Reading Practice Test 1

1. Which word/phrase in the sentence below is redundant and can be removed without changing the meaning of the sentence?Although the football coach was liked by all of the players, he was known for having a volatile and unpredictable temper at times.

2. DIRECTIONS: Read each passage and identify how the information is being organized.The butterfly has an interesting life cycle. It is hatched from an egg as a caterpillar. The caterpillar, called a larva, does nothing but eat until its pupa stage, when it seals itself up into a cocoon and goes through a transformation. It emerges from the cocoon as a butterfly, which is its adult stage. The adult butterfly lays eggs of its own and eventually dies.

 

3. Read about the artist. Then answer the question below.

Vincent Van Gogh was born in 1853. He is a very famous artist now. But during his lifetime, hardly anyone knew about him or his work. Today his paintings are among the most expensive artworks in the world. But Vincent only sold one painting while he was alive. Vincent was born in Holland, where the weather is usually dark and rainy. When he grew up, he moved to the south of France, where the sun shines more brightly and the colors are more vivid. Vincent loved bright colors, and he used them boldly in all of his paintings. He used a lot of paint and applied it in very thick strokes so that his paintings actually have texture. Vincent painted a lot of pictures of flowers in vases, and a lot of landscapes. He also painted still lifes, buildings, and people. Two of his most famous paintings are called Starry Night, and Sunflowers. Most artists sign their names on their paintings when they have finished it. But in 1888, Vincent painted four pictures of sunflowers. He only signed two of the paintings. Art experts believe that this is because he wasn’t happy with the other two. Today you can see his paintings in museums all around the world.

Why do art experts think Vincent didn’t sign some of his paintings?

4. Read about the artist. Then answer the question below.

Vincent Van Gogh was born in 1853. He is a very famous artist now. But during his lifetime, hardly anyone knew about him or his work. Today his paintings are among the most expensive artworks in the world. But Vincent only sold one painting while he was alive. Vincent was born in Holland, where the weather is usually dark and rainy. When he grew up, he moved to the south of France, where the sun shines more brightly and colors are more vivid. Vincent loved bright colors, and he used them boldly in all of his paintings. He used a lot of paint, and applied it in very thick strokes so that his paintings actually have texture. Vincent painted a lot of pictures of flowers in vases, and a lot of landscapes. He also painted still lifes, buildings and people. Two of his most famous paintings are called Starry Night, and Sunflowers. Most artists sign their name on their painting when they have finished it. But in 1888, Vincent painted four pictures of sunflowers. He only signed two of the paintings. Art experts believe that this is because he wasn’t happy with the other two. Today you can see his paintings in museums all around the world.

How many paintings did Vincent sell in his lifetime?

5. Which word/phrase in the sentence below is redundant and can be removed without changing the meaning of the sentence?The restaurant's accountants determined that there might have possibly been a breach of security involving the restaurant's payment portal.

6. DIRECTIONS: Read each passage and identify how the information is being organized.Nutrients are the things in healthy food that are good for your body. Foods that contain a lot of nutrients are called nutrient‐dense foods. Some nutrient‐dense foods include protein, fruits, vegetables, grains, and dairy.

 

 

7. Civil disobedience is the refusal to obey certain laws or to pay taxes and fines and is a peaceful form of political protest. Just because something is the law doesn’t mean it is right. For example, segregation used to be legal in this country, and it was only changed by many years of dedicated civil disobedience by people who wanted to do what was right, not just what was legal. Civil disobedience makes the government more accountable and is sometimes the only way that laws that are deeply rooted in damaging customs (like segregation) can be changed. Some Americans that are famous for their civil disobedience are Rosa Parks, who refused to give her bus seat to a white passenger in Montgomery Alabama, and Martin Luther King Jr. who advocated peaceful civil disobedience as a way to advance the rights of black Americans. Our country is what it is today largely thanks to acts of civil disobedience by brave and thoughtful Americans.

Martin Luther King Jr. wanted to:

8. Read about the artist. Then answer the question below.

Vincent Van Gogh was born in 1853. He is a very famous artist now. But during his lifetime, hardly anyone knew about him or his work. Today his paintings are among the most expensive artworks in the world. But Vincent only sold one painting while he was alive. Vincent was born in Holland, where the weather is usually dark and rainy. When he grew up, he moved to the south of France, where the sun shines more brightly and the colors are more vivid. Vincent loved bright colors, and he used them boldly in all of his paintings. He used a lot of paint and applied it in very thick strokes so that his paintings actually have texture. Vincent painted a lot of pictures of flowers in vases, and a lot of landscapes. He also painted still lifes, buildings, and people. Two of his most famous paintings are called Starry Night, and Sunflowers. Most artists sign their names on their paintings when they have finished it. But in 1888, Vincent painted four pictures of sunflowers. He only signed two of the paintings. Art experts believe that this is because he wasn’t happy with the other two. Today you can see his paintings in museums all around the world.

Why did Vincent move to the south of France?

9. DIRECTIONS: Read each passage and identify how the information is being organized.It is possible to change how you feel about certain foods. If you want to learn to like a food that is good for you, take the following steps. First, imagine all the good things that it is doing in your body. It is making your organs healthy. It is giving you energy. It is making your muscles grow. Next, think about something that you want to be able to do. If you are an athlete, imagine scoring the winning point. If you are an artist or a poet, imagine having the concentration to do the work you want to do. Finally, keep these positive thoughts in mind the next time you try the unfamiliar food. You may not love it at first, but as you continue to tell yourself that eating this food is going to help you be what you want to be, the food will start to taste better to you.

10. Which word/phrase in the sentence below is redundant and can be removed without changing the meaning of the sentence?If you want to become better at calculus, you should start by reviewing the basic fundamentals of mathematics.