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READING DAY 11 - READING PRACTICE 2

PASSAGE 1
Televisions show sounds and pictures. They get data from cables, discs, or over-the-air signals.
They turn this data into sounds and images. People watch news and shows on them. You probably
call them TVs.
John Baird made the first TV in 1925. It had one color. It could only show 30 lines. This was
just enough room for a face. It didn't work well, but it was a start.
The first TV station was set up in 1928. It was in New York. Few people had TVs. The broadcasts
were not meant to be watched. They showed a Felix the Cat doll for two hours a day. The doll spun
around on a record player. They were experimenting. It took many years to get it right.
By the end of the 1930s, TVs were working well. America got its first taste at the 1939 World's
Fair. This was one of the biggest events ever. There were 200 small, black and white TVs set up
around the fair. The U.S. President gave a speech over the TVs. The TVs were only five inches big
but the people loved it.
They wanted TVs. But World War II was going on during this time. Factories were busy making
guns and bombs. When the war was over, TV spread across the country.
By 1948 there were 4 big TV networks in America. They aired their shows from 8 to 11 each
night. Local shows were aired at other times. Most of the time, nothing was shown at all. TV was not
"always on" like it is now.
Color TVs came out in 1953. They cost too much money for most. Also, shows were aired in
black and white. By 1965, color TVs were cheaper. TV stations started airing shows in color. People
had to switch if they wanted to see the shows.
Now most TVs are high-def. This means that they have many lines on them. This makes the
image clear. TVs have come a long way since Baird's 30 line set. High-def TVs have 1080 lines.
There are state of the art sets called 4K TVs. These TVs have 3,840 lines. Some people watch TV in
3D. I wonder what they will come up with next. Smell-o-vision anyone?
1. When did color TVs come out?
A. 1925. B. 1953. C. 1939. D. 1965.
2. Which was NOT true about the first TV?
A. It could only show one color. C. It only had 30 lines.
B. It did not have sound. D. It did not work well.
3. When did networks start showing programs in color?
A. 1948. B. 1953. C. 1965. D. 1939.

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4. Why did the first TV station only show Felix the Cat for two hours a day?
A. They were running tests. C. Felix the Cat had been a big radio star.
B. Felix the Cat was really popular. D. Felix the Cat was the only show that they had.
5. Which of these events slowed the spread of TVs?
A. The World's Fair of 1939. C. The Civil War.
B. The election of the U.S. President. D. World War II.
6. What is the author's main purpose in writing this?
A. He is trying to explain how a TV works.
B. He is describing the history of the TV.
C. He is telling readers how TVs became popular.
D. He is trying to get people to watch more TV.
7. Why did many families switch to color TVs in 1965?
A. Color TVs cost a lot of money.
B. Color TVs came out in 1965.
C. Many shows were only shown in color.
D. World War II ended and troops returned home.
8. Why was 1939 an important year for TV?
A. John Baird created the first TV. C. The first TV station began broadcasting.
B. The first color TV was released. D. Many Americans were introduced to TV.
9. How many lines does a 4K TV have?
A. 30. B. 1,080. C. 4,000. D. 3,840.
10. Which happened first?
A. The 1939 World's Fair. C. The release of high-def TVs.
B. The end of World War II. D. The release of color TVs.

PASSAGE 2
Chess is called the game of kings. It has been around for a long time. People have been playing
it for over 500 years. Chess is based on an even older game from India. The chess we play today is
from Europe.
Chess is a two-player game. One player uses the white pieces. The other uses the black pieces.
Each piece moves in a special way. One piece is called the king. Each player has one. The players
take turns moving their pieces. If a player lands on a piece, he or she takes it. The game ends when a
player loses his or her king. There are a few more rules, but those are the basics.

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Some people think that chess is more than a game. They think that it makes the mind stronger.
Good chess players use their brains. They take their time. They think about what will happen next.
These skills are useful in life and in chess. Chess is kind of like a work out for the mind.
You don’t always have lots of time to think when playing chess. There is a type of chess with
short time limits. It’s called blitz chess. In blitz chess, each player gets ten minutes to use for the
whole game. You clock runs during your turn. You hit the time clock after your move. This stops
your clock. It also starts the other player’s clock. If you run out of time, you lose. Games of blitz
chess are fast-paced.
Chess is not just for people. Computers have been playing chess since the 1970s. At first they
did not play well. They made mistakes. As time went on they grew stronger. In 1997, a computer
beat the best player in the world for the first time. It was a computer called Deep Blue. Deep Blue
was big. It took up a whole room. By 2006 a cell phone could beat the best players in the world.
Chess sure has come a long way. Don’t you think so?
1. What is the author’s purpose in writing the second paragraph?
A. To explain the rules of chess. C. To talk about game pieces.
B. To compare different types of games. D. To persuade people to play chess.
2. Which is NOT a reason that chess is a good workout for the mind according to the text?
A. Good chess players think about what will happen next.
B. Good chess players take their time.
C. Good chess players take a lot of risks.
D. Good chess players use their brains.
3. How long have people been playing chess?
A. over 100 years. C. over 1000 years.
B. over 500 years. D. over 5000 years.
4. Where did the game that chess is based on come from?
A. Europe B. America C. India D. China.
5. Which best describes the main idea in the fourth paragraph?
A. This paragraph argues that players should think less.
B. This paragraph explains how blitz chess is played.
C. This paragraph explains how time clocks work.
D. This paragraph describes many different ways to play chess.
6. How does a game of chess end according to the text?
A. One player takes all of the other player’s pieces. C. One player becomes king.
B. One player makes it to the end of the board. D. One player loses his or her king.

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7. Which happened first?

A. Computers did not play chess well. C. Cell phones got good at playing chess.
B. Deep Blue won an important game. D. Deep Blue took up a whole room.
8. How is blitz chess different from regular chess?
A. Each player has two kings. C. Players only have ten minutes to play.
B. Players are blindfolded. D. Players start from a random position.
9. If it’s your turn in blitz chess, what happens when you hit the clock?
A. Both your clock and the other person’s clock keep running.
B. The other person’s clock stops running and yours starts.
C. Both clocks stop running.
D. Your clock stops running and the other person’s clock begins.
10. When did a computer first beat a strong human player in chess?
A. 2006 B. 1997 C.1970 D. 1976

PASSAGE 3
Increasing numbers of parents in the U.S. are choosing to teach their children at home. In fact,
the U.S. Department of Education has estimated that in 1999, about 850,000 children were being
homeschooled. Some educational experts say that the real number is double this estimate, and the
ranks of homeschooled children seem to be growing at the average rate of about eleven percent every
year.
At one time, there was a theory accounting for homeschooling: it was traditionally used for
students who could not attend school because of behavioral or learning difficulties. Today, however,
more parents are taking on the responsibility of educating their own children at home due to their
dissatisfaction with the educational system. Many parents are unhappy about class size, as well as
problems inside the classroom. Teacher shortages and lack of funding mean that, in many schools,
one teacher is responsible for thirty or forty students. The children are, therefore, deprived of the
attention they need. Escalating classroom violence has also motivated some parents to remove their
children from school.
Although there have been a lot of arguments for and against it, homeschooling in the U.S. has
become a multi-million dollars industry, and it is growing bigger and bigger. There are now plenty
of websites, support groups, and conventions that help parents protect their rights and enable them to
learn more about educating their children. Though once it was the only choice for troubled children
homeschooling today is an accepted alternative to an educational system that many believe is failing.
1. The past participle “homeschooled” in the first paragraph is best equivalent to “_______ at home”.
A. taught B. self-learned C. untaught D. self-studied
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2. This estimated number was presented by _______.

A. a governmental office C. school teachers
B. the parents D. homeschooled children
3. According to some experts, the exact number of homeschooled children then must be _____.
A. 1,600,000 B. 850,000 C. 1,900,000 D. 1,700,000
4. Parents can teach children at home with the support of _______.
A. the Internet, conventions along with support groups
B. support groups, teachers and websites
C. documents, websites and support groups
D. books, support groups and the Internet
5. More parents teach their children because they completely _____ the current educational system.
A. please with B. object to C. attract to D. approve of
6. The word “arguments” at the beginning of the third paragraph can be best replaced by
A. rows B. quarrels C. advantages D. discussions
7. The number of parents who want to teach their own children in the U.S. is _________.
A. remaining unchanged C. going up
B. remaining the same D. going down
8. Many parents stop their children from going to school because it is now too _____ for them.
A. explosive B. expensive C. dangerous D. humorous
9. Which is the best tittle for the passage?
A. Reasons for Homeschooling in the USA.
B. The trend of Homeschooling in the USA.
C. Homeschooling – merits and downsides.
D. Education system in the USA.

PASSAGE 4
In the world today, particularly in the two most industrialized areas, North America and
Europe, recycling is big news. People are talking about it, practicing it, and discovering new ways to
be sensitive to the environment. Recycling means finding was to use products a second time. The
motto of the recycling movement is "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle".
The first step is to reduce garbage. In stores, a shopper has to buy products in blister packs,
boxes and expensive plastic wrappings. A hamburger from a fast food restaurant comes in lots of
packaging: usually paper, a box, and a bag. All that packaging is wasted resources. People should try
to buy things that are wrapped simply, and to reuse cups and utensils. Another way to reduce waste
is to buy high-quality products. When low quality appliances break, many customers throw them
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away and buy new ones - a loss of more resources and more energy. For example, if a customer buys
a high-quality appliance that can be easily repaired, the manufacturer receives an important message.
In the same way, if a customer chooses a product with less packaging, that customer sends an
important message to the manufacturers. To reduce garbage, the throwaway must stop.
The second step is to reuse. It is better to buy juices and soft drinks in returnable bottles. After
customers empty the bottles, they return them to the store. The manufacturers of the drinks collect
the bottles, wash them, and then fill them again. The energy that is necessary to make new bottles is
saved. In some parts of the world, returning bottles for money is a common practice. In those places,
the garbage dumps have relatively little glass and plastic from throwaway bottles.
The third step is being environmentally sensitive is to recycle. Spent motor oil can be cleaned
and used again. Aluminum cans are expensive to make. It takes the same amount of energy to make
one aluminum can as it does to run a color TV set for three hours. When people collect and recycle
aluminum (for new cans), they help save one of the world's precious resources.
1. Which area is considered one of the most industrialized?
A. South America B. Middle East C. Europe D. Asia
2. What does the word sensitive in line 3 mean?
A. cautious B. logical C. friendly D. responding
3. The word motto is closest in meaning to ________.
A. advantage B. disadvantage C. belief D. reference
4. It is a waste when customers buy low-quality products because __________.
A. they have to be repaired many times. C. customers always change their ideas.
B. they will soon throw them away. D. they are very cheap.
5. What is the main idea of the passage?
A. How to live sensitively to the environment.
B. What is involved in the recycling movement.
C. How to reduce garbage disposal.
D. What people often understand about the term 'recycle'.
6. People can do the following to reduce waste EXCEPT_______.
A. buy high-quality products C. reuse cups
B. buy simply-wrapped things D. buy more hamburgers
7. What best describes the process of reuse?
A. The bottles are collected, washed, returned and filled again.
B. The bottles are washed, returned, filled again and collected.
C. The bottles are filled again after being returned, collected and washed.
D. The bottles are collected, returned filled again and washed.

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8. The word practice in paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to _________.

A. training B. exercise C. deed D. belief
9. Garbage dump in some areas have relatively little glass and plastic because ________.
A. people are ordered to return bottles. C. each returned bottle is paid.
B. returned bottles are few. D. few bottles are made of glass or plastic.
10. What are the two things mentioned as examples of recycling?
A. TV sets and aluminum cans. C. Aluminum cans and spent motor oil.
B. Bottles and spent motor oil. D. Aluminum cans and plastic wrappings.

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