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Reading Comprehension Activity
Complete this on your own with no
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In the early 9th century BC Athenian potters introduced the full Geometric style by abandoning circular for rectilinear
ornament, the key meander assuming the leading role. At first decoration was restricted to a small reserved area
surrounded by the lustrous dark paint; later, as the style approached maturity, more decorated zones wee added, until the
potter achieved a harmonious balance between light and dark. In the 8th century, after nearly 400 years of abstract
decoration, living creatures appear once again, although their style is hardly less angular than the geometric ornament
that supports them. Geometric pottery reached its fullest development in the gigantic amphorae and craters that served as
grave monuments in the Athenian Dipylon cemetery; here a funerary scene, showing the corpse on the bier surrounded
by mourners, occupies the main panel, while other friezes contain chariot processions, battles on land and sea, rows of
animals, and linear geometric designs. The creators of these monumental vases established a continuous tradition of
figured painting that persisted on Greek pottery until the end of the Classical period; the immediate consequence of their
innovation was a loss of interest in purely abstract design, which became increasingly perfunctory on the latest
Geometric vases.
After several centuries of isolation, the renewal of contact with the Middle East provided a welcome stimulus to the Greek
potter. In art, as well as in commerce, it was Corinth that now led the way. Unlike the Athenians, Corinthian potters
specialized in small vases and especially in the tiny aryballos, or scent bottle, which found a ready market throughout
the Mediterranean region. There soon arose a style of miniatures that was called Proto-Corinthian; it borrowed much of
its repertoire from the fauna and flora of Syrophoenician art. Processions of animals, both real and legendary, are placed
in the main friezes, while lotus flowers and palmettes serve as subsidiary ornament. When human beings are depicted,
mythical scenes can often be recognized, reflecting the early diffusion of Homeric epic poetry. It was on ProtoCorinthian vases that the technique known as black-figure was first applied: the figures were first drawn in black
silhouette and were then marked with incised detail; further touches were added in purple and white.
Other notable Orientalizing styles arose in Attica, the Cyclades, Laconia, and Rhodes, regional differences in pottery
becoming more clearly marked as the Hellenic city-states grew into self-conscious political units. The Athenians still did
their best work on large funerary vases. At first they cultivated a wild and grandiose manner in which the figure of men
and animals were elaborated in outline; later, incised ornament introduced from Corinth imposed a salutary discipline.
Cycladic potters also attempted the grand manner; Laconian work, on the other hand, is confined to a small scale and
owes comparatively little to Oriental influence. The Rhodians rarely progressed beyond animal friezes drawn in outline;
their style is known as "wild goat", after their favorite quadruped.
Questions
1. The pottery which owed least to the Oriental
influence was from
1. Attica
2. Cyclades
3. Laconia
4. Rhodes
5. Athens
Questions
2. The tradition of figured painting until the
end of the Classical period resulted in
1. the Oriental style.
2. monumental vases.
3. loss of interest in purely abstract design.
4. renewal of contact with the Middle
East.
5. Proto-Corinthian style.
Questions
3. Corinthian potters were different from
Athenian potters because
1. they produced smaller vases.
2. they depicted corpses on biers.
3. they showed figures of men and
animals.
4. they used linear, geometric designs
5. they frequently used pictures of goats.
The adherents of the concept of the 'scala naturae' believed in a steady progression from the most simple to the
most perfect organisms. Lamarck's theory of evolution was largely based on this concept. Yet, the more the
knowledge of plants and animals advanced, the less did the similarities and differences of organisms conform
to this pattern. Instead, organisms usually fell into well-defined and frequently rather isolated groups, like
mammals, birds, and reptiles, that could not be arranged into a linear sequence from simple to perfect.
On the other hand, nearly all taxa of organisms were clearly more similar to some than to other taxa. It was on the
basis of this principle of degrees of similarity that naturalists from Aristotle on had grouped organisms,
resulting, since the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, in the Linnaean hierarchy. As stated by Darwin,
"from the first dawn of life, all organic beings are found to resemble each other in descending degrees, so that
they can be classed in groups under groups. This classification is evidently not arbitrary like the grouping of
stars in constellations." But what was the cause for the apparent pattern, what was the nature of the apparent
constraints? To say, as did Louis Agassiz, that it reflected that plan of the creator explained nothing.
Everything, however, became clear as soon as one made the assumption that the members of a taxon are the
descendants of a common ancestor. According to Darwin, this principle of common descent explains "why
species descended from a single progenitor are grouped into genera: and the genera included in, or subordinate
to, subfamilies, families, and orders, all united into one class. Thus, the grand fact in natural history, of the
subordination of group under group - it is in my judgement fully explained". And indeed it was Two matters,
however, need to be stressed.
The first is that Darwin, when proposing the theory of common descent, had found the solution of the great
problem of the natural system that had exercised systematists for more than one hundred years. The inclusive
hierarchy of groups under groups is a necessity if species are descended from common ancestors.
Reciprocally, as Darwin continues to emphasize, the fact of the hierarchy of organisms is extremely powerful
evidence in favour of his theory. There simply is no other possible explanation for the hierarchy unless one
wants to postulate an extremely capricious creator. In the end Darwin reiterates that descent is the hidden bond
of connection which naturalists have sought under the term of the ?Natural System'.
Indeed, every systematist since has accepted or at least paid lip service to the fact that any system of classification
must be consistent with the theory of evolution, that is, that every recognized taxon must consist of
descendants of a common ancestor.
Questions
4. According to Darwin the theory of common descent explains
1. why taxa of organisms are more proximate to some than to
other taxa.
2. why adherents of the concept of the scala naturae believed
in steady progression
3. why the postulate of an extremely capricious creator does
not find public favor
4. why organisms can be arranged in a hierarchy of categories
from species, through genera, subfamilies, orders and classes
5. why naturalists from Aristotle on were forced to group
organisms such that it resulted in the Linnaean hierarchy
Questions
5. According to the passage the ordered hierarchy of
organisms on the basis of degrees of similarities
1. is both a condition for and evidence of the
theory of common descent
2. both partakes of and causes the evolutionary
theory
3. is the work of naturalists uncomfortable with the
idea of a capricious creator
4. is Darwin's principal contribution to the theory
of evolution
5. enables members of a taxon to become
descendants of a common ancestors
Questions
6. According to the passage Lamarckian theory was
1. not adequately evolutionary and hence not as
satisfactory as Darwinian theory
2. based on the grouping of organisms from
Aristotle on, culminating in the Linnaean hierarchy
3. based on the concept of a linear sequence of
development of organisms from the simple to the
perfect
4. the logical precursor to the theory of common
descent
5. based on the assumption that the members of a
taxon are the descendants of a common ancestor
In recent years astronomers have discovered that dwarf galaxies such as NGC 5234 are far more common than
previously supposed. Moreover these galaxies are very different from their bigger cousins: they spend
billions of years in a dormant state, then erupt in furious short-lived bursts of star formation. Starbursts also
occur in large galaxies, but the radiation from those bursts is usually obscured by other galactic emissions;
only in dwarf starburst galaxies can researchers get a clear look at these phenomena. These galaxies hold
clues to the early history of the universe _ they are relics of an ancient time, composed of material that has
changed little since the big bang. What causes starbursts in dwarf galaxies, and why are they so important to
astronomers? To answer these questions we must examine the mechanics of star formation.
Astronomers know that stars have been forming for almost the entire duration of the universe. Our own galaxy,
the unremarkable larger spiral called the milky way contains at least 100 billion stars. Star formation in the
Milky Way is a slow and steady process involving the contraction of vast clouds of interstellar gas and dust.
Every year, on an average about one solar mass of gas and dust (that is an amount equal to the mass of our
sun) turns into new stars.
In contrast, a starburst is a relatively brief period _ from one million to 20 million years _ during which the rate of
star formation is much higher than average. Astronomers have observed galaxies in which the rate is 100
times higher than the Milky Way's. We know this to be a short-lived stage because if it had been going on for
more than hundred million years the galaxy would have run out of the gas from which the stars are made.
The increased star formation rate causes a dramatic rise in the galaxy's brightness. Because starbursts are
brief, they are dominated by the radiation from hot young stars of 20 solar masses or more, which have
lifetimes of only a few million years. A strong starburst can be almost as bright as a quasar, the most
luminous object in the universe. Because a star burst's luminosity is concentrated in the radio and infrared
parts of the spectrum, the phenomenon has been recognized and studied only in the past 20 years as new
telescopes and satellites have allowed scientists to observe these wavelengths.
Many astronomers believe that starbursts play a pivotal role in galactic evolution and the creation of star clusters.
For this reason scientists are eager to know what triggers these sudden episodes, how they proceed and what
turns them off. These questions may be easier to answer in dwarf galaxies which hold 100 million or fewer
stars, than in the large spirals such as the Milky Way and M83
Questions
7. According to the author the study of starbursts is
easier in dwarf galaxies because
1. they are relatively stable and have changed little
since their inception.
2. their radiations are easier to isolate in these
galaxies
3. they are smaller and composed of relatively
fewer stars.
4. they alone contain answers to questions about
the mechanics of star formation.
5. starbursts are more intense and frequent in
these galaxies
Questions
8. Astronomers according to the author, are keen to
study starbursts because (B) (C) (D) (E)
1. starbursts are intriguing phenomena that
have not yet been studied.
2. this is the process by which star formation
takes place.
3. it could contain evidence of the big bang.
4. the radiations from these could be
potentially useful to humans.
5. these could help understand how early
galaxies were formed.
Questions
9. To support the statement that starbursts are a
short-lived stage, the author,
1. points to data from astronomical
observations
2. argues that it is a logical consequence of
the rapid rate of star formation
3. proves they are dominated by hot young
stars
4. argues that a longer stage cannot be
materially sustained.
5. Cites the work of various astronomers.
Measurement ranks as one of our oldest skills. Many of the questions people ask every day begin with "How many?" or "How
much?" A person may ask a friend, "How many brothers and sisters do you have?" or, "How much do you weigh?" The
answers to both questions use numbers. But the first question is answered by counting, and the second by measuring.
Each child in a family is a whole person and must be counted, not measured. But a person's weight must be measured, and this
is done by standing on a scale. Almost everyone uses measurement daily. The food we eat, the clothes we wear, the work
we do, and many of the games we play involve measurement. For example, shoppers buy meat by the kilogram and cloth by
the meter.
Many workers are paid by the hour. An athlete who runs 100 meters in the shortest time wins the race. People also use
measurement to help them understand one another and to work together easily. A boy could write to someone living far
away and describe himself as tall and heavy. But it would be better if he described himself as 137 centimeters tall and
weighing 40 kilograms. In the same way, a carpenter building a house can order a door that measures 76 centimeters wide
and know it will fit the opening allowed for it.
Every measurement involves two things: (1) a number and (2) a unit. A number by itself is not a measurement. There would be
no point in saying that a stick has a length of 6. No one would know whether the stick was 6 centimeters or 6 meters long.
But if someone described the stick as being 6 centimeters long, then the measurement would have meaning. There are two
major systems of measurement: (1) the imperial system and (2) the metric system. The measurement units in each system
are related to one another.
The imperial system of measurement started in about the 1200's, though its units may be traced back even earlier. Most nations-and all scientists--use the metric system. The official name of this system is the Systeme International d'Unites
(International System of Units). To make accurate measurements, people have invented such measuring tools as clocks,
scales, tape measures, thermometers, and other devices.
Measurement with tools involves comparing the object or event being measured with the units marked on the tool. For
example, a ruler placed beside a pencil shows the number of centimeters and millimeters equal to the length of the pencil.
Most measurements involve reading some kind of scale. The problem is that no matter how many subdivisions the scale has, the
object being measured is likely to fall between two of them. As a result, every measurement can only be an approximation.
A measurement may come close, but it never matches the scale perfectly. Without a magnifying lens, for example, a ruler is
accurate only to within a half millimeter. But simple measurements within a fiftieth of a millimeter can be made with an
instrument called a micrometer caliper. Measuring tools include a wide variety of devices. Gauges and meters measure such
items as liters of petrol or cubic meters of natural gas. A kilowatt-hour meter measures electricity. A speedometer measures
the speed of a car or other vehicle, and an odometer records the distance traveled by the vehicle. Other devices measure
the volume of such substances as petroleum in barrels.
Questions
10. The primary purpose of the passage is to
1. make out a strong case for the superiority of the imperial
system of measurement over the metric system on the grounds of
accuracy
2. make a detailed list of all the devices that are in general use
today for the accurate measurement of objects, distances and
speeds
3. briefly explain the importance, function, systems and types
of measurements that are used in everyday life.
4. show the various means that were employed by people after
the 1200s to measure.
5. describe the various situations in which human beings need
to measure and count in their everyday activities.
Questions
11. According to the passage, in order to measure
anything
1. it is necessary both to count and use devices within
either system of measurement
2. a unit of one object has to be contrasted with a
unit of another object
3. a scale called the micrometer calliper has to be
used with great precision
4. it is first necessary to accept that all
measurements are only approximations
5. both a number and a unit of measurement are
required
Questions
12. Most measurement is only an approximation because
1. it involves both a number and a unit and it is unlikely that
both of them can be accurate enough
2. the object being measured is likely to fall between the
calibrations of the scale or device that is used to measure
3. the devices used to measure objects cannot be made to fit all
the possible objects that have to be measured accurately
4. accurate measurement in almost all the cases involve the use
of powerful optical instruments like magnifying glasses which are
not commonly available
5. most people who measure are not trained in the use of
numbers, units and devices used to measure objects
Ok… Now….
• Compare with your neighbor and make sure
your answers match up.
• We will be pulling a random name out of a hat
and that person will explain their answer and
their thought process for each question.
Answers
1. The pottery which owed least to the Oriental influence was from
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Attica
Cyclades
Laconia
Rhodes
Athens
Answer : 3
Explanation :
The last paragraph clearly mentions that Laconian pottery 'owes
comparatively little to the Oriental influence'.
Answers
2. The tradition of figured painting until the end of the Classical
period resulted in
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
the Oriental style.
monumental vases.
loss of interest in purely abstract design.
renewal of contact with the Middle East.
Proto-Corinthian style.
Answer : 3
Explanation :
The last sentence of the first paragraph gives the answer to the
question - 'the immediate consequence .............. on the latest
Geometric vases.'
Answers
3. Corinthian potters were different from Athenian potters because
1. they produced smaller vases.
2. they depicted corpses on biers.
3. they showed figures of men and animals.
4. they used linear, geometric designs
5. they frequently used pictures of goats.
Answer : 1
Explanation :
The third sentence of the second paragraph says clearly that the
Corinthians specialized in small vases, unlike the Athenians.
Answers
4. According to Darwin the theory of common descent explains
1. why taxa of organisms are more proximate to some than to other taxa.
2. why adherents of the concept of the scala naturae believed in steady
progression
3. why the postulate of an extremely capricious creator does not find public
favor
4. why organisms can be arranged in a hierarchy of categories from species,
through genera, subfamilies, orders and classes
5. why naturalists from Aristotle on were forced to group organisms such that
it resulted in the Linnaean hierarchy
Answer : 4
Explanation :
The quotation by Darwin in paragraph 2 states that his principle of common
descent explains "why species descended from a single progenitor are grouped
into genera". So option 4 is the correct answer.
Answers
5. According to the passage the ordered hierarchy of organisms on the basis of
degrees of similarities
1. is both a condition for and evidence of the theory of common descent
2. both partakes of and causes the evolutionary theory
3. is the work of naturalists uncomfortable with the idea of a capricious creator
4. is Darwin's principal contribution to the theory of evolution
5. enables members of a taxon to become descendants of a common
ancestors
Answer : 1
Explanation :
In the third paragraph the author talks about the importance of the theory of
common descent. He speaks of this inclusive theory as being both a 'necessity' as
well as 'extremely powerful evidence' of the truth of Darwin's theory. So option 1
is the correct answer.
Answers
6. According to the passage Lamarckian theory was
1. not adequately evolutionary and hence not as satisfactory as Darwinian
theory
2. based on the grouping of organisms from Aristotle on, culminating in the
Linnaean hierarchy
3. based on the concept of a linear sequence of development of organisms
from the simple to the perfect
4. the logical precursor to the theory of common descent
5. based on the assumption that the members of a taxon are the descendants
of a common ancestor
Answer : 3
Explanation :
The first two sentences of the passage deal with Lamarck's theory of evolution
which posited a steady progression from the most simple to the most perfect
organisms. So option 3 is the correct answer.
Answers
7. According to the author the study of starbursts is easier in dwarf galaxies because
1. they are relatively stable and have changed little since their inception.
2. their radiations are easier to isolate in these galaxies
3. they are smaller and composed of relatively fewer stars.
4. they alone contain answers to questions about the mechanics of star
formation.
5. starbursts are more intense and frequent in these galaxies
Answer : 3
Explanation :
The last sentence of the passage holds the answer to this question. This states
clearly dwarf galaxies hold fewer stars and so a study of these will yield an answer
to many of the astrologers' questions. So option 3 is the correct answer.
Answers
8. Astronomers according to the author, are keen to study starbursts
because (B) (C) (D) (E)
1. starbursts are intriguing phenomena that have not yet been
studied.
2. this is the process by which star formation takes place.
3. it could contain evidence of the big bang.
4. the radiations from these could be potentially useful to humans.
5. these could help understand how early galaxies were formed.
Answer : 5
Explanation :
The first sentence of the last paragraph states clearly that starbursts play
an important role in galactic evolution and formation of star clusters.
Option 5 gives us the correct answer.
Answers
9. To support the statement that starbursts are a short-lived stage,
the author,
1. points to data from astronomical observations
2. argues that it is a logical consequence of the rapid rate of star
formation
3. proves they are dominated by hot young stars
4. argues that a longer stage cannot be materially sustained.
5. Cites the work of various astronomers.
Answer : 4
Explanation :
The third sentence of the third paragraph gives us a reason for this:
the author states that the galaxies would have run out of the gas
out of which stars are made if they had been going on for a longer
period. So option 4 is the correct answer.
Answers
10. The primary purpose of the passage is to
1. make out a strong case for the superiority of the imperial system of
measurement over the metric system on the grounds of accuracy
2. make a detailed list of all the devices that are in general use today for the
accurate measurement of objects, distances and speeds
3. briefly explain the importance, function, systems and types of
measurements that are used in everyday life.
4. show the various means that were employed by people after the 1200s to
measure.
5. describe the various situations in which human beings need to measure and
count in their everyday activities.
Answer : 3
Explanation :
In this passage, the author mainly talks about measurement, its importance in our
lives, the daily usage of it. So the answer is option 3.
Answers
11. According to the passage, in order to measure anything
1. it is necessary both to count and use devices within either system of
measurement
2. a unit of one object has to be contrasted with a unit of another
object
3. a scale called the micrometer calliper has to be used with great
precision
4. it is first necessary to accept that all measurements are only
approximations
5. both a number and a unit of measurement are required
Answer : 5
Explanation :
Line 1 of para four clearly directly gives the answer. The correct answer is
option 5.
Answers
12. Most measurement is only an approximation because
1. it involves both a number and a unit and it is unlikely that both of them can
be accurate enough
2. the object being measured is likely to fall between the calibrations of the
scale or device that is used to measure
3. the devices used to measure objects cannot be made to fit all the possible
objects that have to be measured accurately
4. accurate measurement in almost all the cases involve the use of powerful
optical instruments like magnifying glasses which are not commonly available
5. most people who measure are not trained in the use of numbers, units and
devices used to measure objects
Answer : 2
Explanation :
The answer is the second line of para 7. It is a direct answer. The correct choice is
therefore option 2.