THE HEINEMANN TOEFL COURSE PRACTICE TEST 5 READING PART 3 (Questions 22-32)

THE HEINEMANN TOEFL COURSE

PRACTICE TEST 5

READING

PART 3 (Questions 22-32)

line 5 Watching for wildlife in the forest, we rarely see past the surface of things. Standing on the ground floor, we scan the leafy rafters, entirely overlooking the living world in the soil beneath our feet. The forests basement is a secret world. As different from our own world as water is from air, the soil seems quiet, even dead. But life bustles down below: a line 10 cubic inch of topsoil may contain billions of creatures. Predators and prey roam beneath as well as above the forest floor. Furthermore, those upstairs and downstairs forest denizens live closely linked lives. Soil- dwelling bacteria and fungi break down dead organic matter into molecules that above ground plants use for food. Those plants, as well as animals, mature and die, line 15 leaving more organic matter to fuel the folks downstairs. Like a well-insulated house, the soil protects its tenants from extreme temperatures, and from rain and snow. It also provides a bulwark against predators that roam the surface world. But the dense, protecting soil also limits mobility. Soil creatures must be specially equipped in order to travel easily line 20 through their dark, constricting realm. Earthworms and ants are the champion earth-movers, creating channels that allow air and water to enter the soil. While ants travel relatively far from their nests, earthworms work small areas, reprocessing vast amounts of soil into fertile "waste." In a single year, as much as 36 tons of soil may pass through the alimentary tracts of all the earthworms living in an acre of soil. 22 The main topic of this passage is A life in the forest soil the life cycle of ants and worms a description of a forest scene the habits of the forest animals B C D 23 The word "bustles" in line 5 is closest in meaning to A continues is very active threatens waits B C D 24 It can be inferred from the passage that the forest soil is A densely inhabited sparsely inhabited devoid of life unknown to man B C D 25 The word "linked" in line 8 is closest in meaning to A related chained mechanical measured B C D 26 According to the passage, what is the main function of bacteria and fungi? A To help aerate the soil To provide food for plant life To kill mature plants To build walls in the soil B C D 27 The word "bulwark" in line 13 is closest in meaning to A barrier gateway radar tomb B C D 28 According to the passage, the soil offers creatures who live underground protection from all of the following EXCEPT A enemies bad weather bacteria and fungi extreme heat and cold B C D
	29	The word "constricting"  in line 16 is closest in meaning to
		A	damp heavy deep limiting
		B
		C
		D
	30	According to the passage, it could be expected that ants
		A	move more earth than earthworms are more mobile than earthworms live only above ground perform similar functions to fungi
		B
		C
		D
	31	The word "reprocessing" in line 19 is closest in meaning to
		A	transporting arranging converting eliminating
		B
		C
		D
	32	The author uses which analogy to discuss the soil of the forest?
		A	A laboratory A tunnel A vehicle A building
		B
		C
		D

ANSWER KEY

22. A   The correct answer (A) is found by quickly reading the passage for key concepts. Each paragraph of the passage contains the ideas of forest soil and life in the soil: line 1 Watching for wildlife in the forest...; lines 2-3... overlooking the living world in the soil beneath our feet;  line 5 But life bustles down below ...;  line 11... leaving more organic matter to fuel the folks downstairs; line 12... the soil protects its tenants...; line 17 Earthworms and ants are the champion earth-movers ... (B) is too specific; (C) and (D) are not specific enough to be the topic of this passage. 23. B    A clue to the meaning of "bustles" is found in the preceding sentence and the immediate context of the sentence: But life bustles down below: a cubic inch of topsoil may contain billions of creatures. But indicates a contrast in meaning to quiet, even dead from the preceding sentence (lines 4-5). It can be inferred that billions of creatures in a cubic inch of topsoil will provide a busy and active environment. 24. A   The correct answer (A) can be inferred from lines 5-6: But life bustles down below: a cubic inch of topsoil may contain billions of creatures. Logical reasoning tells us that a cubic inch of topsoil containing billions of creatures is very densely inhabited. 25. A  Clues to the meaning of "linked" are found in the words roam beneath as well as above the forest floor in the preceding sentence (line 7) and in the later example of how the work of bacteria and fungi in the soil contributes to food for plants above ground (lines 8-10). It can be inferred from this context that linked means a close relationship, and that answer choice (A) related is correct. 26. В    The correct answer (B) is found in lines 8-10: Soil-dwelling bacteria and fungi break down dead organic matter into molecules that above ground plants use for food. This is best restated as (B) to provide food for plant life. 27. A   The meaning of the word "bulwark" can be found in the immediate context of the sentence, It (the soil) also provides a bulwark against predators that roam the surface world (lines 13-14). It can be inferred that the soil offers its inhabitants protection from the dangers above by physically separating the two areas. Therefore, answer choice (A) barrier is correct. 28. С   The correct answer is (C) because all of the other answer choices are mentioned in the passage as things the soil       protects creatures against: (A) in lines 13-14 (predators is similar in meaning to enemies); (B) and (D) in lines 12-13. 29. D   Clues to the meaning of the word "constricting" are found in the preceding sentence and the context of the immediate sentence. In lines 14-15 we read But the dense, protecting soil also limits mobility, which implies that it is not easy to move about. Soil creatures must be specially equipped in order to travel easily through their dark, constricting realm. It can be inferred that the soil limits movement and makes it difficult. Therefore, answer choice (D) limiting best represents this concept. 30. B  The correct answer is (B) because lines 18-19 tells us that While ants travel relatively far from their nests, earthworms work small areas .... This is best restated as ants are more mobile than earthworms (B). 31. С   Lines 19-20 state that ants work at reprocessing vast amounts of soil into fertile "waste" .... It can be inferred that soil is changed into fertile waste through reprocessing; answer choice (C) converting is closest in meaning to change, and is the correct answer. 32. D   The correct answer (D) is found throughout the passage in the use of parts of a building to designate parts of the forest or forest soil: line 2 ground floor, rafters; line 4 basement; lines 7-8 the forest floor, upstairs, downstairs; line 12 a well-insulated house.