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regents competency test reading june 20 2002

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animals in the wild get their own food animals in zoos cannot do that they must be fed zookeepers need to know what to feed the different animals they must also know how to present the food otherwise it may be 1 the animals may not eat at all birds like pheasants will not eat unless they peck and scratch so their food is not presented neatly in dishes instead it is 2 it is thrown up all over the ground then the birds can eat the way they would in the wild some animals will not eat unless they hunt for their food that is true of monkeys so their food is hidden on purpose the monkeys must 3 it such activity keeps the monkeys alert apes have a different need they need to be able to pick and choose their food they must be offered many different foods they will not eat all of it they will throw a lot aside much will be 4 but without a large choice apes may stop eating many animals eat live food in the wild they will not eat food that is lying still 5 is necessary the keepers toss chunks of meat into the air for the tigers they make swimming movements with frozen fish for the penguins the animals then will eat and stay healthy seals need to eat all day long zookeepers though cannot keep feeding them hour after hour the keepers do not have the 6 so zoos sell fish to visitors visitors throw the fish to the seals this practice works well for everyone the visitors have fun seals get the food they need and the zoo makes money selling fish the extra 7 are helpful they let the zoo provide better care for the animals 1 a refused b handled c collected d coated e boiled 2 a compared b reserved c demanded d scattered e purchased 3 a slave b find c guard d share e prepare 4 a seen b wasted c mixed d cooked e stored 5 a space b comfort c motion d freedom e water 6 a keys b tickets c honey d time e training 7 a lights b maps c bars d dollars e shelters rct reading ­ june 2002

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turnpikes are toll roads people must pay to travel on them the first turnpikes in the united states were built in the 1700 s these roads got their name from poles called pikes the pikes were placed across the road they served as gates they turned or swung open only when a toll was paid travelers could then 8 they could use the road until they got to the next pike then another toll had to be paid early turnpikes were privately owned at first each owner set the toll different roads had different 9 some cost far more than others to use in the 1800 s the government stepped in soon every turnpike in the state had the same set of fees tolls were determined in part by wagon size large heavy wagons paid a higher toll than small light wagons a simple farm cart may have cost 6 cents a four-wheeled coach would have cost 8 cents a wagon carrying a full load paid more than one that was empty 10 too made a difference wheel type was also considered wide wheels though helped flatten them so wide wheels were 11 wagons with narrow wheels were charged a higher toll some people tried to get around that rule they carried wide tires that fit over narrow wheels when the wagon approached a tollgate they put the tires on later they took the tires off such people were often 12 they had to pay a fine livestock affected toll amounts too wagons pulled by mules or horses were charged the same tolls similar wagons pulled by oxen though cost half as much yet these 13 were nearly as large many people did not think the tolls were fair they did not use the turnpikes they used back roads called shunpikes instead shunpikes were little more than rough trails but they were 14 travelers could use them at no charge 8 a watch b rest c pass d eat e hide 9 a surfaces b rates c dangers d lines e guards 10 a noise b distance c age d weather e weight 11 a preferred b ruined c measured d oiled e raised 12 a included b trained c welcomed d caught e saved 13 a signs b chains c animals d mountains e households 14 a old b long c straight d unknown e free rct reading ­ june 2002

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to find the object from the long past of the human race people did under the sea as well as on land but digs on the ocean bottom have to be conducted differently from those on land in some ways underwater digs are easier in other ways they are harder under water digs usually take place at sites where ships went down or where port cities were permanently flooded when coastal water levels rose protected by the sea such sites have remained undisturbed over the ages nothing has been 15 in contrast people digging at ancient cities on land usually discover that the site has been disturbed many times often it has been plundered as well as a result many objects are 16 such gaps can hinder the study of previous cultures the digging itself is easier underwater usually people do not have to dig at all objects are rarely 17 usually they are covered by just a thin layer of sand the water itself provides assistance just waving a hand can create enough of a current to push the sand away little 18 is needed when greater power is required a simple vacuum tube can suck up the sand sand and ocean water can also create problems at an underwater dig poor visibility is one of them the water may be naturally murky and working at the site stirs up the bottom 19 then becomes difficult poor visibility also limits photography working at the bottom of the ocean places other limits upon people in cold water divers must service after an hour because they lose feeling in their fingers objects then become difficult to 20 in water that is very deep a diver can work on the bottom for just 20 minutes to put in 8 hours at a dig 24 pairs of divers are required such a large 21 is rarely practical instead fewer divers are used and the work proceeds slowly 15 a kept b touched c caught d planted e explained 16 a huge b similar c golden d recent e missing 17 a buried b valued c guarded d located e purchased 18 a food c force e light b space d money 19 a dressing b training c waiting d floating e seeing 20 a claim b sell c match d handle e avoid 21 a team b net c sail d map e machine rct reading ­ june 2002

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the dutch have long been known for their gardening skills as far back as the 1600 s almost every house in dutch cities had a carefully tended garden these gardens were usually laid out in a predictable manner only occasionally did the 22 vary gardens were usually situated behind the house that location afforded some seclusion even so some people sought additional privacy so 23 were used most were painted green or brown to make an attractive enclosure that set off the plantings the gardens were arranged symmetrically they usually featured four squares divided by two straight walkways these neat paths intersected exactly in the center of the yard here many people erected a wooden or stone structure that was open except for a roof in this way 24 was provided on rainy days these airy gazebos let people stay dry while surrounded by their gardens flower beds too were laid out exactly each type of flower was planted in a separate bed it was considered bad taste to plant roses among the lilies or hyacinths among the tulips so flowers were rarely 25 they were divided by color as well as by type when the flowers bloomed they were usually left in place in the garden they were very seldom 26 few people brought them indoors to decorate their homes that simply was not done these city gardens tended to have one problem size because land was costly in cities most families had limited space as a result gardens were 27 to get around this problem many families bought open land in the countryside so they could have a second larger garden to enjoy on the weekends these country gardens were usually a distance from the family home the owners had to 28 the destination though was considered worth the journey 22 a time b design c prize d supply e weather 23 a pipes b seeds c fences d baskets e machines 24 a soil b warning c food d shelter e information 25 a mixed b purchased c watered d protected e delivered 26 a cut b rooted c named d returned e supported 27 a safe b cold c small d bright e level 28 a join b trade c watch d agree e travel rct reading ­ june 2002

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from the very first olympiad held in greece almost 3,000 years ago the olympic games have been governed by strict regulations while many of the earliest regulations were similar to those in force now others have fallen by the wayside those 29 are curiosities today unlike athletes in modern olympics those in the earliest games could not easily withdraw from competition once they were selected they were expected to 30 if they did not there were social and economic consequences to bear these penalties reduced the incidence of a problem common to other greek athletic events of the period at those games athletes often withdrew if they discovered they would have to compete against the formidable opponent when this occurred there was no contest the remaining athlete won automatically the punishment for withdrawing from the olympics was merely a small fine but more than 31 was involved the reputation of any athlete who withdrew from the olympics was damaged throughout greece that was considered a great loss 32 was hard to restore in contrast another olympic regulation limited the extent to which certain athletes competed in events such as boxing athletes competed in pairs often though an uneven number of athletes were selected for those events one athlete then had no opponent for the first round of competition this athlete had to 33 according to the regulation the ephedros as he was called could not compete until the final match there he met the winner of all the earlier rounds of competition that athlete who had already defeated several opponents was tired by then the ephedros in contrast was still fresh he therefore had an 34 his chances of winning were greater than those of his weary opponent however if he won the ephedros did not gain as much prestige as those olympic champions who had competed in several matches he had after all 35 less 29 a rules b prizes c weights d tickets e leagues 30 a search b rest c improve d dress e perform 31 a height b grace c distance d money e safety 32 a stone b health c honor d balance e silence 33 a shout b wait c jump d strain e turn 34 a offer b accident c excuse d education e advantage 35 a worn b said c fought d traveled e forgotten rct reading ­ june 2002

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during the late middle ages and the renaissance the walls of buildings in italy were turned into works of art through the technique of fresco painting executed on the wet plaster with water-based pigments fresco painting was unique in that the pigments actually bonded with the plaster turning into crystals the highly reflective crystals gave frescoes their luminous quality the paintings had an unusual 36 they also were extremely durable practiced by masters fresco painting required sureness of hand as well as of mind the 37 was extremely demanding to prepare a wall for a fresco painting the artist first covered it with a layer of rough plaster once this layer dried a preliminary drawing was made in charcoal the charcoal lines were then gone over first with yellow paint then with red the original drawing was thus 38 twice the artist next applied the intonaco a smooth layer of plaster this had to be done daily the intonaco covered only as large an area as could be painted in one day that section of the drawing was thus hidden from view the artist then had to depend on 39 but so skilled were the painters that they could redraw the composition precisely each day s intonaco was spread in an irregular shaped patch which might end along the contour of a figure in this way the unavoidable line where one day s intonaco met the next did not show the 40 were effectively hidden fresco painting was not a forgiving technique mistakes could not be covered over the plaster had to be chipped away and a fresh layer applied the work required careful consideration yet speed was essential too since the plaster stopped accepting paint once it dried painters dared not 41 some painters slowed the drying by laying wet cloths over the plaster these cloths left their imprint on the soft damp surface the wall was actually 42 the added texture however enhanced the fresco 36 a glow b frame c smell d balance e problem 37 a student b travel c task d height e contract 38 a lost b folded c signed d traced e displayed 39 a stone b strength c distance d weather e memory 40 a edges b names c dangers d brushes e windows 41 a smoke b reach c pause d refuse e profit 42 a sold b marked c moved d pounded e preserved rct reading ­ june 2002

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in recent years the cultural value in preserving rather than demolishing historic structures such as railroad stations has been recognized as a result in cities throughout the united states old buildings are being adapted to new uses or made more efficient at their original uses revamping old buildings in lieu of constructing new ones offers various economic advantages reusing buildings avoids the costly process of demolition when a building is torn down to make way for a new one the site is full of demolition debris the site must be 43 the razed building materials must then be disposed of only some of the old building materials will be recycled most of the materials will be dumped in landfills they will simply be 44 substantial natural resources must be expended to produce the steel glass and other materials required to construct the new building the rehabilitation process may be less disruptive than new construction new construction often causes significant traffic detours and slowdowns people are often 45 adaptation can also reduce disruption by allowing the ongoing use of a building college students for example may continue to reside in a dormitory undergoing rehabilitation different 46 are not required razing the dormitory would mean relocation until a new structure was completed in general modification proceeds far more quickly than new construction the difference in 47 can be important it may mean that a business can begin to operate in six months rather than two years in addition new businesses often find that location in a familiar landmark works to their advantage the building is already 48 that recognition can help a business succeed one restaurant that opened in a century-old railroad station did not even have its name out front the owner stated there was no need for a 49 the building itself was advertisement enough 43 a cleared b listed c divided d purchased e flooded 44 a matched b raised c cleaned d wasted e requested 45 a asked b delayed c charged d admitted e sheltered 46 a colors b machines c stones d substances e quarters 47 a light b time c height d attitude e temperature 48 a cool b safe c quiet d dark e known 49 a garden b guard c report d sign e committee rct reading ­ june 2002

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unusual in their dimension and accuracy the celestial observatories of jai singh are considered the greatest accomplishments of indian astronomy the marble and stone edifices were built in the 18th century to obtain the precise astrological readings required for devising a new time-keeping system that would reconcile disparities between the reigning mogul s lunar calendar and the solar calendar favored by his hindu subjects a single 50 was desperately needed inaccurate conversions from one calendar to the other were causing confusion in the scheduling of religious celebrations other 51 were affected as well civil affairs including the annual collection of taxes were often jeopardized to rectify this situation jai singh was commissioned to create one calendar acceptable to all astrolabes sundials and other astronomical instruments from around the world were provided to enable him to study the heavens and make the necessary calculations despite their intricacy however these tools proved too small and unstable to detect the minute changes in the positions of the stars and planets that occurred from day to day these devises therefore could not be 52 instead jai singh designed and built three dozen of his own instruments and situated them at various locations throughout northern india the necessary 53 could now be gathered whereas most astronomical equipment of that period could be held in the hand jai singh s could not his devices were constructed on a massive scale to serve as both observatories and instruments their 54 was unparalleled the triangle on one sundial rose 90 feet and was 150 feet long its shadow marked the passage of time to within two seconds winding stairways ran alongside the huge circular planes upon which markings were etched thus observers had to 55 to readings other more complex instruments gauged the coordinates of planets and stars on the celestial sphere although now obsolete jai singh s observatories stand as monuments to his extraordinary ingenuity and craftsmanship indeed they are 56 by many 50 a victory b lesson c standard d warning e colony 51 a events b crops c children d defenses e styles 52 a sold b found c used d removed e painted 53 a money b support c group d paper e information 54 a age b fame c discovery d size e decline 55 a climb b ask c pay d wait e return 56 a avoided b admired c controlled d occupied e produced rct reading ­ june 2002

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legislation mandating responsible handling of toxic materials now prohibits many dangerous and inefficient methods of hazardous waste disposal today government inspectors oversee the handling of lethal industrial by-products the removal of this 57 is closely monitored poisonous chemicals formerly pumped into holding ponds or stored in drums haphazardly piled into landfills must be disposed of in ways that minimize the threat to underlying aquifers people draw on these subterranean water sources in order to drink and wash so the 58 must be preserved modern storage methods must prevent toxins from leaching into groundwater one relatively safe option for disposing of potentially harmful chemicals is high-pressure injection of liquid toxins into spaces between layers of impermeable rock far below the earth s surface wastes are stored in these 59 such waste-wells are located in areas whose geology is well mapped in order to lesson the risk of caustic liquids escaping into porous layers of the earth and contaminating underground streams or aquifers depleted oil fields often make ideal sites as a precaution monitoring wells are installed to detect any seepage 60 can then be dealt with quickly waste detoxification offers another solution for industries required to properly dispose of poisonous residues one method neutralizes harmful acids by adding substances that render them chemically inert while another utilizes the ability of waste-eating bacteria to convert hydrocarbons into safe compounds each of these processes alters the chemical composition of noxious materials rendering them harmless thus the toxins are 61 it is possible in some cases to recycle hazardous waste by having one industry sell it to another as raw material this practice conserves recourses alleviates expensive disposal problems and decreases a business chance of incurring penalties for hazardous waste mismanagement operating cost are then 62 industries benefit recycling poisonous waste also lessons the risk of environmental contamination that may pose a potential health hazard so the public is 63 as well 57 a refuse b tower c section d machinery e crop 58 a balance b temperature c quality d appearance e strength 59 a bags b harbors c buildings d yards e chambers 60 a storms b accidents c attacks d animal e noises 61 a report b changed c examined d shipped e buried 62 a blamed b published c totaled d reduced e questioned 63 a informed b divided c protected d admitted e burdened rct reading ­ june 2002

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the mechanization of american agriculture that occurred in the mid20th century was accompanied by crop specialization and the application of chemical fertilizers and pesticides these procedures were widely credited with producing unprecedented agricultural bounty yet these very 64 are now being questioned concerns about deteriorating environmental quality declining soil productivity and potential health hazards have focused attention on alternative techniques referred to collectively as sustainable agriculture the cornerstone of sustainable agriculture is respect for the soil as a complex living structure in healthy soil insects and earthworms mix and aerate the medium bacteria create fixed nitrogen and other microorganisms decompose organic matter all this 65 is beneficial it not only provides essential plant nutrients but also releases substances that help soil particles adhere to one another retarding erosion soil requires organic materials to remain productive sustainable agriculture assures an infusion of organic matter by departing from the tendency of conventional agriculture to harvest all crops for sale or animal fodder instead certain crops are 66 differently plowed under or left as surface mulch they provide the soil with organic material that increases water storage capacity and boosts fertility thus the soil is 67 another tenet of sustainable agriculture is the management without chemicals of the injurious effects of insects diseases and weeds other means of 68 are employed instead farmers plant disease-resistant strains introduce natural predators or parasites that keep pest populations below harmful levels and choose tillage methods that optimize the environment for beneficial insects although yields in sustainable agriculture are somewhat lower than those in conventional agriculture production costs are lower yet hence farmers may actually 69 more furthermore the commitment to crop rotation assures a degree of diversity lacking on conventional farms this 70 protects the farmer it provides an inherent buffer against the economic risks associated with relying on single crops proponents therefore argue that sustainable agriculture is viable economically as well as ecologically 64 a offers b practices c markets d exchanges e organizations 65 a land b rain c activity d money e information 66 a used b thinned c priced d shaded e supplied 67 a packed b removed c spread d smoothed e improved 68 a control b picking c division d feeding e fencing 69 a learn b buy c work d need e profit 70 a distance b covering c contract d variety e delay rct reading ­ june 2002

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