Passage 3
In the past oysters were raised in much the same way as dirt farmers raised tomatoes—by transplanting them. First, farmers selected the oyster bed, cleared the bottom of old shells and other debris , and then scattered clean shells about. Next they "planted" fertilized oyster eggs, which within two or three weeks hatched into larvae. The larvae drifted until they attached themselves to the clean shells on the bottom. There they remained and in time grew into baby oysters called seed or spat . The spat grew larger by drawing in seawater from which they derived microscopic particles of food. Before long, farmers gathered the baby oysters, transplanted them in other waters to speed up their growth, and then transplanted them once more into another body of water to fatten t hem up.
Until recently the supply of wild oysters and those crudely farmed were more than enough to satisfy people's needs. But today the delectable seafood is no longer available in abundance. The problem has become so serious that some oyster bed s have vanished entirely.
Fortunately, as far back as the early 1900's marine biologists realized that if new measures were not taken, oysters would become extinct or at best a luxury food. So they set up well equipped hatcheries and went to work. But they did not have the proper equipment or the skill to handle the eggs. They did not know when, what, and how to feed the larvae. And they knew little about the predators t hat attacked and ate baby oysters by the millions. They failed, but they doggedly kept at it. Finally, in the 1940's a significant breakthrough was made.
The marine biologists discovered that by raising the temperature of the water, t hey could induce oysters to spawn not only in the summer but also in the fall, winter, and spring. Later they developed a technique for feeding the larva e and rearing them to spat. Going still further, they succeeded in breeding new s trains that were resistant to diseases, grew faster and larger, and flourished in water of different salinities and temperatures. In addition, the cultivated oysters tasted better!
31. Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?
A The Threatened Extinction of Marine Life
B The Cultivation of Oysters
C The Discoveries Made by Marine Biologists
D The Varieties of Wild Oysters
32. In the passage, which of the following is NOT mentioned as a stage of a n oyster's life?
A Debris
B Egg
C Larvae
D Spat
33. According to the passage, which of the following words best describes t he efforts of the
marine biologists working with oysters?
A Persistent.
B Intermittent.
C Traditional.
D Fruitless.
34. In the passage, the author mentions that the new strains of oyster are______ .
A cheaper
B shaped differently
C better textured
D healthier
35. Which of the following best describes the organization of the passage?
A Step by step description of the evolution of marine biology.
B Discussion of chronological events concerning oyster production.
C Random presentation of facts about oysters.
D Description of oyster production at different geographic locations.
Passage 4
Chemistry did not emerge as a science until after the scientific revolution in t he seventeenth century and then only rather slowly and laboriously. But chemical knowledge is as old as history, being almost entirely concerned with the practical arts of living. Cooking is essentially a chemical process; so is the melting of metals and the administration of drugs and potions. This basic chemical know ledge, which was applied in most cases as a rule of thumb, was nevertheless dependent on previous experiment. It also served to stimulate a fundamental curiosity about the processes themselves. New information was always being gained as artisans improved techniques to gain better results.
The development of a scientific approach to chemistry was, however, hampered by several factors. The most serious problem was the vast range of material available and the consequent difficulty of organizing it into some system. In addition, there were social and intellectual difficulties, chemistry is nothing if not practical; those who practice it must use their hands, they must have a certain practical flair. Yet in many ancient civilizations, practical tasks were primarily the province of a slave population. The thinker or philosopher stood apart from this mundane world, where the practical arts appeared to lack any intellectual content or interest.
The final problem for early chemical science was the element of secrecy. Experts in specific trades had developed their own techniques and guarded their knowledge to prevent others from stealing their livelihood. Another factor that contributed to secrecy was the esoteric nature of the knowledge of alchemists, who were trying to transform base metals into gold or were concerned with the hunt for t he elixir that would bestow the blessing of eternal life. In one sense, the second of these was the more serious impediment because the records of the chemical processes that early alchemists had discovered were often written down in symbolic language intelligible to very few or in symbols that were purposely obscure.
36. What is the passage mainly about?
A The scientific revolution in the seventeenth century
B Reasons that chemistry developed slowly as a science
C The practical aspects of chemistry
D Difficulties of organizing knowledge systematically
37. According to the passage, how did knowledge about chemical processes in crease before
the seventeenth century?
A Philosophers devised theories about chemical properties.
B A special symbolic language was developed.
C Experience led workers to revise their techniques.
D Experts shared their discoveries with the public.
38. The word "hampered" in Line 1 Para 2 is closest in meaning to_____ .
A recognized
B determined
C solved
D hindered
39. The word "it" in Line 3 Para 2 refers to which of the following?
A problem
B material
C difficulty
D system
40. Which of the following statements best explains why "the second of the se was the more
serious impediment" (Lines 5-6 Para 3 )?
A Chemical knowledge was limited to a small number of people.
B The symbolic language used was very imprecise.
C Very few new discoveries were made by alchemists.
D The records of the chemical processes were not based on experiments.
21.D 22.C 23.D 24.D 25.B
26.B 27.D 28.A 29.C 30.D
31.B 32.A 33.A 34.D 35.B
36.B 37.C 38.D 39.B 40.A
