TOEFL COMPLETE COURSE READING 3

TOEFL COMPLETE COURSE

READING 3

Questions 20-30

The locations of stars in the sky relative to one another do not appear to the naked eye to change, as a result stars are often considered to be fixed in position. Many unaware stargazers falsely assume that each star has its own permanent home in the nighttime sky.

In reality, though, stars are always moving, but because of the tremendous distances between stars themselves and from stars to earth, the changes are barely perceptible here. An example of a rather fast-moving star demonstrates why this misconception prevails; it takes approximately 200 years for a relatively rapid star like Bernard’s star to move a distance in the skies equal to the diameter of the earth’s moon. When the apparently negligible movement of the stars is contrasted with the movement of the planets, the stars are seemingly unmoving.

20	Which of the following is the best title for this passage? A.     What the Eye Can See in the sky B.      Bernard’s Star C.     Planetary Movement D.     The Evermoving Stars	26	The passage implies that from Earth it appears that the planets A.      are fixed in the sky B.       move more slowly than the stars C.  show approximately the same amount of movement as the stars D. travel through the sky considerably more rapidly than the stars
21	The expression “naked eye” in line 1 most probably refers to A.     a telescope B. a scientific method for observing stars C.      unassisted vision D.     a camera with a powerful lens	27	The word “negligible” in line 8 could most easily be replaced by A.      negative B.       insignificant C.       rapid D.      distant
22	According to the passage, the distances between the stars and Earth are A.     barely perceptible B.      huge C.      fixed D.     moderate	28	Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage? A.      Stars do not appear to the eye to move. B.       The large distances between stars and the earth tend to magnify movement to the eye. C.       Bernard’s star moves quickly in comparison with other stars. D.      Although stars move, they seem to be fixed.
23	The word “perceptible” in line 5 is closest in meaning to which of the following? A.      Noticeable B.       Persuasive C.       Conceivable D.      Astonishing	29	The paragraph following the passage most probably discusses A.      the movement of the planets B.       Bernard’s star C.       the distance from Earth to the Moon D.      why stars are always moving
24	In line 6, a “misconception” is closest in meaning to a(n) A.      idea B.       proven fact C.       erroneous belief D.      theory	30	This passage would most probably be assigned reading in which course? A.      Astrology B.       Geophysics C.       Astronomy D.      Geography
25	The passage states that in 200 years Bernard’s star can move A.     around Earth’s moon B.      next to Earth’s moon C.      a distance equal to the distance from Earth to the moon D.     a distance seemingly equal to the diameter of the moon

ANSWER KEY

20.              D

21.              C

22.              B

23.              A

24.              C

25.              D

26.              D

27.              B

28.              B

29.              A

30.              C