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Directions:Read each passage below carefully and actively and answer the questions that follow each pas-sage. Take as much time as you need for this test. Then use the answer key at the end of the test to check your answers.
I
MPROVEDL
ITERACYOver the past 20 years, worldwide illiteracy rates have consistently declined. The main reason for this decline is the sharp increase in the literacy rates of young women, which is the result of campaigns to increase educational opportunities for girls. For example, between 1970 and 1990, the literacy rate among women in the United Arab Emirates increased from 7% to 76%.
T
HEA
PEC
AVESYou will need to know the following words as you read the story:
pumice: a type of lava that is very light in weight stalactites: icicle-shaped formations on a cave’s ceiling Questions
1. This passage is mainly about
a. the cause of illiteracy among women.
b. the effects of illiteracy among women.
c. the cause of reduced illiteracy rates among women.
d. the effect of educational opportunities for girls.
2. According to the passage, which of the following is directly responsible for the sharp increase in literacy rates for young women?
a. the United Arab Emirates b. increased funding for education
c. a drop in illiteracy rates worldwide
d. campaigns to increase educational opportu-nities for girls
–POST-TEST–
The Ape Caves were formed about 2,000 years ago, but they were not discovered until 1951. Early explorations of the caves were made by a local Boy Scout troop, which named themselves the “Mount St. Helens Apes.”
Standing in that same location recently, I felt the wind whistle past me, into the cool depths of the cave. My hiking group had chosen to hike the lower part of the Ape Caves first. Most casual visitors prefer this section. It has a downward slope with a sandy floor. Its highlight is the “meatball,” a huge, round ball of lava wedged ten feet above the cave floor. Beyond it, the cave ends in a low series of crawlways.
As we descended 40 feet below ground by stairs, the change of environment was striking—from the warmth, greenery, and birdcalls above, to the cool, dark silence below. Sound seemed to be swallowed up by the volcanic walls, and the temperature dropped to a cool and damp 42°. The darkness was so jet black that the beams of our flashlights seemed weak and outmatched by the inescapable inkiness.
Old lava flows had left a variety of markings in their passage. Large gas bubbles had popped at the surface of the molten flows, leaving circular rings, frozen ripples, and deep gutters in the hardened lava on the floor. This made walking an unusual task. On the ceiling, which rose as high as 20 feet in places, small stalactites pointed their mineral deposits down at us from above.
There’s a rumor that a local jogger has carefully paced out the Lower Cave and, in doing so, has developed a mental map that allows him to run the route without the aid of a lantern or flashlight. How disturbing it would be for a few cave explorers like us to hear quickly advancing footsteps and then see a jogger appear out of nowhere, run past, and then disappear once more.
After lunch, we elected to try the Upper Cave. This cave is twice the length of the Lower Cave and a much more challenging climb—not a good choice for the timid or unskilled underground adventurer. In the Upper Cave, when our conversation ceased, only the drip, drip, drip of seeping water and our breathing could be heard. Our flashlights soon became an obstacle. There were spots where we needed both hands for climbing over the increas-ingly large and jagged rockfalls. Where were some miners’ helmets when we needed them?
We met two other groups that had turned back after encountering a nine-foot wall of stone in a narrow pas-sageway. The daunting, smooth stone face rose before us. It had once been a dramatic lava waterfall. Refusing to turn back, we boosted one person up over the top. This person got to the next level and then turned to assist the rest of us. Dirty, scraped, and unstoppable, we pressed on.
Just about then, my flashlight went dead. (The guidebook had suggested that we carry three sources of light per person but that had seemed overly cautious.) I found myself fervently wishing for an old-fashioned lantern, or even a book of matches. Our passage slowed to a crawl as we picked our way carefully through the gloom, rely-ing on the beams of our companions’ flashlights, anxious not to suffer a fall or twisted ankle.
Fortunately, we were near the exit, close to the end of the Upper Cave. Our tired party had readied itself to climb the ladder into the blinding light when we thought we heard hurried footsteps rushing toward us. Perhaps it was just cave anxiety, but we flew up the rungs in an orderly panic.
Looking back down into dimness, we saw a man walk past in brisk, measured strides, keeping track of some-thing on his digital watch. He wore a sweat suit and carried a tiny flashlight. Looking up, he gave us a quick nod and was quickly swallowed by the dark. We looked up then, too, and blinked in wonder at the dazzling south view of Mt. Saint Helens.
Questions
3. Read the first two paragraphs of the passage again. Then think about this sentence from the second paragraph.
I could have safely watched the cataclysm a mere four miles away, from the entrance to the Ape Caves in what is now Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument.
As it is used in this article, what does the word cataclysm mean?
a. a creative and dramatic performance b. a sudden, violent change in the earth
c. a new discovery about the earth d. an exploration of new territory 4. The author probably wrote this article to
a. encourage people to explore the Ape Caves.
b. inform people about volcanoes.
c. inform people about the Ape Caves.
d. persuade people to visit Mount St. Helens.
5. Read this sentence from the article.
Our flashlights soon became an obstacle.
Based on this sentence, the writer believes that the flashlights are an obstacle because
a. their batteries wear out quickly, leaving everyone in darkness.
b. it is easier to explore the cave with a lantern
6. How do the members of the hiking group get beyond the wall of stone?
a. by boosting one member at a time up to the next level
b. by crawling over the stalactites one at a time c. by pressing on the stone wall with all their
strength
d. by finding a route that goes around the wall of stone
7. The author suggests that the Upper Cave is best explored by someone who
a. is young and quick.
b. has had previous experience as a jogger.
c. has had previous experience as a rock climber.
d. has patience and confidence.
8. Based on the article, which of the following statements about the Ape Caves is false?
a. They were explored by a Boy Scout troop.
b. They were formed about 2,000 years ago.
c. They were discovered about 50 years ago.
d. They were buried by the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens.
9. Which of the following sentences from the pas-sage expresses an opinion?
a. Mount St. Helens erupted with the force of a nuclear explosion on May 18, 1980.
b. At nearly two-and-a-half miles long, this is the longest such tube in the Western
Hemi-–POST-TEST–
10. The style of this passage is best described as a. distant and matter-of-fact, providing only
essential information to readers.
b. very detailed, using description to create a picture of what it’s like inside the cave.
c. full of short, choppy sentences that create a sense of excitement.
d. dry and repetitive, with little variation in sen-tence structure.
Questions
11. The main idea of this passage is best expressed in which sentence?
a. Third-degree burns are very serious.
b. There are three different kinds of burns.
c. Some burns require medical treatment.
d. Each type of burn requires a different type of treatment.
12. This passage uses which of the following pat-terns of organization?
a. cause and effect, comparison and contrast, and order of importance
b. cause and effect, chronology, and order of importance
c. comparison and contrast only
d. cause and effect and comparison and con-trast only