Questions 1-10

Read the passage “How Plants Reach Remote Islands” and answer the questions.

1 According to paragraph 1, what is true of a newly formed volcanic island?

A It is covered with forest within a few decades. B It begins as bare rock but is usually vegetated within decades. C It is stocked with plants carried by early human settlers. D It supports only ferns and mosses permanently.

2 The word "sobering" in paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to

A encouraging B disappointing C surprising D inconclusive

3 According to paragraph 2, what makes the coconut well suited to dispersal by ocean currents?

A Its seeds are unusually small and light. B It germinates only after prolonged immersion in salt water. C Its husk traps air and its shell protects the embryo from sea water. D It grows only on beaches within reach of the tide.

4 What can be inferred from paragraph 2 about the plants that reach islands by drift?

A They are more numerous than wind-dispersed plants. B They tend to come from habitats close to the shoreline. C They germinate more reliably than bird-dispersed plants. D They were introduced mainly by nineteenth-century naturalists.

5 Why does the author mention that ferns account for a quarter of plant species on some Pacific islands?

A To show that ferns compete successfully with flowering plants for light B To provide evidence that wind dispersal favours organisms with very light propagules C To argue that ferns arrived on those islands before flowering plants did D To question whether island floras differ from mainland floras

6 According to paragraph 4, all of the following are ways seeds travel on birds EXCEPT

A passing intact through the digestive tract B clinging to feathers by means of hooks or sticky coatings C being carried in mud attached to the feet D being gathered deliberately and stored in nests

7 The author describes Darwin's experiment with pond mud primarily in order to

A show that Darwin was the first to study seed dispersal B demonstrate how much dispersal potential a small amount of mud can hold C compare the effectiveness of mud dispersal with that of drift D explain why pond edges support unusually diverse plant communities

8 Which of the following best expresses the essential information in this sentence from paragraph 5: "Islands also tend to lack whole plant families that are common on the neighbouring mainland, not because conditions are unsuitable but because no member of the family happened to possess a means of crossing water."

A Whole plant families are missing from islands because island conditions cannot support them. B Some plant families are absent from islands simply because none of their members can cross water, not because the islands are unsuitable. C Plant families common on the mainland are rare on islands because they compete poorly there. D Islands lack certain plant families because those families evolved after the islands formed.

9 Paragraph 6 suggests that a plant may fail to colonize an island even after its seed germinates because

A the island's soil is too young to support mature plants B the species that pollinate it may not be present C competing species occupy every available habitat D the seed loses viability during the ocean crossing

Select the THREE answer choices that express the most important ideas in the passage. Some sentences do not belong because they express ideas that are not presented in the passage or are minor ideas.

10 An introductory sentence for a brief summary of the passage is provided below. Complete the summary by selecting the THREE answer choices that express the most important ideas in the passage. Introductory sentence: Plants reach remote oceanic islands by several means, and the differences among those means shape the resulting flora.

A Ocean drift explains the arrival of only a limited set of species, mainly shoreline plants with seeds that resist sea water. B Wind carries the very light spores of ferns and mosses over great distances, leaving ferns over-represented on islands. C Birds are probably the most important carriers, transporting seeds internally, on their feathers and in mud on their feet. D Nineteenth-century naturalists disagreed about whether islands were once connected to continents by land bridges. E Coconuts are the most widely distributed plant species on Pacific islands today. F Plant radiations in Hawaii and the Canary Islands occurred more rapidly than those on continents.

Questions 11-20

Read the passage “Supplying Water to the Ancient City” and answer the questions.

11 According to paragraph 1, why did local water sources become dangerous in larger cities?

A They dried up completely during droughts. B They received the city's waste. C They were located too far from the settlement. D They were controlled by a small number of owners.

12 The author mentions Assyrian and Greek engineering in paragraph 2 in order to

A argue that Roman engineers borrowed their designs directly from Greece B establish that aqueduct technology existed well before Rome adopted it C show that early aqueducts were longer than Roman ones D explain why Nineveh grew larger than Rome

13 According to paragraph 2, what distinguished the Roman aqueduct system from earlier ones?

A Its use of gravity rather than mechanical pumps B Its scale and standardization C Its reliance on tunnels rather than surface channels D Its ability to supply water during droughts

14 What can be inferred from paragraph 3 about Roman surveying instruments?

A They were more accurate than modern equivalents. B They were simple, which makes the precision achieved remarkable. C They were used only on level terrain. D They were a closely guarded state secret.

15 According to paragraph 3, a channel gradient that is too shallow can cause all of the following EXCEPT

A stagnation of the water B silting up of the channel C scouring away of the lining D reduced usefulness of the supply

16 According to paragraph 4, why were inverted siphons rarely used?

A They required a longer route around the valley. B They could not carry enough water for a large city. C The pipes had to withstand great pressure and failures were costly and hard to locate. D They needed constant supervision by a water commissioner.

17 The word "unforgiving" in paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to

A allowing little margin for error B requiring expensive materials C difficult to explain D rarely understood correctly

18 According to paragraph 5, where did most Roman households obtain their water?

A From private connections granted by the emperor B From public fountains C From wells inside the house D From the public baths

19 Paragraph 6 suggests that a city supplied by many wells is

A more expensive to maintain than one supplied by aqueducts B less vulnerable to sudden, large-scale disruption C unable to support a population of any size D more likely to expand onto surrounding hills

Select the THREE answer choices that express the most important ideas in the passage. Some sentences do not belong because they express ideas that are not presented in the passage or are minor ideas.

20 An introductory sentence for a brief summary of the passage is provided below. Complete the summary by selecting the THREE answer choices that express the most important ideas in the passage. Introductory sentence: Ancient cities outgrew their local water sources, and the aqueducts built in response shaped both their growth and their vulnerability.

A Aqueducts relied on a continuous, very gentle gravity gradient, demanding surveying precision that was remarkable given the available instruments. B Valleys were crossed by lengthening the route, by building arcades, or by inverted siphons, each with distinct costs and risks. C Most of the water served public fountains, baths, industry and sewers rather than private household connections. D Roman water commissioners spent most of their careers prosecuting illegal tapping of the mains. E The Aqua Marcia was the longest aqueduct ever constructed in the ancient world. F Greek cities abandoned tunnelling once the Roman arcade design became available.