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.

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.

The Other Mystery of Easter Island (Reading)

Click on the link below to access the reading passage. 

The Other Mystery of Easter Island

1) According to the passage, Easter Island is most famous for its

A) unusual language.
B) secretive inhabitants.
C) peculiar monuments.
D) obscure exile.


2) Each of the following is true about the language of Easter Island EXCEPT:

A) It has so far remained incomprehensible to scholars.
B) It is unique within its geographical area.
C) It is possibly closely related to Spanish.
D) It is a relatively recent language.


3) The word "decipher" (paragraph 2, line 8) is closest in meaning to:

A) decode
B) contrast
C) evaluate
D) discover


4) According to the passage, Rongorongo disappeared because

A) All of its speakers were killed or taken as slaves. 
B) It was too closely related to the religious beliefs of the population.
C) Languages of the colonizers were dominated because they were easy to learn.
D) New settlers to the island outlawed its use.


5) The word "forthcoming" (paragraph 6, line 1) is closest in meaning to:

A) belligerent
B) cooperative
C) unstable
D) comprehensible


6) Which of the following was NOT a difficulty encountered by people wishing to translate the tablets?

A) The islanders were unwilling to help.
B) There are several meanings for each symbol.
C) Europeans had suppressed the language.
D) One symbol could represent an idea rather than just an object.


7) The phrase "the artifact" (paragraph 8, line 4) refers to:

A) the Mamri tablet
B) a lunar calendar
C) a four-foot-long scepter
D) an Easter Island Chief


8) Which of the following best expresses the essential information in the sentence, "Should anyone find a workable translation for Rongorongo, the knowledge stored on the remaining tablets might explain the mysterious statues of Easter Island, the sudden appearance of the written language, and the island’s history and customs as whole" (paragraph 10)?

A) The information contained on the tablets might address several important questions about Easter Island in the event that the language is translated.

B) Issues such as the mysterious statues, the emergence of written language, and the history and customs of the island might be explained by the data recorded on the tablets.

C) No one has completely analyzed Rongorongo, making it difficult to extract the knowledge contained in the tables.

D) Mysteries pertaining to Easter Island are likely to remain until linguists can unravel the Rongorongo written language.


9) Match the following pieces of information to the respective researchers:

A) The first to attempt to translate the language.

B) The first to identify the purpose of a tablet.

C) Realized the the symbols come in groups of three.

D) The first to make a major discovery about the tablets.

E) Successfully translated a portion of text.

F) Identified all the components of the language.

G) Misled by a young boy.

H) Focused his research on a staff with symbols on it.

I) Asked an elderly islander to help him translate.

J) Believed all the texts were connected to the creation of the world.


Thompson
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Hevesy
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Fischer
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