Reading Diagnostics Assessment-v.2.0 - Parkland Echs Afternoon

1. _2.0Many people fail to realize just how crucial getting a good nights sleep actually is. It is usually suggested that adults get about seven hours of sleep every night, and younger children should get even more. Sleep has several benefits. First, it is believed to improve memory. This is one reason why it is always preferable to sleep the night before a test rather than stay up for the entire night to review the information. On a related note, sleep also improves concentration and mental alertness. Those who get sufficient sleep are able to concentrate on work tasks better and also react faster when they are driving a car, for example. Finally, people who get enough sleep have better immunity against illness. The reason for this is not fully understood, but researchers believe that an increase in the production of growth hormone and melatonin plays a role. The main purpose of this passage is

To talk about the benefits of sleep.

To discuss how much sleep people should get.

To identify which hormones can boost immunity.

To present strategies for improving memory and concentration.

2. _3.1When people are conducting research, particularly historical research, they usually rely on primary and secondary sources. Primary sources are the more direct type of information. They are accounts of an event that are produced by individuals who were actually present. Some examples of primary sources include a person's diary entry about an event, and interview with an eyewitness, a newspaper article, or a transcribed conversation. Secondary sources are pieces of information that are constructed through the use of other, primary sources. Often, the person who creates the secondary source was not actually present at the event. Secondary sources could include books, research papers, and magazine articles.From the passage it can be assumed that

Primary sources are easier to find than secondary sources.

Primary sources provide more accurate information than secondary sources

Secondary sources give more accurate information than primary sources.

Secondary sources are always used when books or articles are being written

3. _2.1Directions for questions 1-6 - Read the statement or passage and then choose the best answer to the question. Answer the question based on what is stated or implied in the statement or passage. The Amazon Rainforest is one of the most important ecosystems in the world. However, it is slowly being destroyed. Areas of the rainforest are being cleared for farms and roads, and much of the wood is also being harvested and sold. There are several compelling reasons to protect this area. First, a significant number of pharmaceuticals are made from plants that have been discovered in the rainforest, and it's quite possible there are still important plants that have not yet been discovered. Secondly, the rainforest provides a significant portion of the world's oxygen and also absorbs great amounts of carbon dioxide. Without rainforests, global warming could accelerate.The main purpose of the passage is:

To present the major reasons why the Amazon Rainforest is being destroyed.

To explain why the Amazon Rainforest should be protected.

To argue that the Rainforest destruction is a major cause of global warming.

To discuss how the Rainforest has helped in the development of medications.

4. _1.1Plywood, while not the most pleasing wood to look at, has become an incredibly important building material in house construction. It is flexible, inexpensive, and strong. Its strength is due to layers of thin wood glued on top of each other with the grain of each layer making a right angle with the grain of the layer below it. This way of layering the sheets of wood makes plywood difficult to break.According to the passage, the arrangement of the layers of thin wood explains plywood's

Cost

Strength

Attractiveness

Flexibility

5. _4.2Guillermo Gonzalez Camarena became a successful inventor at an early age. By the age of seven, he had constructed a variety of electronically-propelled toys to play with; he later designed and built his own amateur radio and a functioning telescope. In 1940, when he was only 23, Camarena obtained the world's first patent for color television. Camarena's early color television transmission system was the first one to be approved by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission. Other color-television technologies came after Camarena's patented invention, but his system is still used by a number of scientists today.In sentence 2, the word "functioning" most nearly means

Working

Performing

Running

Moving

6. _3.1The tornado caused wide-spread devastation to property in the local area.Property insurance is much more expensive now than it was before the storm.What does the second sentence do?

It gives an example

It offers a solution

It makes a contrast

It states the effect

7. _3.1The rain froze as it touched the ground. Roads were slippery and dangerous.How are the two sentences related?

The second sentence contradicts the first

The second sentence shows a direct result of the first

The two sentences set up a comparison

The second sentence states what dangerous means

8. _2.2Unemployment was the overriding fact of life when Franklin D. Roosevelt became President of the United States on March 4, 1933.The president selected Harry L. Hopkins, who headed the New York relief program, to run FERA. A gifted administrator, Hopkins quickly put the program into high gear. He gathered a small staff in Washington and brought the state relief organizations into the FERA system. While the agency tried to provide all the necessities, food came first. FERA paid for medicine, some doctor bills, but no hospital costs, work-relief, sewing rooms, and renovated hand-me-down clothing.The paragraph is primarily about

Unemployment in the 1930’s

President Roosevelt’s FERA program.

The effect of unemployment on United States families.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s presidency

9. _2.2The 1922 German Expressionist film Nosferatu, directed by F. W. Murnau, is considered one of the most influential films in cinematic history—while also being a classic vampire movie. The film is closely based on Bram Stoker's 1897 novel, Dracula; however, the villain in the film is called "Count Orlok" rather than "Count Dracula." The reason is that the small studio that produced the film, Prana Film, was unable to secure the rights to Stoker's novel. In fact, shortly after finishing Nosferatu, its one and only film, Prana went bankrupt in order to dodge copyright lawsuits from Stoker's widow.Why does the author say that the vampire in Nosferatu is named "Count Orlok" and not "Count Dracula"?

To suggest that the characters in Nosferatu were based on real people instead of literary characters

To criticize Nosferatu for its differences from its source

To show that the makers of Nosferatu made minor changes to Stoker’s novel

To praise the makers of Nosferatu for their imagination in recreating Stoker’s novel

10. _2.2How many ways did Harvard University's School of Government suggest to increase social capital?

25

80

100

150

11. _1.1The Midwest is experiencing its worst drought in fifteen years.Corn and soybean prices are expected to be very high this year.What does the second sentence do?

It states an effect

It restates the idea found in the first sentence

It gives an example

It analyzes the statement made in the first

12. _2.0Which of the following statements best expresses the main idea of the passage?

Getting a job is easier now than it ever has been before.

Earning money is much less difficult than managing it properly.

Dr. Franklin advocated getting a job in a mill.

Spending money is the greatest temptation in the world.

13. _2.1In contrast to the solemn attitude toward death so prevalent in the United States, a familiar and even ironic attitude is more common among Mexicans and Mexican Americans.In the Mexican worldview, death is another phase of life and those who have passed into it remain accessible.Ancestors are not forever lost, nor are the past dead.This sense of continuity has its roots in the culture of the Aztecs, for whom regeneration was a central theme.When the Spanish came to Mexico in the sixteenth century, their beliefs about death, along with such symbols as skulls and skeletons, were absorbed into the native culture.What does the paragraph tell us about views on death according to Mexican Culture?

Mexicans fear death more than Americans do.

Ancestors are lost forever but not forgotten.

The Aztecs generated this solemn attitude toward death.

Death is the continuation of life

14. _4.1According to the author, which of the following was true in 2004:

The average American had three confidants, and 9% of people depended totally on their spouse for discussion of important matters.

The average American had two confidants, and 80% of people discussed important matters only with their spouses.

The average American had two confidants, and 9% of people discussed important matters only with family members.

The average American had two confidants, and 80% of people discussed important matters only with family members.

15. _2.2Which of the following are some of the causes to which the author attributes problems in American communities:

Too much homework and devotion to television

Urban sprawl and long work hours

Long work hours and too much homework

Urban sprawl and decline of sports team membership

16. _1.1The author argues that the transient nature of many of today's relationship is problematic because:

We don't share specific interests

We don't know many people

It prevents us building lasting relationships and communities

We have too much social capital

17. _1.0In the American Southwest of the late 1800's, the introduction of barbed wire fencing led to fierce disputes between ranchers and farmers, both eager to protect their rights and their livelihood. The farmers were the clear winners of the two groups, and the barbed wire fences stayed and proliferated. Barbed wire proved to be ideal for use in western conditions; it was cheaper and easier to use than the alternatives of wood fences, stone walls or hedges. Within a few decades all the previously open range land became fenced-in private property. This change was so dramatic to the western culture that some consider the introduction of barbed wire fencing to be the event that ended the Old West period of our history.According to the author, which group supported the use of barbed wire fences?

The ranchers

The farmers

Both the ranchers and the farmers

Neither the ranchers nor the farmers

18. _4.1Which of the following is not something the author states was suggested by Harvard University as a way to increase social capital:

Eat breakfast at a local gathering spot

Join a bowling team

Support local merchants

Join a carpool

19. _2.2In what year was the Duke University study cited by the author published?

2006

2000

1985

2002

20. _3.2Someday we will all have robots that will be our personal servants.They will look and behave much like real humans.We will be able to talk to these mechanical helpers and they will be able to respond in kind. Amazingly, the robots of the future will be able to learn from experience.They will be smart, strong, and untiring workers whose only goal will be to make our lives easier. Which sentence from the paragraph expresses the main idea?

Someday we will all have robots that will be our personal servants.

We will be able to talk to these mechanical helpers and they will be able to respond in kind.

They will look and behave much like real humans.

Amazingly, the robots of the future will be able to learn from experience.

21. _3.2According to the author, what is more difficult than making money?

Managing money

Traveling to a mill

Reading Dickens

Understanding the economy

22. _3.2The passage is more likely taken from a(n)_____.

Self-help manual

Autobiography

Epistle

Novel

23. _4.2According to the author, "social capital" means which of the following:

The value of our social networks

The number of confidants with whom we share information

The value we place on friendships outside family members

The number of activities in which we engage

24. _4.2What is the best definition of economy as it is used in this passage?

Exchange of money, goods, and services

Delegation of household affairs

Efficient money management

Less expensive

25. _2.0 The Internet has made life a whole lot easier for many people, but being online also brings with it very real risks. Hackers can steal personal and financial information. There are several precautions that computer users can take to minimize the level of risk that is involved with being online. One of the most obvious safety precautions is to purchase a good anti-virus and anti-spyware program. Passwords are also a very important part of online security, and several tips can help users create more secure passwords. First, they should be something that can easily be remembered, but they shouldn't be something others can guess easily. Your first or last name, phone number, or the name of your street are all bad choices, as people could learn this information quite easily. Longer passwords are more secure, and those that use a mixture of upper and lower case letters and a combination of letters and numbers are more secure than those that don't. Finally, passwords should be changed often. This can make remembering them more difficult, but the extra effort is worth the added security. The main purpose of this passage is to

Discuss the major risks associated with Internet use.

Talk about the importance of anti-virus programs.

Outline important considerations for passwords.

Discuss why certain types of passwords shouldn't be used.

26. _1.1Howard Gardner was a psychologist best known for developing the theory of multiple intelligences. Basically, the theory states that the idea of general intelligence or overall intelligence is somewhat inaccurate. This is because people often show intelligence in different areas. He argued that there are actually different types of intelligence. One type of intelligence that Gardner identified was interpersonal intelligence. People who possess this type of intelligence relate and interact well with others. Intrapersonal intelligence, on the other hand, implies that people are in touch with their own feelings. They enjoy thinking about theories and developing their own thoughts and ideas. People who have linguistic intelligence learn best by taking notes and reading textbooks. These people usually excel in traditional academic environments, as many academic subjects stress these types of activities. The other types of intelligence are kinesthetic, musical, spatial, and logical/mathematical.We conclude from the passage that

Gardner believed that linguistic intelligence was the most desirable type to have.

Most people who have a high level of intrapersonal intelligence do well in school.

People who have a high level of interpersonal intelligence work well in groups.

People who have mathematical intelligence would do the best on a standard IQ test.

27. _4.2Which word best describes the author's attitude towards those who believe they understand money?

Supportive

Incriminating

Excessive

Patronizing

28. _4.0What would this author's attitude likely to be a person unable to find employment?

Descriptive

Conciliatory

Ingenious

Incredulous

29. _3.2Who is the most likely audience for this passage?

Economists

General readers

Teachers

Philanthropists

30. _3.0Feudalism was a type of social system that existed in parts of Europe during the Middle Ages. Essentially, there were several different classes within a feudal society. The king controlled all of the land in his jurisdiction. He divided this land among a few barons. The barons then divided up the land they were given and distributed it to the knights. It was then split up again and distributed to serfs, who were the lowest members of feudal society. They were permitted to farm a small section of land, but they had to give a portion of their food to the knights in exchange for this privilege. They also had to give free labor to the knights who allowed them to use their land. Serfs had very few rights; they weren't even allowed to leave their land without permission from the knight who controlled the land. The system of feudalism ended when money began to be used as currency instead of land.It can be concluded that

Serfs were in a better position when the economy changed to a money-based one.

There were more knights in a typical feudal society than barons.

The knights did not have to do anything for the barons in exchange for land.

Most feudal societies in Europe were ruled by more than one king.