Peterson’s TOEFL Practice TEST 5 READING COMPREHENSION PART 1

Peterson’s TOEFL Practice

TEST 5

READING COMPREHENSION

PART 1

Direction: This section contains several passages, each followed by a number of questions. Read the passages and, for each question, choose the one best answer – (A), (B), (C), or (D) – based on what is stated in the passage or on what can be inferred from the passage. Then fill in the space on your answer sheet that matches the letter of the answer that you have selected. READ THE FOLLOWING PASSAGE Like mammals, birds claim their own territories. A bird’s territory may be small or large. Some birds claim only their nest and the area right around it, while others claim for larger territories that include their feeding areas. Gulls, penguins, and other waterfowl nest in huge colonies, but even in the biggest colonies, each males and his mate have small territories of their own immediately around their nests. Male birds defend their territory chiefly against other males of the same species. In some cases, a warning call or threatening pose may be all the defense needed, but on other cases, intruders may refuse to leave peacefully. Example 1 What is the main topic of this passage? A.           Birds that live in colonies B.           Bird’s mating habits C.           The behaviour of birds D.          Territoriality in birds The passage mainly concerns the territories of birds. You should fill in (D) on your answer sheet.

 

QUESTIONS 1-12

Galaxies are not evenly distributed throughout the universe. A few are found alone, but almost all are grouped in formations termed as galactic clusters. These formations should not be confused with stellar clusters, globular clusters of stars that exist within a galaxy. The size of galactic clusters varies enormously, with some clusters containing only a dozen or so members and others containing as many as 10,000. Moreover, galactic clusters themselves are part of larger clusters, termed superclusters. It is surmised that even clusters of superclusters are possible.

Our galaxy, the Milky Way, is part of galactic cluster called the Local Group, which has twenty members and is typical in terms of the types of galaxies it contains. There are three large spiral galaxies: Andromeda, the largest galaxy in the group; the Milky Way, the second-largest galaxy; and the Triangulum Spiral, the third largest. There are also four medium-sized spiral galaxies, including the Large Cloud of Magellan and the Small Cloud of Magellan. There are four regular elliptical galaxies; the reminder are dwarf ellipticals. Other than our own galaxy, only Andromeda and the Clouds of Magellan can be seen with the naked eye, and the Clouds are visible only from the Southern Hemisphere.

In the vicinity of the Local Group are several are several clusters, each containing around twelve members. The nearest cluster rich in members is the Virgo Cluster, which contains thousands of galaxies of all types. Like most large clusters, it emits X rays. The local group, the small neighbouring clusters, and the Virgo Cluster form part of a much larger cluster of clusters – the Local Supercluster.

The existence of galactic clusters presented a riddle to scientists for many years – the “missing mass” problem. Clusters are presumably held together by the gravity generated by their members. However, measurements showed that the galaxies did not have enough mass to explain their apparent stability. Why didn’t these clusters disintegrate? It is now thought that galaxies contain great amounts of “dark matter”, which cannot be directly observed but which generated gravitational pull. This matter includes gas, dust, burn-out stars, and even black holes.

1	Which of the following does the passage mainly discuss? A.     Clusters and superclusters of galaxies B.     An astronomical problem that has never been solved C.     A recent development in astronomy D.     The incredible distance between galaxies	7	In the Local Group, which of the following types of galaxies are most numerous? A.    Large spirals B.    Medium-sized spirals C.    Regular ellipticals D.    Dwarf ellipticals
2	The word evenly in line 1 is closest in meaning to A.       uniformly B.       predictably C.       relatively D.       paradoxically	8	All of the following are visible from somewhere on Earth without telescope EXCEPT A.       the Clouds of Magellan B.       Andromeda C.       the triangulum spiral D.       the Milky Way
3	What conclusion can be made about galaxies that are not found in clusters? A.       They have never been observed. B.       They are larger than other galaxies. C.       They are not actually galaxies but parts of galaxies. D.       They are outnumbered by galaxies that do occur in custers.	9	According to the passage, the Local Group and the Virgo Cluster have which of the following in common? A.       Both are rich in galaxies. B.       Both emit X rays C.       Both are part of the same sepercluster. D.       Both are small cluster.
4	The word globular in line 3 is closest in meaning to A.        immense B.        spherical C.        dense D.        brilliant	10	The word riddle in line 25 is closest in meaning to A.        tool B.        puzzle C.        theory D.       clue
5	The author would probably characterize the existence of clusters of superclusters as A.        impossible B.        surprising C.        theoretical D.        certain	11	Which of the following is NOT true about the “dark matter” mentioned in line 30? A.       It is impossible to observe directly B.       It may include black holes C.       It helps explain the “missing mass” problem D.       It is found in the space between galaxies.
6	According to the passage, in what way is the Local Group typical of galactic clusters? A.       In its size B.       In the number of galaxies it contains C.       In its shape D.       In the types of galaxies that make it up	12	As used throughout the passage, the word members refers to A.       stars B.       galaxies C.       scientists D.       clusters

 

ANSWER KEY

1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
A	A	D	B	C	D	D	C	C	B	D	B