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TOEFL ITP Reading 10




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TOEFL ITP/PBT Reading 10
Read the text and answer the questions.
 
PASSAGE ONE (Questions 1-2)
Fort Knox, Kentucky, is the site of a U.S. army post, but it is even more renowned for the Fort
Knox Bullion Depository, the massive vault that contains the bulk of the U.S. government's gold
deposits. Completed in 1936, the vault is housed in a two-story building constructed of granite,
steel, and concrete; the vault itself is made of steel and concrete and has a door that weighs more
than twenty tons. Naturally, the most up-to-date security devices available are in place at Fort Knox,
and the army post nearby provides further protection.
 
1. Which of the following best describes the topic of the passage?
The city of Fort Knox, Kentucky
The federal gold depository
The U.S. army post at Fort Knox
Gold bullion
 
2. Which of the following would be the best title for this passage?
The Massive Concrete Vault
Fort Knox Security
Where the United States Keeps Its Gold
A Visit to Kentucky
 
PASSAGE TWO (Questions 3-4)
One identifying characteristic of minerals is their relative hardness, which can be
determined by scratching one mineral with another. In this type of test, a harder mineral can
scratch a softer one, but a softer mineral is unable to scratch the harder one. The Mohs' hardness
scale is used to rank minerals according to hardness. Ten minerals are listed in this scale, ranging
from talc with a hardness of 1 to diamond with a hardness of 10. On this scale, quartz (number 7)
is harder than feldspar (number 6) and is therefore able to scratch it; however, feldspar is unable
to make a mark on quartz.
 
3. Which of the following best states the subject of this passage?
 The hardness of diamonds
 Identifying minerals by means of a scratch test
 Feldspar on the Mohs' scale
 Recognizing minerals in their natural state
 
4. The main idea of this passage is that
the hardness of a mineral can be determined by its ability to make a mark on other minerals
 diamonds, with a hardness of 10 on the Mohs' scale, can scratch all other minerals
 a softer mineral cannot be scratched by a harder mineral
 talc is the first mineral listed on the Mohs' scale
 
PASSAGE THREE (Questions 5-6)
Hurricanes generally occur in the North Atlantic from May through November, with the
peak of the hurricane season in September; only rarely will they occur from December through
April in that part of the ocean. The main reason for the occurrence of hurricanes during this
period is that the temperature on the water's surface is at its warmest and the humidity of the air
is at its highest.
Of the tropical storms that occur each year in the North Atlantic, only about five, on the
average, are powerful enough to be called hurricanes. To be classified as a hurricane, a tropical
storm must have winds reaching speeds of at least 117 kilometers per hour, but the winds are
often much stronger than that; the winds of intense hurricanes can easily surpass 240 kilometers
per hour.
 
5. The passage mainly discusses
 how many hurricanes occur each year
 the strength of hurricanes
 the weather in the North Atlantic
 hurricanes in one part of the world
 
6. The best title for this passage would be
The North Atlantic Ocean
 Storms of the Northern Atlantic
 Hurricanes: The Damage and Destruction
What Happens from May through November
 
PASSAGE FOUR (Questions 7-9)
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882) was perhaps the best-known American poet of the
nineteenth century. His clear writing style and emphasis on the prevalent values of the period made
him popular with the general public if not always with the critics. He was particularly recognized for
his longer narrative poems Evangeline, The Song ofHiawatha, and The Courtship ofMiles Standish, in
which he told stories from American history in terms of the values of the time.
Evangeline was set during the French and Indian War (1754-1763), when the British forced
French settlers from Nova Scotia; two lovers, Gabriel and Evangeline, were separated by the
British, and Evangeline devoted her lifetime to the search for Gabriel. With its emphasis on
sentimental, undying love, Evangeline was immensely popular with the public.
In The Song ofHiawatha, Longfellow depicted the noble life of the American Indian through
the story of the brave Lfiawatha and his beloved wife Minehaha. The tear-inspiring poem follows
Hiawatha through the tragedies and triumphs of life, ending with the death of Minehaha and
Hiawatha's departure into the sunset in his canoe.
The Courtship ofMiles Standish takes place during the early period of the settlement of New
England, a period which was viewed as a time of honor and romance. In this poem centered
around a love triangle, Miles Standish asks his friendJohn Alden to propose to Priscilla Mullins
for him; John Alden ends up marrying Priscilla Mullins himself, and it takes time for his
friendship with Miles Standish to recover. As with Longfellow's other narrative poems, the
emphasis on high ideals and romance made the poem extremely popular.
 
 
 
 
 
7. Which of the following best describes the main idea of the passage?
American history is often depicted in poetry.
Longfellow described American history even though people really did not enjoy it.
Th
e popularity of Longfellow's poems results from his stress on the values of the people.
Longfellow wrote long narrative poems that were not always popular with the critics.
 
8. The best title of the passage is
Longfellow's Popular Appeal
Historical Narrative Poems
The Lyric, Dramatic, and Narrative Poems of Longfellow
Longfellow and the Critics
 
9. The subject of the fourth paragraph is
nobility and honor in the poems of Longfellow
the love triangle involving Miles Standish
the popular appeal of The Courtship ofMiles Standish
the period of the early settlement of New England