An Enlightenment Guide to Winning the Lottery (Reading)

Click the link below for the reading passage:

An Enlightenment Guide to Winning the Lottery

1) It can be inferred that Francois-Marie Arouet had problems with:

A) authority
B) investments
C) insurance
D) publicity


2) The word "pen-name" in paragraph 2 (line 3) is closest in meaning to:

A) pseudonym
B) title
C) designation
D) nomenclature


3) The word "panacea" in paragraph 2 (line 5) is closest in meaning to:

A) solution
B) idea
C) pledge
D) remedy


4) What decision caused the French government to suffer economic problems?

A) Issuing bonds
B) Raising money
C) Cutting interest rates
D) Avoiding credit


5) The sentence "Condamine realized that a group of people could buy up a lot of cut-price bonds, split them into tiny parcels of 1,000 livres, buy up cheap lottery tickets, and thus easily win the huge jackpot," (paragraph 6) can best be paraphrased as:

A) As a result of purchasing lottery tickets cheaply and splitting bonds, Condamine realized he could win the lottery.
B) The lottery could be won by dividing cheap bonds into smaller parts which allowed the purchase of bargain lottery tickets.
C) Condamine devised a scheme by which the jackpot could easily be won.
D) The mathematician's plan was to cut large bonds into diminutive shares and purchasing prize tickets.


6) The word "understanding" in paragraph 7 (line 9) is closest in meaning to:

A) plan
B) agreement
C) involvement
D) piracy


7) Voltaire and Condamine's scheme was uncovered because:

A) Voltaire always went to collect the money.
B) Voltaire was not creative enough with the names he signed.
C) The number of lottery tickets being sold was unreasonable.
D) Condamine made a mathematical error.


8) Which of the following was NOT a consequence of the inquiry into the lottery scandal?

A) The lottery was shut down.
B) The finance minister was fired.
C) Ticket sales stopped during the proceedings.
D) Voltaire was allowed to keep his money.


9) Why does the author mention Micromegas (paragraph 14)?

A) To illustrate to problems Voltaire caused with his wealth.
B) To explain why he fought with Frederick the Great.
C) To show why he was banned from Paris.
D) To provide an example of one of Voltaire's achievements.


10) Which of the following best summarize the topic (Choose three answers)?

A) Voltaire used his winnings to support his writing career, allowing him to become one of the greatest French authors of all time.

B) The French government concluded that nothing illegal had occurred.

C) One of the key problems they faced with the fact that only a few notaries were allowed to issue lottery tickets.

D) Condamine's plan involved purchasing cheap lottery tickets through small bonds.

E) Voltaire struggled early in his writing career due to a lack of finances and disagreements with the aristocracy.

F) Condamine and Voltaire orchestrated a scheme to win the lottery.

The Neuron that Shaped Civilization (Listening)

1) What is the lecture mainly about?

A) The significance of one type of brain cell.
B) Amazing functions of the human brain.
C) The effect of civilization on brain development.
D) The complexities of human thought.


2) According to the speaker, what strange about mirror neurons?

A) They are able to give commands to the body.
B) They have more than 10,000 connections.
C) They react when observing other people in action.
D) They copy the actions of other neurons.


3) It can be inferred from the lecture that without mirror neurons,

A) New technological and cultural developments would not spread.
B) Evolution would be impossible.
C) People would be unable to perform simple actions.
D) The brain would be more efficient.


4) At 5:08 in the lecture, the speaker says, "Now, the question then arises: If I simply watch another person being touched, why do I not get confused and literally feel that touch sensation merely by watching somebody being touched?"

What does he mean when he says "the question then arises"?

A) He is presenting a problem that has stumped scientists.
B) He is about to ask the audience a question.
C) He emphasizing a common error.
D) He wants to explain a confusing issue.


5) Which of the following is NOT a result of mirror neuron function?

A) Feeling a touch experienced by another person.
B) A sense of connectedness to other people.
C) A loss of sensation in the arm of a patient in pain.
D) Relieving pain from the missing arm of a patient.

Dare to Disagree (Listening)

1) What is the lecture mainly about?

A) The importance of conflict to progress.
B) Causes of cancer in children.
C) The significance of statistical analysis in research.
D) The psychology of the scientific community.


2) Why does the speaker discuss Alice Stewart?

A) To provide an example of a scientist who refused to give up.
B) To explore some of the causes of cancer.
C) To give an example of a successful female scientist.
D) To introduce a successful partnership based on disagreement.


3) What was the advantage of having George Kneale as a partner?

A) He was a skilled statistician.
B) He was unsociable.
C) He proved Alice's theories were correct.
D) He provided constructive conflict.


4) What problem is the speaker trying to solve for companies?

A) Excessive office conflict.
B) Their employees' fear of arguments.
C) Their distrust of over-thinking problems.
D) Their ability to affect millions of lives.


5) What is the most likely reason that Joe felt he had to leave his job?

A) He felt unable to discuss his reservations about his project.
B) He couldn't convince his peers to stand with him.
C) He had an argument with his employer.
D) He made a mistake in the plans for his medical device.

Vesna's Fall (Reading)

Click the link below for the reading passage:

Vesna's Fall


1) From paragraph 1, it can be inferred that Vesna was:

A) a member of Ustache.
B) planning to visit Denmark.
C) on Flight 364 by chance.
D) from Czechoslovakia.


2) The word "fortuitous" in paragraph 1 (line 10) is closest in meaning to:

A) unplanned
B) lucky
C) opaque
D) ambivalent


3) The word "which" in paragraph 1 (line 12) refers to:

A) Croatia
B) group
C) Ustache
D) plane


4) Which of the following is NOT mentioned as a reason that Vesna survived her fall?

A) She had never had psychological trauma.
B) She was found by a physician.
C) Her heart did not burst.
D) She had low blood pressure.


5) Which of the following words best describes Vesna's life philosophy?

A) pessimistic
B) empowered
C) apathetic
D) spiritual


6) The sentence "It’s a valid point, along the same lines as arguing that the event wasn’t a “miracle,” given that there were 27 people who didn’t survive," can best be paraphrased as:

A) Her survival in the crash was remarkable because she did not consider herself lucky.
B) Vesna's luck was not relevant to the event because it was she did not consider herself lucky.
C) The miracle was not that only 27 people perished but that Vesna was fortunate enough to survive.
D) It is reasonable for Vesna not to consider herself lucky since the event itself was a tragedy.

Mind-Controlling Wasps and Zombie Spiders (Reading)

Click the link below for the reading passage:

Mind-Controlling Wasps and Zombie Spiders

1) Which of the following can be inferred from paragraph 1?

A) Plesiometa argyra expends most of its energy constructing havens for the larvae of a wasp.
B) The wasp has been recently discovered.
C) The orb spider appears to lack the ability to make its own decisions.
D) An average orb spider constructs two different types of webs.


2) The word "unmolested" in paragraph 1 (line 3) is closest in meaning to:

A) insulated
B) distorted
C) livid
D) unaffected


3) The word "it" in paragraph 1 (line 11) refers to:

A) shelter
B) wasp
C) spider
D) species


4) During development, the wasp larvae are sustained by:

A) food brought to them by the spider.
B) the internal fluids of the spider.
C) the warmth of the shelter spun by the spider.
D) the spider's eggs.


5) Immediately after the wasp's eggs have been laid:

A) the spider continues to follow its normal routine.
B) the spider spins an unusual web.
C) the spider appears uncontaminated.
D) the spider is paralyzed.


6) The word "mechanism" in paragraph 4 (line 2) is closest in meaning to:

A) process
B) contraption
C) influence
D) gimmick


7) What can be inferred about the research of Dr. Eberhard?

A) It is likely inaccurate.
B) It has revealed an unique chemical reaction.
C) It is not well understood.
D) It has only just begun to explain this interaction.

Abstract Expressionism (Listening)

1) What is the lecture mainly about?

A) The influences on and goals of an art movement.
B) The impact of abstract expressionism on the USA.
C) The importance of New York City to the art world.
D) The most famous abstract expressionist artists.


2) Which of the following movements were mentioned as a key influence on abstract expressionism? (Choose two answers)

A) Impressionism
B) Surrealism
C) Realism
D) German Expressionism


3) What was the main goal of the movement?

A) Spreading nihilistic ideals across the United States
B) Promoting Pollock's action painting
C) Constricting social freedom
D) Encouraging escape from all forms of limitation


4) The speaker says that the abstract expressionist painters felt strongly about the importance of freedom because

A) it was this American ideal that had attracted the artists in the first place.
B) they disliked the work of their predecessors.
C) they were forced to leave their home countries during World War II.
D) most of them wanted to avoid a political interpretation of their art.


5) For each of the following statements mark either A (for Action Painting), C (for Colour Field Painting) or B for (Both)

A) Newman was a member of this/these movement(s).

B) Emphasis was placed on the artist's movement or brush strokes.

C) It was heavily influenced by a number of philosophers. 

D) Pollock was a member of this/these movement(s).

E)  Emphasis was placed on unifying a painting through colour.

F) Avoidance of real world representations was essential.

Origins of Algebra (Listening)

1) What is the lecture mainly about?

A) The development of a certain kind of mathematics.
B) The history of Persian literature.
C) The similarities between Urdu and Hindi.
D) The origin of the word "algebra".


2) From the lecture, what can be inferred Arabic?

A) It is spoken widely in India.
B) It is spoken by the lecturer.
C) It has some similarities to other languages.
D) It took the word "algebra" from Hindi.


3) Why is the book that is mentioned in the lecture important?

A) It is where the word "algebra" comes from.
B) It provided the basis for significant developments in mathematics.
C) It created a whole new field of study.
D) It was the first book to discuss algebraic concepts to the world.


4) Organize the following mathematicians chronologically:

1) al-Kwarizmi
2) Brahma gupta
3) Babyonian scholars
4) Diophantus


5) At 6:58 in the lecture, the speaker says, "and some people consider him to be, if not the father of algebra, although some say he is the father, he is one of the fathers of algebra because he really started to think about algebra in the abstract sense."

Why does he say, "if not the father of algebra, although some say he is the father"?

A) He is showing that he disagrees that al-Kwarizmi is the "father of algebra."
B) He is attempting to remain neutral in the debate over who the "father of algebra" is.
C) He is explaining that most people believe al-Kwarizmi was the founder of algebraic methods.
D) He is emphasizing important differences between historians with regards to the development of algebra. 

Cheese, Dogs and Malaria Pills (Listening)

1) What is the main topic of the lecture?

A) Ways that the spread of a disease can be prevented.
B) Various methods by which malaria spreads.
C) The connection between different mosquitoes and different types of malaria.
D) Differences between different types of mosquitoes.


2) At 2:31, why does the speaker say, "Well, in Africa, we have the equivalent of 7 jumbo 747s crashing everyday"?

A) He is comparing plane crashes in the United States and Africa.
B) He wants the listeners to understand the scale of the problem he is discussing.
C) He believes that plane crashes are a more serious problem in Africa.
D) He is emphasizing that malaria is just as preventable as plan crashes.


3) Which of the following is true about mosquito larvae? (choose two answers)

A) It is easier to kill them than adult mosquitoes.
B) It is even easier for dogs to find people who have malaria than for them to find the larvae.
C) Dogs can be trained to find and kill them.
D) They have a special scent that allows people to find the pools that they live in.


4) Why does the professor stick his arm in a cage of mosquitoes?

A) To demonstrate how hungry the mosquitoes are.
B) To show the audience how fast the drug works.
C) To kill some mosquitoes for the audience.
D) To explain an effective way of killing mosquitoes.


5) Decide if each of the following statements is true or false.

i) Not all people are bitten equally by mosquitoes.
ii) Different types of mosquitoes are attracted to different parts of the body because they taste different.
iii) Certain types of cheese attract mosquitoes better than people.
iv) Dogs are effective at finding adult mosquitoes.
v) The pill that the professor demonstrates is also effective against larvae.

Magna Carta (Reading)

Click the link below for the reading passage:

Magna Carta

1) What can be inferred about legal systems that existed before the Magna Carta?

A) They challenged the iron-fisted rule of royalty that was typical of the time.
B) They they obfuscated the rules to allow monarchs to better control their subjects.
C) The ramifications of breaking their laws did not typically extend to the rulers.
D) The average people expected their laws to be unfair.


2) Which word is closest in meaning to "accountable" (from the last line of the first paragraph)?

A) responsible
B) reliable
C) careful
D) wealthy


3) The author mentions "William the Conquerer" in paragraphs 2 and 3 to

A) show how the Magna Carta embodied the spirit of the feudal system.
B) introduce the leader that first brought feudal law to England.
C) provide the context of the political system in place prior to the Magna Carta.
D) explore the history of England as it related to the rest of Europe.


4) Which word is closest in meaning to "succession" (from paragraph 4, line 3)?

A) achievement
B) entitlement
C) attainability
D) destitution


5) Which of the following was NOT an error that John made?

A) He postponed the reclamation of Normandy from the French and ultimately lost that land.
B)He deported all the English bishops. 
C) He refused to pay the Church to reinstate England, forcing the barons had to make the arrangements.
D) He did not debate the appointment of a new archbishop with the bishops of England.


6) The word "another" (from paragraph 9, line 2) refers to:

A) loan
B) demand
C) life
D) minor


7) Which word is closest in meaning to "renounced" (from paragraph 12, line 9)?

A) disappeared
B) disputed
C) misinterpreted
D) repudiated


8) Which of the following sentences best paraphrases the sentence, "The barons called a truce when the Magna Carta was reissued under Henry’s name, although with sections removed, notably Clause 61, the “committee of barons” rule."

A) After the Magna Carta was extended to the barons once again, the barons insisted on the removal of several significant sections.
B) Despite offering peace to the barons, they still demanded that Henry remove a number of important sections from the Magna Carta.
C) When Henry removed a number of sections from the Magna Carta, the barons called for peace.
D) The Magna Carta was used to forge a peace treaty with the barons on the condition that some sections be removed.


9) Choose three sentences that summarize main points from the article.

A) Angry at the loss of their land in Normandy, the barons joined forces and demanded that King John accept the Magna Carta.

B) King John accepted the demands that the barons made on the Magna Carta and his son, Henry III, continued to respect its clauses.

C) The Magna Carta played a significant role in the build up to the American Revolution and the construction of the American government.

D) King John's dispute with the Catholic Church led to his country's ejection from the institution, which caused the barons to reject his authority.

E) Clause 39 states that you the government cannot unjustly imprison anyone or hold their property.

F) William the Conquerer took advantage of the lack of an English heir and took the English throne.

Disaster Shelters (Listening)

1) What is the lecture mainly about?

A) Responses to different types of natural disasters in the United States.
B) A way to solve the problem of slow governmental disaster response.
C) How to build disaster shelters.
D) The time it takes to recover for a natural disaster.


2) What can be inferred about the public's view of natural disasters.

A) They don't realize how many people are displaced in developed nations.
B) Most people assume that makeshift shelters are simple.
C) The public doesn't understand how many different types of disasters affect the United States.
D) They believe poorer nations need better disaster response strategies.


3) Why is the arrangement of his the lecturer's shelters important?

A) The organization of the temporary houses into rows creates a sense of order amid the chaos.
B) The ability to arrange the houses in circles makes people feel safer because they can look out in every direction.
C) It allows people to create small neighborhoods which makes disaster victims feel more comfortable.
D) The shelters can be organized in many different ways, allowing people the chance to design their own environment.


4) Which of the following is NOT true of the convenience of the shelters?

A) They can be connected together to form a larger unit.
B) They can be folded up and carried by a person.
C) Their versatility means they can be used as permanent shelters
D) The doors can be changed easily.


5) At 4:47 in the lecture, the speaker says, "Sounded like a great idea, but how do you make it real?" What does he mean by this?

A) He is expressing doubts about the possibility of completing his project.
B) He is asking the audience for suggestions.
C) He is introducing the next topic of his lecture.
D) He is showing that the problems he faced were quite challenging.


6) Which of the following were obstacles to implementing his ideas in the real world? (Choose 2 answers)

A) Companies believed that third world disaster areas were bad for their brand.
B) The government only designs their own disaster relief products.
C) Setting up a non-profit organization was too time consuming.
D) The government prefers to use products from private companies.

Optimism Bias (Listening)

1) What is the lecture mainly about?

A) A comparison of optimistic and pessimistic people with their respective advantages and disadvantages.
B) The view that people as a whole need optimistic bias in their lives.
C) The process by which optimism occurs and the implications of it on society.
D) The mechanisms and advantages of positive thinking.


2) Which of the following is NOT an example of optimism bias?

A) Newly-weds believing they have a very low likelihood of divorce.
B) An employee underestimating the cost of a project.
C) A person believing that family's in general society will be less successful than their own family.
D) A person overestimating their likelihood of getting cancer. 


3) Which of the following is NOT mentioned as a reason that a pessimistic outlook is bad life strategy?

A) People with this view are usually less happy because they are worried about their future.
B) Pessimistic people don't have realistic expectations of the future.
C) This strategy will never affect the real world in a positive way for that person.
D) Pessimists miss the chance to anticipate the positive events in their future.


4) According to the lecturer, why do people suffer from optimism bias?

A) A part of their brain is inefficient.
B) Their brain overcompensate for negative information that they are given.
C) The don't always understand the negative information they are given.
D) They can't adjust their lifestyle to match the negative information because they are addicted to the positive things in their life.


5) Which of the following best summarizes the professors opinion of optimism bias?

A) It is not completely negative but people need to be careful.
B) It is something that society would be better without.
C) With too much optimism bias, progress is impossible.
D) Life is more challenging but also more rewarding with optimism bias. 

The Seventh Sense (Reading)

Click the link below for the reading passage:

The Seventh Sense

1) Which of the following is NOT a "special sense"?

A) Smell
B) Touch
C) Taste
D) Hearing


2) Why does the author say, "what happens when the body loses knowledge of itself is a far stranger occurrence?

A) He his drawing conclusions about the senses.
B) He believes that it is rare to see this symptom in people.
C) He is introducing the main topic of the passage.
D) He is emphasizing the importance of interoceptive senses.


3) The word "this" in paragraph 3, line 4, refers to:

A) organic sense
B) internal condition
C) body
D) interoceptive sense


4) Which of the following words is closest in meaning to "subjected" (paragraph 4, line 10)?

A) forced
B) educated
C) asked
D) experimented


5) Which of the following words is closest in meaning to "premonitory" (paragraph 5, line 4)?

A) elusive
B) foreshadowing
C) concluding
D) main


6) Which of the following is NOT a stage in the development of Sacks' Syndrome?

A) Development of increasingly poor coordination
B) Proprioceptive failure in specific limbs of the sufferer.
C) Dreams in which the sufferer has no control of their body.
D) A complete loss of bodily awareness.


7) What can be inferred about a person with Proprioception Deficit Disorder?

A) They are unable to move various parts of their body.
B) It is challenging for them to do multiple physical tasks at once.
C) They cannot go to work because it is difficult to carry their briefcase.
D) It is difficult to manage, but they can still drive to work.


8) Which of the following sentences best paraphrases, "Thus, the movement does not look at all natural; opening a door becomes a laborious process of extend hand, tighten each finger, rotate knob, extend arm, raise foot, lower foot, and so on."?

A) As the result of the need for suffers of PDD to meticulously analyze all of their movements, none of their physical actions look normal.

B) Because of the complexity of the actions involved in opening doors, casual movements around the house become impossible to accomplish.

C) The detailed process we go through in opening a door is something most PDD sufferers take for granted.

D) The complex analysis that most people develop for actions such as opening a door is lacking in sufferers of Sacks' Syndrome so their movements appear strange.


9) Which of the following is a possible cause of permanent PDD?

A) It may be encoded in a persons genes.
B) Increased knowledge about the disease.
C) Overdoses of certain vitamins may cause it.
D) It may be communicable.

ET is Probably Out There (Listening)

 1) What is the main topic of the lecture?

A) The history of the search for extraterrestrial life.
B) Reasons that the discovery of an alien species is imminent.
C) Methods for detecting life from space.
D) The procurement of extraterrestrial technology.


2) The main reason that the lecturer believes we will find alien life in the near future is that:

A) our technology is rapidly improving.
B) we have found a number of alien planets in recent years.
C) scientists have improved their search strategies.
D) we can send communication signals further than before.


3) At 4:54, the speaker says: "Well, a million star systems. . .is that interesting? I mean, how many of those star systems have planets? And the facts are, we didn't know the answer to that even as recently as 15 years ago. And in fact, we didn't even know it as recently as 6 months ago. But now we do. Recent results suggest that virtually every star has planets. . . and more than one, they're like. . .you know. . .kittens. You don't get one kitten; you get a litter of them."

Why does he say "they're like. . .you know. . .kittens. You don't get one kitten; you get a litter of them"?

A) To expressing surprise.
B) To make a joke.
C) To help the audience understand something complex.
D) To emphasize a recent point.


4) At 6:08, why does the lecturer say, "even taking the pessimistic estimate, that it's one in a thousand, it means that there are at least a billion cousins of the Earth just in our own galaxy"?

A) He is taking a conservative view to strengthen his argument.
B) He believes a pessimistic estimate is most reasonable.
C) He believes that one in a thousand too low of a number.
D) He wants to convince the audience that there are not many suitable planets.


5) According to the lecturer, what are some probable effects of learning that we are not alone in the Universe? (Choose two options)

A) We might gain substantial knowledge from an advanced society.
B) It will put our existence into a more realistic perspective.
C) It may cause significant conflict here on Earth.
D) We will be able to predict our own future from the knowledge we receive.


6) What are two advantages that the SETI program has in encouraging scientific awareness in the public? (Choose two options)

A) The results of the program will be achieved in the near future.
B) The science is much more interesting to the average person.
C) The scientists are better at advertising and explaining their intentions.
D) The goals of the program are relatively simple to understand.

Inflation (Listening)

1) What is the lecture mainly about?

A) The meaning of inflation.
B) The goods and services used by the average household.
C) The influence of the CPI on inflation calculations.
D) The way to calculate inflation.


2) Which of the following is true of the Consumer Price Index?

A) It is used to calculate average spending on luxury items.
B) It allows the government to monitor price increases.
C) It would cost approximately $100.
D) It is a measurement of average consumer income.


3) At 1:17, the lecturer says, "And let's say that in year one, that it costs them a hundred dollars - the actual basket CPI constructs would not cost a hundred dollars, but I am going to do this for the sake of simplicity."

What does the lecturer mean when he says, "but I am going to do this for the sake of simplicity"?

A) He thinks that students will not understand the actual data used by the CPI.
B) He doesn't have the real data available at the moment.
C) He is stating that the real costs would be much higher than $100.
D) He wants to make the math as easy as possible so students understand the process.


4) Why does the speaker mention the "money supply"?

A) He is discussing the distinction between two definitions of inflation.
B) He is explaining why inflation occurred in his diagram.
C) He is clarifying the government's role in the economy.
D) He is introducing a second main topic for this discussion.


5) What can be inferred about the speaker's explanation?

A) It is not entirely correct.
B) The calculation is much less complicated in the real world.
C) There are many other factors that real economists consider.
D) It is too basic to be useful for the average person.

The Soldier Who Wouldn't Quit (Reading)

Click the link below for the reading passage:

The Soldier Who Wouldn't Quit

1) According to the first paragraph, which of the following is true?

A) Onoda was involved in open combat in the Philippines.
B) Onoda frequently disobeyed his commanding officer.
C) Onoda was permitted to surrender under certain circumstances.
D) Onoda's commanding officer made a promise that he couldn't keep.


2) All of the following are true EXCEPT:

A) The soldiers survived by carefully dividing their food.
B) A number attempts to convince the soldiers that the war was over failed.
C) The soldiers were involved in small battles and sometimes destroyed equipment in the area.
D) The villagers sometimes offered food to the soldiers but were still not trusted.

3) According to paragraphs 5, 6 and 7, which of the following is true:

A) One of the soldiers was killed by a fisherman.
B) One of the soldiers was killed by a farmer.
C) The soldiers believed that they would be able to take back the island for the Japanese army.
D) The soldiers burned some rice because they believed that it would disrupt the Allie's war infrastructure.

4) From paragraph 8, the sentence: "It was concluded that since Kozuka had survived all those years, then it was likely that Lt. Onoda was still alive, though he had been declared legally dead about thirteen years earlier," can be restated as:

A) Because Kozuka was still alive, Onoda was also probably alive even though officially, he was assumed dead.
B) In spite of being announced dead, Kozuka was likely still alive with Onoda on the island.
C) Because Kozuka had been declared dead, many people had reason to believe that Onoda was still alive.
D) It was concluded that Onoda was alive, despite being assumed dead some years earlier, because Kozuka had been able to survive.

5) In the last line of paragraph 11, the word "pardon" is closest in meaning to:

A) Excuse
B) Forgiveness
C) Sorry
D) Trial


6) In line 3 of paragraph 12, the word "memoir" is closest in meaning to:

A) History
B) Non-Fiction
C) Autobiography
D) Novel

Chronic Pain (Listening)

1) What is main topic of the lecture?

A) The issue of ongoing pain and how it can be managed.
B) What chronic pain feels like.
C) Effective ways of managing children's hospitals.
D) Different ways that people deal with pain.


2) Why does the speaker use a feather and a blowtorch as part of his lecture?

A) To introduce a problem that many patients have with feathers.
B) To help him illustrate a symptom of the problem he discusses in the lecture.
C) To explain that pain from injuries such as sprains can be managed with the gentle touch of something soft like a feather.
D) To explain two different types of injuries that he treats.


3) At 03:22, the speaker says, "How can the nervous system get this so wrong? How can the nervous system misinterpret an innocent sensation like the touch of a hand and turn it into the malevolent sensation of the touch of the flame?" Why does he say this?

A) He thinks that his patient's body has an unusual nervous system.
B) He is illustrating the fact that even doctors don't understand why these problems happen.
C) He wants the audience to speculate about the answers.
D) He intends to explain how a problem with the nervous system can occur.


4) Which of the following statements is true about way the body's nervous system deals with pain? (2 answers)

A) The nervous system is arranged in a similar way to wires in a house.
B) Nerves communicate to each other one by one from the source of pain all the way up to the brain.
C) Neurotransmitter chemicals interact with non-nerve cells.
D) A feedback loop in the nervous system creates chronic pain.


5) Which of the following is NOT an effective treatment for chronic pain?

A) Physical therapy
B) Local anesthetics
C) Painkillers
D) Psychotherapy


6) Why is the lecturer optimistic about the future?

A) Because he does not believe he will have to deal with chronic pain when he is older.
B) Because he expects even better treatments to deal with pain.
C) Because he believes that in the future people will not feel pain.
D) Because he successfully treated his patient.

Arab Spring (Listening)

1) At the beginning of the lecture, the speaker says, "My talk today is about something maybe a couple of you have already heard about. It's called the Arab Spring. Anyone heard of it?"

Why does she say, "Anyone heard of it"?

A) She thinks her audience will be unfamiliar with the topic.
B) She doesn't know if the audience can hear her well.
C) She is joking with the audience.
D) She thinks the audience will not understand the topic.


2) What is the lecture mainly about?

A) The reasons for and ramifications of Middle Eastern revolutions.
B) The goals of the Arab middle class and their influence on the economy.
C) Poverty's effect on politics in Muslim societies.
D) Data supporting theories of the causes of revolutions around the world.


3) The speaker believes that a key cause of the Egyptian revolution was:

A) the desperation of fruit vendors.
B) the disparity between the population's expectations and experience.
C) unemployment and poverty caused by years of economic mismanagement.
D) the unequal distribution of wealth in the country.


4) Which of the following can be inferred about the Egyptian government?

A) It has strict control over its population.
B) Until recently it was unconcerned about public opinion.
C) Its leaders are as optimistic about the future as its citizens.
D) It has not changed significantly in the last 5 years.


5) Which of the following is NOT a factor that influences men's support for women's rights in the Middle East?

A) Their country's Human Development Index
B) Their education levels
C) Their country's level of secularization
D) Their employment rate


6) The lecturer's opinion about the future of Egypt is most likely:

A) Somewhat pessimistic
B) Extremely apathetic
C) Mostly ambivalent
D) Cautiously optimistic

Communicating with the Future (Reading)

Click the link below for the reading passage:

Communicating with the Future

1) According to paragraph 1, the radiation warning symbol:

A) looks like a harmless object to most people.
B) may change in the future.
C) may one day not adequately explain the danger.
D) is an essential danger symbol for the future.


2) The author mention "early humans" in line 1 or paragraph 3 to:

A) explain the difference between modern humans and prehistoric ones.
B) illustrate how much we have developed as a species.
C) show that manmade objects can last for millennia.
D) explain the vast cultural changes that can occur in thousands of years.


3) The message on the waste facility must be comprehensible to anyone because future civilizations:

A) may have technology comparable to our own.
B) will likely have a different economic structure.
C) will be more advanced than we are.
D) could be quite different from us in several ways.


4) Which of the following words is closest in meaning to "comprised of" (paragraph 5, line 4)?

A) constituting
B) collected
C) developed
D) discussing


5) Which of the following is NOT a reason that the facility might be opened in the future?

A) a search for ancient artifacts
B) climate manipulation
C) mining operations
D) human burial


6) Which of the following words is closest in meaning to "sprang" (paragraph 7, line 1)?

A) escaped
B) materialized
C) distributed
D) jumped


7) From paragraph 7 line 9, what does the word "they" refer to?

A) humans
B) panel members
C) materials
D) discoverers


8) What can be inferred about future generations from paragraph 9?

A) Their language may not yet exist.
B) They will not be able to uncover the radioactive material at the site.
C) They will have difficulty understanding the basic information left behind.
D) They may try to change the message on the main wall.


9) The sentence "Still others advised against erecting any warning monuments at all, worrying that the markers themselves– if not properly interpreted– may rouse the curiosity of their discoverers enough that they might explore further, to disastrous ends," (paragraph 11) can best be restated as:

A) People are more likely to investigate the site if there are markers so they should make sure any monuments can be properly understood.
B) Some people believe it would be better to avoid constructing any monuments since humans may excavate the site to satisfy their curiosity.
C) It has been suggested that the markers may not be properly interpreted and therefore nothing should be placed above the site.
D) It seems likely that future civilizations will end in disaster if they explore the site due to misleading markings, so it would be better if the site was vacant.


10) Choose three sentences that best summarize the passage.

A) Researchers are developing a number of strategies to communicate with future generations.

B) The US Department of Energy is developing a nuclear waste storage facility that needs to remain closed for thousands of years.

C) It is inevitable that future generations will attempt to open the waste facility.

D) Future societies will likely have quite different technology to our own.

E) At the moment, researchers are considering a variety of ideas, including a massive landscape of thorns or perhaps an arrangement of black blocks.

F) It is essential the danger of the site is communicated clearly into the distant future.

Pre-conditions (Listening)

1) What does the lecturer mainly discuss?

A) What baseball statistics can tell us about our medical system.
B) The failures of the medical system that can be attributed to poor management.
C) The inaccuracy in predictions of people's medical futures.
D) Medicine in baseball and its applications to some current health care issues.


2) At 2:25, the speaker says, "I have a name for all of these conditions, and it's another precondition. I call them preposterous." Why does he say this?

A) He thinks that most of these conditions are unreasonably diagnosed.
B) He is not interested in studying these conditions.
C) He is emphasizing the need to study these conditions further.
D) He believes all of the conditions can be grouped together in one medical category.


3) What is the speakers opinion of many of the treatments available for preconditions?

A) They are somewhat effective.
B) They are extremely important.
C) They are somewhat ineffective.
D) They often do more harm than good.


4) According to the lecture, which of the following are examples of reason that the current healthcare system focuses on "preconditions"? (choose two options)?

A) Pharmaceutical companies want to keep their customers happy.
B) Patients want an easy solution to their medical problems.
C) Doctors are worried about legal action being taken against them.
D) Money can be saved by catching the illnesses early.


5) Why was the speaker happy with his doctor's advice?

A) The doctor told him he was healthy.
B) The doctor did not talk about his health in terms of preconditions.
C) The doctor took the time to explain the dangers of pre-obesity.
D) The doctor told him he was overweight.

Pig Parts (Listening)

1) What is the main topic of the lecture?

A) Agricultural exports around Europe.
B) The uses of an agricultural product.
C) The reasons many people don't eat pork.
D) Uses for pig parts in the Netherlands.


2) At 00:56, the speaker says, "historically, the whole pig would be used up until the last bit so nothing would be wasted -- and I was curious to find out if this was actually still the case."

Why does she say, "I was curious to find out if this was actually still the case."

A) She wanted to know if parts of the pig are wasted because it is part of a legal case.
B) She wanted to know more about the history of the pig in agriculture.
C) She wanted to know if people in the past also used the entire pig.
D) She wanted to know if there are any similarities between the past and present.


3) Why does the speaker discuss portion control steaks?

A) Because a large section of her book is devoted to meat.
B) Because she discovered that industrial beef producers were actually selling pork steaks instead of beef steaks.
C) Because she thinks that the portion control steaks are unusual.
D) Because they are one of the main uses of pork.


4) Why does the speaker believe her research is important?

A) She thinks that without knowing what is in products, we can't improve the production process.
B) She believes pigs should be treated better.
C) She thinks that people need to know what is in products so they can decide whether or not to purchase them.
D) She believes it will help the Dutch government make better economic decisions.


5) How does the speaker organize most of her lecture?

A) By moving chronologically through the life of a pig.
B) By discussing specific pig parts and their uses.
C) By discussing the average person's day in relation to pig products.
D) By explaining different theories developed in her research.

Revealing the Lost Codex of Archimedes (Listening)

1) The lecturer primarily speaks about

A) the content of Johannes Myronas's prayer book.
B) the decoding of a book written by Archimedes.
C) the process of reconstructing ancient manuscripts.
D) the destruction of three important books about Archimedes.


2) Why was the damaged book bought by a private collector?

A) He hoped to sell it in the future for more money.
B) He was a researcher who studied ancient Greek texts.
C) He wished to provide free access to the text.
D) He believed he could use it to promote the Greek language.


3) What problems did the book preservationists encounter? (Choose two options)

A) Some of the glue on the book was challenging to remove.
B) They were unable to use imaging technology to view the pages.
C) The researchers had to put fragments of pages back together.
D) Wax on the pages was damaging the text.


4) The lecturer mentions a particle accelerator in the lecture because

A) Archimedes developed some theories in physics that they wanted to test.
B) they needed the technology at the facility to see through the gold leaf.
C) the book had pages that could not be viewed using x-rays.
D) the accelerator showed too powerful and damaged to book further.


5) What is probably true of other books similarly old books?

A) They are often kept in libraries around the world rather than in private collections.
B) They are typically not as well preserved as the one discussed.
C) They don't commonly have religious significance.
D) They are usually not constructed from the pages multiple ancient Greek texts.


6) What is the professor's opinion data preservation?

A) He believes copyright protection is extremely important to the future.
B) He thinks that as much information as possible should be made freely available.
C) He distrusts large libraries with strict rules about their data.
D) He feel that to preserve data, you need to keep it carefully locked away.

The Torn Identity (Reading)

 Click on the link below for the reading passage:

The Torn Identity

1) From paragraph 1 line 4, which of the following words is closest in meaning to "aftermath"?

A) consequences
B) disaster
C) destitution
D) ambivalence

2) From paragraph 1, the sentence "In the aftermath of destroyed documents and burned paper trails, a long-running scheme of coordinated immigration fraud emerged that reunited families across the Pacific and opened doors to thousands of overseas laborers," can be best restated as:

A) Because Chinese families wanted to be reunited and laborers wanted to migrate to the USA, organized immigration fraud developed.
B) A system of immigration fraud developed in the wake of the disaster.
C) Without the earthquake, many Chinese families would never have been reunited and the immigration doors would have been closed to laborers.
D) After the earthquake's destruction, families were brought back together and laborers streamed into the country with the help of a system of immigration fraud.


3) What can be inferred about the Chinese Exclusion Act from paragraph 2?

A) It resulted in many more Chinese immigrants to the United States.
B) It was the result of racism from working class Americans.
C) It prevented Chinese-Americans from working in California.
D) It was criticized by labour unions in the United States.


4) From paragraph 3 line 8, what does the word "them" refer to?

A) records
B) immigration officials
C) laborers
D) ashes


5) Immigration officials trusted Chinese laborers' who claimed to be American because:

A) the laborers were respected by the government for helping to build the railroad.
B) there was no way to prove or disprove the claims.
C) with the government offices damaged, it was difficult for the officials to make good decisions.
D) they wanted the laborers to be able to import their families.


6) Which of the following is NOT true about "paper families"?

A) They were part of an illegal industry that helped Chinese people immigrate to the United States.
B) It was more common to sneak men into the country than women.
C) Because the documents were hastily made, sometimes the information was false.
D) Paper family members had to carefully memorize their life histories.


7) From paragraph 5 line 5, which of the following words is closest in meaning to "discrepancy"?

A) reorganization
B) subtlety
C) development
D) inconsistency


8) Choose three sentences that best summarize the passage.

A) There was an official ban on Chinese immigrants in the late 19th century with the exception of family members of US-born citizens.

B) Paper daughters were less common than paper sons or fathers.

C) The immigration officials questioned arriving Chinese people about the details of their identities for hours or even days.

D) For paper families, passing the immigration test was only the beginning of a series or trying ordeals.

E) Following the destruction left behind by the earthquake, a number of Chinese residents reported that their records were burnt and were granted citizenship.

F) After the earthquake in California, workers became worried about the influx of Chinese immigrants.

Experiments That Hint of Longer Lives (Listening)

1) What is the lecture mainly about?

A) The reason that different animals have different life-spans.
B) Researchers have found a way to make the C. elegans worm live longer.
C) Implications of her research for humans.
D) The genetics of life-spans.

2) At 03:15, the lecturer says, "But it's really more like this: let's say you're a 30 year-old guy -- or in your 30s -- and you're a bachelor and you're dating people. And you meet someone you really like, you get to know her. And you're in a restaurant, and you say, "Well how old are you?" She says, "I'm 60." That's what it's like. And you would never know. You would never know, until she told you."

Why does she say, "But it's really more like this"?

A) She is making a joke for the audience.
B) She is explaining what dating will be like in the future.
C) She is clarifying a common misconception.
D) She is explaining one of the steps in the experiment.


3) What can be inferred from the lecture?

A) Worms, flies, mice and people share a common gene.
B) Gene mutation in the studies harmed the animals.
C) The lecturer does not believe all animals can be affected by gene mutation.
D) She believes that quality of life may decrease when life-span increases.

4) Why is the speaker optimistic?

A) There is already a drug available for people that helps them live longer.
B) She believes that she will live longer because of her research.
C) She is excited about the ability to extend the lives of animals.
D) She believes that she can now help elderly people resist diseases better.

5) Mark True or False beside each of the following statements about the daf-2 gene:
- A daf-2 mutation can cause slower aging in people.
- Mutation of the daf-2 gene has quite different results in different animals.
- A mutated daf-2 gene causes defects in the cells of the animal.
- A daf-2 mutation can result in lower risk of age-related diseases.

Detectable Civilizations - The Drake Equation (Listening)

 1) What is the main goal of the lecture?

A) To explain ways to detect other civilizations.
B) To determine whether or not life exists elsewhere our galaxy.
C) To find out how many other civilizations have technology like ours.
D) To suggest a way to guess how many other civilizations there are in the galaxy.


2) According to the lecturer, what are some possible reasons that a civilization might NOT be detectable? (select 2 answers)

A) Because there is no life on their planet.
B) Because they aren't advanced enough to use technology like ours.
C) Because they have different ways to communicate.
D) Because their planet is too far away.


3) At 3:06 the lecturer says, "I like to start with the number of stars in our solar system. So, let's just start with, I will call it, N*, and this is the number of stars. . . number of stars not in our solar system, the number of stars in the galaxy."

Why does he say, "number of stars not in our solar system, the number of stars in the galaxy."

A) Because he thinks the solar system is too small to use with the Drake Equation.
B) Because he needs to correct a error he made.
C) Because he wants to emphasize the difference between the solar system and the galaxy.
D) Because he needs to correct a mistake made in the original Drake Equation.


4) Which of the following is NOT mentioned as an important factor to consider when thinking about whether a planet is life-sustaining?

A) Distance from the star.
B) Temperature.
C) Size of the star.
D) Presence of water.


5) In the context of the Drake Equation, why is it important to know whether a civilization could develop advanced communication technology?

A) Because we need to be able to find them.
B) Because we need to know if they are similar to us.
C) Because we need to find out about their culture.
D) Because we need to find out how many planets have life.


6) Which of the following are used in the Drake Equation? (Mark Yes or No for each.)

A) The number of stars in the Universe.
B) The frequency of planets around stars.
C) The average number of planets that could support life
D) The fraction of planets that have life.
E) The fraction of civilizations that develop beyond Earth's.

The Lost Continent of Atlantis (Reading)

Click the link below for the reading passage:

The Lost Continent of Atlantis

1) All of the following were thought by Plato to be features of Atlantean society and culture EXCEPT:

A) an extensive trade network.
B) an empire extending to multiple continents.
C) a lavish capital city.
D) a strictly secular population.


2) From paragraph 3, line 3, what does the word "it" refer to?

A) island
B) eruption
C) story
D) problem


3) Which of the following words is closest in meaning to "propagation" (paragraph 6, line 2)?

A) development
B) procurement
C) reproduction
D) disappearance


4) Ignatius Donnelly believe all of the following about Atlantis EXCEPT?

A) A group of islands in the Atlantic ocean today were once part of Atlantis.
B) Atlantis made a number of discoveries before most of the world developed the scripts.
C) The flood that is described in the Bible also destroyed Atlantis.
D) Because the banana is seedless, it would have been incapable of spreading to Africa without the help of Atlantis.


5) What does the author probably think about Steiner's theories?

A) They are scientifically meticulous.
B) They have little basis in fact.
C) They are profoundly important to the myth of Atlantis.
D) They are mostly science fiction but also have some truth.


6) Which of the following sentences best paraphrases, "Using a calendar system inspired by the ancient Mayans (who Muck believed were colonists from Atlantis), he claimed to have calculated the destruction of Atlantis down to the hour: about noon on June 6, 8498 B.C."?

A) Muck believed that the Mayans originated in Atlantis so he used their calendar for his calculations.
B) Muck fastidiously calculated the date on which Atlantis disappeared from a Mayan-like calendar.
C) Muck discovered the precise date and time that Atlantis was destroyed from the Mayan calendar.
D) The Atlantean calendar system inspired the Mayan one, which predicted the catastrophe which would occur. 


7) Which of the following words is closest in meaning to "fudged" (paragraph 11, line 5)?

A) obscured
B) sweetened
C) predicted
D) invented


8) Match the following beliefs about Atlantis to the correct theorists:

A) It is located near Bolivia.
B) Its technology was similar to that of the author's time.
C) It was destroyed by a volcanic eruption.
D) It had different physical laws than we have today.
E) It was not located in the Atlantic Ocean
F) Its technology was far more advanced than the rest of the world.
G) It had an enormous empire.
H) It can help explain the spread of fruit.
I) Its disappearance explains some strange marine migration patterns.
J) It was destroyed by the gods.


Plato
-
-
-


Donnelly
-
-


Muck
-
-

The Line Between Life and Not-Life (Listening)

1) What does the speaker mainly discuss?

A) The factors that determine if something is living.
B) A theory about the origin of life on Earth.
C) Experiments that demonstrate features of life.
D) The misconception that chemicals can be considered living.


2) Which of the following is true of protocells?

A) They function quite differently from normal cells.
B) They can be made in many different ways.
C) They do not possess a body.
D) They are more complex than normal cells.


3) At 7:15 in the lecture the speaker says, "Now, this doesn't have a brain, it doesn't have a neural system. This is just a sack of chemicals that is able to have this interesting and complex lifelike behavior."

Why does the speaker say, "Now, this doesn't have a brain"?

A) He wants to emphasize the simplicity of the experiment.
B) He believes that his audience might think his protocells are alive.
C) He thinks that protocells are unintelligent creatures.
D) He is illustrating that the protocells are a simple form of life.


4) Why does the speaker think his experiments are interesting? (Choose 2 Answers)

A) They may help us recognize unusual forms of life in the Universe.
B) They produced the first form of laboratory life.
C) They can help explain certain aspects of human behavior.
D) He believes that they can teach us about the origin of life.


5) Why did the speaker want to avoid sterile lab conditions for his final set of experiments?

A) He wanted a more realistic setting for his protocells.
B) The chemicals he used in his earlier work were too volatile.
C) Dirty environments are better at promoting cellular life.
D) He had limited success under sterile conditions.


6) According to the speaker, which of the following is likely true of all living things? (Mark Yes/No beside each choice)

A) An ability to utilize energy from the environment.
B) Possession of DNA.
C) Static chemical bonds.
D) Some form of mobility.
E) Primarily liquid.

The Natural Sleep Cycle (Listening)

 1) What is the lecture mainly about?

A) The chemically programmed human sleep cycle.
B) An important experiment on sleep.
C) Sleep cycles of different animals.
D) The variety of sleep patterns observed in humans.


2) Why does the speaker mention horseshoe crabs?

A) To point the ability of most animals to "sense" time.
B) To provide an example of a biological clock.
C) To illustrate the sleep differences between humans and animals.
D) To explain how tides affect animal behavior.


3) What can be inferred about the lecturer?

A) Her sleep patterns are unnatural.
B) She disagrees with the conclusions of the experiment.
C) She endeavors to sleep 12 hours per day.
D) She conducts unethical research.


4) What were the results of the experiment discussed in the lecture? (Choose 2 answers)

A) The natural sleep cycle of a human was determined to be two periods of 4 hours.
B) The participants in the experiment had trouble adjusting to the lack of daylight and spent a significant period of time feeling restless each night.
C) The subjects' lack of sleep affected their productivity during the experiment.
D) The participants claimed to feel truly rested for the first time.


5) At 3:29, the speaker says, "So, cut to the modern day. We're living in a culture of jet lag, global travel, 24-hour business, shift work. And you know, our modern ways of doing things have their advantages, but I believe we should understand the costs."

Why does the speaker say "So, cut to the modern day"?

A) She believes work hours need to be limited in modern society.
B) She thinks that the globalized society needs to eliminate unnatural sleep cycles.
C) She is emphasizing a preference for an older way of life.
D) She is making a transition between different points of her lecture.

The First Black Sea Captain (Reading)

Click the link below for the reading passage:

The First Black Sea Captain

1) From paragraph 2, all of the following are true about Robert Smalls' early life EXCEPT:

A) He had a remarkable memory for maritime features but was illiterate.
B) He was born near the sea and proved to be a naturally gifted sailor.
C) In his first job, he was paid to work in a shipyard.
D) His employment opportunities were limited by his social status.


2) What was the main reason that Smalls and his family were still slaves in 1861?

A) He wasn't earning enough money to procure their freedom.
B) He was such a gifted seaman that his owner delayed selling him.
C) Everyone in his life was holding him back from that decision.
D) The American Civil War prevented anyone from thinking about their future.


3) From paragraph 4 line 4, which of the following is closest in meaning to the word "ordnance"?

A) artillery
B) vessels
C) materials
D) drugs


4) From paragraph 6 line 11, the word "they" refers to:

A) The ship's crew.
B) The Confederate forts.
C) The 13 slaves.
D) Smalls' family.


5) From paragraphs 8 and 9, which of the following was NOT a result of the Smalls' escape:

A) Black soldiers began to enlist in the military.
B) Smalls' actions put President Lincoln in danger.
C) Smalls was given a reward for his heroism.
D) Newspapers congratulated his intelligence.


6) From paragraph 10 line 5, which of the following is closest in meaning to the word "maneuver"?

A) protect
B) encourage
C) employ
D) direct


7) From paragraph 11, the sentence "In combat, Captain Smalls fought in 17 naval engagements; off duty, he studied with tutors to learn to read and write, skills which has been forbidden him as a slave," could best be restated as:

A) As a successful commander, Smalls was able to get tutors to help him gain literacy skills even though it was forbidden.
B) In spite of the fact that as a slave, Smalls had never learned to read and write, he managed to lead many successful naval campaigns.
C) During his command, Smalls fought a number of naval battles while learning literacy skills in his spare time.
D) After Smalls' successful career as a commanding officer, he was able to study with tutors to become literate.


8) In the last paragraph, why does the passage mention "the USS Robert Smalls"?

A) To show that Smalls was still respected even after his death.
B) To illustrate the location of Smalls' grave.
C) To explain why Smalls' home was made a National Historic Landmark.
D) To show what happened to the ship that he captained.


9) Choose 3 sentences to summarize the main points of the passage.

A) After the Civil War, Smalls moved back to his hometown and worked in politics until his death in 1915.

B) Smalls escaped from slavery by stealing a ship, imitating his captain and joining the other side of the war.

C) Smalls passed away in his hometown of Beaufort, having never been fully recognized for his achievements.

D) At just 12 years old, Smalls got his first job in a shipyard in Beaufort.

E) After Smalls' escape, the Southern (Confederate) Army began allowing black soldiers into the military, which was a significant political and social change.

F) Smalls became a captain partly because of the cowardice of his predecessor but mostly because of his heroism and intelligence.

The Divided Brain (Listening)

1) What does the lecturer mainly discuss?

A) Structural differences between the two halves of the brain.
B) The development of a divided brain.
C) Functional similarities in different parts of the brain.
D) Features that distinguish one side of the brain from the other.


2) Do the following features apply to birds, humans or both? (Mark Bi, H or B beside each choice.)

A) Frontal lobes do not limit the rest of the brain.
B) Left hemisphere used for narrow focused attention.
C) Ability to empathize with others.
D) Divided brains.
E) Right hemisphere used for sustained alertness to the world.


3) Which of the following tasks would be done primarily by the right brain?

A) Interpretation of body language.
B) Tool manipulation.
C) Categorization.
D) Providing the definition of a word.


4) Which of the following misconceptions does the lecturer dispel?

A) The left hemisphere of the brain tends to isolate information.
B) Imagination and reason only require a single part of the brain.
C) The right side of the brain is less important to animals than the left side.
D) Both parts of the brain have different functions.


5) At 7:54 in the lecture, the speaker says, "And it's my suggestion to you that in the history of Western culture, things started, in the 6th century B.C. and the Augustan Era and in the 15th-16th century in Europe, with a wonderful balancing of these hemispheres. But in each case, it drifted further to the left hemisphere's point of view."

Why does he say, "And it's my suggestion to you"?

A) He is presenting a personal theory.
B) He is giving psychological advice.
C) He is guessing about the history of the human brain.
D) He is trying to help you understand history better.


6) What is the professors opinion of the left hemisphere of the brain?

A) It is less important than the right hemisphere.
B) It is more important than the right hemisphere.
C) It is becoming more dominant in today's society.
D) We need to be careful not to neglect.

The Tragic Birth of FM Radio (Reading)

Click the link below for the reading passage: 

The Tragic Birth of FM Radio

1) Each of the following is true EXCEPT:

A) The regenerative circuit was invented during the Great Depression.
B) Armstrong was granted a patent in 1914.
C) Armstrong sold his patent to AT&T.
D) Radio Broadcasters were extremely successful in 1934.


2) From paragraph 3, it can be inferred that

A) Armstrong lost his final case because the the court did not understand the science of his invention.
B) FM radio was created before AM radio.
C) A significant problem with FM radio was static.
D) Armstrong demonstrated the superiority of AM radio from the top of the Empire State Building.


3) The word "rich" in the third-last line in paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to which of the following:

A) Affluent
B) Savory
C) Resonant
D) Surprising


4) According to paragraphs 4 and 5, which of the following is true?

A) Creating a broadcast spectrum for FM radio was the FCC's idea.
B) AM radio signals can reach the moon while FM signals cannot.
C) A group of people that loved FM radio started a publication.
D) Multiplexing was not possible with FM radio.


5) The sentence: "Seeking to kill FM radio before it could threaten his profits, Sarnoff’s company successfully lobbied the FCC to have the FM spectrum moved from Armstrong’s frequencies to the ones we use today: 88 to 108 MHz" from paragraph 7 can be restated as:

A) Concerned about financial issues, Sarnoff requested that the FM spectrum be changed to Armstrong's frequencies.
B) FM frequencies were changed from Armstrong's to the ones we have today because Sarnoff was worried about the profitability of his company.
C) Sarnoff changed the FM spectrum to 88-108MHz.
D) Armstrong's frequencies are no longer used for FM radio today because the FCC changed them.

6) The word "stake" in paragraph 7 is closest in meaning to:

A) Wager
B) Investment
C) Post
D) Lobby


7) All of the following are true EXCEPT:

A) Armstrong had another legal case to deal with because some companies were not paying to use the technology that he invented.
B) Armstrong committed suicide.
C) Armstrong's wife won the legal battle he started.
D) FM radio never fully reached it's potential in the 1950s and 1960s.

Mathusian Limits (Listening)

1) What is the main topic of the lecture?

A) Optimism about the future expressed a thinker in the 18th centuries.
B) Predictions about population growth by authors in the 17th century.
C) A comparison of Thomas Malthus's population growth theories and those of other thinkers at the time.
D) One man's dire predictions for the future of mankind.


2) Which of the following statements would Malthus most likely agree with?

A) Humanity will continue in uncontrolled growth until it is stopped by environmental factors.
B) Human population growth cannot be stopped by the limitations of the Earth.
C) Mankind is destined to exist in a utopian state in the distant future.
D) Humanity will likely destroy the Earth and be forced to relocate or perish.


3) According to Malthus, which of the following is NOT a limit to population growth?

A) Food production capability
B) Violence for control of limited resources
C) Water scarcity
D) Disease


4) Why does the lecturer show a graph of the population growth of modern developed nations?

A) To provide support for Malthus's theory.
B) To show that most countries with limited resources are now seeing declines in population.
C) To present an argument that undermines the idea of a Malthusian limit.
D) To explain why the Earth's population growth rate will decrease indefinitely.


5) At 6:39 in the lecture, the speaker says, "So, I just wanted to expose you to this idea. Time will tell if Thomas Malthus. . . if we can always keep this line, if we can always keep this line of food productivity growing faster than the population."

Why does he say, "Time will tell"?

A) He is getting ready to end the lecture because he doesn't have much time left.
B) He is making a statement about the future.
C) He is reexamining the population-time graph.
D) He is explaining that history repeats itself.


6) Why does the speaker mention Bangladesh at the end of the lecture?

A) He thinks it is a good example of a country that has escaped from the Malthusian limit.
B) He wants the audience to understand some important differences between Bangladesh and the United States.
C) He is illustrating the concept of population density.
D) He wants to show that Malthus was not completely wrong and some countries are near their support limits.

How Economic Inequality Harms Societies (Listening)

 The questions are based on the first 6 minutes of the lecture.

1) What is the lecture mainly about?

A) The effect of income divisions on the global economy.
B) The degradation of wealth distribution systems in several countries.
C) The underdevelopment of social services in the United States.
D) The social damage done by poor wealth distribution.


2) At 1:48 in the lecture, the professor says, "The explanation of that paradox is that, within our societies, we're looking at relative income or social position, social status -- where we are in relation to each other and the size of the gaps between us. And as soon as you've got that idea, you should immediately wonder: what happens if we widen the differences, or compress them, make the income differences bigger or smaller?  And that's what I'm going to show you"

Why does he say, "what happens if we widen the differences, or compress them, make the income differences bigger or smaller?"

A) He is making a suggestion to governments with developed economies.
B) He is introducing the main point of the lecture.
C) He is asking the audience to come up with an answer.
D) He is introducing plans developed by the British government.


3) Which of the following would you expect from increased income inequality in a society? (Mark Yes/No for each choice)

A) Decreased social mobility.
B) Increased drug and alcohol addiction.
C) Improved children's math and literacy scores.
D) Increased life expectancy.
E) Increased infant mortality.


4) Why does the professor mention the UNICEF index of child well-being?

A) He wanted to use an independent set of criteria to strengthen his argument.
B) He believes that child well-being is the best indicator of the health of a society.
C) He believes his study is more convincing than the UNICEF one.
D) He is attempting to present a counter-argument to his research.


5) What is the relationship between trust and income inequality in a society?

A) Increased income inequality leads to higher levels of trust.
B) Lower levels of trust lead to increased income inequality
C) Higher levels of trust lead to decreased income inequality.
D) Decreased income inequality leads to higher levels of trust.