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What body of water does The Golden Gate Bridge cross?
The Golden Gate Bridge
Linking San Francisco to Marin County in California, the Golden Gate Bridge is one of the most famous bridges in the world. The bridge crosses over a narrow strait which connects the Pacific Ocean to San Francisco Bay. Prior to the bridge, people traveled by ferry boat across the strait.
Although most people thought a bridge was necessary to expedite travel, some residents of the Bay Area felt the risk of building the bridge was too great. Joseph Strauss believed that nothing was impossible and dreams would never come to fruition if risks weren’t taken. So he decided to gather the best and brightest builders, architects, and workers to embark on the challenge of building a bridge across the Golden Gate Strait.
With safety nets in place, the construction began in 1937. Building the anchorages first, the builders then moved on to the towers on each end, and then to the three-foot thick cables to support the suspension bridge. Lastly, workers labored to complete the roadway, which became the most dangerous and treacherous part of the entire task. The builders had to keep the bridge balanced so it wouldn’t fall into the bay.
Today, over sixty-five years later, the bridge remains a life-line for the people of the San Francisco Bay Area.
Marin Strait.
San Francisco Bay.
Pacific Ocean.
Golden Gate Strait.
Correct Answer:
Golden Gate Strait.
Explanation:
The passage clearly states that the Golden Gate Bridge was built to cross the Golden Gate Strait, which is the narrow body of water connecting the Pacific Ocean to San Francisco Bay.
Why Other Options are Wrong:
Marin Strait:
There is no such body of water mentioned in the passage. Marin is a county, not a strait.
San Francisco Bay:
While the bridge connects to the Bay, the passage explicitly says it crosses a strait, not the bay itself.
Pacific Ocean:
The strait connects to the Pacific Ocean, but the bridge does not span the Pacific—it spans the strait.
The author seems to
Voice
What effect does your voice have on others? Does it persuade or irritate, attract or repel? One of the worst qualities is harshness. If you ever get the feeling that people are uncomfortable when you speak, it may be that your harsh tones are jarring their eardrums. Your voice will sound unpleasant if it is shrill, grating, hard, piercing, brassy, too loud, or too nasal. Harsh voice qualities usually come from too much tension in the throat and jaw. Tension tightens muscles and blocks the relaxed voice tones essential to a pleasing impression. Because tension occurs in higher pitched voices, women tend to have shriller voices than men, which usually makes them less desirable public speakers, newscasters, or political candidates.
Prefer shrill, grating, and brassy voices.
Prefer low-pitched tones.
Be an experienced public speaker.
Have no particular reactions to different voices.
Correct Answer:
Prefer low-pitched tones.
Explanation:
The passage repeatedly criticizes high-pitched, harsh, or tense voices and promotes “relaxed voice tones” for a pleasing impression, implying a preference for smoother, often lower-pitched voices.
Why Other Options are Wrong:
Prefer shrill, grating, and brassy voices:
These are described negatively—unpleasant and harsh.
Be an experienced public speaker:
The passage doesn’t indicate the author’s personal speaking experience.
Have no particular reactions to different voices:
The author clearly expresses strong preferences and opinions on vocal qualities.
I have a major problem with Daylight Saving Time (DST). I really wish they would abolish the practice of changing the time on us every year. "Spring ahead, Fall back" should disappear from our language.
Although an early goal of DST was to reduce evening usage of incandescent lighting, formerly a primary use of electricity, modern heating and cooling usage patterns greatly differ, and research about how DST currently affects energy use is limited and often contradictory. The reason for the time shift has become irrelevant. DST's occasional clock shifts present other challenges. They complicate timekeeping and can disrupt meetings, travel, billing, record keeping, medical devices, and heavy equipment. Many computerbased systems can adjust their clocks automatically, but this can be limited and errorprone, particularly when DST rules change. I vote to abolish DST. Can I count on your vote?
What statement is true based on the information in the article?
What is the main reason that athletes want to participate in the Olympics?
The Summer Olympic Games
Once every four years the countries of the world send their best and brightest to participate in the Summer Olympic Games. The site for the event is decided years before, and most countries contend strongly for the privilege to host the Games. The 2008 games were held in Beijing, China.
There is a lot of pageantry and tradition attached to the event. The opening ceremony is elaborate and awe-inspiring. China put on a spectacularly beautiful fireworks display to welcome the world’s athletes in 2008.
The track events, water events (swimming, diving), and precision activities such as archery and rhythmic gymnastics are wonderful to watch. Seeing these athletes perform their special skills is a treat for those of us who achieve a vicarious satisfaction from it. Everyone roots for the athletes from their own country and we thrill when our anthem is played during the medal ceremony. Being an Olympian is an honor every athlete dreams of.
They get a sizable stipend for their performance.
They have a patriotic pride in their performance.
Travel to foreign countries.
They can win a scholarship for future education.
Correct Answer:
They have a patriotic pride in their performance.
Explanation:
The passage emphasizes that athletes are honored to represent their countries and that “being an Olympian is an honor every athlete dreams of.” It also states that “everyone roots for the athletes from their own country,” suggesting a strong sense of national pride. This makes it clear that athletes are largely motivated by patriotic feelings and a desire to bring pride to their country.
Why Other Options are Wrong:
They get a sizable stipend for their performance:
The passage does not mention any monetary reward or stipend as a motivation. In fact, the tone focuses on tradition, honor, and pride rather than financial gain.
Travel to foreign countries:
While athletes do travel, the text does not imply that this is the main reason they participate. The emphasis is instead on representing their country and the honor of competing.
They can win a scholarship for future education:
There is no mention in the passage of scholarships or educational benefits tied to participation in the Olympics.
The author’s motive for writing the paragraph seems to have been to
Food
Food and drink are necessary and desirable, but their abuse can cause serious physical and mental problems. Many physicians believe that overeating is one of the country's main health problems, since it places a great strain on the heart, can lead to diabetes, and often shortens the individual’s life span. To fill an emotional void, people often turn to food when they are bored or lonely.
Another area of concern is alcohol consumption. The results of alcohol abuse are widely publicized. The social drinker who becomes alcoholic, the drunken driver’s contribution to highway deaths, spousal and child abuse, are all concomitant problems associated with alcohol abuse.
Urge self-control.
Explain the need for physical exercise.
Describe the social consequences of overeating.
Urge strict legislation of alcohol.
Correct Answer:
Urge self-control.
Explanation:
The author’s main goal is to highlight the consequences of abusing food and drink — not their use. Words like “desirable,” “necessary,” and “abuse” paired with phrases like “to fill an emotional void” imply that people need to be mindful and controlled in their consumption. The tone and focus are personal, not political or social.
Why Other Options are Wrong:
Explain the need for physical exercise:
Exercise is not mentioned anywhere in the passage. The focus is entirely on consumption habits and their effects.
Describe the social consequences of overeating:
While some consequences of overeating are mentioned, they are mostly physical (heart strain, diabetes, shorter life span). Social consequences are more connected to alcohol abuse, not food.
Urge strict legislation of alcohol:
The paragraph does not advocate for laws or regulation. It simply highlights the problems that accompany alcohol abuse, not proposing legal solutions.
The author suggests several ways to deal with phobias. Which is not a strategy to deal with phobias?
Phobias
“Don’t be afraid.” Sounds simple, but for some people it’s not. Having the normal reaction of being scared or frightened helps you to survive threats of all kinds, both physical and verbal. Most mild fears are outgrown during childhood; however, severe fears, called phobias, are extreme and unreasonable. Phobias cause out-of-control feelings such as sickness, headaches, ulcers, and high blood pressure. Specific phobias center around things, activities, or situations while people with social phobias feel anxiety over social settings where they fear embarrassing situations.
Another type of phobia called panic disorder causes people to sweat, tremble, or even faint due to overwhelming panic which may occur at any time.
By talking, breathing deeply, and visualizing, a person can gain control over debilitating phobias.
Breathing deeply.
Visualizing.
Talking.
Taking medication.
Correct Answer:
Taking medication.
Explanation:
The passage lists three strategies for dealing with phobias: talking, breathing deeply, and visualizing. These are all non pharmacological methods. It does not mention medication anywhere as a strategy.
Why Other Options are Wrong:
Breathing deeply:
Specifically mentioned in the last sentence as a calming technique.
Visualizing:
Also mentioned as a mental strategy to reduce fear.
Talking:
Included in the trio of coping methods in the final line of the passage.
Why is making counterfeit copies of the one dollar bill difficult?
Facts about the One Dollar Bill
As Americans, we should all know some statistics about our currency.
The one dollar bill is a fascinating document with a varied historical beginning. Consisting of a cotton and linen blend with minute red and blue silk fibers woven through it, the one dollar bill debuted in 1957. Due to the fact that the bill is constructed of material, laundering it does not cause any permanent harm. A special blend of ink created from a secret formula is used to write on the dollar bill, which acts as a deterrent to counterfeiters.
By sharing these important facts with others, a common understanding and appreciation of the one dollar bill is established.
The formula for the ink used is kept a secret.
The paper used is a special blend of materials.
Americans don’t know enough about the one dollar bill.
The intricate designs on the seals are hard to copy.
Correct Answer:
The formula for the ink used is kept a secret.
Explanation:
The passage clearly states: “A special blend of ink created from a secret formula is used to write on the dollar bill, which acts as a deterrent to counterfeiters.” This makes it evident that the secrecy of the ink formula is a major security feature that prevents counterfeiting.
Why Other Options are Wrong:
The paper used is a special blend of materials:
While the bill is made of a cotton and linen blend with silk fibers, the passage does not say this makes counterfeiting difficult. The ink is the specific element mentioned as a deterrent.
Americans don’t know enough about the one dollar bill:
This is irrelevant to the question. Public knowledge has no impact on a counterfeiter’s ability to replicate a bill.
The intricate designs on the seals are hard to copy:
This may be true in general for currency, but the passage does not mention designs or seals as obstacles to counterfeiting.
Children begin to taste freedom on bicycles. Historians believe that bicycles began around 3500 B.C. in the Middle East although it took 53 centuries before bicycles were fashioned in the way we know them today.
With over 1500 moving parts, bicycles are complex yet simple machines and amazingly the basic design has not changed since the 1880s. A few tweaks have been added, such as gears and hand-operated brakes, but bicycles remain a steady source of exercise and entertainment for both children and adults. Some forms of bicycling are mountain biking and BMX biking which is similar to cross-country motorcycle racing.
In many countries around the world, bicycles are a necessary part of daily existence. Bicycling in China is imperative if you want to go places, due to the vast population in a relatively small area. Bicycles are coming back in high demand all over the world.
In this passage the word taste means
The old wives' tale of "Lightning never strikes twice" has been proven untrue time and time again. Lightning forms from negative and positive charges within clouds and from the earth below. When these charges react with each other, the air between the cloud and the earth ionizes, which produces a lightning flash. Lightning is actually a series of multiple events consisting of a leader stroke of lightning, followed by as many as 40 smaller strokes of lightning. Being just split seconds apart, these strokes of lightning often reflect off the lining of the clouds.
Lightning rods that extend from above the roof to the ground protect buildings by forming a low resistance path for the lightning so that the lightning does not enter the building, but rather defuses as it penetrates the ground.
Some myths about lightning need to be explained. Lightning does strike tall buildings often, and during a particularly violent storm, a tall building may be hit by lightning several times. The safest place during a thunder and lightning storm is in a metal car or lying flat, face down, in the open, not under a tree as the myth suggests.
Many people believe that thunder and lightning are connected; however, this proves to be true only about 50% of the time, so if you're waiting for the clap of thunder, you're missing out on some exciting strokes of lightning!
Lightning causes injuries, deaths, and forest fires each year. However, some scientists reveal the positive aspects of lightning because it releases nitrogen into the atmosphere which the raindrops then deliver to earth to fertilize our soil.
From the passage, the reader can conclude that lightning:
As used in the last sentence of this paragraph, the term “concomitant” means
Food
Food and drink are necessary and desirable, but their abuse can cause serious physical and mental problems. Many physicians believe that overeating is one of the country's main health problems, since it places a great strain on the heart, can lead to diabetes, and often shortens the individual’s life span. To fill an emotional void, people often turn to food when they are bored or lonely.
Another area of concern is alcohol consumption. The results of alcohol abuse are widely publicized. The social drinker who becomes alcoholic, the drunken driver’s contribution to highway deaths, spousal and child abuse, are all concomitant problems associated with alcohol abuse.
Unpredictable.
Separate.
Quiet.
Accompanying.
Correct Answer:
Accompanying.
Explanation:
In the sentence, “concomitant problems associated with alcohol abuse” refers to the problems that go hand in hand with or occur alongside alcohol abuse. The word “concomitant” means something that accompanies or is associated with another thing. Here, it means that spousal abuse, child abuse, and highway deaths happen in connection with alcohol abuse.
Why Other Options are Wrong:
Unpredictable:
While alcohol abuse can lead to unpredictable behavior, the word “concomitant” does not mean unpredictable. It specifically refers to things that occur together or in relation to one another.
Separate:
“Separate” means not connected, which is the opposite of what “concomitant” implies. The sentence is highlighting problems that are directly associated with alcohol abuse.
Quiet:
“Quiet” has no relevance to the sentence or the idea being conveyed. The issues described are severe and publicized, not quiet or subtle.
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