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Chpater 3 Worksheet 3

(based on Milanda Broukal. 2002. In-a-Flash Reading for the TOEFL Test. Thomson)

Read the passages and answer the questions that follow.

Vocabulary Preview
noun verb adjective, adverb others
air mass
droplet
the globe
forecast polar

examples
Some of the vapor condenses as tiny liquid droplets that cool rapidly.
tourists from every corner of the globe
Experts are forecasting a recovery in the economy.
As our climate warms up, the polar ice caps will begin to melt.

definitions
1. a small drop of a liquid ( )
2. to say what you think will happen in the future based on information that you have now
( )
3. [meteorology] a huge, uniform body of air having the properties of its place of origin ( )
4. connected with, or near the North or South Pole ( )
5. the world (used especially to emphasize its size) ( )

pasaage
Weather is created by the heat of the sun. When the sun shines on the earth, the air close to the surface
heats up, expands, and rises. The higher it goes, the cooler it becomes. Meanwhile, an area of warmer,
low-pressure air forms below it. Winds are caused by air moving from an area of high pressure to one of
low pressure. The closer the pressure centers are to each other, and the greater the pressure difference
between them, the stronger the wind will be.
High- and low-pressure air masses travel the globe and cause major weather changes. When a cold,
high-pressure polar air mass meets an extremely low-pressure tropical air mass, their combination can
produce intense storms such as typhoons, hurricanes, and tornadoes. Less severe weather conditions are
often caused by small, local pressure areas. A mild rainstorm occurs when rising warm air combines with
cool air. Clouds are created as the moist warm air cools and condenses to form water droplets. When
clouds reach a saturation point, or the point at which they can no longer contain their moisture, the
droplets fall to earth as rain or snow.
Weather forecasters look at the movement of warm and cold air masses and try to predict how they
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will behave. Although weather forecasting is not completely accurate, satellites, sophisticated instruments,
and computers make weather prediction far more accurate today than in the past. The advantages of
weather prediction are numerous, but in the end, nature does whatever it pleases. We may attempt to
predict weather, but we cannot control it.

questions
1. What does it in line 3 refer to?
2. What does them in the last line of the first paragraph refer to?
3. What does their in the second paragraph refer to?
4. What do you think the word intense in the second paragraph means? Find another word with a
similar meaning in the sentences near it.
5. According to the second paragraph, what happens when air condenses? What do you think
condenses means here?
6. What does saturation point in the second paragraph mean? Where in the passage is the meaning of
the saturation point given?
7. What do you think sophisticated in the third paragraph means? Use the context to guess the meaning.



Vocabulary Preview
noun verb adjective, adverb others
polygraph
respiration

bounce
contradict
evaluate
flinch
guarantee
incriminate
rev up
tense
galvanic
neutral
physiologically
practiced



examples
The suspect was given a polygraph test.
Give the child artificial respiration if needed.
The bank charges 30 for a bounced check.
The article flatly contradicts their claims.
It can be difficult to evaluate the effectiveness of different treatments.
The man flinched at the sight of blood.
The law guarantees equal rights for men and women.
He refused to answer questions for fear he might incriminate himself.
Investors keep putting money in U.S. companies, revving up the economy even more.
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He tensed himself, listening to see if anything had followed him.
a galvanic cell
So you told her? he said in a neutral tone of voice.
A practiced observer would quickly notice changes in the birds behavior.

definitions
1. to disagree with something, especially by saying that the opposite is true ( )
2. deliberately not expressing any strong feeling ( )
3. a piece of equipment that is used by the police to find out whether someone is telling the truth
( )
4. to make your muscles tight and stiff ( )
5. to excite or stir up; to make more active or effective ( )
6. if a bank ( ) a check, the bank will not pay any money because there is not enough
money in the account of the person who wrote it
7. [technical] relating to the production of electricity ( )
8. to make someone seem guilty of a crime ( )
9. [technical] the process of breathing ( )
10. in a way that is characteristic of normal functioning of the body ( )
11. to promise to do something or to promise that something will happen ( )
12. to feel embarrassed or upset ( )
13. someone who is ( ) in a particular job or skill is good at it because they have done it
many times before
14. to judge how good, useful, or successful something is ( )

passage
Although lie detectors are being used by governments, police departments, and businesses that all
want guaranteed ways of detecting the truth, the results are not always accurate. Lie detectors are properly
called emotion detectors, for their aim is to measure bodily changes that contradict what a person says.
The polygraph machine records changes in heart rate, breathing, blood pressure, and the electrical activity
of the skin (galvanic skin response, or GSR). In the first part of the polygraph test, you are electronically
connected to the machine and asked a few neutral questions (What is your name? Where do you
live?). Your physical reactions serve as the standard (baseline) for evaluating what comes next. Then you
are asked a few critical questions among the neutral ones (When did you rob the bank?). The
assumption is that if you are guilty, your body will reveal the truth, even if you try to deny it. Your heart
rate, respiration, and GSR will change abruptly as you respond to the incriminating questions.
That is the theory; but psychologists have found that lie detectors are simply not reliable. Since most
physical changes are the same across the emotions, machines cannot tell whether you are feeling guilty,
angry, nervous, thrilled, or revved up from an exciting day. Innocent people may be tense and nervous
about the whole procedure. They may react physiologically to a certain word (bank) not because they
robbed it, but because they recently bounced a check. In either case, the machine will record a lie. The
reverse mistake is also common. Some practiced liars can lie without flinching, and others learn to beat
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the machine by tensing muscles or thinking about an exciting experience during neutral questions.

questions
1. In the first paragraph, the word ones refers to
(A) reactions (B) evaluations (C) questions (D) standards
2. The word it in the first paragraph refers to
(A) the question (B) the assumption (C) the truth (D) your body
3. In the first paragraph, the word assumption could be best replaced with
(A) statement (B) belief (C) faith (D) imagining



Vocabulary Preview
noun verb adjective, adverb others
backdrop
blade
blockade-runner
breakthrough
illusion
rebel
saber
sequence
special effect
storyboard
attach A to B
coat A with B
computerize
contrive
enhance
miniaturize
motorize
pan
swivel
tilt
track
ingenious
reflective
to scale

examples
The sea made a splendid backdrop to the garden.
The blade of the knife flashed in the moonlight.
Scientists have made a major breakthrough in the treatment of cancer.
The mirrors in the room gave an illusion of greater space.
Anti-government rebels attacked the town.
At his hip hung a massively heavy saber with an ivory hilt.
The report detailed the sequence of events that led to the war.
The films special effects are amazing.
Attach a recent photograph to your application form.
When the biscuits are cool, you can coat them with melted chocolate.
a scheme to computerize the library service
Richter contrived a scale to measure the force of an earthquake.
The publicity has done little to enhance his reputation.
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a miniaturized listening device
a motorized wheelchair
She swiveled around to look at him.
The seat tilts forward when you press this lever.
Many fish have ingenious ways of protecting their eggs from predators.
Bicyclists should wear reflective vests at night.
All our models are made to scale.

definitions
1. a ship that runs through a blockade ( )
2. to make or invent something in a skilful way, especially because you need it suddenly ( )
3. to follow a moving object or person with a moving camera ( )
4. someone who opposes or fights against people in authority ( )
5. to equip a vehicle or machine with a motor or motors ( )
6. to cover something with a thin layer of something else ( )
7. [literary] the scenery behind something that you are looking at; background ( )
8. to swing a film camera horizontally to get a panoramic effect or to follow a moving object
( )
9. a panel or series of panels on which a set of sketches is arranged depicting consecutively the important
changes of scene and action in a series of shots for a film or television show ( )
10. to turn around quickly and face a different direction ( )
11. something that seems to be different from the way it really is ( )
12. to move or make something move into a position where one side is higher than the other
( )
13. a plan, idea, or object that is ( ) works well and is the result of clever thinking and new
ideas
14. a light pointed sword with one sharp edge used in fencing ( )
15. to improve something ( )
16. an unusual image or sound that has been produced artificially to be used in a film or television
program ( )
17. to use a computer to control the way something is done, to store information etc ( )
18. an important new discovery in something you are studying, especially one made after trying for a long
time ( )
19. a ( ) surface reflects light
20. to fasten or connect one object to another ( )
21. a series of related events, actions etc that happen or are done in a particular order ( )
22. If something is made or drawn ( ), all its parts are the same size and shape in relation to
each other as they are in the thing represented
23. to make something in a very small size ( )
24. the flat cutting part of a tool or weapon ( )

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passage
George Lucass Star Wars changed the direction of American film with some of the most ingenious
special effects contrived for movies of its time. Twenty-two months were spent on the special effects,
including the six months needed to design the equipment and the more than 1,000 story boards for the
effects sequences.
A special computerized camera, called a Dykstraflex, was designed to give the illusion of real screen
movement. This system, controlled by the camera operator, enabled him or her to pan, tilt, and track
around the model, always keeping it in focus. The breakthrough was the cameras ability to repeat the
identical movements from shot to shot; thus the effects sequences could be built like a music track, layer
upon layer. The illusion was complete: none of the spaceships in Star Wars ever movedonly the camera
did.
The star-field backdrop in space was made by punching holes in black plexiglass. More than 75
models were constructed, with astonishing detail work. On the rebel blockade runner, artists built a tiny
cockpit, all done to scale. The miniaturized laser canons were fully motorized to swivel and tilt by remote
control. The light sabers were four-sided blades coated with reflective aluminum attached to a small
motor. When rotated, they created a flashing light later enhanced by animation.

questions
1. The word some in line 1 refers to
(A) American films (B) direction (C) movies (D) special effects
2. In line 2, the word contrived could be best replaced with which of the following?
(A) Discovered (B) Created (C) Performed (D) Utilized
3. In the second paragraph, this system refers to
(A) the creation of an illusion (B) screen movement (C) panning and tilting around a model
(D) a special computerized camera
4. The word it m the second paragraph refers to
(A) the model (B) the camera (C) the focus (D) the system
5. The word they in the last line refers to the
(A) miniaturized laser cannons (B) artists (C) four-sided blades (D) seventy-five models



Vocabulary Preview
noun verb adjective, adverb others
disposition
lagoon
sediment
skeleton
decompose
deposit
erode
evaporate
fossilize
grade
abundant
microscopic
organic

give rise to
in ones own right

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examples
a map showing the disposition of American forces
a thick layer of sediment at the bottom of the lake
We watched her go from a healthy girl to a skeleton in just a few months.
a partially decomposed body
As the river slows down, it deposits a layer of soil.
The cliffs are being constantly eroded by heavy seas.
The high concentration of sugars forms a syrup when the sap evaporates.
fossilized dinosaur bones
Pencils are graded according to softness.
an abundant supply of fresh water
Inspectors discovered microscopic cracks in the hull of the submarine.
Adding organic matter such as manure can improve the soil.
The Presidents absence has given rise to speculation about his health.
Shes a very wealthy woman in her own right.

definitions
1. if the weather ( ) rock or soil, its surface is gradually destroyed
2. extremely small and therefore very difficult to see ( )
3. a lake of sea water that is partly separated from the sea by rocks, sand, or coral ( )
4. produced by or from living things ( )
5. to decay or make something decay ( )
6. [formal] to be the reason why something happens, especially something bad or unpleasant
( )
7. [geology] sand, stones, mud, etc carried by water or wind and left on the bottom of a lake, river, etc
( )
8. existing or available in large quantities so that there is more than enough ( )
9. the structure consisting of all the bones in a human or animal body ( )
10. (of a liquid) to change into a gas ( )
11. to say what level of a quality something has, or what standard it is ( )
12. the position or arrangement of something in a particular place ( )
13. to become or form a fossil by being preserved in rock ( )
14. to leave a layer of a substance on the surface of something, especially gradually ( )
15. by virtue of ones own qualifications or properties ( )

passage
There are three main types of sedimentary rocks, which are classified according to the origin and size
of their particles. One type, called evaporites, is formed from chemically derived sediments. For example,
an inland sea might evaporate and leave a deposit of rock salt.
The second type is derived entirely from organic material. Since it is a fossil in its own right, it is
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called fossiliferous rock. Fossiliferous rocks, such as limestones and chalks, are formed from
calcium-based skeletons of tiny organisms deposited on the seabed. Some limestones are fossilized
corals; others, known as tufa, are derived from mosses and other plants that grow beside hot springs.
Carbon-based rocks, such as coal and jet, are the remains of plant material laid down in huge quantities.
The remains of sponges and microscopic diatoms constitute rocks such as chert and flint.
The third type of sedimentary rock is clastic. It is formed from eroded particles of other rocks and is
graded according to the size of these particles. Fine shales are perhaps the most significant sedimentary
rocks covering the earth.
The sedimentary rocks most likely to contain fossils are those that were laid down in places where
there was abundant life and where disposition was rapid enough to bury the organisms before their bodies
were broken up and decomposed. The sandy bottoms of shallow, calm seas, river deltas, lagoons, and
deserts are the most likely places to give rise to fossils. The finer the sediment, the finer the detail
recorded in them. Details such as the fur of those reptilian flyers, the pterosaurs, are only visible because
they were fossilized in exceptionally fine limestone.

questions
1. In line 2, the word their refers to
(A) particles (B) sedimentary rocks (C) origin and size (D) classification
2. In the second paragraph, the word material refers to
(A) cloth (B) articles (C) matter (D) values
3. The word others in the second paragraph refers to
(A) fossilized corals (B) limestones (C) tiny organisms (D) mosses
4. To which of the following does the word those in the third paragraph refer?
(A) sedimentary rocks (B) fossils (C) organisms (D) fine shales
5. The word them in the third paragraph refers to
(A) sediments (B) fossils (C) details (D) limestones



Vocabulary Preview
noun verb adjective, adverb others
current
disruption
drought
episode
oscillation
pressure
precipitation
initiate

consequently
meteorological
trade
in response to

examples
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Strong currents can be very dangerous for swimmers.
The strike caused widespread disruption.
A severe drought has caused most of the corn crop to fail.
Susan has had several episodes of depression lately.
When the string is long, regardless of the weight, the oscillation of the pendulum is always slow.
A ridge of high pressure is building up strongly over the Atlantic.
In the last four days, weve had three inches of precipitation.
They have decided to initiate legal proceedings against the newspaper.
Most computer users have never received any formal keyboard training. Consequently, their keyboard
skills are inefficient.
satellites that provide meteorological data to the National Weather Service
The law was passed in response to public pressure.

definitions
1. an event or a short period of time during which something happens ( )
2. [technical] rain, snow etc that falls on the ground, or the amount of rain, snow etc that falls
( )
3. a continuous movement of water in a river, lake, or sea ( )
4. of or relating to meteorology (=the scientific study of weather conditions) ( )
5. the force of the atmosphere on the earths surface, which affects the weather ( )
6. of or relating to trade wind(=a tropical wind that blows towards the equator from either the northeast or
the southeast) ( )
7. a long period of dry weather when there is not enough water for plants and animals to live
( )
8. [formal] to arrange for something important to start, such as an official process or a new plan
( )
9. [formal or technical] frequent changes between two extreme amounts or limits ( )
10. as a reaction to something that has happened or been said ( )
11. a situation in which something is prevented from continuing in its usual way ( )
12. as a result ( )

passage
Every year in late December, a southward-moving current warms the water along the Pacific coast of
Peru. Because the warm current arrives around Christmas, the Peruvians named it El Nino, boychild.
Until the mid-1970s, El Nino was an unrecognized local phenomenon, until scientists began to realize
that El Nino, later named El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO), is part of a huge ocean and atmosphere
system that is felt as far away as Australia and Indonesia.
Every few years the El Nino current is warmer than normal, causing greater ocean warming and
consequently changes in the normal patterns of sea and surface temperatures. The resulting changes in
atmospheric pressure affect trade speeds and the location of the largest thunderstorms, thus affecting
weather patterns around the world. The shift in location of the Pacifics largest thunderstorms, which
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usually occur from the Western Pacific to the Central Pacific, changes global weather patterns because the
thunderstorms pump air into the atmosphere in different places than normal. The result is a shift in the
location of high- and low-pressure areas, wind patterns, and the paths followed by storms.
From 1982 to 1983 the El Nino condition caused greater than average precipitation along the U.S.
West Coast and sent five hurricanes to French Polynesia, which normally goes years without hurricanes.
That same year, El Nino was linked to floods in Louisiana, Florida, Cuba, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia, and
to droughts in Hawaii, Mexico, Southern Africa, the Philippines, Indonesia, and Australia.
In response to the 1982-83 global weather disruption, the World Meteorological Organization initiated
the Tropical Ocean and Global Atmosphere (TOGA) program. The goal of the ten-year program is to gain
understanding of El Nino so scientists can forecast future E1 Nino episodes and their likely results.

questions
1. In line 2 the word it refers to
(A) December (B) the warm current (C) Christmas (D) the coast of Peru
2. To what does the word that in the first paragraph refer?
(A) the local phenomenon (B) the ocean and atmosphere system (C) The El Nino Southern Oscillation
(D) Scientists
3. In the second paragraph the word which refers to
(A) shifts in location (B) global weather patterns (C) the atmosphere (D) thunderstorms
4. In the fourth paragraph the word initiated could best be replaced with which of the following?
(A) produced (B) established (C) disrupted (D) responded to
5. The word their in the last line refers to
(A) scientists (B) ten years (C) future EI Nino episodes (D) the program



Vocabulary Preview
noun verb adjective, adverb others
drag
friction

hamper
precede
subject A to B
conventional
subsonic

in accordance with
make ones way

examples
The cars rounded edges reduce drag.
Putting oil on both surfaces reduces friction.
An attempt to rescue the men has been hampered by bad weather.
Lunch will be preceded by a short speech from the chairman.
Police subjected him to hours of questioning.
Internet connections through conventional phone lines are fairly slow.
subsonic aircraft
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Use this product only in accordance with the manufacturers instructions.
Its getting late. We should make our way home soon.

definitions
1. slower than the speed of sound ( )
2. to go towards something, especially when this is difficult or takes a long time ( )
3. to happen or exist before something or someone, or to come before something else in a series
( )
4. the force of air that pushes against an aircraft or a vehicle that is moving forward ( )
5. to make it difficult for someone to do something ( )
6. [formal] according to a rule, system etc ( )
7. [technical] the natural force that prevents one surface from sliding easily over another surface
( )
8. a ( ) method, product, practice etc has been used for a long time and is considered the
usual type
9. to force someone or something to experience something very unpleasant, especially over a long time
( )

passage
Planes arc subjected to drag forces because an object moving forward through the air is hampered by
it to a greater or lesser extent, since the air or any gas has friction. A plane in subsonic flight is preceded
by the pressure waves it creates as it makes its way through the air. These pressure waves push away the
air in front of the plane so there is less drag than would otherwise be the case. But when a plane reaches
sonic speed, or the speed of sound, the pressure waves no longer precede the plane. They no longer push
away any of the air in front of the craft, so the drag forces become much greater. The large rise in drag as
the plane approaches Mach 1, or the speed of sound, is referred to as the sonic barrier.
Even a conventional subsonic plane traveling at a speed below Mach 1 can encounter an extreme rise
in drag. This is because the pressure over the wing is decreased as the wing moves through the air. This
results from the increase in the speed of the air stream over the wing in accordance with the law of
physics called Bernoullis Principle.

questions
1. The word subjected in line 1 is closest in meaning to which of the following?
(A) affected (B) hampered (C) confronted (D) exposed
2. In line 2, the word it refers to
(A) drag force (B) the object moving forward (C) the air (D) the plane
3. The word it in line 3 refers to
(A) a plane in subsonic flight (B) a pressure wave (C) air or any gas (D) drag force
4. In line 5, the word they refers to
(A) planes reaching sonic speed (B) pressure waves (C) drag forces (D) conventional subsonic planes
5. To which of the following does the word this in This is because in the second paragraph refer?
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(A) a decrease in pressure over the wing
(B) an increase in the speed of the air stream over the wing
(C) pressure waves preceding the plane
(D) a rise in drag encountered by a subsonic plane