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READING & WRITING COURSE extensive reading materialtrigger; compress; reptiles; pattern; sweep; intense; principal; unique;spiral; elliptical; irregular; simplistic; apparent; proportionally; steadily;Galaxies are the major building blocks of the universe. A galaxy is giant family of many millions of stars, and it is held together by its own gravitational field. Most of the material universe is organized into galaxies of stars together with gas and dust. There are three main types of galaxy: spiral, elliptical, and irregular. The Milky Way is a spiral galaxy, a flattish disc of stars with two spiral arms emerging from its central nucleus. About one-quarter of all galaxies have this shape. Spiral galaxies are well supplied with the interstellar gas in which new stars form: as the rotating spiral pattern sweeps around the galaxy it compresses gas and dust, triggering the formation of bright young stars and in its arms. The elliptical galaxies have a symmetrical elliptical or spheroidal shape with no obvious structure. Most of their member stars are very old and since ellipticals are devoid of interstellar gas, no new stars are forming in them. The biggest and brightest galaxies in the universe are ellipticals with masses of about 1013 times that of the Sun, these giants may frequently be sources of strong radio emission, in which case they are called radio galaxies. About two-thirds of all galaxies are elliptical. Irregular galaxies comprise about one-tenth of all galaxies and they come in many subclasses.Measurement in space is quite different from measurement on Earth. Some terrestrial distances can be expressed as intervals of time, the time to fly from one continent to another or the time it takes to drive to work, for example. By comparison with these familiar yardsticks, the distances to the galaxies are incomprehensibly large, but they too are made more manageable by using a time calibration, in this case the distance that light travels in one year. On such a scale the nearest giant spiral galaxy, the Andromeda galaxy, is two million light years away. The most distant luminous objects seen by telescopes are probably ten thousand million light years away. Their light was already halfway here before the Earth even formed. The light from the nearby Virgo galaxy set out when reptiles still dominated the animal world.39. The word major in line 1 is closest in meaning to B(A) intense(B) principal(C) huge(D) unique40. What does the second paragraph mainly discuss? B(A) The Milky Way(B) Major categories of galaxies(C) How elliptical galaxies are formed(D) Differences between irregular and spiral galaxies41. The word which in line 6 refers to B(A) dust(B) gas(C) pattern(D) galaxy42. According to the passage, new stars are formed in spiral galaxies due to B(A) an explosion of gas(B) the compression of gas and dust(C) the combining of old stars(D) strong radio emissions43. The word symmetrical in line 8 is closest in meaning to A(A) proportionally balanced(B) commonly seen(C) typically large(D) steadily growing44. The word obvious in line 9 is closest in meaning to B(A) discovered(B) apparent(C) understood(D) simplistic45. According to the passage, which of the following is NOT true of elliptical galaxies? C(A) They are the largest galaxies.(B) They mostly contain old stars.(C) They contain a high amount of interstellar gas.(D) They have a spherical shape.46. Which of the following characteristics of radio galaxies is mentioned in the passage? A(A) They are a type of elliptical galaxy.(B) They are usually too small to be seen with a telescope.(C) They are closely related to irregular galaxies.(D) They are not as bright as spiral galaxies.47. What percentage of galaxies are irregular? A(A) 10%(B) 25%(C) 50%(D) 75%48. The word they in line 17 refers to C(A) intervals(B) yardsticks(C) distances(D) galaxies49. Why does the author mention the Virgo galaxy and the Andromeda galaxy in the third paragraph? C(A) To describe the effect that distance has no visibility.(B) To compare the ages of two relatively young galaxies.(C) To emphasize the vast distances of the galaxies from Earth.(D) To explain why certain galaxies cannot be seen by a telescope.50. The word dominated in line 21 is closest in meaning to D(A) threatened(B) replaced(C) were developing in(D) were very common inName: _ Class _Passage One Mar. 24 2016 It is commonly believed that in the United States that school is where people to get an education. Nevertheless, it has been said that today children interrupt their education to go to school. The distinction between schooling and education implied by this remark is important.Education is much more open-ended and all-inclusive than schooling. Education knows no bounds. It can take place anywhere, whether in the shower or on the job, whether in a kitchen or on a tractor. It includes both the formal learning that takes place in school and the whole universe of informal leaning. The agents of education can range from a revered grandparent to the people debating politics on the radio, from a child to a distinguished scientist. Whereas schooling has a certain predictability, education quite often produces surprises. A chance conversation with stranger may lead a person to discover how little is known of other religions. People are engaged in education from infancy on. Education, then, is a very broad, inclusive term. It is a lifelong process, a process that starts long before the start of school, and one that should be an integral part of ones entire life.Schooling, on the other hand, is a specific, formalized process, whose general pattern varies little from one setting to the next. Throughout a country, children arrive at school at approximately the same time, take assigned seats, are taught by an adult, use similar textbooks, do homework, take exams, and so on. The slices of reality that are to be learned, whether they are the alphabet or an understanding of the workings of governments, have usually been limited by the boundaries of the subject being taught.For example, high schools students know that they are not likely to find out in their classes the truth about political problems in their communities or what the newest filmmakers are experimenting with. There are definite conditions surrounding the formalized process of schooling. 1. What is the main idea of the passage? (A) The best schools teach a wide variety of subjects.(B) Education and schooling are quite different experiences.(C) Students benefit from schools, which require long hours and homework.(D) The more years students go to school the better their education is.2. What does the author probably mean by using the expression Children interrupt their education to go to school (line 2)? (A) Going to several different schools is educationally beneficial.(B) School vacations interrupt the continuity of the school year.(C) Summer school makes the school year too long.(D) All of life is an education.3. The word bounds in line 4 is closest in meaning to (A) rules(B) experiences(C) limits(D) exceptions4. The word chance in line 9 is closest in meaning to (A) unplanned(B) unusual(C) lengthy(D) lively5. The word integral in line 11 is closest in meaning to (A) an equitable(B) a profitable(C) a pleasant(D) an essential6. The word they in line 16 refers to (A) slices of reality(B) similar textbooks(C) boundaries(D) seats7. The phrase For example, line 18, introduces a sentence that gives example of (A) similar textbooks(B) the results of schooling(C) the working of a government(D) the boundaries of classroom subject8. The passage supports which of the following conclusions? (A) Without formal education, people would remain ignorant.(B) Education systems need to be radically reformed.(C) Going to school is only part of how people become educated.(D) Education involves many years of professional training.9. The passage is organized by (A) listing and discussing several educational problems(B) contrasting the meanings of two related words(C) narrating a story about excellent teachers(D) giving examples of different kinds of schoolsNotes:words/ phrasesparts of speech & meaningName: _ Class _Passage Two Questions 10-20 Long before they can actually speak, babies pay special attention to the speech they hear around them. Within the first month of their lives, babies responses to the sound of the human voice will be different from their responses to other sorts of auditory stimuli. They will stop crying when they hear a person talking, but not if they hear a bell or the sound of a rattle. At first, the sounds that an infant notices might be only those words that receive the heaviest emphasis and that often occur at the ends of utterances. By the time they are six or seven weeks old, babies can Very soon, these differences in adult stress and intonation can influence babies emotional states and behavior. Long before they develop actual language comprehension, babies can sense when an adult is playful or angry, attempting to initiate or terminate new behavior, and so on, merely on the basis of cues such as the rate, volume, and melody of adult speech. Adults make it as easy as they can for babies to pick up a language by exaggerating such cues. One researcher observed babies and their mothers in six diverse cultures and found that, in all six languages, the mothers used simplified syntax, short utterances and nonsense sounds, and transformed certain sounds into baby talk. Other investigators have noted that when mothers talk to babies who are only a few months old, they exaggerate the pitch, loudness, and intensity of their words. They also exaggerate their facial expressions, hold vowels longer, and emphasize certain words. More significant for language development than their response to general intonation is observation that tiny babies can make relatively fine distinctions between speech sounds. In other words, babies enter the world with the ability to make precisely those perceptual discriminations that are necessary if they are to acquire aural language. Babies obviously derive pleasure from sound input, too: even as young as nine months they will listen to songs or stories, although the words themselves are beyond their understanding. For babies, language is a sensory-motor delight rather than the route to prosaic meaning that it often is for adults. 10. What does the passage mainly discuss? (A) How babies differentiate between the sound of the human voice and other sounds (B) The differences between a babys and an adults ability to comprehend language (C) How babies perceive and respond to the human voice in their earliest stages of language development (D) The response of babies to sounds other than the human voice 11. Why does the author mention a bell and a rattle in lines 4 ? (A) To contrast the reactions of babies to human and nonhuman sounds (B) To give examples of sounds that will cause a baby to cry (C) To explain how babies distinguish between different nonhuman sounds (D) To give examples of typical toys that babies do not like 12. Why does the author mention syllables pronounced with rising and falling inflections in lines 7-8? (A) To demonstrate how difficult it is for babies to interpret emotions (B) To illustrate that a six-week-old baby can already distinguish some language differences (C) To provide an example of ways adults speak to babies (D) To give a reason for babies difficulty in distinguishing one adult from another 13. The word diverse in line 12 is closest in meaning to (A) surrounding (B) divided (C) different (D) stimulating 14. The word noted in line 14 is closest in meaning to (A) theorized (B) requested (C) disagreed (D) observed 15. The word They in line 15 refers to (A) mothers (B) investigators (C) babies (D) words 16. The passage mentions all of the following as ways adults modify their speech when talking to babies EXCEPT (A) giving all words equal emphasis (B) speaking with shorter sentences (C) speaking more loudly than normal (D) using meaningless sounds 17. The word emphasize in line 16 is closest in meaning to (A) stress (B) repeat (C) explain (D) leave out 18. Which of the following can be inferred about the findings described in paragraph 2 ? (A) Babies who are exposed to more than one language can speak earlier than babies exposed to a single language. (B) Mothers from different cultures speak to their babies in similar ways. (C) Babies ignore facial expressions in comprehending aural language. (D) The mothers observed by the researchers were consciously teaching their babies to speak. 19. What point does the author make to illustrate that babies are born with the ability to acquire language? (A) Babies begin to understand words in songs. (B) Babies exaggerate their own sounds and expressions. (C) Babies are more sensitive to sounds than are adults. (D) Babies notice even minor differences between speech sounds. 20. According to the author, why do babies listen to songs and stories, even though they cannot understand them? (A) They understand the rhythm. (B) They enjoy the sound. (C) They can remember them easily. (D) They focus on the meaning of their parents words.Notes:Name: _ Class _Passage Three Questions 34-44 Researchers in the field of psychology have found that one of the best ways to make an important decision, such as choosing a university to attend or a business to invest in, involves the utilization of a decision worksheet. Psychologists who study optimization compare the actual decisions made by people to theoretical ideal decisions to see how similar they are. Proponents of the worksheet procedure believe that it will yield optimal, that is , the best decisions. Although there are several variations on the exact format that worksheets can take, they are all similar in their essential aspects. Worksheets require defining the problem in a clear and concise way and then listing all possible solutions to the problem. Next, the pertinent considerations that will be affected by each decision are listed, and the relative importance of each consideration or consequence is determined. Each consideration is assigned a numerical value to reflect its relative importance. A decision is mathematically calculated by adding these values together. The alternative with the highest number of points emerges as the best decision.Since most important problems are multifaceted, there are several alternatives to choose from, each with unique advantages and disadvantages. One of the benefits of a pencil and paper decision-making procedure is that it permits people to deal with more variables than their minds can generally comprehend and remember. On the average, people can keep about seven ideas in their minds at once. A worksheet can be especially useful when the decision involves a large number of variables with complex relationships. A realistic example for many college students is the question What will I do after graduation? A graduate might seek a position that offers specialized training, pursue an advanced degree, or travel abroad for a year.A decision-making worksheet begins with a succinct statement of the problem that will also help to narrow it. It is important to be clear about the distinction between long-range and immediate goals because long-range goals often involve a different decision than short-range ones. Focusing on long-range goals, a graduating student might revise the question above to What will I do after graduation that will lead to successful career?34. What does the passage mainly discuss? (A) A tool to assist in making complex decisions.(B) A comparison of actual decisions and ideal decisions(C) Research on how people make decisions(D) Differences between long-range and short-range decision making 35. The word essential in line 6 is closest in meaning to (A) introductory(B) changeable(C) beneficial(D) fundamental36. The word pertinent in line 7 is closest in meaning to(A) relevant(B) preceding(C) insightful(D) responsive37. Of the following steps, which occurs before the others in making a decision worksheet?(A) Listing the consequences of each solution(B) Calculating a numerical summary of each solution(C) Deciding which consequences are most important(D) Writing down all possible solutions38. According to decision-worksheet theory, an optimal decision is defined as one that(A) has the fewest variables to consider(B) uses the most decision worksheets(C) has the most points assigned to it(D) is agreed to by the greatest number of people39. The author develops the discussion in paragraph 1 by means of (A) describing a process(B) classifying types of worksheets(C) providing historical background(D) explaining a theory40. The author states that On the average, people can keep about seven ideas in their minds at once (line 15) to explain that(A) most decisions involve seven steps(B) human mental capacity has limitations(C) some people have difficulty making minor as well as major decisions(D) people can learn to keep more than seven ideas in their minds with practice41. The word succinct in line 19 is closest in me