THE HEINEMANN TOEFL COURSE PRACTICE TEST 2 READING PART 1 (Questions 10-20)

THE HEINEMANN TOEFL COURSE

PRACTICE TEST 2

READING

PART 1 (Questions 10-20)

Until recently, most American entrepreneurs were men. Discrimination against women in business, the demands of caring for families, and lack of business training had kept the number of women entrepreneurs Line small. Now, however, businesses owned by women account for more than $40 billion in annual revenues, and this figure is likely to continue rising throughout the 1990s. As Carolyn Doppelt Gray, an official of the Small Business Administration, has noted, “The 1970s was the decade of women entering management, and the 1980s turned out to be the decade of the woman entrepreneur”.     What are some of the factors behind this trend? For one thing, as more women earn advanced degrees in business and enter the corporate world, they are finding obstacles. Women are still excluded from most executive suites. Charlotte Taylor, a management consultant, had noted, “In the 1970s women believed if they got an MBA and worked hard they could become chairman of the board. Now they’ve found out that isn’t going to happen, so they go out on their own”.     In the past, most women entrepreneurs worked in “women’s” fields: cosmetics and clothing, for example. But this is changing. Consider ASK Computer Systems, a $22-million-a-year computer software business. It was founded in 1973 by Sandra Kurtzig, who was then a housewife with degrees in math and engineering. When Kurtzig founded the business, her first product was software that let weekly newspapers keep tabs on their newspaper carriers and her office was a bedroom at home, with a shoebox under the bed to hold the company’s cash. After she succeeded with the newspaper software system, she hired several bright computer-science graduates to develop additional programs. When these were marketed and sold, ASK began to grow. It now has 200 employees, and Sandra Kurtzig owns $66.9 million of stock.     Of course, many women who start their own businesses fail, just as men often do. They still face hurdles in the business world, especially problems in raising money; the banking and finance world is still dominated by men, and old attitudes die hard. Most businesses owned by women are still quite small. But the situation is changing; there are likely to be many more Sandra Kurtzigs in the years ahead. 10 What is the main idea of this passage? A Women today are better educated than in the past, making them more attractive to the business world. The computer is especially lucrative for women today. Women are better at small businesses than men are. Women today are opening more businesses of their own. B C D 11 The word "excluded" in line 11 is closest in meaning to A not permitted in often invited to decorators of charged admission to B C D 12 All of the following were mentioned in the passage as detriments to women in the business world EXCEPT A women were required to stay at home with their families women lacked ability to work in business women faced discrimination in business women were not trained in business B C D 13 In line 14, "that" refers to A a woman becomes chairman of the board women working hard women achieving advanced degrees women believing that business is a place for them B C D 14 According to the passage. Charlotte Taylor believes that women in the 1970s A were unrealistic about their opportunities in business management were still more interested in education than business opportunities had fewer obstacles in business than they do today were unable to work hard enough to succeed in business B C D 15 The author mentions the "shoebox under the bed" in the third paragraph in order to A show the frugality of women in business show the resourcefulness of Sandra Kurtzig point out that initially the financial resources of Sandra Kurtzig's business were limited suggest that the company needed to expand B C D 16 In line 16, the word "this" refers to A women becoming entrepreneurs women buying cosmetics and clothing women working in "women's fields" women staying at home B C D 17 The expression "keep tabs on" in line 20 is closest in meaning to A recognize the appearance of keep records of provide transportation for pay the salaries of B C D 18 The word "hurdles" in line 27 can be best replaced by A fences   obstacles   questions   small groups B C D
	19	It can be inferred from the passage that the author believes that businesses operated by women are small because
		A	women prefer a small intimate setting women can't deal with money women are not able to borrow money easily many women fail at large businesses
		B
		C
		D
	20	The author's attitude about the future of women in business is
		A	sceptical optimistic frustrated negative
		B
		C
		D

ANSWER KEY

10. D   The correct answer (D) is found by quickly reading the passage and noting that the key words and concepts that are repeated throughout the passage are women, opening businesses of their own, and the change in the type of work women have engaged in over the past twenty years. (D) is the only choice that paraphrases these concepts. (A) is a supporting detail in the passage; (B) and (C) are not mentioned in the passage. 11. A   The fact that women... are finding obstacles in the preceding sentence implies a negative situation for women. It can be inferred that women being excluded from executive suites is another obstacle. Answer choice (A) not permitted in is the correct answer. 12. B   The correct answer (B) can be arrived at by eliminating the answer choices that are mentioned in the passage as detriments to women in the business world. (A), (C), and (D) are mentioned in lines 1-3. (B) is not mentioned in the passage and therefore is the correct answer. 13. A   The pronoun "that" refers to what women believed (line 13)—that they could become chairman of the board if they did certain things. 14. A   The correct answer (A) is found by quickly scanning the passage to find the name Charlotte Taylor and then reading carefully lines 12-14 which contain her quotation. The best paraphrase of her point of view In the 1970s women believed if... Now they've found out this isn't going to happen is (A) unrealistic about their opportunities. The other answer choices are incorrect according to the passage. 15. С  The correct answer (C) is found in lines 18-21. The discussion of Sandra Kurtzig in the passage points out that she had little money at the beginning of her business venture, in contrast to her later success. Key words in the passage to suggest lack of financial resources are: housewife (not a paid occupation), her office was a bedroom at home (computer business offices are not usually bedrooms), and shoebox under the bed to hold the company's cash (rather than a bank). A shoebox is for shoes, not money. The author uses this comparison to add specific emphasis to his main point about women in business—that their position is improving. (A) and (D) are not true according to the passage, and although (B) is true, it is not related to the shoebox under the bed. 16. С   The pronoun "this" in line 16 refers to the fact stated in the preceding line—that women worked in women's fields in the past. 17. В   The clue to the meaning of "keep tabs on" is the context of what weekly newspapers need to do with their newspaper carriers. It is logical that a software system will help to keep records of the newspaper carriers' sales and collections. Appearance, transportation, and payment of salaries are not usually accounted for by computer software. 18. В   Lines 26-27 mention a negative concept— women failing in business. The immediate context of the word hurdles, They still face hurdles in the business world... problems... is still dominated by men... contains other negative concepts. (B) obstacles is the answer choice that also contains a negative connotation. 19. С   Line 25 in the passage states that Most businesses owned by women are still quite small. Lines 27-29 explain the problems women have in business, especially problems in raising money;  the banking and finance world is still dominated by men, and old attitudes die hard. The implication of the sequencing of this information is that there is a cause and effect relationship—raising money is hard because banks don't lend money, so businesses owned by women are small rather than large. (A), (B), and (D) are not true according to the passage. 20. B    The last lines, 30-31, in the passage indicate the author's attitude. From the negative tone of lines 26-29 the author states But  the situation is changing. Sandra Kurtzig is an example of a successful businesswoman, and the  author ends with there are likely to be many  more Sandra Kurtzigs in the years ahead. The attitude conveyed by the author is optimistic (B).