JOSHUA FILES READING
NOTE: THE QUESTIONS MIGHT BE DIFFERENT AND STUFF ON THE REAL HESI… SO MAKE SURE YOU READ THE PASSAGES CAREFULLY...
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Eating
Consumption of food is a universal necessity. Different cultures have developed different methods to accomplish the task. It is interesting to discover these differences and learn new ways to do things. European cultures developed cutlery (knives, forks, and spoons) to enable people to efficiently eat their food. Correct use of this tools changes with the times-what was polite in 1800 may not be considered proper manners today. China developed the chopstick as an efficient tool for eating. Mastery of the use of chopsticks can be difficult for the person not raised in the culture. The attempts of a novice to use chopsticks can be very amusing to the watcher, but frustrating for the hungry diner. Space travel has created new challenges for consuming food. Squeeze bottles and other unique packaging have enabled space travelers to get their needed nutrition. Chopsticks and forks do not work well in space.
1. What conclusion can be drawn about the article? The author explain differences in eating processes.
2. What statement can be implied from the content of article. Diversity is interesting to learn about
3. What is the best definition of "efficient" as used in the third paragraph? Productive without waste
5. What statement from the article draws a conclusion? It is interesting to discover new ways to do things
6. What statement from the article is correct? China developed chopsticks for eating utensils
Food
Food and drink are necessary and desirable, but their abuse can cause serious physical and mental problems. Many physicians believe that overeating is one of the country's main health problems, since it places a great strain on the heart, can lead to diabetes, and often shortens the individual's life span. To fill an emotional void. people often turn to food when they are bored or lonely. Another area of concern is alcohol consumption. The results of alcohol abuse are widely publicized. The social drinker who becomes alcoholic, the drunken driver's contribution to
highway death, spousal and child abuse, are all concomitant problems associated with alcohol abuse.
1. As used in the last sentence of this paragraph, the term "concomitant" means? Accompanying
2. The information presented in this article is? Against drinking alcohol
3. The author's motive for writing the paragraph seems to have have been to? Urge self-control
4. What is implied by this paragraph?
We should eat and drink in reasonable quantities.
5. The author seems to?
Oppose drinking alcohol
Game of Bridge
The ebb and flow of laughter and silence fills the room as four old friends gather to engage in a round of Bridge playing. For the beginner, Bridge can be complicated, but with time, effort, and a good teacher, even the novice can become proficient. Composed of two main parts, bidding and playing, Bridge requires the player's undivided attention. The dealer deals the entire deck of playing cards evenly between the players, with each person receiving thirteen cards. In the bidding portion of the game, the four suits of cards in the deck are ranked highest to lowest as follows: spades, hearts, diamonds, and finally clubs. However, during play all the suits of the cards are considered equals, and they go from highest to lowest from the ace being high to the two card being low. The highest number of tricks wins. A trick is one card played by each player for a total of four. After the lead player lays down his/her card, the other players follow suit, if possible. The highest card within the four "same suit" cards played wins the trick and picks up all four cards. if a player cannot follow suit, he/she plays any card, but to make the game more interesting and challenging, one suit is named a trump suit which means that if a player plays a card from the trump suit, it always wins the trick. If two cards from the trump suit are played,
the highest card within the trump suit wins the trick. obviously the team with the most tricks wins the hand.
1. The author wants the reader to feel
Confident and excited about learning the game of bridge
2. Throughout this passage the word suit means
Any of the four sets into which a deck of cards is divided.
3. In the passage, a trick is described as
A collection of one card played by each of four players.
4. The passage explicitly states
That the highest card within the "trump" suit always wins the trick.
5. The passage implies that
Playing bridge requires concentration.
Getting a Good Night's Sleep
1. What is stated in the passage? Physical Illness can cause Insomnia.
2. Which is a solution to Insomnia?
Developing good sleep and taking herbs and spices.
3. Sleep Apnea causes? Chronic illness
4. Why did the author write this passage?
To explain insomnia and purpose some solutions for the condition.
5. Insomnia affects intellectual abilities because it Causes a deficit in memory, concentration, and attention.
Chronic Insomnia
1. Sleep insomnia causes deficit in Memory
2. Which statement is true about sleep insomnia
3. Which is the solution?
Developing good sleeping habits, taking herbs and spices
4. The author intends to explain insomnia and propose solutions for the condition
Phobia
1. According to the passage, which of the following are types of phobias? Social phobias, panic disorder, specific phobia
2. What does the author want the reader to know about phobia? That phobias are debilitating.
3. The passage says that being afraid is normal and good, according to the passage why is having a phobia not normal and good?
Because phobias are extreme and unreasonable.
4. What are physical ailments that phobias cause? Ulcers and hypertension
5. The author wants to conclude that
people can gain control or deal with phobias
The Water Cycle
Water is needed to sustain practically all life functions on planet Earth. A single drop of this compound is composed of an oxygen atom that shares its electrons with each of the two hydrogen atoms. The cycle starts when precipitation, such as rain, snow, sleet, or hail, descends from the sky onto the ground. Water that is not absorbed immediately from the
precipitation is known as runoff. The runoff flows across the land and collects in groundwater reservoirs, rivers, streams, and oceans. Evaporation takes place when liquid water changes into water vapor, which is a gas. Water vapor returns to the air from surface water and plants.
Ultimately, condensation happens when this water vapor cools and changes back into droplets of liquid. In fact, the puffy, cotton clouds that we observe are formed by condensation. When the clouds become heavily laden with liquid droplets, precipitation ensues.
1. What is the meaning of the word composed in the first paragraph? To consist of
2. What is the main idea of this passage?
The explanation of the different components of the water cycle
3. Which statement is not a detail from the passage?
Condensation fails to happen when water vapor cools and changes back into droplets of liquid.
4. What was the author's primary purpose for writing this essay? To inform the reader about the stages of the water cycle
5. What can the reader conclude from this passage about ponds and lakes? They are examples of groundwater reservoirs.
6. Knowing that the cooling of water vapor results in condensation, one could conclude that
is/are a factor in the evaporation process. Heat
Amazon Rainforest
About 6% of the earth is covered by rainforests. The largest rainforest in the world is theAmazon Basin, which stretches over 2.3 million square miles in nine different South American countries. This area is double the length of all the other remaining rainforests in the world. Brazil contains 60%of the Amazonian rainforest, since it lies at the mouth of the river Amazon. This river is the second largest in the world and contains more than one-fifth of the world's fresh water.
The Amazon rainforest is a type of wet broadleaf forest. The weather there is very humid and warm as it rains quite a bit. Because of the high rainfall, the forest is very rich and green. The tree leaves are pointed and narrow so that the raindrops can easily drop off wet plants. This tropical rainforest has more living species than the entire European continent. There are over 400 types of insects living in one single rainforest tree for a total of 2.5 million species. One square kilometer of rainforest may contain over 75,000 types of trees and approximately 438,000 different kinds of plants, which comes to a total of 90,000 tons of greenery overall. The Amazon rainforest is home to 2,000 birds and mammals, with one in every five birds in the world living there. Local farmers have lived off this rich and diverse land for thousands of years. They have been able to find food and water here without destroying the land. The Kayapo people of Brazil farm in an environmentally- friendly way. Instead of chemicals, they use burned wood to enrich the soil, and plant banana trees, which attract wasps. These wasps then feed on leafcutter ants and get rid of these harmful insects. The rainforest also offers a lot of
tropical fruits, such as bananas and coconuts, as food. Cinnamon is made from the bark of a rainforest tree. Amazonian Indians use the fruit and stem of the Buruti plant as a drink, to make bread and to build houses. Many other plants are used as medicine. But the Amazon rainforest is in very big danger of disappearing. 9,169 square miles of forest have been cut down in 2003 in Brazil alone. An area of the size of a football field is burned down basically every minute, which means that the rain forest may be gone by the year 2030.The dangers related to this type of activity are obvious. Trees take in poisonous carbon dioxide from the air and give off oxygen.
There is more oxygen and less carbon dioxide around a rainforest. When trees are cut down, however, the amount of carbon dioxide increases, and the air gets warmer. This leads to global
warming, which is extremely harmful to the environment. It is estimated that the burning of Brazilian rainforests alone produces 200 million metric tons of carbon dioxide a year. Another danger connected with destroying the rainforest is the disappearance of plants and animals.
1. According to paragraph 1, which of the following is NOT mentioned about the Amazon Rainforest?
Its precipitation
2. How can you describe the Amazon rainforest? (Choose 2 answers)
(A)It rains all time there so the forest is always green. (C)The plants are shaped so that rainwater can pour off them.
3. Which of the following is true about the Amazon Basin?
It is more than one-fifth of all the other rainforests in the world.
4. Look at the end of paragraph two. What does the author refer to when he says "rich and diverse land" at the beginning of paragraph 3?
2,000 birds and mammals in the Amazon rainforest
5. What does the sentence "people of Brazil farm in an environmentally friendly way" mean in paragraph 3?
They do not poison the soil when farming.
6. Which rainforest plant has more than one use? The Bruti plant
7. What is the biggest problem related to the disappearance of the rainforest? Cutting down trees
Safe Driving
1. What is the best meaning of the word advocate as used in the forth sentence of this paragraph?
Supporter.
2. What is stated in this paragraph?
Each individual driving behavior is the key to automobile safety.
3. What is implied by this paragraph?
Government action will not help if individual drivers do not cooperate.
4. The author seems to think that?
All cars should be properly inspected.
5. The author's motive for writing the paragraph seems to have been to? Get people personally involved with traffic safety.
Rainforest
1. Rain forests are essential to life on earth
2. Deforestation has long term consequences that we still do not know about
3. The Nile is the longest river
Voice
What effect does your voice have on others? Does it persuade or irritate, attract or repel? One of the worst qualities is harshness. If you ever get the feeling that people are uncomfortable when you speak, it may be that your harsh tones are jarring their eardrums. Your voice will sound unpleasant if it is shrill, grating, hard, piercing, brassy, loud, or too nasal. Harsh voice qualities usually come from too much tension in the throat and jaw. Tension tightens muscles and blocks the relaxed voice tones essential to a pleasing impression. Because tension occurs in higher pitched voices, women tend to have shriller voices than men, which usually makes them less desirable public speakers, newscasters, or political candidates.
1. Which statement from the selection presents a fact rather than an opinion? Harsh voice qualities usually come from too much tension in the throat and Jaw.
2. What is stated in this paragraph?
Women make less appealing political candidates.
3. The information presented is
Slanted against people with piercing voices.
4. The author seems to:
Prefer low pitched tones.
5. One of the worst voice qualities is Harshness
White Elephant
Centuries ago, in the country of Siam, now known as Thailand, it was the custom of them rulers that displeased them by giving the offender a white elephant. Because the animal was could not be made to work as other elephants did, but still had to be fed hundreds of pounds of fruit and cared for in the most lavish style. The recipient could not give the elephant to anyone else, as it was the ruler, who would be greatly displeased should the recipient not receive the gift graciously or care for in a grand style. This monetary burden could be a major liability to the
recipient and in many cases they became impoverished. This is the origin of the term"white elephant" as it is used today to denote an unwanted gift. The way of gift exchange played during the holiday season is an offshoot of this. In this game, everyone brings, and the gifts are exchanged by drawing numbers and picking a gift in turn. The second person can choose or steal the first one. It is all in good fun, and people enjoy giving silly gifts and "stealing" someone else.
1. How did the people regard a white elephant?
People tried very hard not to offend the king so they would not receive a white elephant.
2. Where is Thailand?
Asia
3. What is implied by the article? People enjoy giving/receiving gifts.
4. What is the meaning of the word impoverished in the first paragraph? Financially ruined
5. Why is an unwanted gift called a white elephant? It is a rare thing to get an unwanted gift.
Golden Gate Bridge
Linking San Francisco to Marin County in California, the Golden Gate Bridge is one of the most famous bridges in the world. The bridge crosses over a narrow strait which connects the Pacific Ocean to San Francisco Bay. Prior to the bridge, people traveled by ferry boat across the strait. Although most people thought a bridge was necessary to expedite travel, some residents of the Bay area felt the risk of building the bridge was too great. Joseph Strauss believed that nothing was impossible, and dreams would never come to fruition if risks weren't taken. So, he decided to gather the best and brightest builders, architects, and workers to embark on the challenge of building a bridge across the Golden Gate Strait. With safety nets in place, the construction began in 1937. Building the anchorages first, the builders then move on to the towers on each end, and then to the three-foot thick cables to support the suspension bridge. Lastly, workers labored to complete the roadway which became the most dangerous and treacherous part of the entire task. The builders had to keep the bridge balance, so it wouldn't fall into the bay.
Today, over sixty-five years later, the bridge remains a life-line for the people of the San Francisco Bay Area.
1. The authors reason for writing this piece seems to be to Inform the reader
2. What body of water does The Golden Gate Bridge cross? Golden Gate Strait
3. Why was the roadway so dangerous to build? If the road wasn't balanced, it would collapse.
4. In the passage the word embark means to Begin an undertaking, start
5. Which part of the bridge was built first? Anchorage
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The Bicycle
Today, bicycles are so common that it's hard to believe they haven't always been around. But two hundred years ago, bicycles didn't even exist, and the first bicycle, invented in Germany in 1818, was nothing like our bicycles today. It was made of wood and didn't even have pedals. Since then, however, numerous innovations and improvements in design have made the bicycle one of the most popular means of recreation and transportation around the world. In 1839, Kirkpatrick Macmillan, a Scottish blacksmith, dramatically improved upon the original bicycle design. Macmillan's machine had tires with iron rims to keep them from getting worn down. He also used foot-operated cranks like pedals, so his bicycle could be ridden at a quick pace. It didn't look much like a modern bicycle, though, because its back wheel was substantially larger than its front wheel. In 1861, the French Michaux brothers took the evolution of the bicycle a step further by inventing an improved crank mechanism. Ten years later, James Starley, an English inventor, revolutionized bicycle design. He made the front wheel many times larger than the back wheel, put a gear on the pedals to make the bicycle more efficient, and lightened the wheels by using wire spokes. Although this bicycle was much lighter and less tiring to ride, it was still clumsy, extremely top heavy, and ridden mostly for entertainment. It wasn't until 1874 that the first truly modern bicycle appeared on the scene. (14) Invented by another Englishman, H.J. Lawson, the "safety bicycle" would look familiar to today's cyclists. This bicycle had equal-sized wheels, which made it less prone to toppling over.
Lawson also attached a chain to the pedals to drive the rear wheel. With these improvements, the bicycle
became extremely popular and useful for transportation. Today they are built, used, and enjoyed all over the world.
Changing Time
1. What is the meaning of "they" in the passage? Clock change DST
2. Irrelevant means Meaningless
3. What was the author inferring? Should be abolished
4. Computer changed itself
5. Trying to persuade the audience
Glass
1. Brittle- easily broken
2. Archaeological digs have found article made of glass
3. Glass is not an element
4. The combination of several glass is an essential part of our lives
5. Science uses glass in experiments
Healthcare
1. Premium: means amount to be paid
2. Hospitals are passing down the cost of taking care of people without insurance
3. The passage implies that
There is a crisis in normal management in healthcare
4. Opinion or fact rising
Homonyms
1. Which statement is a fact rather than an opinion? Homonyms make learning English more challenging.
2. What inference can be drawn from the article? English is a difficult language to master.
3. What conclusion can be drawn from the article?
In order to master English, the student must learn the Homonyms.
4. How does the article define homonyms?
Words that sound alike and are spelled in different ways with different meaning.
Isaac Asimov
1. Greatest fear Flying
2. Meaning of "prolific" High productivity
3. The big three
Asimov, Clarke, Heinlein
4. How old was Asimov when he died? 72 years
5. What made him popular Science, fiction, writing
All the Jazz
Jazz has been called "the art of expression set to music", and "America's great contribution to music". It has functioned as popular art and enjoyed periods of widespread public response, in the "jazz age" of the 1920s, in the "swing era" of the late 1930s and in the peak popularity of modern jazz in the late 1950s. The standard legend about Jazz is that it originated around the end of the 19th century in New Orleans and moved up the Mississippi River to Memphis, St. Louis, and finally to Chicago. It welded together the elements of Ragtime, marching band music, and the Blues. However, the influences of what led to those early sounds goes back to tribal African drum beats and European musical structures. Buddy Bolden, a New Orleans barber and cornet player, is generally considered to have been the first real Jazz musician, around 1891. What made Jazz significantly different from the other earlier forms of music was the use of improvisation. Jazz displayed a break from traditional music where a composer wrote an entire piece of music on paper, leaving the musicians to break their backs playing exactly what was written on the score. In a Jazz piece, however, the song is simply a starting point, or sort of skeletal guide for the Jazz musicians to improvise around. Many of the early Jazz
musicians were bad sight readers and some couldn't even read music at all. These early musicians couldn't make very much money and were stuck working menial jobs to make a living. The second wave of New Orleans Jazz musicians included such memorable players as Joe Oliver, Kid Ory, and Jelly Roll Morton. These men formed small bands and took the music of earlier musicians, improved its complexity, and gained greater success. This music is known as "hot Jazz" due to the enormously fast speeds and rhythmic drive. A young cornet player by the name of Louis Armstrong was discovered by Joe Oliver in New Orleans. He soon grew
up to become one of the greatest and most successful musicians of all time, and later one of the biggest stars in the world. The impact of Armstrong and other talented early Jazz musicians changed the way we look at music.
1. The Passage answers which of the following questions?
What were the origins of Jazz and how did it differ from other forms of music?
2. According to the passage, Jazz originated in New Orleans
3. The word "welded" in line 6 is closest in meaning to Bound
4. Which of the following distinguished Jazz as a new form of musical expression?
Improvisation
5. The word "skeletal" in line 15 is closest in meaning to Framework
6. Which of the following can be inferred from the passage? Many early Jazz musicians had little formal musical training
7. The word "menial" in line 18 is closest in meaning to Degrading
8. According to the passage, which of the following belonged to the second wave of New Orleans Jazz musicians?
Joe Oliver
9. All the following are true EXCEPT
Joe Oliver is generally considered to be the first real Jazz musician
Laughter
1. The passage indicates
Native American humor deserves more attention
2. The passage infers that
Native American humor is often overlooked
3. The author's reason for writing this passage
To persuade people to take a broad view of Native Americans
4. The author seems to favor: Research into Native American humor
Lightning
1. Get into a metal
2. To pierce
3. Draw light away (measuring of rod)
4. Consist of konstruk big(?)
5. The author did not support the eyes(?)
Mr. Rogers
1. Mr. Rogers started a website
2. He wants to help children
3. Uniqueness
4. Meaning of legacy: something handed down
5. The author wants to inform the audience
Nurseries
1. Green House creates tropical condition at nurseries
2. Too many nurseries means not enough buyers to buy the plants that need to be sold
3. Nurseries are helpful for farmers
4. Special type of farms
5. A strip of board, often material that forms a section of a wall or door
Circus
1. Converting means running/jumping
2. Recommends attending the circus
3. There was a great extravaganza
4. The roman stayed extravaganza
5. Gave a child an experience
Facts About the One Dollar Bill
1. What did the author intend?
To share some little-known facts about the one-dollar bill
2. Why is making counterfeit copies of the one-dollar bill difficult? The formula for the ink used is kept a secret
3. What is implied by the message, The One Dollar Bill? It is a fabulously historical document
4. In the third sentence of the passage, the word minute means? Extremely small
5. We often accidentally wash dollar bills, why is that not a problem? Because the dollar bills are made of cotton and linen, so they wash easily
Coffee
1. Fact in the passage
Coffee can cause digestion, heart attack
2. Disliked by CNN news
3. Causes of insomnia-sleeplessness
4. Positive to negative
5. Further research (flip flop) (i didn't write “flip flop” so idk what that mens)
Summer Olympics
1. How often is the game played? Every 4 years
2. Meaning of "root" in the passage?
To wish success
3. What is the main reason athletics wish to participate in the olympics?
They have patriotic pride in their participation
4. Where was Summer 2008 played? China
Electoral College
The Electoral College has nothing to do with college and contains no students. The Electoral College consists of votes that each state acquires based on the number of representatives it has in Congress. Each state has two electoral votes because each state has two senators. The remaining electoral votes are determined by the number of Congressmen, the number of which is based on the population of the state established by the Census taken each decade. During the presidential election, most states cast all their electoral votes for the candidate who wins the popular vote in that state. It's all very confusing, but the founding fathers know what they were doing. By having and using the Electoral College candidates' campaign in every state, but just because they win the popular vote across the country doesn't mean they will always win the election. Case in point, in election 2000, Al Gore won the popular vote across the country, but George W. Bush won more electoral votes.
Therefore, he became our 43rd president.
1. Which statement from the passage is a fact?
Each state cast their electoral vote during a presidential election
2. The author's reason for writing this piece seems to be to Teach the reader
3. Give one vote
4. Have an understanding of the electoral college
5. Congressional election
The Flu
1. What is the main idea of the passage
The flu is a deadly disease that's difficult to control because people become Infectious
2. Why is the flu considered not too infectious?
The flu virus cannot travel far or live for long periods of time outside the human body, so its spread can be easily contained
3. What is the meaning of the word "measures" in the last paragraph? Plan of action
4. Which of the following correctly describes the flu? The flu is difficult to contract and sometimes fatal
Exams
Subjective exams measure your ability in several areas. Besides recall information, you must be able to realize content logically and intelligently express yourself in a clearly understood manner. Subjective test provides an opportunity for students to show their broad knowledge of a subjective area. Answers may be in the form of paragraphs or lengthy essays. When your review for an essay exam, concentrate on main ideas rather than details. Since essay tests are less to a few questions, they are likely to deal with more important ideas of a subject. Prepare a list of questions you think might be asked. Write an answer to each of your questions.
Rather than writing complete sentences down your thoughts in outline form. Doing so will help you organize the information so that you can express yourself clearly. When you take the test, read through all the questions before you start to write. Allot time for each question, spending more time for questions worth the most points. Read each question carefully to determine exactly what they are asked. Pay attention to words such as define, illustrate, explain, list, compare, and contrast. Each work requires a different type of response. Write a brief outline of your answer on scrap paper or the back of the test. Make sure you include all the important ideas that are within the limits of the question. In other words, do not write more than is asked for each answer. When you write your answer, keep it specific and as brief as possible. In the introductory sentence it is often helpful to make a general statement that includes important points addressed in each question. Such a topic sentence serves as a framework for your answer. Then use your outline to develop the main point and subtopics. Add substance to
your answer by including as many facts as possible to support your answer. Check your paper before you submit it. Look for mistakes in grammar, spelling, sentence structure, and punctuation. Unless you are certain an answer is wrong, do not change it. Your answer is an educated guess and is usually your best chance of answering correctly.
1. When taking a subjective examination, you will find questions like. Definitions
2. Compared to objective exams, essay test contain Fewer questions
3. From the article the reader can conclude that a test containing true-false questions is called Objective
4. Compared to objective exams, subjective tests contain Fewer questions
5. In answering subjective questions the student should
Keep it brief and specific
6. When taking an exam, you should divide your time To allow more time for the difficult questions
7. In the above passage, the word "subjective" refers to test questions that Require you to write your own answer [Show Less]
