TOEFL Mock Test 90: Reading Passages
Read the passage below and choose the best answers for the following questions.
Questions and Answers
- 1.
BUTTON (1) To ornament-and later to fasten –clothing, buttons have been used since ancient times. In the tombs of Egypt and of Mycenae in Greece ornamental buttons of gold, glass, and earthenware from 2,500 to 4,000 years old have been found. Prehistoric peoples held their garments in place with thorns and with cords made from animal sinews. Later, loose flowing robes were fastened with a girdle or a pin. (2) In the 15th or 16th century someone discovered that a loop slipped over a button, or a button pushed through a slit in the cloth, made a better fastener for the close-fitting garments that were coming into style. For some time, however, the chief use continued to be ornamental. King Francis I of France had 13, 6000 gold buttons on a single coat. (3) King Louis XIV of France spent the equivalent of $600,000 on jeweled buttons, including a diamond-studded set valued at $120,000. People wishing to dress in the extreme of fashion spent extravagant sums on buttons without regard to their usefulness. On festive occasions the London street traders known as costermongers still wear a costume covered with pearl buttons. Some religious bodies, such as the strict Mennonites in Pennsylvania and elsewhere, forbid the wearing of buttons as a worldly display. Only hooks and eyes maybe used. (4) Some buttons which today seem ornamental once had a practical use. The buttons on men’s coat sleeves were originally used to fasten the cuffs back over the long lace frills of the shirt sleeves. Since the Middle Ages the buttons on a man’s garments have been sewed on the right side. Thus he could quickly unbutton the coat with his left hand and at the same time pull out his sword or other weapon with his right hand. The fastenings on women’s clothing are sewed on the left side. Source: Compton’s Encyclopedia Volume 16 Questions: The word “ornamental” in the passage is closest in meaning to
- A.
Jewelries
- B.
Decorations
- C.
Fashion
- D.
Dress code
Correct Answer
B. Decorations -
- 2.
The word their in the passage is referring to
- A.
King Louis XIV
- B.
$120,000
- C.
People
- D.
Button
Correct Answer
D. Button -
- 3.
The word “costermongers” in the passage is closest in meaning to
- A.
A seller of goods
- B.
A hawker of fruit or vegetables
- C.
A trader with high reputation
- D.
A vendor of vegetables and jewelries
Correct Answer
B. A hawker of fruit or vegetables -
- 4.
Look at the four (4) paragraphs that indicate where the following sentence could be added to the passage. “Those at the back of the frock coat were used to fasten up the long skirts of the coat when the man was horseback riding.” Where could the sentence best fit? Choose the number of the paragraph where the sentence should be added.
- A.
1st
- B.
2nd
- C.
3rd
- D.
4th
Correct Answer
D. 4th -
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Jan 31, 2017Quiz Edited by
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Apr 02, 2013Quiz Created by
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