-
Passage I
Prose Fiction
This passage is an
excerpt from the short story “Graduation,” by John Krupp.
Rosemary sat at her kitchen table, working
at a crossword puzzle. Crosswords were
nice; they filled the time, and kept the mind
active. She needed just one word to complete
this morning’s puzzle; the clue was “a
Swiss river,” and the first of its three letters
was “A.” Unfortunately, Rosemary had no
idea what the name of the river was, and
could not look it up. Her atlas was on the
desk, and the desk was in the guest room,
currently being occupied by her grandson
Victor. Looking up over the tops of her
bifocals, Rosemary glanced at the kitchen
clock: it was almost 10 A.M. Land sakes! Did
the boy intend to sleep all day? She noticed
that the arthritis in her wrist was throbbing,
and put down her pen. At eighty-seven
years of age, she was glad she could still
write at all. She had decided long ago that
growing old was like slowly turning to stone;
you couldn’t take anything for granted.
She stood up slowly, painfully, and started
walking to the guest room.
The trip, though only a distance of
about twenty-five feet, seemed to take a
long while. Late in her ninth decade now,
Rosemary often experienced an expanded
sense of time, with present and past tense
intermingling in her mind. One minute she
was padding in her slippers across the living
room carpet, the next she was back on the
farm where she’d grown up, a sturdy little
girl treading the path behind the barn just
before dawn. In her mind’s eye, she could
still pick her way among the stones in the
darkness, more than seventy years later…
Rosemary arrived at the door to the guest
room. It stood slightly ajar, and she peered
through the opening. Victor lay sleeping
on his side, his arms bent, his expres-
sion slightly pained. Get up, lazy bones,
she wanted to say. Even in childhood,
Rosemary had never slept past 4 A.M.; there
were too many chores to do. How different
things were for Victor’s generation! Her
youngest grandson behaved as if he had
never done a chore in his life. Twenty-one
years old, he had driven down to Florida
to visit Rosemary in his shiny new car, a
gift from his doting parents. Victor would
finish college soon, and his future appeared
bright—if he ever got out of bed, that is.
Something Victor had said last night
over dinner had disturbed her. Now what
was it? Oh yes; he had been talking about
one of his college courses—a “gut,” he
had called it. When she had asked him to
explain the term, Victor had said it was a
course that you took simply because it was
easy to pass. Rosemary, who had not even
had a high school education, found the
term repellent. If she had been allowed to
continue her studies, she would never have
taken a “gut”…The memory flooded back
then, still painful as an open wound all
these years later. It was the first day of high
school. She had graduated from grammar
school the previous year, but her father
had forbidden her to go on to high school
that fall, saying that she was needed on the
farm. After much tearful pleading, she had
gotten him to promise that next year, she
could start high school. She had endured a
whole year of chores instead of books, with
animals and rough farmhands for company
instead of people her own age. Now, at last,
the glorious day was at hand. She had put
on her best dress (she owned two), her heart
racing in anticipation. But her father was
waiting for her as she came downstairs.
“Where do you think you’re going?” he
asked.
“To high school, Papa.”
“No you’re not. Take that thing off and
get back to work.”
“But Papa, you promised!”
“Do as I say!” he thundered.
There was no arguing with Papa when he
spoke that way. Tearfully, she had trudged
upstairs to change clothes. Rosemary still
wondered what life would have been like
if her father had not been waiting at the
bottom of the stairs that day, or if somehow
she had found the strength to defy him…
Suddenly, Victor stirred, without waking,
and mumbled something unintelligible.
Jarred from her reverie, Rosemary stared at
Victor. She wondered if he were having a
nightmare.
-
-
According to the
passage, Victor is Rosemary’s:
- nephew.
- son.
- grandson.
- great-grandson.
-
It can be inferred
from the passage that Rosemary is disturbed by Victor’s:
- intention to drop
out of college.
- disregard of her
harsh upbringing.
- willingness to take
courses that are easy to pass.
- inability to get
out of bed in the morning.
-
The passage suggests
that in the year after she finished grammar school, Rosemary
most wanted:
- an escape from her
father’s company.
- the opportunity to
go to college.
- the chance to study
challenging subjects.
- the company of
people her own age.
-
The passage suggests
that Rosemary’s attitude toward the physical afflictions of old
age is generally one of:
- sadness.
- acceptance.
- resentment.
- optimism.
-
According to the
passage, Rosemary does crossword puzzles in order to:
- keep her mind
active.
- practice her
handwriting.
- learn new
geographical facts.
- make her more aware
of time.
-
The focus of the
passage as a whole is on:
- Rosemary’s concern
at Victor’s lack of motivation.
- the harsh treatment
Victor received from his father.
- the contrast
between Victor’s and Rosemary’s attitudes toward education.
- Rosemary’s struggle
to suppress painful memories.
-
It can be inferred
from the passage that Victor’s “shiny new car” (line 49) is
mentioned in order to illustrate:
- the excessive
generosity of Rosemary’s parents.
- the contrast
between Rosemary’s generation and his.
- the strength of
Victor’s prospects for the future.
- the lack of
physical hardship in Victor’s life.
-
The third paragraph
(lines 53–80) primarily portrays Rosemary in her youth as:
- resentful of her
father’s conduct.
- eager to continue
her education.
- undecided about her
future career.
- proud of her
appearance.
-
Rosemary’s
recollection of growing up on the farm (lines 29–36) is
mentioned as an example of her:
- nostalgia for her
childhood experiences.
- determination to
overcome her physical disabilities.
- ability to recall
past and present events at the same time.
- disappointment at
being denied an education.
-
The statement that
Victor’s “future appeared bright” (lines 51–52) most likely
reflects the opinion of:
- Rosemary.
- Victor.
- Victor’s
parents.
- Rosemary’s
father.
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Passage II
Social Science
These two passages reflect two different views concerning the origins of modern liberal
economic regulation in the United States. Passage A is from a 1980 newspaper article
about the beginning of progressive reforms to the American economy. Passage B was
written in the 1990s by a noted economic historian.
Passage A
The Sherman Antitrust Act was introdu-
ced into Congress by Senator John Sherman
of Ohio, and, after being first rewritten by pro
business Eastern senators, was passed into law
in 1890. The Act made illegal “every contract,
combination in the form of trust or otherwise,
or conspiracy in the restraint of trade.” Many
have charged, at that time and since, that the
decidedly vague wording introduced by the
pro-business revisers resulted in the emas-
culation of the law’s anti-monopoly message.
Nevertheless, the Act was the first law to fight,
even symbolically, against economic mono-
polies in the “open” market economy of the
United States.
From the birth of the nation, many poli-
ticians and influential business leaders had
felt that the most natural and ideal democratic
economy was one in which the government
played a very limited role in regulating com-
merce. It was argued that, by permitting
businesses to pursue their own interests, the
government was promoting the interests of
the nation as a whole, or as GM chairman
Charles E. Wilson reportedly quipped, “What’s
good for General Motors is good for the
nation.” Many of the leaders of trusts and
monopolies in the 1800s co-opted the then
cutting-edge terminology of Charles Darwin’s
theory of natural selection, arguing that in an
unrestrained economy, power and wealth
would naturally flow to the most capable
according to the principles of “Social Dar-
winism.” Their monopolies were thus natural
and efficient outcomes of economic development.
Towards the close of the 1800s, however,
an increasingly large and vocal number of lower-
and middle-class dissenters felt that the laissez-
faire1 policies of the federal government allowed
monopolistic trusts like Standard Oil to manipu-
late consumers by fixing prices, exploit workers
by cutting wages, and threaten democracy by
corrupting politicians. Most directly, the trusts
and monopolies completely destroyed the op-
portunities for competitors in their industries
to do business effectively. The concerns of these
working-class dissenters thus created a ground-
swell of support for the Sherman Antitrust Act,
which attempted to outlaw these monopolies
and trusts. Even more important than the direct
effects of the Act, however, was the sign of a new
era of reform against monopolistic economic
corruption, and the rise of deliberate economic
regulation in America. The federal government
had finally realized that it had to take a more
active role in the economy in order to protect the
interests and rights of consumers, workers, and
small businesses while tempering the dominating
power of big business.
Passage B
Some political historians contend that altera-
tions to the powers or role of the federal govern-
ment are a violation of the democratic principles
and goals on which the United States was founded.
I hold that the evolution of democracy in America
has been absolutely necessary and has led to
positive reform to correct injustices and suit the
needs of changing times. In no arena is this
more evident than in the field of economic policy,
especially during the presidency of Franklin D.
Roosevelt.
Roosevelt was a liberal Democrat who looked
on his election in 1932 as a mandate from the
nation’s voters to forge a bold path out of the
crippled economy, massive unemployment, and
plummeting farm prices brought on by the Great
Depression2. Traditionally, it was believed that
in democratic nations the government should
balance its own budget and not attempt to mani-
pulate the economy as a whole by expending
money. According to traditional or conserva-
tive capitalist economists, busts and booms
in an open, unregulated economy were normal
and healthy, part of a natural cycle that self-
regulated excess or overproduction. There
was thus no need for government intervention
during recessions. It seemed evident to
Roosevelt, however, that the Great Depression
would not “naturally” recede, and that he must,
in his own words, “reform democracy in order
to save it.” Roosevelt “pump-primed” the
economy using government funds for the
first time in American history by intentional
deficit spending. In the Agricultural Adjustment
Act, for example, Roosevelt controlled one
of the causes and symptoms of the economic
recession, agricultural overproduction, by
using government funds to pay farmers to
produce fewer crops. Perhaps more than any
other, this act signaled the end of the laissez-
faire economics era and ushered in the modern
era of liberal economic regulation.
Our nation’s founders had planned for
a minimalist federal government that would
balance its own books and mind its own
business, and, for some 150 years, this attitude
seemed intrinsic to the role of the federal
government. The deficit spending and deliber-
ate manipulation of the national economy
by the Roosevelt administration marked a
radical revision of the role of the federal
government, and it’s likely that only the severe
crises of the Depression could have compelled
Americans to fully embrace the notion that
government intervention in the economy was
both beneficial and necessary. The success
of this approach in pulling the nation out of
a crippling depression was undeniable. Also
undeniable was the larger conclusion that the
national government must adapt in both
scope and purpose to fit the needs of changing
times.
1 from the French “to allow to do,” an economic policy of non-intervention
2 a prolonged and severe economic recession in America during the 1930s
-
-
Questions 11–13 ask about Passage A.
-
The revisions mentioned in line 3 illustrate the:
- support for Social Darwinism common in the nineteenth century.
- resistance from business proponents to antitrust reform.
- lengthy period of debate that preceded the passage of the Sherman Act.
- ineffective nature of Congressional legislation in the 1890s.
-
The phrase “Social Darwinism” (lines 33–34) is included in Passage A as:
- an illustration of the similarities between economic evolution and biological evolution.
- an argument to assert that only the strongest corporations could survive in a free
market economy.
- a demonstration of the terms that monopolists utilized to justify their control of
industries.
- an example of the influence of scientific theories on social and economic policy.
-
Based on information in the third paragraph of Passage A (lines 36–59), it seems most
likely that the author of Passage A would agree with which of the following?
- All monopolistic trusts fixed prices and exploited workers.
- The overall effects of stifled competition were negative for many Americans.
- Outlawing monopolies was a necessary reform to save democracy.
- Standard Oil was prevented from freely competing by the Sherman Antitrust Act.
-
Questions 14–16 ask about Passage B.
-
The author cites the Agricultural Adjustment Act (lines 93–94) as:
- an important twentieth century antitrust act.
- an act that led to a resurgence of laissez-faire economic policy.
- a factor leading to the Great Depression.
- an example of aggressive government intervention in the economy.
-
In the last paragraph of Passage B (lines 102–121), the author primarily:
- argues that an alteration to the original plans for the American federal government
was beneficial.
- shows that Roosevelt’s economic reforms were unnecessary.
- cites an exception to his generalization that Roosevelt normally passed only beneficial
legislation.
- explores weaknesses in the original design of the American federal government.
-
In the second paragraph of Passage B, the author includes the opinion of “conservative
capitalist economists” (lines 80–81) as:
- a demonstration of the conservative nature of the economic reforms introduced during
the Roosevelt era.
- evidence in support of the Agricultural Adjustment Act.
- a view about the necessity of government economic regulation that the author will
later refute.
- an argument that only severe poverty can force radical changes in America.
-
Questions 17–20 ask about both passages.
-
Both passages cite which of the following as a necessary reform to the original design
of the American democracy?
- Lessening government control of the economy
- Abandoning laissez-faire economic policy
- Preventing unfair industry domination
- Passing laws to limit agricultural overproduction
-
The author of Passage B would most likely respond to the description of monopolies
as “natural and efficient outcomes of economic development” (lines 34–35) by:
- arguing that theories of Social Darwinism were used as justification to promote the
interests of the most wealthy.
- noting that the most “natural” state of the economy is not necessarily the most preferable.
- agreeing that government intervention in the economy is an abandonment of the ideals
upon which the country was founded.
- noting that the economic policies of Franklin Roosevelt were highly effective in battling
such monopolies.
-
What aspect of government economic regulation is emphasized in Passage B, but not
in Passage A?
- Antitrust laws
- Deficit spending
- Congressional legislation
- Laissez-faire policies
-
According to each passage, the term laissez-faire describes:
- an economic policy that is beneficial to consumers and a period in history that has
yet to conclude.
- a natural, ideal democratic economy and a government’s attempt to balance its own
budget without creating interference.
- a philosophy that Roosevelt championed and a presidential legacy that is in effect
to this day.
- an approach that allowed trusts to manipulate consumers and an era that the Agricultural
Adjustment Act ended.
-
Passage III
Humanities
This passage is an
excerpt from A Short History of Western Civilization,
Volume 1, by John B. Harrison, Richard E. Sullivan, and Dennis
Sherman, © 1990 by McGraw-Hill, Inc. Reprinted by permission of
McGraw-Hill, Inc.
Enlightenment ideas were put forth by a
variety of intellectuals who in France came
to be known as the philosophes. Philosophes
is French for philosophers, and in a sense
these thinkers were rightly considered
philosophers, for the questions they dealt
with were philosophical: How do we
discover truth? How should life be lived?
What is the nature of God? But on the whole
the term has a meaning different from the
usual meaning of “philosopher.” The philos-
ophes were intellectuals, often not formally
trained or associated with a university. They
were usually more literary than scientific.
They generally extended, applied, popular-
ized, or propagandized ideas of others rather
than originating those ideas themselves. The
philosophes were more likely to write plays,
satires, pamphlets or simply participate in
verbal exchanges at select gatherings than to
write formal philosophical books.
It was the philosophes who developed
the philosophy of the Enlightenment and
spread it to much of the educated elite
in Western Europe (and the American
colonies). Although the sources for their
philosophy can be traced to the Scientific
Revolution in general, the philosophes were
most influenced by their understanding of
Newton, Locke, and English institutions.
The philosophes saw Newton as the great
synthesizer of the Scientific Revolution who
rightly described the universe as ordered,
mechanical, material, and only originally
set in motion by God, who since then has
remained relatively inactive. Newton’s
synthesis showed to the philosophes that
reason and nature were compatible: Nature
functioned logically and discernibly, and
what was natural was also reasonable.
Newton exemplified the value of reasoning
based on concrete experience. The philos-
ophes felt that his empirical methodology
was the correct path to discovering truth.
John Locke (1632–1704) agreed with
Newton but went further. This English
thinker would not exempt even the mind
from the mechanical laws of the material
universe. In his Essay Concerning Human
Understanding (1691), Locke pictured the
human brain at birth as a blank sheet of
paper on which nothing would ever be
written except sense perception and reason.
What human beings become depends on
their experiences—on the information
received through the senses. Schools and
social institutions could therefore play a
great role in molding the individual from
childhood to adulthood. Human beings were
thus by nature far more malleable than had
been assumed. This empirical psychology
of Locke rejected the notion that human
beings were born with innate ideas or that
revelation was a reliable source of truth.
Locke also enunciated liberal and reformist
political ideas in his Second Treatise of Civil
Government (1690), which influenced the
philosophes. On the whole Locke’s empiri-
cism, psychology and politics were appealing
to the philosophes.
England, not coincidentally the country
of Newton and Locke, became the admired
model for many of the philosophes. They
tended to idealize it, but England did seem
to allow greater individual freedom, tolerate
religious differences, and evidence greater
political reform than other countries, espe-
cially France. England seemed to have gone
furthest in freeing itself from traditional
institutions and accepting the new science
of the seventeenth century. Moreover,
England’s approach seemed to work, for
England was experiencing relative political
stability and prosperity. The philosophes
wanted to see in their own countries much
of what England already seemed to have.
Many philosophes reflected the influence
of Newton, Locke, and English institutions,
but perhaps the most representative in
his views was Voltaire (1694–1778). Of all
leading figures of the Enlightenment, he was
the most influential. Voltaire, the son of a
Paris lawyer, became the idol of the French
intelligentsia while still in his early twenties.
His versatile mind was sparkling; his wit
was mordant. An outspoken critic, he soon
ran afoul of both church and state authori-
ties. First he was imprisoned in the Bastille;
later he was exiled to England. There he
encountered the ideas of Newton and Locke
and came to admire English parliamentary
government and tolerance. In Letters on the
English (1732), Elements of the Philosophy
of Newton (1738), and other writings, he
popularized the ideas of Newton and Locke,
extolled the virtues of English society, and
indirectly criticized French society. Slipping
back into France, he was hidden for a time
and protected by a wealthy woman who
became his mistress. Voltaire’s facile mind
and pen were never idle. He wrote poetry,
drama, history, essays, letters, and scientific
treatises—ninety volumes in all. The special
targets of his cynical wit were the Catholic
church and Christian institutions. Few
people in history have dominated their age
intellectually as did Voltaire.
-
-
The philosophes can
best be described as:
- writers swept up by
their mutual admiration of John Locke.
- professors who
lectured in philosophy at French universities.
- intellectuals
responsible for popularizing Enlightenment ideas.
- scientists who
furthered the work of the Scientific Revolution.
-
Which of the
following would most likely have been written by Voltaire?
- A treatise
criticizing basic concepts of the Scientific Revolution
- A play satirizing
religious institutions in France
- A collection of
letters mocking the English Parliament
- A sentimental poem
expounding the virtues of courtly love
-
According to the
passage, Locke felt that schools and social institutions could
“play a great role in molding the individual” (lines 57–58)
primarily because:
- human beings were
born with certain innate ideas.
- human nature
becomes more malleable with age.
- society owes each
individual the right to an education.
- the human mind is
chiefly influenced by experience.
-
Based on the
information in the passage, which of the following best
describes Newton’s view of the universe?
- The universe
was initially set in motion by God.
- Human reason is
insufficient to understand the laws of nature.
- The universe
operates in a mechanical and orderly fashion.
- I only
- I and II only
- I and III only
- II and III
only
-
According to the
passage, which of the following works questioned the idea that
revelation was a reliable source of truth?
- Letters on the
English
- Second Treatise
of Civil Government
- Elements of the
Philosophy of Newton
- Essay Concerning
Human Understanding
-
The passage supports
which of the following statements concerning the relationship
between Newton and Locke?
- Locke’s psychology
contradicted Newton’s belief in an orderly universe.
- Locke maintained
that Newton’s laws of the material universe also applied to the
human mind.
- Newton eventually
came to accept Locke’s revolutionary ideas about the human
mind.
- Newton’s political
ideas were the basis of Locke’s liberal and reformist
politics.
-
According to the
passage, the philosophes believed that society should:
- allow
individuals greater freedom.
- free itself
from traditional institutions.
- tolerate
religious differences.
- I only
- I and II only
- II and III
only
- I, II, and III
-
It can be inferred
from the passage that the author regards England’s political
stability and economic prosperity as:
- the reason why the
philosophes did not idealize England’s achievement.
- evidence that
political reforms could bring about a better way of life.
- the result of
Voltaire’s activities after he was exiled to England.
- an indication that
the Scientific Revolution had not yet started there.
-
The passage suggests
that the French political and religious authorities during the
time of Voltaire:
- allowed little in
the way of free speech.
- overreacted to
Voltaire’s mild satires.
- regarded the
philosophes with indifference.
- accepted the model
of English parliamentary government.
-
How does the passage
support the point that the philosophes were “more literary than
scientific” (line 14)?
- It demonstrates how
the philosophes’ writings contributed to the political
change.
- It compares the
number of works that Voltaire authored to Newton’s output.
- It traces the
influences of English literary works on French scientists.
- It describes the
kinds of literary activities the philosophes commonly engaged
in.
-
Passage IV
Natural Science
This passage explores
the theory that a large asteroid collided with the Earth 65
million years ago.
Sixty-five million years ago, something
triggered mass extinctions so profound that
they define the geological boundary between
the Cretaceous and Tertiary periods (the K-T
Boundary). Approximately 75 percent of all
animal species, including every species of
dinosaur, were killed off; those that survived
lost the vast majority of their numbers. The
Earth exists in a region of space teeming
with asteroids and comets, which on
collision have frequently caused enormous
environmental devastation, including extinc-
tions of animal species. Yet few traditional
geologists or biologists considered the effect
such impacts may have had on the geologic
and biologic history of the Earth. Since
gradual geologic processes like erosion or
repeated volcanic eruptions can explain the
topographical development of the Earth,
they felt that there was no need to resort to
extraterrestrial explanations.
An important theory proposed in 1980
by physicists Luis and Walter Alvarez chal-
lenged this view. The Alvarezes argued
that an asteroid roughly six miles in
diameter collided with the Earth in the K-T
Boundary. Although the damage caused
by the meteorite’s impact would have been
great, the dust cloud that subsequently
would have enveloped the planet, completely
blotting out the sun for up to a year—the
result of soil displacement—would have
done most of the harm, according to this
theory. The plunge into darkness—and
the resulting drastically reduced tempera-
tures—would have interrupted plant growth,
cutting off the food supply to herbivorous
species, the loss of which in turn would
have starved carnivores. Additional species
would have perished as a result of prolonged
atmospheric poisoning, acid rain, forest
fires, and tidal waves, all initiated by the
asteroid’s impact.
Some subsequent research not only
tended to support the Alvarez theory,
but suggested that similar impacts may
have caused other sharp breaks in Earth’s
geologic and biologic history. Research in
the composition of the Earth revealed a
160-fold enrichment of iridium all over the
world in a thin layer of sediments formed
at the K-T Boundary. The presence of this
element, which is extremely uncommon
in the Earth’s crust but very common in
asteroids and comets, suggested that a
meteorite must have struck Earth at that
time. Additional physical evidence of such
a strike was found in rock samples, which
contained shocked quartz crystals and
microtektites (small glass spheres)—both
byproducts of massive collisions.
Observation of the lunar surface
provided further evidence of the likeli-
hood of a massive strike. Since the moon
and the Earth lie within the same swarm of
asteroids and comets, their impact histories
should be parallel. Although some lunar
craters were of volcanic origin, over the last
four billion years at least five impact craters
ranging from 31 to 58 miles in diameter
have marred the lunar surface. Therefore,
over the same time span, Earth must have
experienced some 400 collisions of similar
magnitude. Although such an impact crater
had not been found, Alvarez supporters
didn’t consider finding it necessary or likely.
They reasoned that geologic processes over
65 million years, like erosion and volcanic
eruptions, would have obscured the crater,
which in any case probably formed on the
ocean floor.
Traditional biologists and geologists
resisted the Alvarez theory. They pointed
to the absence of any impact crater; to the
fact that iridium, while rare at the Earth’s
surface, was common at its core and could
be transported to the surface by volcanic
activity; and to the fact that the Alvarezes,
though eminent physicists, were not
biologists, geologists, or paleontologists.
-
-
According to the
Alvarez theory, the mass extinctions of animal species at the
end of the Cretaceous period were caused by:
- animals being
crushed by an enormous asteroid.
- processes like
erosion and repeated volcanic eruptions.
- extreme global
warming causing a global firestorm.
- environmental
conditions following a meteorite impact.
-
Based on the
information in the passage, the author probably believes that
those who held the traditional views about the topographical
development of the Earth were:
- proven incorrect by
the Alvarezes.
- unrivaled at the
present time.
- correct in
challenging alternative views.
- unreceptive to new
evidence.
-
As it is used in
line 50, the word enrichment most nearly means:
- wealth.
- improvement.
- increase in
amount.
- reward.
-
The views of
scientists who opposed the Alvarez theory would have been
strengthened if:
- major deposits of
iridium were found in the lava flows of active Earth
volcanoes.
- iridium were absent
in sediments corresponding to several episodes of mass
extinction.
- iridium were absent
in fragments of several recently recovered meteorites.
- the Alvarezes were
biologists as well as physicists.
-
The author’s
attitude toward the Alvarez theory is best characterized as:
- dismissive.
- neutral.
- skeptical.
- supportive.
-
According to the
passage, which of the following is the correct order of events
in the Alvarez theory explaining the mass extinction of species
at the end of the Cretaceous period?
- Soil displacement,
disappearance of the sun, decline of plant life, fall in
temperature
- Soil displacement,
disappearance of the sun, fall in temperature, decline of plant
life
- Fall in
temperature, decline of plant life, soil displacement,
disappearance of the sun
- Disappearance of
the sun, fall in temperature, decline of plant life, soil
displacement
-
It can be inferred
from paragraph 2 that the author discusses the Alvarezes’
description of environmental conditions at the end of the
Cretaceous period in order to:
- demonstrate that an
immense meteorite hit the Earth.
- explain why no
trace of an impact crater has yet been found.
- show that the Earth
is vulnerable to meteorite collisions.
- clarify how a
meteorite may account for mass extinctions.
-
The author’s
statement (lines 9–10) that “Earth exists in a region of space
teeming with asteroids and comets” is important to:
- the Alvarezes’
claim that an asteroid’s impact caused. atmospheric poisoning,
acid rain, forest fires, and tidal waves.
- the Alvarezes’ view
that the resulting dust cloud, rather than the impact of the
meteorite, did most of the harm.
- Alvarez supporters’
argument based on the numbers of impact craters on the surface
of the moon.
- traditionalists’
view that topographical development of the Earth can be
explained by gradual geologic processes.
-
Supporters of the
Alvarezes’ theory believe finding the impact crater is not
necessary because:
- the crater
probably is on the ocean floor.
- iridium occurs
at the Earth’s core.
- processes like
erosion and volcanic eruptions obscured the crater.
- I only
- I and II only
- I and III only
- II and III
only
-
According to the
passage, species died in mass extinctions as a result of all of
the following EXCEPT:
- shocked quartz
crystals and microtektites.
- reduced sunlight
for up to a year.
- loss of food
supplies.
- prolonged
atmospheric poisoning.