READING (39) BUILDING SKILLS CAMBRIDGE PREPARATION FOR THE TOEFL® IBT TEST

CAMBRIDGE PREPARATION FOR THE TOEFL® IBT TEST BUILDING SKILLS READING (39)

 

EXERCISE R24 Organizing information into charts In the following exercise, each passage is followed by a list of answer choices and two categories. Follow the specific instructions underneath each passage about how to match the answer choices to the correct categories. Not all of the answer choices will be used. Early Greek columns were built in two main styles, or orders - the Doric and the Ionic - named after Greek dialects. Of these two orders, the Ionic is the more slender - but is most notably different in the decoration of the capital, the part that rests on top of the column. While the capital of the Doric column is plain and unadorned, that of the Ionic is characterized by two pairs of prominent spiral scrolls, one pair on each side of the capital, which may have been inspired by curling leaves of foliage. Between the scrolls other ornamentation, such as an egg and dart pattern, were often carved for added embellishment. Select the appropriate phrases from the answer choices and match them to the style of column to which they relate. TWO of the answer choices will NOT be used. You should write D and F in the Ionic column because it is described as having spiral scrolls on the capital and added embellishment between them. You should write A and C in the Doric column because the Doric column is described as larger and its capital is described as unadorned. Since 8 concerns the origin of the names for the two types of columns and E concerns information not stated in the passage, they are not appropriate for either category.   1` Initially, underground homes are more expensive to build than conventional houses. In order to avoid a home resembling a dark, dank basement, much care and expense must be put into designing a home with well-placed windows and skylights that ensure brightness and fresh air. Conventional homes have much more straight¬forward designs. Also, expensive and sophisticated waterproofing techniques need to be used to keep moisture out of an underground home. However, in the long term, underground homes save the owner a great deal of money in heating and air-conditioning costs. Underground houses require much less energy than conventional homes because the soil temperature is relatively stable and the concrete walls can store the sun's heat and radiate it into the rooms at night. Select the appropriate phrases from the answer choices and match them to the type of home to which they relate. ONE of the answer choices will NOT be used Answer Choice Underground Homes A Expensive to build • _____________________ B Higher energy costs • _____________________ C Unstable soil temperatures Conventional Homes D Waterproofing to avoid dampness • _____________________ E Easier to design • _____________________ 2 The earliest form of dueling was the clash of mounted knights armed with lances in medieval tournaments. These duels were often purely sporting affairs in which special nonlethal lances were used. They provided entertainment for the spectators and kept the knights in good condition for battle. Later, in Elizabethan days, duels no longer took place on horseback, and the lance was exchanged for a sword and dagger. The sword was held in the right hand and used for attacking, while the dagger was held in the left hand and used for defense. Dueling with swords was not a sport but used as a means to decide a point of honor This form of dueling later became obsolete with the invention of pistols, which brought about a whole new set of rules and etiquette unique to that form of dueling. Select the appropriate phrases from the answer choices and match them to the period of dueling to which they relate. ONE of the answer choices will NOT be used. Answer Choices Early Forms of Dueling A Unique set of rules • _____________________ B Clashes in battle • _____________________ C Defense of one's honor Later Forms of Dueling D Entertaining spectators • _____________________ E Use of horses • _____________________ 3 Playing marbles was supposedly popular in ancient Egypt, and it has yet to lose its popularity. There are several different games played with marbles, but the main object of all marble games is to hit a target with a marble. "Shooting the marble" is accomplished by flicking a marble that is balanced on the index finger with a quick movement of the thumb. The best-known marble game is called "ringtaw." In this game, the players draw a circle on the ground. From a prearranged distance, they take turns shooting one of their marbles at other marbles placed in the circle. The object is to knock as many marbles out of the circle as possible. In another game, "fortification," the marbles are placed in the center of a series of concentric circles marked on the ground. The players must knock marbles out of the center circle and into the adjacent circle. A marble is considered out when a player has knocked it through all the circles. A third popular game uses holes instead of circles. In fact, this game is called "holes." Here, the players shoot their marbles into shallow holes dug in the ground. Select the appropriate phrases from the answer choices and match them to the type of game to which they relate. ONE of the answer choices will NOT be used. Answer Choices Ringtaw Fortification A Marbles knocked out of the circle completely • _____________________ B Marbles flicked into holes • _____________________ C Circles within circles drawn on ground Fortification D One circle drawn on ground • _____________________ E Marbles knocked through one circle at a time • _____________________ 4 Sun City, South Africa; Disney World; and Sentosa Island are examples of the artificial, all-purpose holiday resort. These "tourism ghettoes," as they are referred to by seasoned travelers, isolate tourists from the real world and provide instead a sanitized package of pleasures. However much they are ridiculed and avoided by those looking for a cultural experience or seeking to study local fauna, they have proved their worth to those who are environmentally concerned with the welfare of the planet. Sun City, for example, was built on what had been useless scrubland, but now provides a haven for endangered or elusive wildlife. Unlike some traditional vacation spots, such as beach resorts that have destroyed the beauty of the area and have put heavy burdens on the infrastructure of coastal villages not designed for a large influx of people, these all-purpose resorts were carefully planned to accommodate large numbers of tourists. Incorporated in this planning is concern for the environment and for the local inhabitants. An artificial resort can gather into one compact area the best that the host country has to offer. Artificial lakes can attract birds that would not normally be seen. Trees can be planted to provide homes for animals and insects. Even species that have been wiped out in the wild could be reintroduced. Select the appropriate phrases from the answer choices and match them to the type of resort to which they relate. ONE of the answer choices will NOT be used. Answer Choices Artificial Resort A Accommodates large numbers of people • _____________________ B Is responsible for wiping out some species • _____________________ C Has damaged natural beauty Traditional Resort D Provides sanctuary for wildlife • _____________________ E Puts burdens on local infrastructures • _____________________ 5 A few investigators, known as cryptozoologists, are dedicated to researching mysterious, unclassified beasts that orthodox scientists refuse to believe exist. One of the most celebrated mysteries being investigated by cryptozoologists is "Bigfoot," a large hairy humanoid creature that many people claim to have seen in parts of North America. In 1967, a film of what was purported to be Bigfoot was actually taken by an amateur photographer. Of course, this footage is almost certainly a hoax. Nevertheless, many people remain convinced of Bigfoot's existence. Another humanoid creature, the Yeti or "abominable snowman" of the Himalayas, may be the most fascinating undiscovered creature. Many climbers and Sherpas claim to have seen the Yeti or its footprints, and local inhabitants of the mountains are convinced of its existence. As in the case of Bigfoot, some film footage that is alleged to be of this creature exists. While cryptozoologists keep an open mind about their object of study, they are quick to point to cases in which the skeptics were proved mistaken. Those interested in water life can name as an example the giant squid, which was dismissed as the product of an overactive imagination until a specimen was washed up on a beach in 1873. The coelacanth, a large-bodied, hollow-spined fish and predecessor of the amphibians, was considered extinct until one was caught by a fisherman off the coast of South Africa in 1938. The Loch Ness Monster, however, has not been found and continues to provoke disagreements among researchers. In this case some authorities argue that while some kind of creature may really have been seen, it is probably a type of whale that penetrates the loch when the river feeding the loch floods. Besides humanlike creatures and sea animals, cryptozoologists are also interested in land animals. The pygmy hippopotamus, for example - once claimed to be extinct - was eventually found to exist in East Africa. However, the Congo dinosaur and the Queensland tiger have not been found. These and other intriguing creatures will no doubt be the objects of much speculation as well as pursuit for years to come. Select the appropriate phrases from the answer choices and match them to the type of creature to which they relate. TWO of the answer choices will NOT be used. Answer Choices Creatures Found to Exist A The hairy humanoid creature in North America called Bigfoot • _____________________ B The Yeti, known as the abominable snowman, of the Himalayas • _____________________ C The footage of North America • _____________________ D The specimen of a giant squid   E The large-bodied, hollow-spined coelacanth   Creatures That Perhaps Do Not Exist F The Loch Ness Monster • _____________________ G The land animals that cryptozoologists are interested in • _____________________ H The East African pygmy hippopotamus • _____________________ I The Congo dinosaur and the Queensland tiger • _____________________

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