Reading Comprehension
Reading Comprehension: English Reading Comprehension Exercises with Answers, Sample Passages for Reading Comprehension Test for GRE, CAT, IELTS preparation
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English Reading Comprehension Test Questions and Answers. Improve your ability to read and comprehend English Passages
Q171. > In terrestrial environments, gravity places special demands on the
> cardiovascular systems of animals. Gravitational pressure can cause
> blood to pool in the lower regions of the body, making it difficult to
> circulate blood to critical organs such as the brain. Terrestrial
> snakes, in particular, exhibit adaptations that aid in circulating
> blood against the force of gravity. The problem confronting
> terrestrial snakes is best illustrated by what happens to sea snakes
> when removed from their supportive medium. Because the vertical
> pressure gradients within the blood vessels are counteracted by
> similar pressure gradients in the surrounding water, the distribution
> of blood throughout the body of sea snakes remains about the same
> regardless of their orientation in space, provided they remain in the
> ocean. When removed from the water and tilted at various angles with
> the head up, however, blood pressure at their midpoint drops
> significantly, and at brain level falls to zero. That many terrestrial
> snakes in similar spatial orientations do not experience this kind of
> circulatory failure suggests that certain adaptations enable them to
> regulate blood pressure more effectively in those orientations.
>
> One such adaptation is the closer proximity of the terrestrial snake’s
> heart to its head, which helps to ensure circulation to the brain,
> regardless of the snake’s orientation in space. The heart of sea
> snakes can be located near the middle of the body, a position that
> minimizes the work entailed in circulating blood to both extremities.
> In arboreal snakes, however, which dwell in trees and often assume a
> vertical posture, the average distance from the heart to the head can
> be as little as 15 percent of overall body length. Such a location
> requires that blood circulated to the tail of the snake travel a
> greater distance back to the heart, a problem solved by another
> adaptation. When climbing, arboreal snakes often pause momentarily to
> wiggle their bodies, causing waves of muscle contraction that advance
> from the lower torso to the head. By compressing the veins and forcing
> blood forward, these contractions apparently improve the flow of
> venous blood returning to the heart.
It can be inferred from the passage that which of the following is true of species of terrestrial snakes that often need to assume a vertical posture?
- They are more likely to be susceptible to circulatory failure in vertical postures than are sea snakes.
- Their hearts are less likely to be located at the midpoint of their bodies than is the case with sea snakes.
- They cannot counteract the pooling of blood in lower regions of their bodies as effectively as sea snakes can.
- The blood pressure at their midpoint decreases significantly when they are tilted with their heads up.
- They are unable to rely on muscle contractions to move venous blood from the lower torso to the head.
Solution : Their hearts are less likely to be located at the midpoint of their bodies than is the case with sea snakes.
Q172. > In terrestrial environments, gravity places special demands on the
> cardiovascular systems of animals. Gravitational pressure can cause
> blood to pool in the lower regions of the body, making it difficult to
> circulate blood to critical organs such as the brain. Terrestrial
> snakes, in particular, exhibit adaptations that aid in circulating
> blood against the force of gravity. The problem confronting
> terrestrial snakes is best illustrated by what happens to sea snakes
> when removed from their supportive medium. Because the vertical
> pressure gradients within the blood vessels are counteracted by
> similar pressure gradients in the surrounding water, the distribution
> of blood throughout the body of sea snakes remains about the same
> regardless of their orientation in space, provided they remain in the
> ocean. When removed from the water and tilted at various angles with
> the head up, however, blood pressure at their midpoint drops
> significantly, and at brain level falls to zero. That many terrestrial
> snakes in similar spatial orientations do not experience this kind of
> circulatory failure suggests that certain adaptations enable them to
> regulate blood pressure more effectively in those orientations.
>
> One such adaptation is the closer proximity of the terrestrial snake’s
> heart to its head, which helps to ensure circulation to the brain,
> regardless of the snake’s orientation in space. The heart of sea
> snakes can be located near the middle of the body, a position that
> minimizes the work entailed in circulating blood to both extremities.
> In arboreal snakes, however, which dwell in trees and often assume a
> vertical posture, the average distance from the heart to the head can
> be as little as 15 percent of overall body length. Such a location
> requires that blood circulated to the tail of the snake travel a
> greater distance back to the heart, a problem solved by another
> adaptation. When climbing, arboreal snakes often pause momentarily to
> wiggle their bodies, causing waves of muscle contraction that advance
> from the lower torso to the head. By compressing the veins and forcing
> blood forward, these contractions apparently improve the flow of
> venous blood returning to the heart.
The author describes the behavior of the circulatory system of sea snakes when they are removed from the ocean primarily in order to
- illustrate what would occur in the circulatory system of terrestrial snakes without adaptations that enable them to regulate their blood pressure in vertical orientations
- explain why arboreal snakes in vertical orientations must rely on muscle contractions to restore blood pressure to the brain
- illustrate the effects of circulatory failure on the behavior of arboreal snakes
- illustrate the superiority of the circulatory system of the terrestrial snake to that of the sea snake
- xplain how changes in spatial orientation can adversely affect the circulatory system of snakes with hearts located in relatively close proximity to their heads
Solution : illustrate what would occur in the circulatory system of terrestrial snakes without adaptations that enable them to regulate their blood pressure in vertical orientations
Q173. > In terrestrial environments, gravity places special demands on the
> cardiovascular systems of animals. Gravitational pressure can cause
> blood to pool in the lower regions of the body, making it difficult to
> circulate blood to critical organs such as the brain. Terrestrial
> snakes, in particular, exhibit adaptations that aid in circulating
> blood against the force of gravity. The problem confronting
> terrestrial snakes is best illustrated by what happens to sea snakes
> when removed from their supportive medium. Because the vertical
> pressure gradients within the blood vessels are counteracted by
> similar pressure gradients in the surrounding water, the distribution
> of blood throughout the body of sea snakes remains about the same
> regardless of their orientation in space, provided they remain in the
> ocean. When removed from the water and tilted at various angles with
> the head up, however, blood pressure at their midpoint drops
> significantly, and at brain level falls to zero. That many terrestrial
> snakes in similar spatial orientations do not experience this kind of
> circulatory failure suggests that certain adaptations enable them to
> regulate blood pressure more effectively in those orientations.
>
> One such adaptation is the closer proximity of the terrestrial snake’s
> heart to its head, which helps to ensure circulation to the brain,
> regardless of the snake’s orientation in space. The heart of sea
> snakes can be located near the middle of the body, a position that
> minimizes the work entailed in circulating blood to both extremities.
> In arboreal snakes, however, which dwell in trees and often assume a
> vertical posture, the average distance from the heart to the head can
> be as little as 15 percent of overall body length. Such a location
> requires that blood circulated to the tail of the snake travel a
> greater distance back to the heart, a problem solved by another
> adaptation. When climbing, arboreal snakes often pause momentarily to
> wiggle their bodies, causing waves of muscle contraction that advance
> from the lower torso to the head. By compressing the veins and forcing
> blood forward, these contractions apparently improve the flow of
> venous blood returning to the heart.
It can be inferred from the passage that which of the following is a true statement about sea snakes?
- They frequently rely on waves of muscle contractions from the lower torso to the head to supplement the work of the heart.
- They cannot effectively regulate their blood pressure when placed in seawater and tilted at an angle with the head pointed downward.
- They are more likely to have a heart located in close proximity to their heads than are arboreal snakes.
- They become acutely vulnerable to the effects of gravitational pressure on their circulatory system when they are placed in a terrestrial environment.
- Their cardiovascular system is not as complicated as that of arboreal snakes.
Solution : They become acutely vulnerable to the effects of gravitational pressure on their circulatory system when they are placed in a terrestrial environment.
Q174. > In terrestrial environments, gravity places special demands on the
> cardiovascular systems of animals. Gravitational pressure can cause
> blood to pool in the lower regions of the body, making it difficult to
> circulate blood to critical organs such as the brain. Terrestrial
> snakes, in particular, exhibit adaptations that aid in circulating
> blood against the force of gravity. The problem confronting
> terrestrial snakes is best illustrated by what happens to sea snakes
> when removed from their supportive medium. Because the vertical
> pressure gradients within the blood vessels are counteracted by
> similar pressure gradients in the surrounding water, the distribution
> of blood throughout the body of sea snakes remains about the same
> regardless of their orientation in space, provided they remain in the
> ocean. When removed from the water and tilted at various angles with
> the head up, however, blood pressure at their midpoint drops
> significantly, and at brain level falls to zero. That many terrestrial
> snakes in similar spatial orientations do not experience this kind of
> circulatory failure suggests that certain adaptations enable them to
> regulate blood pressure more effectively in those orientations.
>
> One such adaptation is the closer proximity of the terrestrial snake’s
> heart to its head, which helps to ensure circulation to the brain,
> regardless of the snake’s orientation in space. The heart of sea
> snakes can be located near the middle of the body, a position that
> minimizes the work entailed in circulating blood to both extremities.
> In arboreal snakes, however, which dwell in trees and often assume a
> vertical posture, the average distance from the heart to the head can
> be as little as 15 percent of overall body length. Such a location
> requires that blood circulated to the tail of the snake travel a
> greater distance back to the heart, a problem solved by another
> adaptation. When climbing, arboreal snakes often pause momentarily to
> wiggle their bodies, causing waves of muscle contraction that advance
> from the lower torso to the head. By compressing the veins and forcing
> blood forward, these contractions apparently improve the flow of
> venous blood returning to the heart.
The primary purpose of the lines in bold/italics is to
- introduce a topic that is not discussed earlier in the passage
- describe a more efficient method of achieving an effect discussed in the previous paragraph
- draw a conclusion based on information elaborated in the previous paragraph
- discuss two specific examples of phenomena mentioned at the end of the previous paragraph
- introduce evidence that undermines a vie reported earlier in the passage
Solution : discuss two specific examples of phenomena mentioned at the end of the previous paragraph
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Q175. > In terrestrial environments, gravity places special demands on the
> cardiovascular systems of animals. Gravitational pressure can cause
> blood to pool in the lower regions of the body, making it difficult to
> circulate blood to critical organs such as the brain. Terrestrial
> snakes, in particular, exhibit adaptations that aid in circulating
> blood against the force of gravity. The problem confronting
> terrestrial snakes is best illustrated by what happens to sea snakes
> when removed from their supportive medium. Because the vertical
> pressure gradients within the blood vessels are counteracted by
> similar pressure gradients in the surrounding water, the distribution
> of blood throughout the body of sea snakes remains about the same
> regardless of their orientation in space, provided they remain in the
> ocean. When removed from the water and tilted at various angles with
> the head up, however, blood pressure at their midpoint drops
> significantly, and at brain level falls to zero. That many terrestrial
> snakes in similar spatial orientations do not experience this kind of
> circulatory failure suggests that certain adaptations enable them to
> regulate blood pressure more effectively in those orientations.
>
> One such adaptation is the closer proximity of the terrestrial snake’s
> heart to its head, which helps to ensure circulation to the brain,
> regardless of the snake’s orientation in space. The heart of sea
> snakes can be located near the middle of the body, a position that
> minimizes the work entailed in circulating blood to both extremities.
> In arboreal snakes, however, which dwell in trees and often assume a
> vertical posture, the average distance from the heart to the head can
> be as little as 15 percent of overall body length. Such a location
> requires that blood circulated to the tail of the snake travel a
> greater distance back to the heart, a problem solved by another
> adaptation. When climbing, arboreal snakes often pause momentarily to
> wiggle their bodies, causing waves of muscle contraction that advance
> from the lower torso to the head. By compressing the veins and forcing
> blood forward, these contractions apparently improve the flow of
> venous blood returning to the heart.
In the passage, the author is primarily concerned with doing which of the following?
- Explaining adaptations that enable the terrestrial snake to cope with the effects of gravitational pressure on its circulatory system
- Comparing the circulatory system of the sea snake with that of the terrestrial snake
- Explaining why the circulatory system of the terrestrial snake is different from that of the sea snake
- Pointing out features of the terrestrial snake’s cardiovascular system that make it superior to that of the sea snake
- Explaining how the sea snake is able to neutralize the effects of gravitational pressure on its circulatory system
Solution : Explaining adaptations that enable the terrestrial snake to cope with the effects of gravitational pressure on its circulatory system
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Solution :
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