GRE care: Reading Comprehension Questions and answer Part – 8 [Nonfiction and Information Passages]
Nonfiction and Information Passages
Question 251 to 287:
251. According to the passage, what was the impact of the U.S. Civil War on the development of international law?
a. It allowed armaments manufacturers to test new weapons.
b. It diminished the influence of the United States internationally.
c. It resulted in the suspension of agriculture exports from southern states.
d. It highlighted the increasing destructive capabilities of modern warfare.
252. Which of the following is the best meaning of the underlined phrase ushered in as it is used in the passage?
a. escorted
b. progressed
c. guarded
d. heralded
A healthy diet with proper nutrition is essential for maintaining good overall health. Since the discovery of vitamins earlier in this century, people have routinely been taking vitamin sup¬plements for this purpose. The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) is a frequently used nutritional standard for maintaining optimal health. The RDA specifies the recommended amount of a number of nutrients for people in different age and sex groups. The National Research Council’s Committee on Diet and Health has proposed a definition of the RDA to be that amount of a nutrient which meets the needs of 98% of the population.
The RDA approach .
First, it is based on the assumption that it is pos¬sible to accurately define nutritional require¬ments for a given group. However, individual nutritional requirements can vary widely within each group. The efficiency with which a person converts food intake into nutrients can also vary widely. Certain foods when eaten in combination actually prevent the absorption of nutrients. For example, spinach combined with milk reduces the amount of calcium available to the body from the milk. Also, the RDA approach specifies a dif¬ferent dietary requirement for each age and sex; however, it is clearly unrealistic to expect a home¬maker to prepare a different menu for each fam¬ily member. Still, although we cannot rely solely upon RDA to ensure our overall long-term health, it can be a useful guide so long as its lim¬itations are recognized.
253. Which of the following would best fit in the
blank in the first sentence of paragraph 2?
a. is based on studies by respected nutritionists
b. has a number of shortcomings
c. has been debunked in the last few years
d. is full of holes
254. With which of the following would the author
most likely agree?
a. The RDA approach should be replaced by a more realistic nutritional guide.
b. The RDA approach should be supple-mented with more specific nutritional guides.
c. In spite of its flaws, the RDA approach is definitely the best guide to good nutrition.
d. The RDA approach is most suitable for a large family.
Businesses today routinely keep track of large amounts of both financial and non-financial information. Sales departments keep track of current and potential customers; marketing departments keep track of product details and regional demographics; accounting depart¬ments keep track of financial data and issue reports. To be useful, all this data must be orga¬nized into a meaningful and useful system. Such a system is called a management information system, abbreviated MIS. The financial hub of the MIS is accounting.
Accounting is the information system that records, analyzes, and reports economic trans-actions, enabling decision makers to make informed choices when allocating scarce eco¬nomic resources. It is a tool that enables the user, whether a business entity or an individual, to make wiser, more informed economic choices. It is an aid to planning, controlling, and evaluating a broad range of activities. A financial accounting system is intended for use by both the manage¬ment of an organization and those outside the organization. Because it is important that finan¬cial accounting reports be interpreted correctly, financial accounting is subject to a set of
guidelines called “generally
accepted accounting principles” (GAAP).
255. This passage is most likely taken from
a. a newspaper column.
b. a business textbook.
c. an essay about modern business.
d. a government document.
256. The word that would fit most correctly into
the blank in the final sentence is
a. discretionary.
b. convenient.
c. austere.
d. stringent.
257. According to the information in the passage,
which of the following is LEAST likely to be a
function of accounting?
a. helping business people make sound judgments
b. assisting with the marketing of products
c. producing reports of many different kinds of transactions
d. assisting companies in important planning activities
Typically, people think of genius, whether it man-ifests in Mozart’s composition of symphonies at age five or Einstein’s discovery of relativity, as having a quality not just of the supernatural, but also of the eccentric. People see genius as a good abnormality; moreover, they think of genius as a completely unpredictable abnormality. Until recently, psychologists regarded the quirks of genius as too erratic to describe intelligibly; how-ever, Anna Findley’s ground-breaking study uncovers predictable patterns in the biographies of geniuses. These patterns do not dispel the com¬mon belief that there is a kind of supernatural intervention in the lives of unusually talented men and women, however, even though they occur with regularity. , Findley shows that all geniuses experience three intensely pro-ductive periods in their lives, one of which always occurs shortly before their deaths; this is true whether the genius lives to 19 or 90.
258. Which word or phrase, if inserted into the blank space of the passage, best defines the relationship of the last sentence in the passage to the one preceding it?
a. For example
b. Despite this
c. However
d. In other words
259. According to the information presented in the passage, what is the general populace’s opin¬ion of genius?
a. It is predictable and uncommon.
b. It is supercilious and abnormal.
c. It is unpredictable and erratic.
d. It is extraordinary and erratic.
260. Which of the following would be the best title for this passage?
a. Understanding Mozarts and Einsteins
b. Predicting the Life of a Genius
c. The Uncanny Patterns in the Lives of Geniuses
d. Pattern and Disorder in the Lives of Geniuses
261. Given the information in the passage, which of the following statements is true?
a. Anna Findley is a biographer.
b. All geniuses are eccentric and unpredictable.
c. Geniuses have three prolific times in their lives.
d. Mozart discovered relativity.
O’Connell Street is the main thoroughfare of Dublin City. Although it is not a particularly long street, Dubliners will proudly tell the visitor that it is the widest street in all of Europe. This claim usually meets with protests, especially from French tourists, claiming the Champs Elysees of Paris as Europe’s widest street. But the witty Dubliner will not easily relinquish bragging rights and will trump the French visitor with a fine dis¬tinction: The Champs Elysees is a boulevard; O’Connell is a street.
Divided by several important monuments running the length of its center, the street is named for Daniel O’Connell, an Irish patriot.
. O’Connell
stands high above the unhurried crowds of shop¬pers, business people, and students on a sturdy column, surrounded by four serene angels seated at each corner of the monument’s base. Further up the street is the famous General Post Office that locals affectionately call the GPO. During the 1916 rebellion, the GPO was taken over from British rule and occupied by Irish rebels, sparking weeks of armed combat in the city’s center. To this day, the angels of O’Connell’s monument bear the marks of the fighting: One sits reading calmly, apparently unaware of the bullet hole dimpling her upper arm; another, reaching out to stroke the ears of a huge bronze Irish wolfhound has sur¬vived what should be a mortal wound to her heart.
262. Which sentence, if inserted in the blank space in the passage, would be the most correct and contribute the most pertinent information to that paragraph?
a. His monument stands at the lower end of the road, that is, the end closest to the river Liffey that bisects Dublin.
b. Other monuments along the street include statues to Charles Parnell, Anna Livia Plurabelle, and James Joyce.
c. Dublin tourist buses leave from this site every 20 minutes.
d. Daniel O’Connell was an important Irish nationalist, who died before the 1916 rebellion.
263. Which of the following would be the best title for this passage?
a. Dublin’s Famous Monuments
b. The Irish Take Pride in Their Capital City
c. The Widest Street in Europe
d. Sights and History on Dublin’s O’Connell Street
264. What is the best definition for the underlined word trump as it is used in the first paragraph of the passage?
a. to trumpet loudly, to blare or drown out
b. to trample
c. to get the better of by using a key or hidden resource
d. to devise a fraud, to employ trickery
265. With which of the following statements about the people of Dublin would the author of the passage most likely agree?
a. They are proud of their history but lack industry.
b. They are playful and tricky.
c. They are rebellious and do not like tourists.
d. They are witty and relaxed.
The subject of the next two passages is the same, but the way they are written is different. Read them carefully and answer the questions.
Excerpt from Chamber of Commerce brochure
Dilly’s Deli provides a dining experience like no other! A rustic atmosphere, along with delicious food, provide an opportunity to soak up the local flavor. Recently relocated to the old market area, Dilly’s is especially popular for lunch. At the counter, you can place your order for one of Dilly’s three daily lunch specials or one of several sandwiches, all at reasonable prices. Once you get your food, choose a seat at one of the four charming communal tables. By the time you are ready to carry your paper plate to the trash bin, you have experienced some of the best food and one of the most charming companies our city has to offer.
Restaurant review
Yesterday, I was exposed to what has been called “a dining experience like no other”At lunchtime, Dilly’s Deli is so crowded, I wondered when the fire marshal had last visited the establishment. The line snaked out the door to the corner, and by the time I reached the counter, I was freezing. I decided on the hamburger steak special; the other specials being liver and onions or tuna casserole. Each special is offered with two side dishes, but there was no potato salad left and the green beans were cooked nearly beyond recognition. I chose the gelatin of the day and what turned out to be the blandest coleslaw I have ever eaten.
At Dilly’s, you sit at one of four long tables. The couple sitting across from me was having an argument. The truck driver next to me told me more than I wanted to know about highway taxes. After I had tasted all of the food on my plate, I rose to leave, whereupon one of the people
working behind the counter yelled at me to clean up after myself. Throwing away that plate of food was the most enjoyable part of dining at Dilly’s.
266. If you go to lunch at Dilly’s Deli, you could expect to see
a. a long line of customers.
b. the fire marshal.
c. the restaurant critic from the newspaper.
d. homemade pie.
267. Both passages suggest that if you eat lunch at Dilly’s Deli, you should expect to
a. sit next to a truck driver.
b. place your order with the waiter who comes to your table.
c. dress warmly.
d. carry your own food to your table.
268. Which of the following illustrates the restaurant critic’s opinion of the food at Dilly’s Deli?
a. “At Dilly’s, you sit at one of four long tables.”
b. “At lunchtime, Dilly’s Deli is so crowded, I wondered when the fire marshal had last visited the establishment.”
c. “After I had tasted all of the food on my plate, I rose to leave, whereupon one of the people working behind the counter yelled at me to clean up after myself.”
d. “Throwing away that plate of food was the most enjoyable part of dining at Dilly’s.”
269. The main purpose of the restaurant review is to
a. tell people they probably don’t want to eat at Dilly’s Deli.
b. make fun of couples who argue in public.
c. recommend the hamburger steak special.
d. warn people that Dilly’s Deli tends to be crowded.
270. The main purpose of the Chamber of Com¬merce brochure is to
a. profile the owner of Dilly’s Deli.
b. describe in detail the food served at Dilly’s Deli.
c. encourage people to eat at Dilly’s Deli.
d. explain the historical significance of the Dilly’s Deli Building.
Cuttlefish are intriguing little animals. The cut¬tlefish resembles a rather large squid and is, like the octopus, a member of the order of cephalopods. Although they are not considered the most highly evolved of the cephalopods, they are extremely intelligent. While observing them, it is hard to tell who is doing the observing, you or the cuttlefish, especially since the eye of the cuttlefish is similar in structure to the human eye. Cuttlefish are also highly mobile and fast creatures. They come equipped with a small jet located just below the tentacles that can expel water to help them move. Ribbons of flexible fins on each side of the body allow cuttlefish to hover, move, stop, and start.
The cuttlefish is sometimes referred to as the “chameleon of the sea” because it can change its skin color and pattern instantaneously. Masters of camouflage, they can blend into any environ¬ment for protection, but they are also capable of the most imaginative displays of iridescent, bril¬liant color and intricate designs, which scientists believe they use for communication and for mat¬ing displays. However, judging from the riot of ornaments and hues cuttlefish produce, it is hard not to believe they paint themselves so beautifully just for the sheer joy of it. At the very least, cut¬tlefish conversation must be the most sparkling in all the sea.
271. Which of the following sentences, if inserted into the blank line, would best sum up the first paragraph and lead into the next.
a. The cuttlefish can be cooked and eaten like its less tender relatives, the squid and octopus, but must still be tenderized before cooking in order not to be exceed¬ingly chewy.
b. On a scuba dive when you’re observing cuttlefish, it is best to move slowly because cuttlefish have excellent eyesight and will probably see you first.
c. Cuttlefish do not have an exoskeleton; instead, their skin is covered with chromataphors.
d. By far, their most intriguing characteristic is their ability to change their body color and pattern.
272. Which of the following is correct according to
the information given in the passage?
a. Cuttlefish are a type of squid.
b. Cuttlefish use jet propulsion as one form of locomotion.
c. The cuttlefish does not have an exoskeleton.
d. Cuttlefish are the most intelligent cephalopods.
273. Which of the following best outlines the main
topics addressed in the passage?
a. I. Explanation of why cuttlefish are
intriguing II. Communication skills of cuttlefish
b. I. Classification and difficulties of
observing cuttlefish II. Scientific explanation of modes of cuttlefish communication
c. I. Explanation of the cuttlefish’s method
of locomotion II. Description of color displays in mating behavior
d. I. General classification and characteristics
of cuttlefish II. Uses and beauty of the cuttlefish’s ability to change color
274. Which of the following best describes the pur¬pose of the author in the passage?
a. to prove the intelligence of cuttlefish
b. to explain the communication habits of cuttlefish
c. to produce a fanciful description of the “chameleon of the sea”
d. to describe the “chameleon of the sea” informatively and entertainingly
During those barren winter months, with win¬dows overlooking long-dead gardens, leafless trees, and lawns that seem to have an ashy look about them, nothing soothes the jangled nerves more than the vibrant green of plants surround¬ing the living spaces of one’s home. People browse through garden stores just to get a whiff of chloro¬phyll and to choose a plant or two to bring spring back into their winter-gray lives.
Now there is even more of a need for “the green,” in light of recent articles warning us of the hazards of chemicals that we, ourselves, intro¬duce into our homes. Each time we bring clothes home from the cleaners, we release those chemi¬cals into the closed-in air of our dwellings. Every cleanser releases its own assortment of fumes. Some of the chemicals are formaldehyde, chlo-rine, benzene, styrene, etc. Read the labels on many home products, the ingredients aren’t even listed! During the winter, when those same win¬dows are shut tight, we breathe in these chemi- cals—causing symptoms much like allergies. In fact, most people probably dismiss the effects of these chemicals simply as a flare up of some allergy or other. The truth is that we are experi¬encing a syndrome that is called Multiple Chem¬ical Sensitivity. Now, what has this got to do with green plants? Everything healthy! Research has been conducted with two types of plants that have actually removed much of these harmful chemicals from the air.
The two plants that seem to be the best bet for ridding one’s home of such chemicals are ferns and palms. These plants release moisture as part of photosynthesis and, as they do, pull chemicals from the air into their leaves. Even NASA has conducted some greenhouse experi¬ments for long-term space exploration. Within
hours, their plants [palms] had removed almost all traces of formaldehyde in the room. Both species of plants are ancient, dating back more than a hundred million years. Another trait they share is that they both live long lives, 100 years or more. This we expect from trees, but ferns and palms are plants; plants that can grow to 65 feet in the proper setting! Even their individual leaves live for one to two years [ferns] and one to nine years [palms]. Perhaps it is their primal qualities that have contributed to their ability to purify their environment.
275. What is the main idea of the passage?
a. Our homes are full of contaminants.
b. Our allergies are caused by chemicals found in the home.
c. All plants release moisture in the home.
d. Certain plants can purify the home of many harmful chemicals.
276. According to the passage, when a few harmful
chemicals combine, they can
a. cause us to experience allergies.
b. cause a monumental task for homeowners.
c. contribute to a syndrome called Multiple Chemical Sensitivity.
d. contribute to photosynthesis in plants.
277. The passage indicates that research
a. has only been conducted using specific plants.
b. has only been conducted by NASA.
c. has not identified the sources of these chemical impurities.
d. has only benefited long term space exploration.
278. The passage infers a relationship between
the antiquity of ferns and palms and their
ability to
a. live long.
b. purify the air.
c. grow leaves that live long.
d. react successfully in research experiments.
279. A good title for this passage is
a. Research in the New Millennium.
b. Home Dangers.
c. Common Houseplants May Purify Your Home.
d. NASA Experiment Finds the Cure.
Despite their similarities, the pyramids of Egypt and Mesoamerica seem to be unrelated because of distinct differences in the time of construction as well as their design and function. Historians have discovered that the construction of the pyramids in Egypt and Mesoamerica are separated by over 2,000 years. The Egyptians used only cut stone quarried many miles away from the pyramid sites—a construction method that enabled them to construct sturdy buildings that could with¬stand the test of time.
On the other hand, the pyramids of Meso- america were not built to withstand the ravages of time. Rather, the step pyramids rose in tiers, on the top of which a small temple was erected. Unlike the Egyptians, they used irregular stones.
Also, they did not share the same basic design function. While the Egyptian pyramids were private tombs meant to seperate the pharaoh’s remains from the mainstream of soci¬ety and protect him for eternity, the pyramids of Mesoamerica were primarily public temples of ritual and celebration.
280. The main idea of this passage is best summed
up in which statement?
a. Pyramids in Egypt and Mesoamerica are similar.
b. Egyptians assisted Mesoamerican pyramid builders.
c. Pyramids in Egypt and Mesoamerica have distinct differences.
d. Scientists do not know who built the pyramids.
281. This passage best supports the statement that
a. the Egyptians used stone quarried many miles away from the pyramid site.
b. the pyramids of Mesoamerica were built to last for eternity.
c. the Egyptian pyramids were public tombs.
d. the Egyptian and Mesoamerican pyramids were built during the same time period.
282. The passage best supports the statement that
a. Egyptian and Mesoamerican pyramids shared the same design function.
b. both pyramids were used as temples of rit¬ual and celebration.
c. Egyptian and Mesoamerican pyramids shared the same construction methods.
d. Mesoamerican pyramids were used for rit¬ual and celebration.
283. The underlined word eternity in the passage
most nearly means which of the following?
a. for a short time
b. temporary
c. for all time
d. never
Born in Joplin, Missouri, in 1902, Langston Hughes grew up to become a prominent writer of the black American experience. During his high school years in Illinois, he began writing poetry. In November 1924, he moved to Harlem, New York, where his life and work contributed greatly to the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s. In his writing, Langston Hughes portrayed black life in America from the 1920s through the 1960s. He wrote novels, short stories, and plays, as well as poetry. Also, he is known for his engagement with the world of jazz and the influence it had on his writing, as in “Montage of a Dream Deferred.” Hughes did not personalize his stories because he wanted readers to draw their own conclusions about the experiences of blacks in America.
284. Why didn’t Hughes personalize his stories?
a. He did not have enough personal experiences.
b. He only wanted to write about the Harlem jazz experience.
c. He wanted readers to draw their own con-clusions about the black experience.
d. He wanted to keep his personal life a secret.
285. In his poem, “Montage of a Dream Deferred,” what influenced his writing?
a. Renaissance music
b. his travel experience
c. his high school years
d. the world of jazz
286. Langston Hughes was known for which of the following?
a. writing poems and plays only
b. writing novels and short stories only
c. writing plays and short stories only
d. writing novels, short stories, plays, and poems
287. His life and work contributed greatly to which of the following?
a. the Harlem Renaissance
b. the jazz world
c. Joplin, Missouri
d. his high school in Illinois
Answer to the question number 251 to 287
251. d. Choices a, b, and c are not supported by infor¬
mation in the passage. Thus, the best choice is d.
252. d. Choices a and c are possible definitions of ush¬
ered, but do not fit in the context of the passage. Choice b is an incorrect definition. Heralded, choice d, is the best definition in the context.
253. b. The blank is followed by a discussion of the
shortcomings of the RDA approach. Choice a is incorrect because it does not lead into a dis¬cussion regarding the RDA approach’s short¬comings. Choice c is incorrect because it is contradicted by the final sentence of the pas¬sage, which states that the RDA approach remains a useful guide. Choice d is incorrect because its casual style is inconsistent with the style used in the rest of the passage.
254. b. Choice b is indicated by the final sentence,
which indicates that the RDA approach is use¬ful, but has limitations, implying that a sup¬plemental guide would be a good thing. Choice a is contradicted by the final sentence of the passage. Choice c is incorrect because the pas¬sage says the RDA approach is a useful guide,but does not say it is the best guide to good nutri¬tion. Choice d is contradicted by the next to last sentence of the passage.
255. b. The passage contains objective information
about accounting such as one might find in a textbook. There is nothing new or newsworthy in it (choice a). The passage does not contain the significant amount of personal opinion one might find in an essay (choice c). It does not deal with matters that might involve govern¬ment (choice d).
256. d. The final sentence emphasizes the importance
of correct interpretation of financial account-ing. Choice a is wrong, because something so important would not be discretionary (optional). Choice b may be true, but it is not as important for guidelines to be convenient as it is for them to be rigorous. Choice c is wrong because the word austere connotes sternness. People may be stern, but inanimate entities, such as guide¬lines, cannot be.
257. b. Choices a, c, and d are all listed in the passage
as functions of accounting. On the other hand, the second sentence of the passage speaks of a marketing department, separate from the accounting department.
258. a. The final sentence is an instance of a regular
pattern that still has an uncanny quality. Choices b and c would introduce a sentence with an idea contradicting the preceding. Choice d would indicate that the final sentence is a restatement of the preceding, which it is not.
259. d. The passage says that people in general consider
genius supernatural, but also . . . eccentric; the pairing of extraordinary and erratic in choice d includes both meanings given in the passage. Choices a and c cover only one side of the pas¬sage’s meaning. Choice b contains definitions that the passage does not ascribe to the com¬mon view of genius.
260. c. This title covers the main point of the passage
that, although there are predictable patterns in the lives of geniuses, the pattern increases the sense of something supernatural touching their lives. Choices a and b are too general. Choice d is inaccurate because the passage does not talk about disorder in the life of a genius.
261. c. All the other statements are inaccurate.
262. a. This choice sticks to the subject, Daniel O’Con¬
nell. It provides a transition to the sentence fol¬lowing it by giving information about the location of the statue. Choices b and c swerve off topic, and choice d essentially repeats infor¬mation given elsewhere in the paragraph.
263. d. The title Sights and History on Dublin’s O’Con¬
nell Street touches on all the specific subjects of the passage: the sights to see on this particular street and the history connected to them. Choice a is too general about the place described, which is a particular street in Dublin, not the whole city. Choices b and c are too spe¬cific in that they cover only the material in the first paragraph.
264. c. The hidden or key resource mentioned in the
passage is the fine distinction between the def¬inition of street and boulevard, which is used to win the argument with or get the better of tourists. Choices a and b do not make sense; answer d is incorrect because there is no real fraud used in the argument in the passage.
265. d. The author offers an example of Dublin wit
and mentions the unhurried pace of Dublin crowds. Choice a interprets the adjective unhur¬ried in too negative a manner for the tone of the passage. Answers b and c similarly inter¬pret the playful joke on French tourists too disparagingly.
266. a. This is implied in the first passage, which says
that Dilly’s is “popular,” and the same idea is explicitly stated in the second passage.
267. d. This is the only one of the choices that is
implied in both passages.
268. d. This is the only quotation from the second pas¬
sage that reveals the critic’s opinion of the qual¬ity of the food.
269. a. The fact that the overall tone of the passage is
quite negative indicates the writer’s purpose.
270. c. In contrast to the second passage, the first passage
seems to be encouraging a visit to Dilly’s. Answers
a, b, and d are not mentioned in the passage.
271. d. Choice d sums up the first paragraph, which is
essentially a list of the cuttlefish’s characteristics. It gives the most interesting characteristic, and the sentence introduces the subject of the sec¬ond paragraph—the ability of the cuttlefish to change color. Choice a adds information not in keeping with the tone or focus of the passage. Choice b repeats information in the first para¬graph but does not introduce the next one. Choice c uses but does not explain scientific language, which is out of keeping with the gen¬eral informational style of the passage.
272. b. The passage describes the cuttlefish’s use of a
water jet to move. Choice a is incorrect because the passage only describes cuttlefish as resem-bling squid. Choice c is a true characteristic but is not mentioned in the passage. Choice d is incorrect because the passage never describes cuttlefish as the most intelligent cephalopod.
273. d. Choice d covers the most important ideas in the
two paragraphs. All the other choices choose minor details from the paragraphs as the main subjects.
274. d. Choice d includes both the informational con¬
tent and light tone of the passage. Choices a and b describe too scientific an aim for the content and tone. Choice c does not include the infor-mational content of the passage.
275. d. This answer is broad enough to support all the
information discussed in the passage: chemicals in the home, research on certain houseplants, the suggestion of the best plants for the job and why. Choice a only deals with contami¬nants. Choice b suggests our allergies are caused by chemicals in the home, when the passage suggests that we unknowingly blame our symp-toms on allergies. Choice c suggests that the passage is only about plants in the home.
276. c. This is explicitly stated in the passage. Choice a
is an incorrect assumption, as the passage does not discuss allergies; it states that we dismiss the symptoms, blaming allergies as the cause. Choice b is tempting, but it is not a specific effect of the chemicals combining; it merely states that rid¬ding our homes of impurities seems a great task. Choice d is incorrect because the combi¬nation of harmful chemicals does not trigger the process of photosynthesis in any way.
277. a. It is clearly stated that research has been done
using certain houseplants. Choice b is incorrect because the sentence that deals with NASA sug-gests that even NASA is conducting experi¬ments. Choice c reveals a faulty reading of the passage in which three of the chemicals are clearly named. Choice d is incorrect because the main idea of the passage is for the benefit of homeowners.
278. b. This answer is inferred in the last line of the
passage: primal qualities … ability to purify their environment. Choices a and c are incorrect because antiquity refers to how long the species has been on the planet, which has no relation-ship to how long a life span the individual plants or leaves have. Choice d is incorrect. One cannot make a general statement on how suc-cessful the plants’ reactions are in research experiments when the passage only presents us with one type of research experiment.
279. c. This title focuses on the main idea of the pas¬
sage: purifying one’s home of chemical impu-rities by using common houseplants. Choice a is incorrect because only one experiment is dis-cussed, and no mention of the millennium is made at all. Choice b is also incorrect because the passage only discusses one problem: impu-rities caused by chemicals, which is not even labeled as a danger. Choice d is supported by two sentences in the passage, but it is not broad enough to support all the information offered in the passage.
280. c. The passage best reflects this choice.
281. a. The passage supports this choice only.
282. d. According to the passage, this is the only correct
choice.
283. c. The purpose of Egyptian pyramids was to
house the dead forever.
284. c. This choice is the only answer supported in
the passage.
285. d. Hughes was influenced by jazz music.
286. d. This choice is stated in the passage.
287. a. All other choices are not stated in the passage.
