2024 ACCUPLACER READING
COMPREHENSION EXAM
All water molecules form six-sided structures as they freeze
and become snow crystals. The shape of a snow crystal is
determined by temperature, vapor, and wind conditions in
the upper atmosphere. A snow crystal is always symmetrical
because these conditions affect all six of its sides
simultaneously.
The purpose of the passage is to present
A. a personal observation
B. a solution to a problem
C. factual information
D. opposing scientific theories - CORRECT ANSWERS-C
In the words of Thomas De Quincey, "It is notorious that
the memory strengthens as you lay burdens upon it." If,
like most people, you have trouble recalling the names of
those you have just met, try this: The next time you are
introduced, plan to remember the names. Say to yourself,
"I'll listen carefully; I'll repeat each person's name to be sure
I have it, and I will remember." You'll discover how effective
this technique is and probably recall those names for the rest of your life.
The passage suggests that people remember names best
when they
A. meet new people
B. are intelligent
C. decide to do so
D. are interested in people - CORRECT ANSWERS-C
Many people have owned, or have heard of, traditional
"piggy banks," coin banks shaped like pigs. A logical theory
about how this tradition started might be that because pigs
often symbolize greed, the object is to "fatten" one's piggy
bank with as much money as possible.
However, while this idea makes sense, it is not the correct
origin of the term. The genesis of the piggy bank is the old
English word "pygg," which was a common kind of clay
hundreds of years ago in England. People used pots and jars made out of this
red "pygg" clay for many different purposes in their homes. Sometimes they
kept their money in one of the pots, and this was known as a pygg bank.
, Over the years, because "pygg" and "pig" sounded the same, glaziers began
making novelty banks out of pottery in the shape of a pig as a kind of joke.
These banks were given as gifts and exported to countries where people
spoke other languages and where no on - CORRECT ANSWERS-C
In the words of Thomas De Quincey, "It is notorious that
the memory strengthens as you lay burdens upon it." If,
like most people, you have trouble recalling the names of
those you have just met, try this: The next time you are
introduced, plan to remember the names. Say to yourself,
"I'll listen carefully; I'll repeat each person's name to be
sure I've got it, and I will remember." You'll discover how
effective this technique is and probably recall those names
for the rest of your life.
The quotation from De Quincey indicates that the memory
A. always operates at peak efficiency
B. breaks down under great strain
C. improves if it is used often
D. becomes unreliable if it tires - CORRECT ANSWERS-C
Unemployment was the overriding fact of life when
Franklin D. Roosevelt became president of the United States
on March 4, 1933. At the time, the government did not
systematically collect statistics of joblessness; actually it did
not start doing so until 1940. The Bureau of Labor Statistics
later estimated that 12,830,000 persons were out of work in
1933, about one-fourth of a civilian labor force of more than
51 million. Roosevelt signed the Federal Emergency Relief Act on May 12,
1933. The president selected Harry L. Hopkins, who headed the New York
relief program, to run FERA. A gifted administrator, Hopkins quickly put the
program into high gear. He gathered a small staff in Washington and brought
the state relief organizations into the FERA system. While the agency tried to
provide all the necessities, food came first. City dwellers usually got an
allowance for fuel, and rent for one month was provided in case o - CORRECT
ANSWERS-D
With varying success, many women around the world
today struggle for equal rights. Historically, women have
achieved greater equality with men during periods of social
adversity. The following factors initiated the greatest number of
improvements for women: violent revolution, world war, and the rigors of
pioneering in an undeveloped land. In all three cases, the essential element
that improved the status of women was a shortage of men, which required
women to perform many of society's vital tasks.