———————————————————————-<\/p>\n
1.<\/strong><\/em><\/span> There is increasing evidence that the impacts of meteorites have had important effects on\u00a0Earth, particularly in the field of biological evolution. Such impacts continue to pose<\/strong><\/span> a\u00a0natural hazard to life on Earth. Twice in the twentieth century, large meteorite objects are\u00a0known to have collided with Earth.<\/p>\n 2.<\/strong><\/em><\/span> If an impact is large enough, it can disturb the environment of the entire Earth and cause\u00a0an ecological catastrophe. The best-documented such impact took place 65 million years\u00a0ago at the end of the Cretaceous period of geological history. This break in Earth\u2019s\u00a0history is marked by a mass extinction, when as many as half the species on the planet became extinct. While there are a dozen or more mass extinctions in the geological\u00a0record, the Cretaceous mass extinction has always intrigued paleontologists because it\u00a0marks the end of the age of the dinosaurs. For tens of millions of years, those great\u00a0creatures had flourished. Then, suddenly, they disappeared.<\/p>\n 3.<\/strong><\/em><\/span> The body that impacted Earth at the end of the Cretaceous period was a meteorite with a\u00a0mass of more than a trillion tons and a diameter of at least 10 kilometers. Scientists first\u00a0identified this impact in 1980 from the worldwide layer of sediment deposited from the\u00a0dust cloud that enveloped the planet after the impact. This sediment layer is enriched in\u00a0the rare metal iridium and other elements that are relatively abundant in a meteorite but very rare in the crust of Earth. Even diluted by the terrestrial material excavated from the\u00a0crater, this component of meteorites is easily identified. By 1990 geologists had located\u00a0the impact site itself in the Yucat\u00e1n region of Mexico. The crater, now deeply buried in\u00a0sediment, was originally about 200 kilometers in diameter.<\/p>\n 4.<\/strong><\/em><\/span> This impact released an enormous amount of energy, excavating<\/strong><\/span> a crater about twice as\u00a0large as the lunar crater Tycho. The explosion lifted about 100 trillion tons of dust into\u00a0the atmosphere, as can be determined by measuring the thickness of the sediment layer\u00a0formed when this dust settled to the surface. Such a quantity of material would have\u00a0blocked the sunlight completely from reaching the surface, plunging Earth into a period of cold and darkness that lasted at least several months. The explosion is also calculated\u00a0to have produced vast quantities of nitric acid and melted rock that sprayed out over\u00a0much of Earth, starting widespread fires that must have consumed<\/strong><\/span> most terrestrial forests\u00a0and grassland. Presumably, those environmental disasters could have been responsible for\u00a0the mass extinction, including the death of the dinosaurs.<\/p>\n 5.<\/strong><\/em><\/span> Several other mass extinctions in the geological record have been tentatively identified<\/strong><\/span>\u00a0with large impacts, but none is so dramatic as the Cretaceous event. But even without\u00a0such specific documentation, it is clear that impacts of this size do occur and that their\u00a0results can be catastrophic. What is a catastrophe for one group of living things, however, may create opportunities for another group. Following each mass extinction, there is a\u00a0sudden evolutionary burst as new species develop to fill the ecological niches opened by\u00a0the event.<\/p>\n 6.<\/strong><\/em><\/span> Impacts by meteorites represent one mechanism that could cause global catastrophes and seriously influence the evolution of life all over the planet. According to some estimates,\u00a0the majority of all extinctions of species may be due to such impacts. Such a perspective<\/strong><\/span>\u00a0fundamentally changes our view of biological evolution. The standard criterion for the\u00a0survival of a species is its success in competing with other species and adapting to slowly\u00a0changing environments. Yet an equally important criterion is the ability of a species to survive random global ecological catastrophes due to impacts.<\/p>\n 7.<\/strong><\/em><\/span> Earth is a target in a cosmic shooting gallery, subject to random violent events that were\u00a0unsuspected a few decades ago. In 1991 the United States Congress asked NASA to\u00a0investigate the hazard posed today by large impacts on Earth. The group conducting the study concluded from a detailed analysis that impacts from meteorites can indeed be\u00a0hazardous. Although there is always some risk that a large impact could occur, careful\u00a0study shows that this risk is quite small.<\/p>\n \u0422\u0435\u043f\u0435\u0440\u044c \u043e\u0442\u0432\u0435\u0442\u044c\u0442\u0435 \u043d\u0430 14 \u0432\u043e\u043f\u0440\u043e\u0441\u043e\u0432 \u043a \u0442\u0435\u043a\u0441\u0442\u0443. \u0421\u043b\u043e\u0432\u0430, \u043f\u043e \u043a\u043e\u0442\u043e\u0440\u044b\u043c \u0437\u0430\u0434\u0430\u044e\u0442\u0441\u044f \u0432\u043e\u043f\u0440\u043e\u0441\u044b, \u0432\u044b\u0434\u0435\u043b\u0435\u043d\u044b \u0432 \u0442\u0435\u043a\u0441\u0442\u0435. \u0422\u0430\u043a\u0436\u0435 \u0443\u043a\u0430\u0437\u044b\u0432\u0430\u0435\u0442\u0441\u044f \u043d\u043e\u043c\u0435\u0440 \u0430\u0431\u0437\u0430\u0446\u0430, \u0432 \u043a\u043e\u0442\u043e\u0440\u043e\u043c \u044d\u0442\u043e \u0441\u043b\u043e\u0432\u043e\/\u0444\u0440\u0430\u0437\u0430 \u043d\u0430\u0445\u043e\u0434\u0438\u0442\u0441\u044f<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n ———————————<\/p>\n 1.<\/strong><\/span> The word \u201cpose\u201d in paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to<\/strong><\/p>\n a. claim<\/p>\n b. model<\/p>\n c. assume<\/p>\n d. present<\/p>\n ——————————–<\/p>\n 2.<\/strong><\/span> In paragraph 2, why does the author include the information that<\/strong> a. To support the claim that the mass extinction at the end of the b. To explain why as many as half of the species on Earth at the time c. To explain why paleontologists have always been intrigued by the d. To provide evidence that an impact can be large enough to disturb —————————————–<\/p>\n 3.<\/strong><\/span> Which of the following can be inferred from paragraph 3 about the<\/strong> a. The location of the impact site in Mexico was kept secret by b. It was a well-known fact that the impact had occurred in the c. Geologists knew that there had been an impact before they knew d. The Yucat\u00e1n region was chosen by geologists as the most probable ———————————————<\/p>\n 4.<\/strong><\/span> According to paragraph 3, how did scientists determine that a large<\/strong> a. They discovered a large crater in the Yucat\u00e1n region of Mexico.<\/p>\n b. They found a unique layer of sediment worldwide.<\/p>\n c. They were alerted by archaeologists who had been excavating in d. They located a meteorite with a mass of over a trillion tons.<\/p>\n ————————————–<\/p>\n 5.<\/strong> <\/span>The word \u201cexcavating\u201d in paragraph 4 is closest in meaning to<\/strong><\/p>\n a. digging out<\/p>\n b. extending<\/p>\n c. destroying<\/p>\n d. covering up<\/p>\n ——————————————-<\/p>\n 6.<\/strong><\/span> The word \u201cconsumed\u201d in paragraph 4 is closest in meaning to<\/strong><\/p>\n a. changed<\/p>\n b. exposed<\/p>\n c. destroyed<\/p>\n d. covered<\/p>\n ———————————————-<\/p>\n 7.<\/strong><\/span> According to paragraph 4, all of the following statements are true of<\/strong> a. A large amount of dust blocked sunlight from Earth.<\/p>\n b. Earth became cold and dark for several months.<\/p>\n c. New elements were formed in Earth\u2019s crust.<\/p>\n d. Large quantities of nitric acid were produced.<\/p>\n ——————————————<\/p>\n 8.<\/strong> <\/span>The phrase \u201ctentatively identified\u201d in paragraph 5 is closest in<\/strong> a. identified after careful study<\/p>\n b. identified without certainty<\/p>\n c. occasionally identified<\/p>\n d. easily identified<\/p>\n ——————————————–<\/p>\n 9.<\/strong><\/span> The word \u201cperspective\u201d in paragraph 6 is closest in meaning to<\/strong><\/p>\n a. sense of values<\/p>\n b. point of view<\/p>\n c. calculation<\/p>\n d. complication<\/p>\n ————————————————-<\/p>\n 10.<\/strong><\/span> Paragraph 6 supports which of the following statements about the<\/strong> a. The most important factor for the survival of a species is its b. The ability of a species to compete and adapt to a gradually c. Since most extinctions of species are due to major meteorite d. The factors that are most important for the survival of a species ———————————————<\/p>\n 11.<\/strong><\/span> Which of the sentences below best expresses the essential information in the<\/strong> Earth is a target in a cosmic shooting gallery, subject to random violent Incorrect choices change the meaning in important ways or leave out essential a. Until recently, nobody realized that Earth is exposed to b. In the last few decades, the risk of a random violent impact from c. Since most violent events on Earth occur randomly, nobody can d. A few decades ago, Earth became the target of random violent —————————————–<\/p>\n 12.<\/strong><\/span> According to the passage, who conducted investigations about the<\/strong> a. Paleontologists<\/p>\n b. Geologists<\/p>\n c. The United States Congress<\/p>\n d. NASA<\/p>\n ————————————————–<\/p>\n 13.<\/strong><\/span> Look at the four letters (A, B, C, and D) that indicate where the<\/strong> This is the criterion emphasized by Darwin\u2019s theory of Where would the sentence best fit?<\/p>\n Impacts by meteorites represent one mechanism that could cause Choose the place where the sentence fits best.<\/p>\n a. Option A<\/p>\n b. Option B<\/p>\n c. Option C<\/p>\n d. Option D<\/p>\n ————————————————–<\/p>\n 14.<\/strong><\/span> An introductory sentence for a brief summary of the passage is<\/strong> Write your answer choices in the spaces where they belong. You can Scientists have linked the mass extinction at the end of the Cretaceous with a<\/strong><\/em> \u2022 ————————————————————————-<\/p>\n \u2022 ————————————————————————-<\/p>\n \u2022 ————————————————————————-<\/p>\n Answer choices<\/strong><\/p>\n (1) Scientists had believed for centuries that meteorite activity influenced (2) The site of the large meteorite impact at the end of the Cretaceous (3) There have also been large meteorite impacts on the surface of the (4) An iridium-enriched sediment layer and a large impact crater in the (5) Large meteorite impacts, such as one at the end of the Cretaceous (6) Meteorite impacts can be advantageous for some species, which ——————————————————————–<\/p>\n\n
\n dinosaurs had flourished for tens of millions of years and then suddenly<\/strong>
\n disappeared?<\/strong><\/p>\n
\nCretaceous is the best-documented of the dozen or so mass
\nextinctions in the geological record<\/p>\n
\nare believed to have become extinct at the end of the Cretaceous<\/p>\n
\nmass extinction at the end of the Cretaceous<\/p>\n
\nthe environment of the entire planet and cause an ecological
\ndisaster<\/p>\n
\n location of the meteorite impact in Mexico?<\/strong><\/p>\n
\ngeologists from 1980 to 1990.<\/p>\n
\nYucat\u00e1n region.<\/p>\n
\nwhere it had occurred.<\/p>\n
\nimpact site because of its climate.<\/p>\n
\n meteorite had impacted Earth?<\/strong><\/p>\n
\nthe Yucat\u00e1n region.<\/p>\n
\n the impact at the end of the Cretaceous period EXCEPT:<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n meaning to<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n factors that are essential for the survival of a species?<\/strong><\/p>\n
\nability to compete and adapt to gradual changes in its
\nenvironment.<\/p>\n
\nchanging environment is not the only ability that is essential for
\nsurvival.<\/p>\n
\nimpacts, the ability to survive such impacts is the most
\nimportant factor for the survival of a species.<\/p>\n
\nvary significantly from one species to another<\/p>\n
\n following sentence?<\/strong><\/p>\n
\nevents that were unsuspected a few decades ago.<\/p>\n
\ninformation.<\/p>\n
\nunpredictable violent impacts from space.<\/p>\n
\nspace has increased.<\/p>\n
\npredict when or where they will happen.<\/p>\n
\nevents originating in outer space.<\/p>\n
\n current dangers posed by large meteorite impacts on Earth?<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n following sentence could be added to the passage in paragraph 6.<\/strong><\/p>\n
\nevolution by natural selection.<\/p>\n
\nglobal catastrophes and seriously influence the evolution of life all
\nover the planet. (A) According to some estimates, the majority of all
\nextinctions of species may be due to such impacts. (B) Such a
\nperspective fundamentally changes our view of biological evolution.
\n(C) The standard criterion for the survival of a species is its success
\nin competing with other species and adapting to slowly changing
\nenvironments. (D) Yet an equally important criterion is the ability of
\na species to survive random global ecological catastrophes due to
\nimpacts.<\/p>\n
\n provided below. Complete the summary by selecting the THREE<\/strong>
\n answer choices that express the most important ideas in the passage.<\/strong>
\n Some sentences do not belong in the summary because they express<\/strong>
\n ideas that are not presented in the passage or are minor ideas in the<\/strong>
\n passage. This question is worth 2 points.<\/strong><\/p>\n
\nwrite in the number of the answer choice or the whole sentence.<\/p>\n
\n meteorite impact on Earth.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n
\nevolution on Earth.<\/p>\n
\nperiod was identified in 1990.<\/p>\n
\nMoon, leaving craters like Tycho.<\/p>\n
\nYucat\u00e1n provide evidence that a large meteorite struck Earth about
\n65 million years ago.<\/p>\n
\nperiod, can seriously affect climate, ecological niches, plants, and
\nanimals.<\/p>\n
\nthrive, and disastrous for other species, which become extinct.<\/p>\n