TSI Testing 126 Questions with Verified Answers
In 2010, talk show host Oprah Winfrey and novelist Jonathan Franzen kissed and made up after a nine-year feud. In 2001, Franzen was disinvited from appearing on Winfrey's TV show to pitch his novel The Corrections after he made it clear that he was unhappy about the book's being chosen for the Oprah Book Club. Describing his work as
"in the high-art literary tradition," Franzen said he didn't want to be associated with the Club, which he accused of occasionally choosing "schmaltzy, one-
dimensional" novels. But Winfrey is apparently able to forgive and forget: she chose Franzen's next novel, Freedom, for her book club and said of it, "Now you haven't heard me say this word often, but this book is a masterpiece." - CORRECT ANSWER Pride
The main authors of The Declaration of Independence and the Constitution are usually thought of as America's "Founding Fathers." Other, less known personages
also deserve the title, however, and Noah Webster was one
of these. Through his writings, which include the still- influential dictionary that bears his name, Webster sought to legitimize an "American English" that was independent of British spelling and pronunciation. For instance, Webster removed
the "u" from "colour," creating the distinct American version of the word. - CORRECT ANSWER To present information about an important American
Television has been the primary source of information and entertainment for most Americans over the last 50 years. However, with Internet use on the rise year after year, some may wonder if surfing the net will soon surpass watching television as Americans' primary leisure activity. Indeed, some recent surveys show that time spent on the Internet
is now greater than time spent in front of the television. However, this statistic may not tell the whole story, as 59% of Americans say they multitask, using the Internet and watching TV simultaneously. - CORRECT ANSWER may have become less popular than the Internet
If you are committed to healthy, green living and want to reduce your environmental footprint, you might consider expanding your daily diet to include bugs. Supporters of the edible insect initiative rightfully argue that farming insects
has a much lower environmental impact than does raising livestock since bugs are
easier to harvest and require a fraction of the water and land space that cattle need. Indeed, the high-protein, low-fat health benefits of bug-eating have long been known. For hundreds of years, crickets, silkworms and even tarantulas have been served roasted, stewed and fried at the dinner tables of many cultures. - CORRECT ANSWER interest and support
If you are committed to healthy, green living and want to reduce your environmental footprint, you might consider expanding your daily diet to include bugs. Supporters of the edible insect initiative rightfully argue that farming insects
has a much lower environmental impact than does raising livestock since bugs are
easier to harvest and require a fraction of the water and land space that cattle need. Indeed, the high-protein, low-fat health benefits of bug-eating have long been known. For hundreds of years, crickets, silkworms and even tarantulas have been served roasted, stewed and fried at the dinner tables of many cultures.
In the first sentence, "expanding" most nearly means - CORRECT ANSWER Broadening
Long thought to be a case of mistaken identity, the discovery of the Bornean rainbow toad by European explorers in 1924 was recently verified by scientists. The explorers had made a black-and-white sketch of an unusual toad they had found in the jungles of Southeast Asia, christening it the Bornean rainbow toad. Skeptical but curious, scientists recently went to look for the toad—and ended up finding three specimens. - CORRECT ANSWER Some people doubted the existence
of the toad
Plywood, while not the most pleasing wood to look at, has become an incredibly important building material in house construction. It is flexible, inexpensive, and strong. Its strength is due to layers of thin wood glued on top of each other with the grain of each layer making a right angle with the grain of the layer below it. This way of layering the sheets of wood makes plywood difficult to break.
Which word best describes the author's attitude towards plywood's qualities - CORRECT ANSWER Impressed
Plywood, while not the most pleasing wood to look at, has become an incredibly important building material in house construction. It is flexible, inexpensive, and strong. Its strength is due to layers of thin wood glued on top of each other with the grain of each layer making a right angle with the grain of the layer below it. This way of layering the sheets of wood makes plywood difficult to break.
According to the passage, the arrangement of the layers of thin wood explains plywood's - CORRECT ANSWER strength
Studies show that the prevalence of fast-food restaurants corresponds with the rates of obesity
in both children and adults. Obesity is now on the rise in countries outside the U.S., where fast food restaurants are becoming more common. - CORRECT ANSWER They express roughly the same idea.
It is said that a smile is universally understood. Nothing triggers a smile more universally than the taste of sugar. Nearly everyone loves sugar. Infant studies indicate that humans are born with an innate love of sweets. Based on statistics, a
lot of people in Great Britain must be smiling because on average, every man, woman and child in that country consumes 95 pounds of sugar each year.
This passage implies that the writer thinks that 95 pounds of sugar per person per
year is: - CORRECT ANSWER a surprisingly large amount
Some historians attribute the origins of the front porches so common in American
houses to the covered porticos of classical Rome. Indeed, our word "porch" derives from the Latin portico. However, these colonnaded spaces were almost always connected to public or religious structures rather than to private homes. The loggias of Renaissance Venice, recessed front entryways built into the ground floor of Venetian canal houses, perhaps provide a better starting point for the evolution of the American-style porch. This architectural feature later became popularized throughout Europe by the 17th-century Venetian architect Andrea Palladio. Eventually, English colonists would spread the loggia to the American colonies.
Why does the author mention Venetian architect Andrea Palladio? - CORRECT ANSWER Palladio inspired other builders to include loggias in their designs.
Our bones grow continuously throughout our lives, with old bone cells dying and being discarded. However, for astronauts who are in space for a prolonged period, a lack of gravitational pull—which has a number of beneficial effects on the body, including supporting new bone growth—results in their bones adding
