during dry periods.
(B) kangaroo rats took advantage of free access to water.
(C) there was no significant change in body weight due to lack of water or accessibility to water.
(D) a dry diet seems detrimental to the kangaroo rat's health.

Back Test with: Reading-Comprehension-Lesson 152 and Reading-Comprehension-Lesson 153

Reading-Comprehension-Lesson 152

2007-11-16T17:32:00.001+07:00

Đọc đoạn văn sau và trả lời các câu hỏi: Scientists do not yet thoroughly understand just how the body of an
individual becomes sensitive to a substance that is harmless or even
wholesome for the average person. Milk, wheat, and egg, for example,
rank among the most healthful and widely used foods. Yet these foods
5 can cause persons sensitive to them to suffer greatly. At first,
the body of the individual is not harmed by coming into contact with
the substance. After a varying interval of time, usually longer than
a few weeks, the body becomes sensitive to it, and an allergy has
begun to develop.
10
Sometimes it's hard to figure out if you have a food allergy, since
it can show up so many different ways. Your symptoms could be caused
by many other problems. You may have rashes, hives, joint pains mimicking
arthritis, headaches, irritability, or depression. The most common
15 food allergies are to milk, eggs, seafood, wheat, nuts, seeds, chocolate,
oranges, and tomatoes. Many of these allergies will not develop if
these foods are not fed to an infant until her or his intestines
mature at around seven months. Breast milk also tends to be protective.
Migraines can be set off by foods containing tyramine, phenathylamine,
20 monosodium glutamate, or sodium nitrate. Common foods which contain
these are chocolate, aged cheeses, sour cream, red wine, pickled
herring, chicken livers, avocados, ripe bananas, cured meats, many
Oriental and prepared foods (read the labels!). Some people have
been successful in treating their migraines with supplements of B-vitamins,
25 particularly B6 and niacin. Children who are hyperactive may benefit
from eliminating food additives, especially colorings, and foods
high in salicylates from their diets. A few of these are almonds,
green peppers, peaches, tea, grapes. This is the diet made popular
by Benjamin Feingold, who has written the book Why your Child is
30 Hyperactive. Other researchers have had mixed results when testing
whether the diet is effective.1. The topic of this passage is
(A) reactions to foods
(B) food and nutrition
(C) infants and allergies
(D) a good diet
2. According to the passage, the difficulty in diagnosing allergies to foods is due to
(A) the vast number of different foods we eat
(B) lack of a proper treatment plan
(C) the similarity of symptoms of the allergy to other problems
(D) the use of prepared formula to feed babies
3. The word "symptoms" in line 12 is closest in meaning to
(A) indications
(B) diet
(C) diagnosis
(D) prescriptions
4. The phrase "set off" in lines 19 is closest in meaning to
(A) relieved
(B) identified
(C) avoided
(D) triggered
5. What can be inferred about babies from this passage?
(A) They can eat almost anything.
(B) They should have a carefully restricted diet as infants.
(C) They gain little benefit from being breast fed.
(D) They may become hyperactive if fed solid food too early.
6. The word "hyperactive" in line 25 is closest in meaning to
(A) overly active
(B) unusually low activity
(C) excited
(D) inquisitive
7. The author states that the reason that infants need to avoid certain foods related to allergies has to do with the infant's
(A) lack of teeth
(B) poor metabolism
(C) underdeveloped intestinal tract
(D) inability to swallow solid foods
8. The word "these" in line 27 refers to
(A) food additives
(B) food colorings
(C) unnutritious foods
(D) foods high in salicylates
9. Which of the following was a suggested treatment for migraines in the passage?
(A) Eating more ripe bananas
(B) Avoiding all Oriental foods
(C) Getting plenty of sodium nitrate
(D) Using Vitamin B in addition to a good diet
10. According to the article the Feingold diet is NOT
(A) verified by researchers as being consistently effective
(B) available in book form
(C) beneficial for hyperactive children
(D) designed to eliminate foods containing certain food additives

Back Test with: Reading-Comprehension-Lesson 152 and Reading-Comprehension-Lesson 151

Reading-Comprehension-Lesson 151

2007-11-16T17:27:00.001+07:00

Đọc đoạn văn sau và trả lời các câu hỏi: "The economic history of the United States", one scholar has written,
"is the history of the rise and development of the capitalistic system."
The colonists of the eighteenth century pushed forward what those
of the seventeenth century had begun: the expansion and elaboration
5 of an economy born in the great age of capitalist expansion.

Our excellent natural resources paved the way for the development
of abundant capital to increase our growth. Capital includes the
tools-such as machines, vehicles, and buildings-that make the outputs
10 of labor and resources more valuable. But it also includes the funds
necessary to buy those tools. If a society had to consume everything
it produced just to stay alive, nothing could be put aside to increase
future productions. But if a farmer can grow more corn than his family
needs to eat, he can use the surplus as seed to increase the next
15 crop, or to feed workers who build tractors. This process of capital
accumulation was aided in the American economy by our cultural heritage.
Saving played an important role in the European tradition; it contributed
to Americans' motivation to put something aside today for the tools
to buy tomorrow.
20
The great bulk of the accumulated wealth of America, as distinguished
from that which was consumed, was derived either directly or indirectly
from trade. Though some manufacturing existed, its role in the accumulation
of capital was negligible. A merchant class of opulent proportions
25 was already visible in the seaboard cities, its wealth the obvious
consequence of shrewd and resourceful management of the carrying
trade. Even the rich planters of tidewater Virginia and the rice
coast of South Carolina finally depended for their genteel way of
life upon the ships and merchants who sold their tobacco and rice
30 in the markets of Europe. As colonial production rose and trade expanded,
a business community emerged in the colonies, linking the provinces
by lines of trade and identity of interest.1. With what subject is this passage mainly concerned?
(A) Geography
(B) Finance
(C) Economics
(D) Culture
2. The phrase "paved the way for" in line 7 is closest in meaning to
(A) paid for
(B) supported
(C) accumulated
(D) resembled
3. In line 10 the word "it" refers to
(A) growth
(B) resources
(C) labor
(D) capital
4. According to the passage, capital includes all of the following EXCEPT
(A) factories
(B) tractors
(C) money
(D) workers
5. In line 10, the word "funds" is closest in meaning to
(A) money
(B) resources
(C) output
(D) support
6. The phrase "put aside" in lines 13 is closest in meaning to
(A) hidden
(B) saved
(C) reviewed
(D) consumed
7. According to the passage, which of the following would lead to accumulating capital?
(A) Training workers who produce goods
(B) Studying the cultural history of the country
(C) Consuming what is produced
(D) Planting more of a crop than is needed
8. It can be inferred from the passage that the European ancestors of early Americans
(A) sent many tools to America
(B) taught their skills to their offspring
(C) were accustomed to saving
(D) were good farmers
9. According to the passage, the emergence of a business community in the colonies was a result of
(A) efficient saving
(B) the immigration of wealthy bankers
(C) the success of production and trade
(D) the existence of manufacturing

Back Test with: Reading-Comprehension-Lesson 150 and Reading-Comprehension-Lesson 151

Reading-Comprehension-Lesson 150

2007-11-15T23:10:00.000+07:00

Đọc đoạn văn sau và trả lời các câu hỏi: In the early 1800s, to reach the jump-off point for the West, a family
from the East of the United States could either buy steamboat passage
to Missouri for themselves, their wagons, and their livestock or-as
happened more often-simply pile everything into a wagon, hitch up
5 a team, and begin their overland trek right in their front yard.

Along the macadamized roads and turnpikes east of the Missouri River,
travel was comparatively fast, camping easy, and supplies plentiful.
Then, in one river town or another, the neophyte emigrants would
10 pause to lay in provisions. For outfitting purposes, the town of
Independence had been preeminent ever since 1827, but the rising
momentum of pioneer emigration had produced some rival jump-off points.
Westport and Fort Leavenworth flourished a few miles upriver. St.
Joseph had sprung up 55 miles to the northwest; in fact, emigrants
15 who went to Missouri by riverboat could save four days on the trail
by staying on the paddle-wheelers to St. Joe before striking overland.

At whatever jump-off point they chose, the emigrants studied guidebooks
and directions, asked questions of others as green as themselves,
20 and made their final decisions about outfitting. They had various,
sometimes conflicting, options. For example, either pack animals
or two-wheel carts or wagons could be used for the overland crossing.
A family man usually chose the wagon. It was the costliest and slowest
of the three, but it provided space and shelter for children and
25 for a wife who likely as not was pregnant. Everybody knew that a
top-heavy covered wagon might blow over in a prairie wind or be overturned
by mountain rocks, that it might mire in river mud or sink to its
hubs in desert sand-but maybe if those things happened on this trip,
they would happen to someone else. Anyway, most pioneers, with their
30 farm background, were used to wagons.1. What is the topic of this passage?
(A) Important river towns
(B) Getting started on the trip west
(C) The advantages of traveling by wagon
(D) Choosing a point of departure
2. All of the following can be inferred from the passage about travel east of the Missouri EXCEPT that it
(A) was faster than in the West
(B) was easier than in the West
(C) took place on good roads
(D) was usually by steamboat
3. The phrase "jump-off point" in lines 1, 13 and 18 is closest in meaning to
(A) a bridge across a river
(B) a point of departure
(C) a gathering place
(D) a trading post
4. Which of the cities that served as a jump-off point can be inferred from the passage to be farthest west?
(A) Independence
(B) St. Joseph
(C) Westport
(D) Fort Leavenworth
5. The word "preeminent" in line 11 is closest in meaning to
(A) oldest
(B) superior
(C) most easily reached
(D) closest
6. The author implies in the passage that the early emigrants
(A) knew a lot about travel
(B) were well stocked with provisions when they left their homes
(C) left from the same place in Missouri
(D) preferred wagon travel to other types of travel
7. The word "neophyte" in line 9 is closest in meaning to
(A) eager
(B) courageous
(C) prosperous
(D) inexperienced
8. All of the following were mentioned in the passage as options for modes of transportation from the Missouri River to the West EXCEPT
(A) a wagon
(B) a riverboat
(C) a pack animal
(D) a two-wheel cart
9. In line 16, the word "striking" is closest in meaning to
(A) hitting
(B) orienting
(C) departing
(D) marking
10. The expression "green" in line 19 is closest in meaning to
(A) frightened
(B) optimistic
(C) inexperienced
(D) weary
11. All of the following features of the covered wagon made it unattractive to the emigrants EXCEPT
(A) the speed at which it could travel
(B) its bulk
(C) its familiarity and size
(D) its cost
12. In line 28, the phrase "those things" refers to
(A) the types of transportation
(B) the belongings of the pioneers
(C) the problems of wagon travel
(D) the overland routes

Back Test with: Reading-Comprehension-Lesson 150 and Reading-Comprehension-Lesson 149

Reading-Comprehension-Lesson 149

2007-11-15T23:08:00.000+07:00

Đọc đoạn văn sau và trả lời các câu hỏi: There are many theories of aging, but virtually all fall into the
category of being hypotheses with a minimum of supporting evidence.
One viewpoint is that aging occurs as the body's organ systems become
less efficient. Thus failures in the immune system, hormonal system,
5 and nervous system could all produce characteristics that we associate
with aging. Following a different vein, many current researchers
are looking for evidence at the cellular and sub cellular level.
It has been shown that cells such as human fibroblasts (generalized
tissue cells) grown in culture divide only a limited number of times
10 and then die. (Only cancer cells seem immortal in this respect.)
Fibroblast cells from an embryo divide more times than those taken
from an adult. Thus some researchers believe that aging occurs at
the cellular level and is part of the cell's genetic makeup. Any
event that disturbs the cell's genetic machinery such as mutation,
15 damaging chemicals in the cell's environment, or loss of genetic
material, could cause cells to lose their ability to divide and thus
bring on aging. Other theories of aging look at different processes.

Chronological aging refers to the passage of time since birth and
20 is usually measured in years. While chronological age can be useful
in estimating the average status of a large group of people, it is
a poor indicator of an individual person's status because there is
a tremendous amount of variation from one individual to the next
in regard to the rate at which biological age changes occur. For
25 example, on the average, aging results in people losing much of their
ability to perform strenuous activities, yet some elderly individuals
are excellent marathon runners.

Another type of aging is cosmetic aging, which consists of changes
30 in outward appearance with advancing age. This includes changes in
the body and changes in other aspects of a person's appearance, such
as the style of hair and clothing, the type of eyeglasses, and the
use of a hearing aid. Like chronological aging, it is frequently
used to estimate the degree to which other types of aging have occurred.
35 However, it is an inaccurate indicator for either purpose because
of variation among individuals and because a person's appearance
is affected by many factors that are not part of aging, including
illness, poor nutrition, and exposure to sunlight.1. The author believes the theories of aging are
(A) well-supported hypotheses
(B) poorly supported hypotheses
(C) proven theories
(D) interesting ideas
2. In line 7, the word "evidence" refers to
(A) evidence of aging
(B) evidence of cancer
(C) evidence of human fibroblasts
(D) evidence of cell division
3. The word "vein" in line 6 is closest in meaning to
(A) part of the body
(B) point of view
(C) blood vessel
(D) cellular level
4. The author of the article points out that cancer cells
(A) divide infinitely
(B) divide and then die
(C) divide more in adults than in embryos
(D) bring on aging
5. The word "culture" in line 9 is closest in meaning to
(A) libraries
(B) a special environment
(C) a society's traditions and values
(D) a toxic substance
6. It can be inferred from the passage that fibroblast cells
(A) divide fewer times at later stages in human life
(B) are not a focus in cellular research on aging
(C) are similar to cancer cells in rate of division
(D) disfunction in the aging process of the body's immune system
7. As explained in this passage, the theory of aging which examines the cellular level would NOT assign which of the following as a cause of aging?
(A) Mutation
(B) Failure of the body's organ system
(C) Loss of genetic material
(D) Chemical damage from the environment
8. According to the passage, chronological aging is not a good indicator of an individual's status regarding aging because
(A) elderly people are often athletic
(B) there is individual variation in the rate of biological aging
(C) strenuous activities are not good measures of age
(D) it is difficult to get accurate records of birth dates
9. The author implies all of the following about cosmetic aging EXCEPT
(A) It does not occur at the same rate for all people
(B) It is a poor indicator of chronological age
(C) Illness, poor nutrition, and exposure to sunlight cause aging to occur
(D) It is described by changes in outward appearance

Back Test with: Reading-Comprehension-Lesson 148 and Reading-Comprehension-Lesson 149

Reading-Comprehension-Lesson 148

2007-11-15T22:59:00.001+07:00

Đọc đoạn văn sau và trả lời các câu hỏi: It takes a long time to raise a family of owlets, so the great horned
owl begins early in the year. In January and February, or as late
as March in the North, the male calls to the female with a resonant
hoot. The female is larger than the male. She sometimes reaches a
5 body length of twenty-two to twenty-four inches, with a wingspread
up to fifty inches. To impress her, the male does a strange courtship
dance. He bobs. He bows. He ruffles his feathers and hops around
with an important air. He flutters from limb to limb and makes flying
sorties into the air. Sometimes he returns with an offering of food.
10 They share the repast, after which she joins the dance, hopping and
bobbing about as though keeping time to the beat of an inner drum.

Owls are poor home builders. They prefer to nest in a large hollow
in a tree or even to occupy the deserted nest of a hawk or crow.
15 These structures are large and rough, built of sticks and bark and
lined with leaves and feathers. Sometimes owls nest on a rocky ledge,
or even on the bare ground. even to occupy the deserted nest of a
hawk or crow. These structures are large and rough, built of sticks
and bark and lined with leaves and feathers. Sometimes owls nest
20 on a rocky ledge, or even on the bare ground. The mother lays two
or three round, dull white eggs. Then she stoically settles herself
on the nest and spreads her feather skirts about her to protect her
precious charges from snow and cold.

25 It is five weeks before the first downy white owlet pecks its way
out of the shell. As the young birds feather out, they look like
wise old men with their wide eyes and quizzical expressions. They
clamor for food and keep the parents busy supplying mice, squirrels,
rabbits, crayfish, and beetles. Later in the season baby crows are
30 taken. Migrating songsters, waterfowl, and game birds all fall prey
to the hungry family. It is nearly ten weeks before fledglings leave
the nest to search for their own food. The parent birds weary of
family life by November and drive the young owls away to establish
hunting ranges of their own.1. What is the topic of this passage?
(A) Raising a family of great horned owls
(B) Mating rituals of great horned owls
(C) Nest building of great horned owls
(D) Habits of young great horned owls
2. In line 3-4, the phrase "a resonant hoot" is closest in meaning to
(A) an instrument
(B) a sound
(C) a movement
(D) an offering of food
3. It can be inferred from the passage that the courtship of great horned owls
(A) takes place on the ground
(B) is an active process
(C) happens in the fall
(D) involves the male alone
4. According to the passage, great horned owls
(A) are discriminate nest builders
(B) need big nests for their numerous eggs
(C) may inhabit a previously used nest
(D) build nests on tree limbs
5. According to the passage, which of the following is the mother owl's job?
(A) To initiate the courtship ritual
(B) To feed the young
(C) To sit on the nest
(D) To build the nest
6. The phrase "precious charges" in lines 23 refers to
(A) the eggs
(B) the nest
(C) the hawks and crows
(D) other nesting owls
7. According to the passage, young owlets eat everything EXCEPT
(A) other small birds
(B) insects
(C) small mammals
(D) nuts and seeds
8. In line 27, the word "they" refers to
(A) the wise old men
(B) the adult birds
(C) the young birds
(D) the prey
9. What can be inferred from the passage about the adult parents of the young great horned owls?
(A) They are sorry to see their young leave home.
(B) They are lazy and careless about feeding the small owlets.
(C) They probably don't see their young after November.
(D) They don't eat while they are feeding their young.
10. The phrase "weary of" in line 32 is closest in meaning to
(A) tire of
(B) become sad about
(C) support
(D) are attracted to

Back Test with: Reading-Comprehension-Lesson 148 and Reading-Comprehension-Lesson 147

Reading-Comprehension-Lesson 147

2007-11-15T22:57:00.000+07:00

Đọc đoạn văn sau và trả lời các câu hỏi: A binary star is actually a pair of stars that are held together by
the force of gravity. Although occasionally the individual stars
that compose a binary star can be distinguished, they generally appear
as one star. The gravitational pull between the individual stars
5 of a binary star causes one to orbit around the other.
From the orbital pattern of a binary, the mass of its stars can be
determined: the gravitational pull of a star is in direct proportion
to its mass, and the strength of the gravitational force of one star
on another determines the orbital pattern of the binary. Scientists
10 have discovered stars that seem to orbit around an empty space. It
has been suggested that such a star and the empty space really compose
a binary star. The empty space is known as a black hole, a star with
such a strong gravitational force that no light is able to get through.1. A binary star could best be described as
(A) stars that have been forced apart
(B) a star with a strong gravitational force
(C) two stars pulled together by gravity
(D) a large number of attached stars
2. According to the passage, what happens as a result of the gravitational force between the stars?
(A) One star circles the other.
(B) The mass of the binary star increases.
(C) A black hole is destroyed.
(D) The gravitational force decreases.
3. According to the passage, what can scientists learn from the pattern of a binary star's orbit?
(A) The proportion of the star's gravitational pull to its mass
(B) How to distinguish the stars that compose a binary
(C) Why there is no light in a black hole
(D) The mass of the stars that compose the binary
4. According to the passage, what is a black hole?
(A) An empty space around which nothing orbits
(B) A star with close to zero gravity
(C) A star whose gravitational force blocks the passage of light
(D) An empty space so far away that no light can reach it
5. According to the passage, what is a black hole?
(A) An empty space around which nothing orbits
(B) A star with close to zero gravity
(C) A star whose gravitational force blocks the passage of light
(D) An empty space so far away that no light can reach it
6. This passage would most likely be assigned reading in a course on
(A) botany
(B) astrophysics
(C) geology
(D) astrology

Back Test with: Reading-Comprehension-Lesson 146 and Reading-Comprehension-Lesson 147

Reading-Comprehension-Lesson 146

2007-11-15T22:52:00.000+07:00

Đọc đoạn văn sau và trả lời các câu hỏi: It is a strong belief among certain groups of people that the medical community should take every possible step to keep a person alive, without regard for the quality of that person's life. But other people argue just as strongly that patients who are facing 5 a life of pain and incumberance on others have the right to decide for themselves whether or not to continue with life-prolonging medications and therapies. The question, however, is really far more difficult than just the issue of a terminally ill patient of sound mind who directs the physician not to continue with any treatment that does 10 not in any way cure the disease but only helps to draw out a painful death. When the quality of life has disintegrated, when there is
no hope of reprieve, when there is intense and everpresent pain, does the patient have the right to be put to death? The patient in this case is not asking the physician to discontinue treatment but 15 instead is requesting the physician, the supposed protector of life,
to purposefully bring a life to a close.

1. With what subject is the passage mainly concerned?
(A) Community beliefs
(B) Ways to prolong life
(C) The right to die
(D) The role of the physician
2. The phrase "medical community" in line 1-2 means
(A) the area around a hospital
(B) medicines and therapies
(C) doctors and nurses
(D) medical journals
3. "However", as it is used in line 7, could best be replaced by which of the following?
(A) On the contrary
(B) Thus
(C) In effect
(D) Certainly
4. In what situation does the author suggest that a patient might have the right to be put to death?
(A) When the patient is of sound mind
(B) When pain has disintegrated
(C) At the request of the physician
(D) When the patient is facing great pain and inevitable death
5. Which of the following statements best applies to the idea presented in the passage?
(A) The question of a patient's right to die is rarely faced by physicians.
(B) The author firmly states his opinion on the right to die.
(C) All people are in agreement as to a patient's right to die.
(D) Putting a patient to death is more serious than allowing a patient to die.

Back Test with: Reading-Comprehension-Lesson 146 and Reading-Comprehension-Lesson 145

Reading-Comprehension-Lesson 145

2007-11-13T21:12:00.000+07:00

Đọc đoạn văn sau và trả lời các câu hỏi: Fog occurs when damp air above the surface of the earth is cooled to the point at which it condenses. Of the two types of fog, advection fog occurs along the ocean coast or near rivers or lakes. This type of fast-moving fog, which may cover vast areas, occurs when warm 5 winds blow across a cold surface of land or water. In this collision of heat and cold, the warm air is cooled to the point at which the water vapor condenses into fog. Radiation fog, quite different from advection fog, is immobile cloud-like moisture generally found hovering
over wintertime valleys. It occurs on clear nights when the earth's 10 warmth escapes into the upper atmosphere.

1. According to the passage, fog is found when wetness in the air is
(A) vaporized
(B) cooled
(C) dampened
(D) heated
2. According to the passage, advection fog is found
(A) in valleys
(B) in the ocean
(C) near bodies of water
(D) only in small, enclosed areas
3. In the passage, radiation fog is said to be
(A) similar to advection fog
(B) found in coastal areas
(C) fast-moving
(D) trapped moisture hanging over inland valleys
4. According to the passage, which of the following statements about fog is true?
(A) Advection fog is caused when cold winds blow across a heated land surface.
(B) Advection fog is the type of fog that occurs in small valleys on clear nights.
(C) Radiation fog occurs when the cooled atmosphere meets with heat from the earth.
(D) Radiation fog generally moves quickly across vast areas of land.
5. The author's purpose in this passage is to
(A) explain the different types of fog
(B) describe where different types of fog are found
(C) discuss advection fog
(D) give a scientific description of various types of precipitation

Back Test with: Reading-Comprehension-Lesson 144 and Reading-Comprehension-Lesson 145

Reading-Comprehension-Lesson 144

2007-11-13T21:07:00.000+07:00

Đọc đoạn văn sau và trả lời các câu hỏi: It is the role of the Federal Reserve, known simply as the Fed, to control the supply of money in the U.S. through its system of twelve regional Federal Reserve Banks, each with its own Federal Reserve District Bank. Many commercial banks belong to the Federal Reserve 5 System and as members must follow the Fed's reserve requirements, a ruling by the Fed on the percentage of deposits that a member bank must keep either in its own vaults or on deposit at the Fed.

If the Fed wants to change the money supply, it can change reserve 10 requirements to member banks; for example, an increase in the percentage of deposits required to be kept on hand would reduce the available money supply. Member banks can also borrow money from the Fed, and
an additional way that the Fed can control the money supply is to raise or lower the discount rate, the interest rate at which commercial 15 banks borrow from the Fed. 2An increase in the discount rate would reduce the funds available to commercial banks and thus shrink the
money supply. In addition to using reserve requirements and the discount rate to control the money supply, the Fed has an additional powerful tool: open-market operations.

1. According to the passage, the main purpose of the Federal Reserve System is to
(A) increase reserve requirements
(B) increase or decrease the amount of money available
(C) increase the number of Federal Reserve Banks
(D) increase the money kept on deposit by member banks
2. When the Fed controls the percentage of deposits kept on hand by member banks, it controls
(A) district banks
(B) the discount rate
(C) the reserve requirement
(D) borrowing by commercial banks
3. The passage implies that a lowering of the discount rate would lead to
(A) an increase in the money supply
(B) a decrease in borrowing from the Fed by commercial banks
(C) a decrease in the money available
(D) an increase in the reserve requirement
4. The paragraph following the passage most likely discusses
(A) the need for controlling the money supply
(B) the structure of the Federal Reserve System
(C) recent changes in reserve requirements
(D) open-market purchases and sales

Back Test with: Reading-Comprehension-Lesson 144 and Reading-Comprehension-Lesson 143

Reading-Comprehension-Lesson 143

2007-11-13T20:47:00.000+07:00

Đọc đoạn văn sau và trả lời các câu hỏi: Desert tundra, or cold desert, occurs on the Arctic edges of North America, Europe, and Asia. In these areas the near eternal freezing temperatures cause an environment in which plant life is virtually impossible. The existence of ice rather than water for the majority 5 of the year means that vegetation lacks sufficient moisture for growth.
During the short period of time when the temperature increases enough for the ice to melt, there is generally a large volume of water. This excess of water, coupled with a lack of drainage through the frozen subsoil, does not allow vegetation to flourish.

1. What would be the most appropriate title for the passage?
(A) Where Desert Tundra Is Found
(B) The Weather in the Arctic
(C) Why Cold Deserts Occur
(D) The Variety of Plant Life in Desert Tundra
2. According to the passage, desert tundra is found
(A) throughout North America, Europe, and Asia
(B) in Antarctica
(C) on the Arctic borders of the northern continents
(D) at the North Pole
3. According to the passage, what makes plant life almost impossible in areas of desert tundra during most of the year?
(A) Excessive water on the plants
(B) The frozen state of the water
(C) The increase in temperature
(D) The lack of ice
4. Which of the following happens when the weather heats up?
(A) Plants can flourish.
(B) Vegetation lacks sufficient moisture.
(C) The days become shorter.
(D) There is too much water.
5. According to the passage, why can't the water drain after it melts?
(A) The land beneath the surface is still frozen.
(B) The temperature is too high.
(C) The period of time is too short.
(D) The vegetation is flourishing.

Back Test with: Reading-Comprehension-Lesson 142 and Reading-Comprehension-Lesson 143

Reading-Comprehension-Lesson 142

2007-11-13T20:27:00.000+07:00

Đọc đoạn văn sau và trả lời các câu hỏi: The next famous woman writer to be considered is Dorothy Parker, an American poet, short story writer, and literary critic who became famous in the early twentieth century for her witty but cynical observations on life. She got her first paying job as a writer in 1916 at the 5 age of 23 when she began working for a women's magazine, and nine years later she became a contributor to The New Yorker as a book
reviewer. In addition to her magazine work, she published volumes of poetry and short stories with the recurrent themes of disappointment with life and the loss of idealism. One of her most famous observations, 10 "Men seldom make passes/At girls who wear glasses," came from the
poem "News Item," which was published in the volume Enough Rope (1926). This volume of poetry was followed by Sunset Gin (1928), Death and Taxes (1931), and a collection of short stories Here Lies (1939).

1. According to the passage Dorothy Parker was NOT famous for
(A) poetry.
(B) humor.
(C) book reviews.
(D) autobiography.
2. Dorothy Parker's first job was
(A) for a women's magazine
(B) as a literary critic
(C) for The New Yorker
(D) as a short story writer
3. In line 8, the word "recurrent" could best be replaced by which of the following?
(A) Related
(B) Repeated
(C) Flowing
(D) Negative
4. In what year did "News Item" appear?
(A) 1916
(B) 1926
(C) 1928
(D) 1931
5. With what topic does the paragraph preceding the passage most likely deal?
(A) Dorothy Parker's early childhood
(B) American literature of the nineteenth century
(C) An introduction to literary criticism
(D) A well-known female author other than Dorothy Parker

Back Test with: Reading-Comprehension-Lesson 142 and Reading-Comprehension-Lesson 141

Reading-Comprehension-Lesson 141

2007-11-13T20:21:00.001+07:00

Đọc đoạn văn sau và trả lời các câu hỏi: In west-central New York State there is a group of eleven long, narrow lakes known as the Finger Lakes. These lakes have been aptly named
because of their resemblance to the fingers of a hand. Two of the largest of the Finger Lakes, Seneca and Cayuga, exemplify the selection 5 of the name: Seneca is 37 miles long and 4 miles across at its widest point, and Cayuga is 40 miles long and 2 miles across. Although scientists
are uncertain as to how these lakes were formed, most believe that glacial ice forged out the valleys to a depth well below sea level, and with the melting of the glaciers the lakes were formed.

1. How could the Finger Lakes be described?
(A) As basically circular
(B) As all the same size
(C) As tiny
(D) As long and thin
2. According to the passage, why are these lakes known as Finger Lakes?
(A) They are the same size as fingers.
(B) Their shape is similar to a finger's.
(C) Their composition is the same as a finger's.
(D) There are as many lakes as there are fingers.
3. Why does the author mention Seneca and Cayuga Lakes?
(A) They are the only two Finger Lakes.
(B) They are the two largest lakes in the United States.
(C) They are good examples of long and narrow Finger Lakes.
(D) They are long and wide.
4. The passage implies that Seneca Lake is
(A) a constant 4 miles wide
(B) at least 4 miles wide at each point
(C) wider than it is long
(D) narrower than 4 miles at certain points
5. What do most scientists believe caused the formation of the Finger Lakes?
(A) The sea level decreased.
(B) Heavy rainfalls flooded the area.
(C) The melted glaciers carved out the valleys.
(D) Glaciers cut into the land and then melted to fill the valleys.
6. What is the tone of this passage?
(A) Informative
(B) Accusatory
(C) Humorous
(D) Calculating

Back Test with: Reading-Comprehension-Lesson 140 and Reading-Comprehension-Lesson 141

Reading-Comprehension-Lesson 140

2007-11-08T23:52:00.000+07:00

Đọc đoạn văn sau và trả lời các câu hỏi: The brain of the average human weighs approximately 14 kilograms and consists of three main parts-the cerebrum, the cerebellum, and the brain stem. The cerebrum is by far the largest of the three parts, taking up 85% of the brain by weight. The outside layer of the cerebrum, 5 the cerebral cortex, is a grooved and bumpy surface covering the nerve cells beneath. The various sections of the cerebrum are the sensory cortex, which is responsible for receiving and decoding sensory messages from throughout the body; the motor cortex, which sends action instructions to the skeletal muscles; and the association 10 cortex, which receives, monitors, and processes information. It is in the association cortex that the processes that allow humans to think take place. The cerebellum, located below the cerebrum in the back part of the skull, is the section of the brain that controls
balance and posture. The brain stem connects the cerebrum and the 15 spinal cord. It controls various body processes such as breathing and heartbeat.

1. What is the author's main purpose?
(A) To describe the functions of the parts of the brain
(B) To explain how the brain processes information
(C) To demonstrate the physical composition of the brain
(D) To give examples of human body functions
2. The passage states that the most massive part of the brain is the
(A) cerebrum
(B) cerebellum
(C) cerebral cortex
(D) brain stem
3. How does the passage describe the appearance of the cerebral cortex?
(A) As smooth
(B) As 85% of the brain by weight
(C) As a layer of the cerebellum
(D) As ridged
4. According to the passage, which part of the brain analyzes information?
(A) The sensory cortex
(B) The association cortex
(C) The cerebellum
(D) The brain stem
5. The sensory cortex
(A) senses that messages should be sent out to the muscles.
(B) provides a surface covering for nerve cells.
(C) is where the human process of thinking occurs.
(D) receives and processes information from the senses.
6. Which of the following is true about the cerebellum?
(A) It is located above the cerebrum.
(B) It controls breathing.
(C) It is responsible for balance.
(D) It is the outside layer of the cerebrum.
7. What shape does the brain stem most likely have?
(A) Small and round
(B) Long and thin
(C) Large and formless
(D) Short and flat

Back Test with: Reading-Comprehension-Lesson 140 and Reading-Comprehension-Lesson 139

Reading-Comprehension-Lesson 139

2007-11-08T23:51:00.000+07:00

Đọc đoạn văn sau và trả lời các câu hỏi: Louisa May Alcott, an American author best known for her children's books Little Women, Little Men, and Jo's Boys, was profoundly influenced by her family, particularly her father. She was the daughter of Bronson Alcott, a well-known teacher, intellectual, and free thinker who 5 advocated abolitionism, women's rights, and vegetarianism long before they were popular. He was called a man of unparalleled intellect
by his friend Ralph Waldo Emerson. Bronson Alcott instilled in his daughter his lofty and spiritual values and in return was idolized by his daughter. Louisa used her father as a model for the impractical 10 yet serenely wise and adored father in Little Women, and with the
success of this novel she was able to provide for her family, giving her father the financial security that until then he had never experienced.

1. This passage mainly discusses
(A) Louisa May Alcott's famous books
(B) how Bronson Alcott implemented his educational philosophies
(C) the success of Little Women
(D) Bronson Alcott's influence on his daughter
2. The passage implies that vegetarianism
(A) was more popular than abolitionism
(B) was the reason for Louisa's adoration for her father
(C) became popular in a later period
(D) was one of the reasons for Bronson Alcott's unparalleled intellect
3. In line 8, the word "lofty" is closest in meaning to
(A) commonplace
(B) high-minded
(C) self-serving
(D) sympathetic
4. It can be inferred from the passage that Louisa May Alcott used the success of Little Women to
(A) buy herself anything she had ever wanted
(B) achieve personal financial security
(C) give her father tangible proof of her love
(D) detach herself from her family
5. The author's purpose in the passage is to
(A) explain how an author becomes famous
(B) describe the influence of family on a writer
(C) support Bronson Alcott's educational theories
(D) show the success that can be achieved by an author

Back Test with: Reading-Comprehension-Lesson 138 and Reading-Comprehension-Lesson 139

Reading-Comprehension-Lesson 138

2007-11-08T23:49:00.001+07:00

Đọc đoạn văn sau và trả lời các câu hỏi: In the American colonies there was little money. England did not supply the colonies with coins and it did not allow the colonies to make their own coins, except for the Massachusetts Bay Colony, which received permission for a short period in 1652 to make several kinds of silver 5 coins. England wanted to keep money out of America as a means of controlling trade: America was forced to trade only with England if it did not have the money to buy products from other countries. The result during this pre-revolutionary period was that the colonists used various goods in place of money: beaver pelts, Indian wampum,
10 and tobacco leaves were all commonly used substitutes for money. The colonists also made use of any foreign coins they could obtain. Dutch, Spanish, French, and English coins were all in use in the American colonies.
During the Revolutionary War, funds were needed to finance the war, 15 so each of the individual states and the Continental Congress issued paper money. So much of this paper money was printed that by the end of the war it was virtually worthless. As a result, trade in
goods and the use of foreign coins still flourished during this period.

By the time the Revolutionary War had been won by the American colonists, 21 the monetary system was in a state of total disarray. To remedy this situation, the new Constitution of the United States, approved in 1789, allowed only Congress to issue money. The individual states
could no longer have their own money supply. A few years later, the Coinage Act of 1792 made the dollar the official currency of the 26 United States and put the country on a bimetallic standard. In this bimetallic system, both gold and silver were legal money, and the
rate of exchange of silver to gold was fixed by the government at sixteen to one.

1. This passage mainly discusses
(A) American money from past to present
(B) the English monetary policies in colonial America
(C) the effect of the Revolution on American money
(D) the American monetary system of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries
2. The passage indicates that during the colonial period, money was
(A) supplied by England
(B) coined freely by the colonists
(C) scarce freely by the colonists
(D) used extensively for trade
3. The Massachusetts Bay Colony was allowed to make coins
(A) continuously from the inception of the colony
(B) throughout the seventeenth century
(C) from 1652 until the Revolutionary War
(D) for a short time during one year
4. Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage as a substitute for money during the colonial period?
(A) Wampum
(B) Cotton
(C) Tobacco
(D) Beaver furs
5. According to the passage, what happened to the American monetary system during the Revolutionary War?
(A) The Continental Congress issued gold and silver coins.
(B) Individual states were not allowed to issue money.
(C) So much paper money was circulated that it lost its value.
(D) American money replaced trade in goods and foreign coins.
6. How was the monetary system arranged in the Constitution?
(A) Only the U.S. Congress could issue money.
(B) The U.S. officially went on a bimetallic monetary system.
(C) Various state governments, including Massachusetts, could issue money.
(D) The dollar was made the official currency of the U.S.
7. According to the passage, which of the following is NOT true about the bimetallic monetary system?
(A) Either gold or silver could be used as official money.
(B) Gold could be exchanged for silver at a rate of 16 to 1.
(C) The monetary system was based on two metals.
(D) It was established in 1792.

Back Test with: Reading-Comprehension-Lesson 138 and Reading-Comprehension-Lesson 137

Reading-Comprehension-Lesson 137

2007-11-08T23:46:00.001+07:00

Đọc đoạn văn sau và trả lời các câu hỏi: Popular architecture in the United States in the beginning of the
twentieth century paid respect to elaborately ornate historical motifs.
The new skyscrapers sprouting up at the time were often ornately
finished with elements of Gothic or Roman detailing.
5 During this period of emphasis on intricate ornamentation, certain
architects began moving in a different direction, from the historic
attention to ornate detailing toward more modern design typified
by simplified flowing lines. Frank Lloyd Wright, the best-known of
these early modern architects, started work in Chicago designing
10 "prairie houses," long low buildings featuring flowing horizontal
lines and simplistic unity of design. These buildings were intended
to fit the wide open expanses of Midwest plains that served as a
setting for Chicago. These "prairie houses," found in Chicago's suburban
areas, served to tie the rapidly developing neighborhoods of Chicago
15 with its plains heritage.

1. What is the main idea of this passage?
(A) The architectural style of Frank Lloyd Wright represented a change from earlier styles.
(B) Architecture in the twentieth century was very ornate.
(C) Frank Lloyd Wright's architecture was more elaborate than previous styles.
(D) Frank Lloyd Wright's "prairie houses" were well-known in Chicago.
2. According to the passage, the new skyscrapers built at the beginning of the twentieth century were
(A) elementary
(B) elaborately ornamented
(C) in a very modern style
(D) completely Gothic
3. Which of the following statements about Frank Lloyd Wright is supported in the passage?
(A) He was extremely popular prior to the twentieth century.
(B) He used elements of Gothic and Roman detailing in his work.
(C) His architectural style can be seen in Chicago's skyscrapers.
(D) His "prairie houses" were very different from the elaborately ornamented skyscrapers.
4. The "prairie houses" built by Frank Lloyd Wright were
(A) ornately detailed
(B) built in the Roman style
(C) skyscrapers
(D) long, flowing, and simple
5. According to the passage, how do Frank Lloyd Wright's "prairie houses" resemble the prairies around Chicago?
(A) They were covered with grass.
(B) They were rapidly developing.
(C) They were long and low.
(D) They were in Chicago.

Back Test with: Reading-Comprehension-Lesson 136 and Reading-Comprehension-Lesson 137