THE HEINEMANN TOEFL COURSE PRACTICE TEST 3 READING

THE HEINEMANN TOEFL COURSE

PRACTICE TEST 3

READING

PART 3 (Questions 20-29)

line 5 Since water is the basis of life, composing the greater part of the tissues of all living things, the crucial problem of desert animals is to survive in a world where sources of flowing water are rare. And since man's inexorable necessity is to  absorb large quantities of water at frequent intervals, he can scarcely comprehend that many creatures of the desert pass their entire lives without a single drop. line 10 Uncompromising as it is, the desert has not eliminated life but only those forms unable to withstand its desiccating effects. No moist-skinned, water-loving animals can exist there. Few large animals are found: the giants of the North American desert are the deer, the coyote, and the bobcat. Since desert country is open, it holds more swift-footed, running, and leaping creatures than the tangled line 15 forest. Its population are largely nocturnal, silent, filled with reticence, and ruled by stealth. Yet they are not emaciated. Having adapted to their austere environment, they are as healthy as animals anywhere in the world.    The secret of their adjustment lies in a combination of behavior and physiology. None could survive if, like mad dogs and Englishmen, they went out in the line 20 midday sun; many would die in a matter of minutes. So most of them pass the burning hours asleep in cool, humid burrows underneath the ground, emerging to hunt only by night. The surface of the sun-baked desert averages around 150 degrees, but 18 inches down the temperature is only 60 degrees. An example of a desert animal that has adapted to subterranean living and lack line 25 of water is the kangaroo rat. Like many desert animals, kangaroo rats stay underground during the day. At night, they go outside to look for food. As evening temperatures drop, moisture from the air forms on plants and seeds. They absorb some of this moisture and kangaroo rats take in the life-giving water as they eat. 20 What is the topic of this passage? A Desert plants Life underground Animal life in a desert environment Man's life in the desert B C D 21 The word "greater" in line 1 is closest in meaning to A stronger larger more noticeable heavier B C D 22 The phrase "those forms" in line 6 refers to all of the following except A water-loving animals the bobcat moist-skinned animals many large animals B C D 23 "Desiccating" in line 7 means A drying humidifying killing life threatening B C D 24 The author mentions all of the following as examples of the behavior of desert animals EXCEPT A animals sleep during the day animals dig homes underground animals are noisy and aggressive animals are watchful and quiet B C D 25 The word "emaciated" in line 12 is closest in meaning to A wild cunning unmanageable unhealthy B C D 26 The author states that one characteristic of animals who live in the desert is that they A are smaller and fleeter than forest animals are less healthy than animals who live in different places can hunt in temperatures of 150 degrees live in an accommodating environment B C D 27 The word "subterranean" in line 20 is closest in meaning to A underground safe precarious harsh B C D 28 The word "they" in line 23 refers to A kangaroo rats the desert population plants and seeds the burrows of desert animals B C D 29 Which of the following generalizations are supported by the passage? A Water is the basis of life. All living things adjust to their environments. Desert life is colorful. Healthy animals live longer lives. B C D

ANSWER KEY

20. С   The correct answer (C) is found by quickly reading the passage to note the key words and central concept. In paragraph one we find desert, creatures of the desert, and water. In paragraph two, desert, large animals, and... creatures. In paragraph three the pronouns refer to desert animals, and lines 16-19 describe animal behavior in the desert. (A) is not mentioned in the passage; (B) is a supporting detail; and (D) is mentioned only briefly in paragraph one. 21. В   In the immediate context composing the greater part of the tissues ... we infer that it is size that is being described. Answer choice (B) larger is correct for this context. 22. B   Following the immediate context (has not eliminated)... only those forms unable to withstand its desiccating effects (lines 6-7) the author uses negative markers to point out the forms that can not exist: No moist-skinned, water-loving animals..., Few large animals exist here.... In lines 8-9 we read that the bobcat is one of the giants of the desert. We infer that bobcats can withstand desert life, answer choice (B). 23. A   The correct answer (A) can be inferred by understanding the sentences before and after line 7... unable to withstand its desiccating effects. Lines 2-3 tell us there is little water in the desert, using the words crucial problem... survive ... sources of flowing water are rare. Line 5 states that some creatures pass their entire lives without a single drop, implying a dry environment. Lines 7-8 tell us no moist-skinned, water-loving animal can exist there, again implying the drying effect of the desert. (B) contradicts the information in the passage; (C) is too extreme, since we know that life exists in the desert; and (D) is too general to be the best replacement word. 24. C    The correct answer is (C) because it is not mentioned in the passage. (A) and (B) are found in lines 16-19:... pass the burning hours asleep in cool humid burrows (underground homes of animals) and... but 18 inches down the temperature is only 60 degrees. (D) is found in lines 11-12: Its population are... silent, filled with reticence and ruled by stealth. 25. D  Clues to the meaning of "emaciated" are found in the immediate context Yet they are not emaciated, and the following sentence, Having adapted to their austere environment, they are as healthy as animals anywhere in the world (lines 12-13). We infer that they are not emaciated, but they are healthy; therefore "emaciated" is an unhealthy condition (D). 26. A   The correct answer (A) is found in lines 8-11. Key phrases are Few large animals are found and ... it holds more swift-footed, running, and leaping creatures. Similar words in answer choice (A) are smaller and fleeter. (B), (C), and (D) are not true according to the passage. 27. A   The meaning of "subterranean" is deduced by using the word form clues "sub," which means under and "terra," which means ground. In addition, lines 21-22 state that kangaroo rats stay underground during the day, offering a context clue for this word meaning. 28. C   The correct answer is (C) because this is the noun phrase immediately preceding the pronoun "they." In addition, logically it is plants and seeds that the kangaroo rats eat in order to get moisture. 29. B   The correct answer (B) is found by logically deciding which generalizations are too general. Lines 6-13 support (B). In this part of the passage it is established that humans need water to live, water is rare in the desert, and humans find desert creatures amazing. (A) and (B) are too broad to be concluded from the passage. (D) is not supported in the passage.