Reading Comprehension- Key 010

TEST 10
Questions 1-10
In the 1500`s when the Spanish moved into what later was to become the
southwestern United States, they encountered the ancestors of the modern-day
Pueblo,
Hopi, and Zuni peoples. These ancestors, known variously as the Basket Makers,
the
LineAnasazi, or the Ancient Ones, had lived in the area for at least 2,000 years. They
were
(5)an advanced agricultural people who used irrigation to help grow their crops.
The Anasazi lived in houses constructed of adobe and wood. Anasazi houses
were originally built in pits and were entered from the roof. But
around the year 700 A.D.,
the Anasazi began to build their homes above ground and join them together
into
rambling multistoried complexes, which the Spanish called pueblos or villages.
(10)Separate subterranean rooms in these pueblos ― known as kivas or chapels ―
were set
aside for religious ceremonials. Each kiva had a fire pit and a hole that was
believed to
lead to the underworld. The largest pueblos had five stories and more than 800
rooms.
The Anasazi family was matrilineal, that is, descent was traced through the
female.
The sacred objects of the family were under the control of the oldest female,
but the
(15)actual ceremonies were conducted by her brother or son. Women owned the
rooms in
the pueblo and the crops, once they were harvested. While still growing, crops
belonged to the men who, in contrast to most other Native American groups,
planted them. The women made baskets and pottery; the men
wove textiles and crafted
turquoise jewelry.
(20)Each village had two chiefs. The village chief dealt with land disputes and
religious
affairs. The war chief led the men in fighting during occasional conflicts that
broke out
with neighboring villages and directed the men in community building projects.
The
cohesive political and social organization of the Anasazi made it almost
impossible for
other groups to conquer them.
1. What does the passage mainly discuss?
(a) The culture of the Anasazi people
(b) European settlement in what became the southeastern United States
(c) The construction of Anasazi houses
(d) Political structures of Native American peoples
2. The Anasazi people were considered "agriculturally advanced" because
of the way they ---
(a) stored their crops
(b) fertilized their fields
(c) watered their crops
(d) planted their fields
3. The word "pits" in line 7 is closest in meaning to
(a) stages (b) scars
(c) seeds (d) holes
4. The word "stories" in line 12 is closest in meaning to
(a) articles(b) tales
(c) levels (d) rumors
5. Who would have been most likely to control the sacred objects
of an Anasazi family?
(a) A twenty-year-old man
(b) A twenty-year-old woman
(c) A forty-year-old man
(d) A forty-year-old woman
6. The word "they" in line 16 refers to
(a) women (b) crops
(c) rooms (d) pueblos
7. The word "disputes" in line 20 is closest in meaning to
(a) discussions
(b) arguments
(c) developments
(d) purchases
8. Which of the following activities was NOT done by Anasazi men?
(a) Making baskets
(b) Planting crops
(c) building homes
(d) Crafting jewelry
9. According to the passage, what made it almost impossible for other groups
to conquer the Anasazi?
(a) The political and social organization of th Anasazi
(b) The military tactics employed by the Anasazi
(c) The Anasazi`s agricultural technology
(d) The natural barriers surrounding Anasazi villages
10. The passage supports which of the following generalizations?
(a) The presence of the Spanish threatened Anasazi society.
(b) The Anasazi benefited from trading relations with the Spanish.
(c) Anasazi society exhibited a well-defined division of labor.
(d) Conflicts between neighboring Anasazi villages were easily resolved.
Questions 11-20
Barbed wire, first patented in the United States in 1867, played an important
part in
the development of American farming, as it enabled the settlers to make
effective
fencing to enclose their land and keep cattle away from their crops. This had a
Line considerable effect on cattle ranching, since the herds no longer had unrestricted
use of
(5)the plains for grazing, and the fencing led to conflict between the farmers and
the cattle ranchers.
Before barbed wire came into general use, fencing was often made from
serrated
wire, which was unsatisfactory because