Practice Test 1

Reading Section

Directions

This section measures your ability to understand an academic passage in English.

The Reading Section is divided into two separately timed parts.

Most questions are worth 1 point, but the last question in each set is worth more than 1
point. The directions indicate how many points you may receive.

Some passages include a word or phrase that is underlined in blue. Definitions or

explanations for underlined words are provided at the end of the passage.

You can skip questions and go back to them later as long as there is time remaining.

You may now begin the Reading Section. In this part, you will read two passages. You will
have forty minutes to read the passages and answer the questions.

When you are ready to continue, go to the next page.

 TOEFL* iBT Practice Test
Reading

00 : 40 : 00

Living Roofs

Creative urban planners continually

seek new ways to make cities more
satisfying places to live. • A) One
versatile tool in this pursuit is the "green
roof," which draws from fundamental
precepts in architectural design,
horticulture, and urban development.
At its most basic, a green roof system
transforms a conventional roof into a
living roof by adding a waterproof
membrane. • B) The membrane is
then covered with drainage and filter
layers, a growth medium (e.g. soil),
and live plants. • C) A green roof can be built on a flat ot yraded surface, can be thick or
thin, and can feature a wide range of plant cover, from common lawn grasses, to edible
vegetables, to delicate flowering plants. Familiar tooftop gardens have plants in pots or
planters. A green roof goes further. It is an integral part of a building and one that offers
ecological and economic benefits, as well as aesthetic appeal. • D)
Roofs covered in living plants were used in ancient Mesopotamia for aesthetic purposes
(the famed Hanging Gardens of Babylon), in Viking settlements, and on the American Great
Plains for basic shelter and insulation (sod houses). The green roof as we know it, however, is
a relatively recent creation. The first modern green roofs were developed in Germany during
the late 1960s and early 1970s. Their-main function was to slow water drainage that was
straining storm-sewer systems in urban areas where natural vegetation was scarce. The idea
subsequently spread through Europe and made a few inroads into some American cities.
A wide range of environmental benefits can result from the adoption of green roofs.
Preliminary research suggests that living roofs help clean polluted urban air. For example, grass
acts as a natural air filter, removing each day 0.2 kilograms of airborne particulates from the
air per square meter of grass-covered surface. By converting carbon dioxide ( C O 2 ) into oxygen
through photosynthesis, plants also help limit the build-up of atmospheric C O 2 , a greenhouse
gas. One-and-a-half square meters of uncut grass produces enough oxygen per year to meet
the annual oxygen requirement of an average human being.
Rooftop green space in cities also helps .mitigate what scientists call the urban heat island
effect. Structures surfaced with conventional building materials—paved roads and black rooftops,
for example—absorb solar radiation and release it into the near-surface environment in the
form of heat. The effect is to raise the air temperature in a city by up to 5 Celsius over the
U

temperature in the surrounding countryside. Using mathematical models, a Canadian research

team found that if only 5 percent of the roof area of Toronto had green roofs, air temperatures
would be reduced by 1° to 2° Celsius.
Green roofs save money through energy and resource conservation. Studies done in
Germany, where an estimated 10 percent of all roofs today are green, suggest that green
roofs last two to three times longer than conventional roofs. The long service life of a green lllIP
roof means that fewer resources and less energy will be expendeiin roof replacement.
.
I P S

Green roofs also save money by lowering the cost of interior heating and cooling. One
study found that an average building with a green roof requires 25 percent less cooling in
warm weather and loses 26 percent less heat when the weather is cold. For example, a
commercial facility in Germany with a green roof saved enough money in three years through
lower heating and cooling costs to pay for the cost of installing the roof. The facility also saved lis
money in equipment costs, since additional cooling towers had become unnecessary. As energy fell
costs increase, the tenants of buildings with green roofs will undoubtedly reap additional savings.
A city's livability is as much about the attractiveness of one's surroundings as it is about
living costs. The aesthetic benefits of green roofs should not be discounted. Green roofs
designed to be parks or gardens can help address a lack of green space in many urban areas.
•
Some are even used for the small-scale, largely recreational production of edible vegetables.
II
All this vegetation naturally attracts songbirds, ducks and other waterfowl, butterflies, and
bats. Especially for those whose windows look out over a city's roofscape—apartment dwellers,
office workers, even patients in high-rise hospitals—a green roof can provide a priceless
connection with nature and the cycle of seasons. On the whole, living roofs add plants into
urban landscapes, making cities more environmentally sound and less stressful, and they do
so in a cost-effective manner.
1. According to paragraph 1, green roofs
(A) are very heavy
(B) thrive mostly in warm climates
(C) are composed of several layers of material
(D) can provide most food a city needs

2. The word one in the passage refers to

(A) a pot or planter (B) a part of a building
(C) an environmental benefit (D) a green roof

3. Look at the four squares [•] that indicate where the following sentence could be added to the passage.

This miniature ecosystem can be built on top of an existing roof, often w i t h structural
modifications to accommodate the extra weight, or incorporated into the construction of
a n e w building.

Where would the sentence best fit? Choose the square [•] where the sentence should be added
to the passage.
(A) 1 square
st
(B) 2 square
nd

(C) 3 square
rd
(D) 4 square
,h

4. According to paragraph 2, all of the following are true about modern green roofs EXCEPT
(A) they were initially developed in Germany
(B) they were designed to slow water drainage
(C) they were used in Viking settlements
(D) they are found in a few American cities

5. Which of the following best expresses the essential information in the highlighted sentence in the
passage? Incorrect choices change the meaning in important ways or leave out essential information.
(A) They were meant to soak up rainwater in cities that had few natural plants that could catch
water before it over-stressed the sewers.
(B) They were meant to reduce the amount of waste produced by large urban populations
without efficient sewage plants.
(C) They were developed to replace soil and vegetation lost to natural forces like rainwater and to
overdevelopment by urban populations.
(D) They were developed to help water drain faster into the sewers so it would not threaten the
few plants that survived in the city.

6. The word filter in the passage is closest in meaning to

(A) producer (B) container
(C) cooler (D) cleaner

7. According to paragraph 3, carbon dioxide is

(A) an airborne particulate
(B) an environmental benefit
(C) something a green roof can help control
(D) something a green roof can help make
 The word mitigate; in the passage is closest in meaning to
(A) intensify (B) cause
(C) prevent (D) w e a k e n

9. According to paragraph 4, temperatures in urban areas tend to be higher than in the surrounding
countryside because
(A) cities are more crowded
(B) vehicles moving on paved roads create heat
(C) green roofs in rural areas absorb heat
(D) commonly used building materials retain heat

10. W h a t can be inferred from paragraph 5 about conventional roofs?

(A) Replacing one is costly.
(B) They are one type of living roof.
(C) Resources needed to build them are n o w scarce.
(D) They have a service life of less than ten years.

11. The word expended; in the passage is closest in meaning to

(A) made larger (B) used up
(C) asked for (D) found out

12. In paragraph 6, w h y does the author mention the case of the commercial facility?

(A) To illustrate the high cost of buying a green roof

(B) To show that businesses have expenses homeowners don't have
(C) To give one case in which green roofs produce energy
(D) To support the claim that green roofs can reduce costs

13. Directions: A n introductory sentence for a brief summary of the passage is provided below.
Complete the summary by selecting the THREE answers that express the most important ideas in
the passage. Some sentences do not belong in the summary because they express ideas that are
not presented in the passage or are minor ideas in the passage. This question is w o r t h 2 points.

Green roofs provide economic and ecological benefits

and can help make cities more satisfying places to life.

Answer Choices

(A) Green roofs can improve air quality by removing pollutants and maintaining healthy levels of
atmospheric gases.
(B) Green roofs can be as simple as a grass lawn or as complex as a food-producing garden.
(C) By dissipating heat, green roofs can help lower temperatures in urban areas.
(D) A green roof can reduce the costs of heating and cooling a building.
(E) In industrial settings, green roofs replace the need for cooling towers.
(F) Green roofs can help cure psychological and emotional disorders suffered by the residents of cities.

7-Vn7 A'cTt-y
 TOEFL* iBT Practice Test .^iew Jf^t j i ^ p
Reading wmme

00 : 20 : 00

Paralanguage

Human beings are social creatures,

and communication is a basic, if not the
most important, feature of social life.
People often think of communication
strictly in terms of speaking or writing.
However, human communication also
relies <->n nun-verbal behaviors, each of
which can convey important meanings.
Linguists refer to these highly culture-bound,
non-verbal communication techniques
as paralanguage. Researchers suggest
that up to 90 percent of what people communicate is conveyed through paralanguage.
Specifically, because paralanguage is so prevalent in daily communication and varies from one
cultural context to another, understanding these hidden aspects of communication is integral
to successful language learning and cross-cultural communication.
Body language is perhaps the most obvious form of paralanguage. It refers to the gestures,
expressions, and postures that are used instead of, or in addition to, verbal language or other
forms of paralanguage. Body language includes voluntary actions such as smiling to express
warmth, dropping the jaw to show surprise, or waving a hand to say goodbye. However, not
all body language is voluntary. Involuntary body language, such as a nervous shifting of one's
eyes or the subconscious drumming of one's fingers, might convey an emotion of which someone
is not even aware.
Both voluntary and involuntary body language may support or cast doubt on verbal
communication. This is one reason why many people prefer to pursue important matters in
person. Gestures' or facia! expressions may reinforce a'Verbal message, making it: appear" 'true.
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s
fnd sincere;; Conversely, a speaker's gestures, stance, or facial cues may belie his or her words.
For instance, an individual's involuntary facial expression may reveal sadness even though she
says she is happy. In a face-to-face encounter, as opposed to a telephone conversation, a
nuanced interpretation is possible.
, Body language varies greatly from one culture to another and is one area of frequent
miscommunication. • A) The same gesture displayed in one cultural context may carry a
completely different meaning elsewhere. • B) In many Western cultures, it is important to
make eye contact when speaking. • C) Two American executives, for example, will almost
certainly make direct eye contact when negotiating a deal, mainly to establish trust and to
communicate confidence. • D) Were an American, even one fluent in Japanese, to do the
same while neyjtiatuig in Japan, she might be considered angiv or aggressive by h^r Japanese
counterparts.
Different cultural frameworks also define and organize space in unique ways. Perhaps
even more than gestures, cultural patterns are internalized in individuals at a subconscious
level. This internalization can lead to serious failures of communication. The proxemics of an
encounter—how close to each other the participants stand—depend on a culturally determined
sense of personal space, a sort of "comfort bubble" around one's body. People in the United
States tend to assume a social distance of roughly four to seven feet when engaged in conversation.
Closer feels awkwardly intimate; farther feels coldly distant. In many parts of Europe and
southwestern Asia, the expected social distance is roughly half of what Americans are used to.
Americans traveling in these areas may feel an urgent need to back away from a conversation
partner who seems to be getting too close.
Paralanguage also includes auditory elements such as tone of voice, speaking tempo, and
patterns of stress. The way something is said can change its meaning, regardless of the words
used. In English, for example, vocal tone may be used to express sarcasm. The comment "nice
shirt, Bill," can mean two completely different things depending on the paralanguage. The
speaker may actually mean that Bill's shirt is attractive. He may also mean the exact opposite.
In this case, the clue to the meaning lies in the tone of the speaker's voice.
Some cultural anthropologists even consider what one wears a form of paralanguage.
People may use clothing, jewelry, ceremonial hats, and other forms of body ornamentation,to
communicate status, personal interests, cultural identity, and other characteristics. Take the
case of a police officer who wears her uniform in public to mark her role in society. That is what
any uniform, whether a waiter's or a priest's or a Boy Scout's, is meant to do. Furthermore, the
vocabulary of her uniform—badges, patches, and so on—will indicate her rank and signal
whether she is a traffic cop, on the SWAT team, or in some other line of service. In short,
human communication is complex, with a large portion of the information being conveyed
without words. In both everyday and cross-cultural communication, it is these facets of
paralanguage that, if overlooked, can lead to considerable misunderstanding.

Firsl Newit
 The word vofti j i n the passage is closest in meaning to
(A) incredible (B) individual
(C) intentional (D^ ineffective

15. Which of the sentences below best expresses the essential information in the highlighted sentence in the
passage? Incorrect choices change the meaning in important ways or leave out essential information.
(A) Gestures or facial expressions can make it easier to believe what someone says.
(B) Gestures or facial expressions can hide the lies that people tell.
(C) Gestures or facial expressions can force people to tell the truth.
(D) Gestures or facial expressions can turn conversation partners into true friends.

16. According to paragraph 3, in telephone conversations, as opposed to face-to-face encounters,

(A) people are more likely to lie
(B) sadness is harder to communicate
(C) messages contain fewer clues to meaning
(D) deeper meanings can be communicated

17. The word HUP in the passage is closest in meaning to

(A) complement (B) contradict
(C) echo (D) interpret

18. Look at the four squares [•] that indicate where the following sentence could be added to the passage.

A n American might give the "thumbs-up" sign to indicate that everything is all right,
but an Australian w h o sees it will feel very badly insulted.

Where would the sentence best fit? Choose the square [•] where the sentence should be added
to the passage.
(A) 1 square
s,
(B) 2 square
n d

(C) 3 square
rd
(D) 4 square
th

19. From the information in paragraph 5, what can be inferred about one's sense of personal space?
(A) It is inflexible. (B) It is learned.
(C) It offends others. (D) It changes if one travels.

20: In paragraph 5 , the author mentions "four to seven feet" as an example of

(A) a serious communication failure
(B) an excessively large social distance
(C) the size of a "comfort bubble"
(D) the safest social distance
2 1 . According to paragraph 6, what form of paralanguage might an English speaker use to express
the opposite of what his or her words say?
(A) space (B) tone
(C) clothing (D) lies

22. The word j j j i n the passage refers to

(A) the American (B) the listener
(C) Bill (D) the speaker

23. The word ornamentation in the passage is closest in meaning to

(A) decoration (B) communication
(C) protection (D) occupation

24. Every uniform communicates

(A) paralanguage (B) membership in the police
(C) a social role (D) a profession

25. All of the following are mentioned in the passage as forms of paralanguage EXCEPT
(A) tone of voice (B) clothing
(C) eye movements (D) walking

26. Directions: Complete the table below about the types of paralanguage discussed in the passage.
Match the appropriate statements to the paralanguage category with which they are associated. TWO
of the answer choices will NOT be used. This question is worth 3 points.

Answer Choices Body Language

(A) Volunteering to help the homeless •

(B) Jewelry •
(C) Making eye contact when negotiating
(D) Sarcastic tone Auditory Signals
(E) Watching foreign films •
(F) Giving a "thumbs-up" sign
(G) Wearing a police uniform Body Ornamentation
 Directions
In this part of the Reading Section, you will read two passages. You will have forty minutes
to read the passages and answer the questions.

Most questions are worth 1 point, but the last question in each set is worth more than
1 point. The directions indicate how many points you may receive.

Some passages include a word or phrase that is underlined in blue. Definitions or

explanations for underlined words are provided at the end of the passage.

You can skip questions and go back to them later as long as there is time remaining.

When you are ready to continue, go to the next page.

Hlll^BKiElH
 Desert Plants

On the surface, a desert appears to

be one of the harshest environments on
Earth, yet a remarkable variety of plants
have adapted to thrive in this dry
climate. Despile their origins in different
locations around the globe, desert plants
have developed similar strategies for
surviving in arid environments. Some
plants have adapted in such a w a y that
it is hard to tell them apart, even though
they belong to very different biological
families. One useful w a y xo classify, and thus better understand, desert plants is to examine
the evolution of certain survival strategies, which are shared across geographic and biological
boundaries.
In general, the survival strategies of desert plants can be divided into t w o kinds: adaptation
for quick use of ephemeral resources ("maximum variance behavior") and adaptation for the
best use of poor but more permanent resources ("minimum variance behavior"). The former
strategy involves adaptation to environmental changes, such as seasonal availability of water.
This is observed in desert annuals and perennials alike. Such plants tend to grow rapidly and
produce many seeds under the right conditions. The latter strategy involves adaptation to the
worst possible conditions, which can be seen in succulents, true xerophytes, and grasses.
These plants usually grow slowly, use water efficiently, and exhibit passive cooling.
W a t e r scarcity and heat are the key factors limiting the survival of desert plants. Plants that
have adapted to the worst possible conditions have evolved ways for quickly acquiring and
storing water to ensure their survival. • A) Depending on strategies and physical adaptations,
they can be divided into either succulents or drought-resistant plants. • B) For the most part,
succulents have evolved extensive, shallow root systems to quickly absorb water during brief
periods of heavy rainfall. Water is then stored in the fleshy tissue of their thick trunks or lobes,
as well as in the roots. The cactus is a good example of a succulent. To retain water, succulents
have waxy coatings on their skin and a modified system of respiration. The stomata (surface
pores), through which the plant takes in carbon dioxide and releases oxygen, open only at
night w h e n temperatures are cooler and less water from the plant will evaporate. • C) Unlike
most other plants, a succulent stores all or most of its chlorophyll, the chemical essential to
photosynthesis, in its stem, skin, or other outer tissues, rather than concentrating it in the leaves.
Doing this places it in a strong, well-watered part of the plant, rather than in an appendage
 susceptible to drying out and dropping off. • D)
Drought-resistant plants, or xerophytes, come in many forms including true xerophytes,
deciduous plants, and grasses. Xerophytic shrubs, such as the five species of creosote bush,
are the most abundant type of vegetation in most arid environments. They are able to
withstand desiccation in severe droughts without dying. Some have evolved small leaves with
special coatings to reduce loss of water through evaporation. Others have replaced leaves with
thorns or spines While succulent roots form shallow, dense webs, xerophytes tend lo develop
deep root networks thai pull w a i e r out of soil other desertplants cannot reach For example,
the roots of the mesquite bush, said to have the deepest root systems nmonq dos^rt plants,
can reach depths of up to eighty feet.
Succulents and xerophytes, on one hand, have physically adapted to gather and retain
water to survive long periods of drought. Drought-avoiding plants, on the other hand, escape
unfavorable conditions by perishing. These include annuals and perennials. Because profuse
seed development is crucial to the survival of most annual species, they tend to produce far
more flowers than other types of desert plants. The desert marigold of the American southwest,
for example, has adapted to seasonal changes in rainfall by growing rapidly, bursting into a
brilliant display of yellow flowers, and then dropping a cascade of seeds before dying. In some
cases, annuals complete their entire life cycle in a matter of a f e w weeks or months. Their
seeds may remain inactive for up to ten years while waiting for wetter conditions. Perennials,
such as the ocotillo, may go dormant during dry periods, spring to life w h e n it rains, and then
return to dormancy in a process that may occur up to five times per year.

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1 . According to paragraph 1 , which of the following is true of desert plants?
(A) They are hard to see in the harsh desert landscape.
(B) They have evolved similar features, regardless of geographic origins.
(C) They have evolved from different families that exchanged survival strategies.
(D) They all look essentially the same.

2. The word ^pheftteral in the passage is closest in meaning to

(A) minimal (B) yearly
(C) short-lived (D) abundant

3. Look at the four squares [•] that indicate where the following sentence could be added to the passage.

All of these adaptations together make succulents particularly well suited to dry climates.

Where would the sentence best fit? Choose the square [•] where the sentence should be added to
the passage.
(A) 1 square
st
(B) 2 square
nd

(C) 3 square
rd
(D) 4 square
th

4. The word respiration in the passage is closest in meaning to

(A) nutrition (B) breathing
(C) growing (D) coloration

5. Why does the author mention the action of stomata in the passage?
(A) To explain how chlorophyll works
(B) To emphasize a unique adaptation of succulents
(C) To illustrate that cacti have no leaves
(D) To describe the basic parts of a succulent

6. The word desiccation in the passage is closest in meaning to

(A) destruction (B) growth
(C) adaptation (D) drying

7. The word others in the passage refers to

(A) grasses (B) shrubs
(C) coatings (D) leaves

8. Which of the following best expresses the essential information in the highlighted sentence in the
passage? Incorrect choices change the meaning in important ways or leave out essential information.
(A) At the same time that xerophytes evolved their thick webs of low-lying roots, succulents formed thin
networks to reach surface water.
(B) Both succulents and xerophytes form long, dense networks of roots in order to reach water within
the soil that non-desert plants could not reach.
(C) Because of their long roots systems developed to reach water deep within the soil, xerophytes
have become more dominant in desert environments than succulents.
(D) In contrast to xerophytes, which produce long root systems to tap water deep within the soil,
succulents develop a thick web of roots just below the soil surface.
9. According to paragraph 4, thorns on xerophytes
(A) are similar to blades of grass
(B) can reach water very far underground
(C) are what some plants have instead of leaves
(D) help keep the plants from being eaten by animals

10. In what form do drought-avoiding annuals wait for wetter weather?

(A) stems (B) flowers
(C) roots (D) seeds

11. The word dormant in the passage is closet in meaning to

(A) dry (B) inactive
(C) dead (D) weak

12. According to the author, all of the following are associated with plants that exhibit "minimum
variance behavior" EXCEPT
(A) slow growth (B) modified respiration
(C) rapid seed production (D) deep root systems

13. Directions: Complete the table below. Select the appropriate phrases from the answer choices and
match them to the type of desert plant to which they relate. TWO of the answer choices will NOT
be used. This question is worth 4 points.

Answer Choices Succulents

(A) Develop shallow but extensive root systems •

(B) Can reach water deep underground • ,
(C) Store water in thick, fleshy tissue •
(D) Grow better in rainy climates than in deserts
(E) May grow rapidly and die quickly Xerophytes
(F) Produce exceptionally large numbers of flowers •
(G) Grow together in thick clusters that form living fences •
(H) Are the predominant vegetation type in most arid regions
(I) Respire at night to minimize water loss Annuals

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 TOEFL iBT Practice Test . .Sp?:; j^view «j|ack jfe -M jwp
Reading : e
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00 : 20 : 00

Maps and Cartography

Though valuable as antiques and

strikingly beautiful, the much-admired
maps of a f e w centuries ago are virtually
worthless to anyone trying to actually
get somewhere. Having only patchy
information about the places they mapped,
and working with technology that w a s
fairly unsophisticated, cartographers of
that period routinely misrepresented real
landmasses and even invented many
places that do not exist at all. The large
gap between the cartography of the
past and that of the present points to an
impressive evolution in mapmaking
techniques since humans first sketched
routes in the sand with their fingers or carved star maps on cave walls.
The first graphic that looks to modern eyes liko a map, found in the icmains of an Anatolian
village named Catalhoyuk is probably about 9,000 yeais old. Babylonian maps etched on clay
tablets date back to about 6,000 B.C. Millennia later, around 350 B.C., the Greek philosopher
Aristotle argued that the Earth was not flat, but spherical. Cartographers such as Eratosthenes
used Aristotle's concept of a spherical world, and in A.D. 150 or so, Ptolemy's hugely influential
Geographia began circulating. In it,:Ptolemy applied.a grid of latitudes and longitudes based on
'degrees of arc. In hindsight; it can be seen that his calculations were based on underestimates'
tof the Earth's size, but they nevertheless represented huge strides for•science-based .cartography. 1

Geographia w a s widely read and often copied—with additions by most later scribes—for a
millennium and a half.
Evidence indicates that mapmaking during the Middle Ages, roughly from the 5 to 14 th th

centuries, thrived in the hands of cartographers outside mainland Europe. For example, the
Islamic cartographer A b u Abdullah Al-ldrisi, born in Arab-ruled Spain but working in Sicily
under the patronage of King Roger II, did his most notable work in the early 12 century. He th

produced a book of maps and geographical principles based not only on Ptolemy's work, but
also on reports from the written accounts of paid travelers. Cartographers in China, where
naval exploration w a s booming during this period, produced innovative maps as well, notably
of Asia's Pacific and Indian Ocean coasts.
In Europe at this time, the scientific techniques previously favored by the Greeks fell into
disuse. Most now maps SP'VHI n-liqious purposes .-iiid were less runc'-MriwI with qecjijiripliical
accuracy than with ecclesiastical correctness. • A ) In this era ot the Crusades, w h e n European
armies attempted to conquer the "Holy L a n d " of Palestine, Jerusalem w a s often located in the
center of the map. • B) W i t h such attention focused on lands east of Europe, most maps
were drawn with east at the top, unlike today's (and Ptolemy's) practice of placing north in
that position. • C) Maps during these years were all still reproduced manually by scribes, so
.they did not circulate very widely. • D)
Technology that aided the wider -distribution"; of maps came into use in Europe during the
Renaissance, a period of intellectual rediscovery lasting from the early 1300s to the mid-1600s.
This was an era of towering achievements, such as Kepler's model of planetary motion, DaVinci's
engineering, and Shakespeare's literature. Johannes Gutenberg completed his first moveable-type
printing press in 1440, ushering in an entirely new age for maps. Since they could n o w be
reproduced precisely in large volumes, many more copies were circulated. Maps also became
II
more affordable, and every copy was as accurate as the original—as long as the template'from
which they were printed did not wear down. At first, the maps were engraved on wooden blocks,
then pressed with ink and transferred onto paper. In the early 16 th
century, an even more
durable template—engraved copper plates—became common.
The mid- to late Renaissance is sometimes called the A g e of Exploration, a period w h e n
European states—notably Portugal, Holland, Spain, France, and England—sent sailing expeditions
worldwide to find and claim foreign lands. During this time, maps of sailing routes, previously
uncharted coasts, and entire continents n e w to the Europeans were in constant demand and
very influential. A 1507 map by Martin Waldseemuller, primarily based on the accounts of a
traveler named Amerigo Vespucci (far more popular than accounts by Christopher Columbus
at the time), applied the name " A m e r i c a " to the southern part of the New World. The name
w a s picked up by master cartographer Gerardus Mercator for his 1538 world map and w a s
generalized to include both North and South America. Thus, an enduring name was born.
Mercator is best known today for his ingenious method of drawing a spherical world on a flat
piece of paper, known as the Mercator projection. Other beautifully illustrated maps of this
period, such as those by the Flemish master Willem Janszoon Blaeu, sell fpr hundreds of
thousands of dollars at modern auctions, despite (or perhaps because of) their quaintly inaccurate
depictions of distant lands and the monsters that supposedly lived there.

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14. Why does the author characterize certain old maps as "virtually worthless?"
(A) To show that a map's beauty used to be more important than its accuracy
(B) To discourage readers from purchasing old maps at antique auctions
(C) To give an example of how an ancient technology was superior to a modern one
(D) To encourage readers to visit local antique shops in search of historical maps

15. The word evolution in the passage is closest in meaning to

(A) definition (B) revolution
(C) sophistication (D) progression

16. According to information in paragraph 2, degrees of arc are used to describe

(A) concepts (B) grids
(C) flat things (D) round things

17. Which of the following best expresses the essential information in the highlighted sentence in the
passage? Incorrect choices change the meaning in important ways or leave out essential information.
(A) Ptolemy's book was important even though it miscalculated the progress of mapmaking.
(B) Despite asserting that the planet was bigger than it really is, Ptolemy's book was influential
among mapmakers.
(C) Although Ptolemy's calculations were incorrect, his book contributed a lot to the
advancement of cartography.
(D) He may have made some mathematical errors, but Ptolemy was the first cartographer to use
science in making maps.

18. Which of the following can be inferred from the passage about Islamic cartography in the Middle Ages?
(A) It was not based on scientific principles.
(B) It was more progressive than European mapmaking.
(C) It was based mostly on information from sailors.
(D) It was helpful to European armies invading Islamic lands.

19. Look at the four squares [•] that indicate where the following sentence could be added to the passage.

The English verb to orient, meaning " t o point someone in the proper direction," derives
from this practice of orienting maps—giving east its supposedly proper position at the top.

Where would the sentence best fit? Choose the square [•] where the sentence should be added
to the passage.
(A) 1 square
st
(B) 2 square
n d

(C) 3" square

1
(D) 4 square
th
20. The word they|in the passage refers to
(A) years (B) scribes
(C) techniques
iques (D) maps

2 1 . The word distributionjin the passage is closest in meaning to

(A) circulation (B) printing
(C) people (Di planning

22. Which of the following is true, according to paragraph 5?

(A) DaVinci's engineering work led to the development of Gutenberg's printing press.
(B) Kepler mapped the solar system to demonstrate planetary motion.
(C) DaVinci, Kepler, and Shakespeare achieved great things during the Renaissance.
(D) Gutenberg's press was larger than pre-Renaissance technology permitted.

23. The word template in the passage is closest in meaning to

(A) basic concept (B) original pattern
(C) printing press (D) paper stock

24. The passage states that the invention of the printing press made maps all of the following EXCEPT
(A) less fragile (B) less expensive
(C) more accurate (D) more available

25. According to paragraph 6, the name America appeared on the 1507 map because Waldseemuller
(A) had never heard of Columbus's voyages
(B) considered Vespucci the true discoverer of the New World
(C) had used Vespucci's accounts as a source of information
(D) wanted to use the name before Mercator did

26. Directions: An introductory sentence for a brief summary of the passage is provided below.
Complete the summary by selecting the THREE answer choices that express the most important ideas
in the passage. Some sentences do not belong in the summary because they express ideas that are
not presented in the passage or are minor ideas in the passage. This question is worth 2 points.

The history of cartography reflects the evolution of human

ideas and technology through several important periods.

Answer Choices
(A) The ancient Greeks applied scientific and mathematical principles to mapmaking.
(B) Maps became more popular among common people during the Middle Ages.
(C) Mapmaking during the Middle Ages declined in Europe but progressed elsewhere.
(D) During the Renaissance, improvements in printing made maps more accurate and more
widely distributed.
(E) Modern computer users can easily access highly accurate maps derived from satellite imagery.
(F) Achievements by DaVinci and Shakespeare helped cartography evolve after the Middle Ages.
 Listening Section

Directions
This section measures your ability to understand conversations and lectures in English.

The Listening Section is divided into two separately timed parts. In each part, you will listen to
one conversation and two lectures. You will hear each conversation or lecture one time.

After each conversation or lecture, you will answer some questions about it. The questions
typically ask about the main idea and supporting details. Some questions ask about a speaker's
purpose or attitude. Answer the questions based on what is stated or implied by the speakers.

You may take notes while you listen. You may use your notes to help you answer. Your notes will
not be scored.

In some questions, you will see this icon: . This means that you will hear, but not see, part
of the question.

Some of the questions have special directions. These directions appear in a gray box.

Most questions are worth 1 point. If a question is worth more than 1 point, it will have directions
that indicate how many points you can receive.

You must answer each question. Once you answer a question, you may not go back and change
your answer.

You may now begin the Listening Section. In this part, you will listen to one conversation and
two lectures. You will have thirty minutes to listen and answer the questions.

When you are ready to continue, go to the next page.