Advanced Reading Comprehension
1. In 1892 the Sierra Club was formed. In 1908 an area of coastal redwood trees north of San
Francisco was established as Muir Woods National Monument. In the Sierra Nevada mountains, a
walking trail from Yosemite Valley to Mount Whitney was dedicated in 1938. It is called John Muir
Trail.
John Muir was born in 1838 in Scotland. His family name means 搈 oor,?which is a meadow full of
flowers and animals. John loved nature from the time he was small. He also liked to climb rocky
cliffs and walls.
When John was eleven, his family moved to the United States and settled in Wisconsin. John was
good with tools and soon became an inventor. He first invented a model of a sawmill. Later he
invented an alarm clock that would cause the sleeping person to be tipped out of bed when the
timer sounded.
Muir left home at an early age. He took a thousand-mile walk south to the Gulf of Mexico in
1867and 1868. Then he sailed for San Francisco. The city was too noisy and crowded for Muir, so
he headed inland for the Sierra Nevadas.
When Muir discovered the Yosemite Valley in the Sierra Nevadas, it was as if he had come home.
He loved the mountains, the wildlife, and the trees. He climbed the mountains and even climbed
trees during thunderstorms in order to get closer to the wind. He put forth the theory in the late
1860's that the Yosemite Valley had been formed through the action of glaciers. People ridiculed
him. Not until 1930 was Muir's theory proven correct.
Muir began to write articles about the Yosemite Valley to tell readers about its beauty. His writing
also warned people that Yosemite was in danger from timber mining and sheep ranching interests.
In 1901 Theodore Roosevelt became president of the United States. He was interested in
conservation. Muir took the president through Yosemite, and Roosevelt helped get legislation
passed to create Yosemite National Park in 1906.
Although Muir won many conservation battles, he lost a major one. He fought to save the Hetch
Valley, which people wanted to dam in order to provide water for San Francisco. In the late 1913 a
bill was signed to dam the valley. Muir died in 1914. Some people say losing the fight to protect the
valley killed Muir.
What happened first?
A. The Muir family moved to the United States.
B. Muir Woods was created.
C. John Muir learned to climb rocky cliffs.
D. John Muir walked to the Gulf of Mexico
E. Muir visited along the east coast.
2. When did Muir invent a unique form of alarm clock?
A. while the family still lived in Scotland
B. after he sailed to San Francisco
C. after he traveled in Yosemite
D. while the Muir family lived in Wisconsin
E. after he took the long walk
3. What did John Muir do soon after he arrived in San Francisco?
A. He ran outside during an earthquake.
B. He put forth a theory about how Yosemite was formed.
C. He headed inland for the Sierra Nevadas.
D. He began to write articles about the Sierra Nevadas.
E. He wrote short stories for the local newspaper.
4. When did John Muir meet Theodore Roosevelt?
A. between 1901 and 1906
B. between 1838 and 1868
C. between 1906 and 1914
D. between 1868 and 1901
E. between 1906-1907
5. What happened last?
A. John Muir died.
B. John Muir Trail was dedicated.
C. Muir's glacial theory was proven.
D. The Sierra Club was formed.
E. John's family visited him.
6. When using a metal file, always remember to bear down on the forward stroke only. On the
return stroke, lift the file clear of the surface to avoid dulling the instrument's teeth. Only when
working on very soft metals is it advisable to drag the file's teeth slightly on the return stroke. This
helps clear out metal pieces from between the teeth.
It is best to bear down just hard enough to keep the file cutting at all times. Too little pressure uses
only the tips of the teeth; too much pressure can chip the teeth. Move the file in straight lines across
the surface. Use a vice to grip the work so that your hands are free to hold the file. Protect your
hands by equipping the file with a handle. Buy a wooden handle and install it by inserting the
pointed end of the file into the handle hole.
These directions show you how to-
A. work with a hammer
B. use a file
C. polish a file
D. oil a vise
E. repair shop tools
7. When using a file-
A. always bear down on the return stroke
B. move it in a circle
C. remove the handle
D. press down on the forward stroke
E. wear protective gloves
8. When working on soft metals, you can-
A. remove the handle
B. clear metal pieces from the teeth
C. bear down very hard on the return stroke
D. file in circles
E. strengthen them with added wood
9. Protect your hands by-
A. dulling the teeth
B. dragging the teeth on the backstroke
C. using a vise
D. installing a handle
E. wearing safety gloves
10. 揙 ld woman,?grumbled the burly white man who had just heard Sojourner Truth speak, 揹 o
you think your talk about slavery does any good? I don't care any more for your talk than I do for the
bite of a flea.?
The tall, imposing black woman turned her piercing eyes on him. 揚 erhaps not,?she answered, 揵
ut I'll keep you scratching.?
The little incident of the 1840s sums up all that Sojourner Truth was: utterly dedicated to spreading
her message, afraid of no one, forceful and witty in speech.
Yet forty years earlier, who could have suspected that a spindly slave girl growing up in a damp
cellar in upstate New York would become one of the most remarkable women in American history?
Her name then was Isabella (many slaves had no last names), and by the time she was fourteen
she had seen both parents die of cold and hunger. She herself had been sold several times. By
1827, when New York freed its slaves, she had married and borne five children.
The first hint of Isabella's fighting spirit came soon afterwards, when her youngest son was illegally
seized and sold. She marched to the courthouse and badgered officials until her son was returned
to her.
In 1843, inspired by religion, she changed her name to Sojourner(meaning 搊 ne who stays briefly?
Truth, and, with only pennies in her purse, set out to preach against slavery. From New England to
Minnesota she trekked, gaining a reputation for her plain but powerful and moving words. Incredibly,
despite being black and female (only white males were expected to be public speakers), she drew
thousands to town halls, tents, and churches to hear her powerful, deep-voiced pleas on equality
for blacks-and for women. Often she had to face threatening hoodlums. Once she stood before
armed bullies and sang a hymn to them. Awed by her courage and her commanding presence, they
sheepishly retreated.
During the Civil War she cared for homeless ex-slaves in Washington. President Lincoln invited her
to the White House to bestow praise on her. Later, she petitioned Congress to help former slaves
get land in the West. Even in her old age, she forced the city of Washington to integrate its trolley
cars so that black and white could ride together.
Shortly before her death at eighty-six, she was asked what kept her going. 揑 think of the great
things,?replied Sojourner.
The imposing black woman promised to keep the white man-
A. searching
B. crying
C. hollering
D. scratching
E. fleeing
11. This incident occurred in the-
A. 1760s
B. 1900s
C. 1840s
D. 1920s
E. 1700s
12. Sojourner Truth was raised in a damp cellar in-
A. New York
B. Georgia
C. New Jersey
D. Idaho
E. Maryland
13. Isabella lost both parents by the time she was-
A. twenty-seven
B. two
C. seven
D. fourteen
E. nineteen
14. When New York freed its slaves, Isabella had-
A. problems
B. no children
C. five children
D. an education
E. three children
15. Her change in name was inspired by-
A. a fighting spirit
B. religion
C. her freedom
D. officials
E. friends
16. She traveled from New England to-
A. Canada
B. California
C. Minnesota
D. Alaska
E. Virginia
17. She forced the city of Washington to-
A. integrate its trolleys
B. give land grants
C. care for ex-slaves
D. provide food for ex-slaves
E. clean its trolleys
18. She preached against-
A. smoking
B. slavery
C. alcohol
D. hoodlums
E. women having no rights
19. Sojourner Truth died at-
A. 48
B. 72
C. 63
D. 86
E. 88
20. The Galapagos Islands are in the Pacific Ocean, off the western coast of South America. They
are a rocky, lonely spot, but they are also one of the most unusual places in the world. One reason
is that they are the home of some of the last giant tortoises left on earth.
Weighing hundreds of pounds, these tortoises, or land turtles, wander slowly around the rocks and
sand of the islands. Strangely, each of these islands has its own particular kinds of tortoises. There
are seven different kinds of tortoises on the eight islands, each kind being slightly different from the
other.
Hundreds of years ago, thousands of tortoises wandered around these islands. However, all that
changed when people started landing there. When people first arrived in 1535, their ships had no
refrigerators. This meant that fresh food was always a problem for the sailors on board. The giant
tortoises provided a solution to this problem.
Ships would anchor off the islands, and crews would row ashore and seize as many tortoises as
they could. Once the animals were aboard the ship, the sailors would roll the tortoises onto their
backs. The tortoises were completely helpless once on their backs, so they could only lie there until
used for soups and stews. Almost 100,000 tortoises were carried off in this way.
The tortoises faced other problems, too. Soon after the first ships, settlers arrived bringing pigs,
goats, donkeys, dogs and cats. All of these animals ruined life for the tortoises. Donkey and goats
ate all the plants that the tortoises usually fed on, while the pigs. Dogs and cats consumed
thousands of baby tortoises each year. Within a few years, it was hard to find any tortoise eggs-or
even any baby tortoises.
By the early 1900s, people began to worry that the last of the tortoises would soon die out. No one,
however, seemed to care enough to do anything about the problem. More and more tortoises
disappeared, even though sailors no longer needed them for food. For another fifty years, this
situation continued. Finally, in the 1950s, scientist decided that something must be done.
The first part of their plan was to get rid of as many cats, dogs and other animals as they could.
Next, they tried to make sure that more baby tortoises would be born. To do this, they started
looking for wild tortoise eggs. They gathered the eggs and put them in safe containers. When the
eggs hatched, the scientists raised the tortoises in special pens. Both the eggs and tortoises were
numbered so that the scientists knew exactly which kinds of tortoises they had-and which island
they came from. Once the tortoises were old enough and big enough to take care of themselves,
the scientists took them back to their islands and set them loose. This slow, hard work continues
today, and, thanks to it, the number of tortoises is now increasing every year. Perhaps these
wonderful animals will not disappear after all.
What happened first?
A. Sailors took tortoises aboard ships.
B. The tortoise meat was used for soups and stews.
C. Tortoises were put onto their backs.
D. Settlers brought other animals to the islands.
E. Pigs had been all the sailors had to eat.
21. What happened soon after people brought animals to the islands?
A. Tortoise eggs were kept in safe containers.
B. Scientists took away as many animals as they could.
C. The animals ate the tortoises' food and eggs.
D. The tortoises fought with the other animals.
E. The tortoises continued to wander freely.
22. When did people start to do something to save the tortoises?
A. in the 1500s
B. in the 1950s
C. in the early 1900s
D. in the 1960s
E. in the 1400s
23. What happens right after the tortoise eggs hatch?
A. The scientists take the tortoises back to their islands.
B. The scientists get rid of cats, dogs, and other animals.
C. The sailors use the tortoises for food.
D. The scientist raised the tortoises in special pens.
E. The scientist encouraged the villagers to help.
24. What happened last?
A. The tortoises began to disappear.
B. The number of tortoises began to grow.
C. Scientists took away other animals.
D. Tortoises were taken back to their home islands.
E. The number of tortoises began to decrease.
25. The first person in the group starts off by naming anything that is geographical. It could be a city,
state, country, river, lake, or any proper geographical term. For example, the person might say,擝
oston.?The second person has ten seconds to think of how the word ends and come up with
another geographical term starting with that letter. The second participant might say, 揘
orway,?since the geographical term has to start with 揘.?The third person would have to choose a
word beginning with ?Y.?If a player fails to think of a correct answer within the time limit, that player
is out of the game. The last person to survive is the champion.
This game may help you with-
A. history
B. music
C. geography
D. sports
E. current events
26. The person trying to answer needs-
A. no time limit
B. to know geography only
C. to ignore the last letters of words
D. to know something about spelling and geography
E. to be a good speller
27. Before you choose your own word, think about how-
A. the last word starts
B. the last word ends
C. smart you are
D. long the last word is
E. the spelling of the first word
28. The answer must be-
A. in New York
B. within the United States
C. proper geographical terms
D. in the same region
E. along a coast line
29. Charles A. Lindbergh is remembered as the first person to make a nonstop solo flight across the
Atlantic, in 1927. This feat, when Lindbergh was only twenty-five years old, assured him a lifetime of
fame and public attention.
Charles Augustus Lindbergh was more interested in flying airplanes than he was in studying. He
dropped out of the University of Wisconsin after two years to earn a living performing daredevil
airplane stunts at country fairs. Two years later, he joined the United States Army so that he could
go to the Army Air Service flight-training school. After completing his training, he was hired to fly
mail between St. Louis and Chicago.
Then came the historic flight across the Atlantic. In 1919, a New York City hotel owner offered a
prize of $25,000 to the first pilot to fly nonstop from New York to Paris. Nine St. Louis business
leaders helped pay for the plane Lindbergh designed especially for the flight. Lindbergh tested the
plane by flying it from San Diego to New York, with an overnight stop in St. Louis. The flight took
only 20 hours and 21 minutes, a transcontinental record.
Nine days later, on May 20,1927, Lindbergh took off from Long Island, New York, at 7:52 A. M. He
landed at Paris on May 21 at 10:21 P. M. He had flown more than 3,600 miles in less than thirty four
hours. His flight made news around the world. He was given awards and parades everywhere he
went. He was presented with the U. S. Congressional Medal of Honor and the first Distinguished
Flying Cross. For a long time, Lindbergh toured the world as a U. S. goodwill ambassador. He met
his future wife, Anne Morrow, in Mexico, where her father was the United States ambassador.
During the 1930s, Charles and Anne Lindbergh worked for various airline companies, charting new
commercial air routes. In 1931, for a major airline, they charted a new route from the east coast of
the United States to the Orient. The shortest, most efficient route was a great curve across Canada,
over Alaska, and down to China and Japan. Most pilots familiar with the Arctic did not believe that
such a route was possible. The Lindberghs took on the task of proving that it was. They arranged
for fuel and supplies to be set out along the route. On July 29, they took off from Long Island in a
specially equipped small seaplane. They flew by day and each night landed on a lake or a river and
camped. Near Nome, Alaska, they had their first serious emergency. Out of daylight and nearly out
of fuel, they were forced down in a small ocean inlet. In the next morning's light, they discovered
they had landed on barely three feet of water. On September 19, after two more emergency
landings and numerous close calls, they landed in China with the maps for a safe airline passenger
route.
Even while actively engaged as a pioneering flier, Lindbergh was also working as an engineer. In
1935, he and Dr. Alexis Carrel were given a patent for an artificial heart. During World War I in the
1940s, Lindbergh served as a civilian technical advisor in aviation. Although he was a civilian, he
flew over fifty combat missions in the Pacific. In the 1950s, Lindbergh helped design the famous
747 jet airliner. In the late 1960s, he spoke widely on conservation issues. He died August 1974,
having lived through aviation history from the time of the first powered flight to the first steps on the
moon and having influenced a big part of that history himself.
What did Lindbergh do before he crossed the Atlantic?
A. He charted a route to China.
B. He graduated from flight-training school.
C. He married Anne Morrow.
D. He acted as a technical advisor during World War II.
E. He was responsible for the fuel supply for planes.
30. What happened immediately after Lindbergh crossed the Atlantic?
A. He flew the mail between St. Louis and Chicago.
B. He left college.
C. He attended the Army flight-training school.
D. He was given the Congressional Medal of Honor.
E. He married Anne Morrow.
31. When did Charles meet Anne Morrow?
A. before he took off from Long Island
B. after he worked for an airline
C. before he was forced down in an ocean inlet
D. after he received the first Distinguished Flying Cross
E. when visiting his parents
32. When did the Lindberghs map an air route to China?
A. before they worked for an airline
B. before Charles worked with Dr. Carrel
C. after World War II
D. while designing the 747
E. when he was thirty
33. What event happened last?
A. Lindbergh patented an artificial heart.
B. The Lindberghs mapped a route to the Orient.
C. Lindbergh helped design the 747 airline.
D. Lindbergh flew fifty combat missions.
E. Charles finally was given an honorary degree from college.
34. Always read the meter dials from the right to the left. This procedure is much easier, especially if
any of the dial hands are near the zero mark. If the meter has two dials, and one is smaller than the
other, it is not imperative to read the smaller dial since it only registers a small amount. Read the
dial at the right first. As the dial turns clockwise, always record the figure the pointer has just passed.
Read the next dial to the left and record the figure it has just passed. Continue recording the figures
on the dials from right to left. When finished, mark off the number of units recorded. Dials on water
and gas meters usually indicate the amount each dial records.
These instructions show you how to ?
A. read
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