Irisan Children’s Learning Center, Inc.

Reading Test
English 8

Name:_____________________________________

Date:_____________

Directions: Read the following passage and answer correctly the questions that follow. Encircle your answer.

Oversleeping

So Jake spread his arms, leaped skyward from the sidewalk, and began to fly, rocketing up over the neighbourhood.
Suddenly he heard the distant voice of his father calling, as if from another universe, and Jake pried open sleep-heavy
eyes . . . “Get up, pal,” said Jake’s father, “or you’ll miss the school bus.” “Just let me sleep a little longer,” Jake
mumbled. Then he groaned and turned over, pulling the covers up over his head like a tent, as if to somehow recapture
his dream. Jake loved to sleep. It wasn’t that he was lazy or lacked energy. Jake was a normal fourteen-year-old kid in
every way. But he loved to curl up under a soft white cloud of sheets, rest his head on a marshmallow pillow, and
luxuriate in the twilight world of slumber where life is exciting and dreams always come true. So Jake was sitting at a
table at Chez Maurice’s in Hollywood, having lunch with his buddy, Tom Cruise. Tom was offering Jake a role in his next
movie when . . . “Get up,” said Jake’s father, gently shaking his son’s shoulders. Jake yawned and hauled his legs over the
side of the mattress, where he sat for a few moments to reconcile himself with the shocking reality of upright existence.
He dragged himself into the shower, where he briefly dreamed of tropical rain forests, and at last shuffled downstairs to
breakfast. “Jake’s going to sleep his life away!” teased Taylor, his nine-year-old sister, as she sat at the table, kicking her
dangling legs excitedly as if to show by comparison how wide awake she was. “He’s just a growing boy,” said Jake’s
father, washing dishes at the kitchen sink. “Right?” Jake nodded sleepily and finished his breakfast. He trudged out the
front door with Taylor, still half sleepwalking, and they waited on the curb for their school bus, as usual. At school, finally
fully awake, Jake cycled through the pleasant routine of another typical day. He greeted his buddy Benjamin at the
locker they shared. They discussed hockey games and books. Then there was science with Mr. Albert, math with Ms.
Freed, and lunch with Benjamin, who always told great jokes. After school, there was homework, dinner with his dad
and Taylor, maybe a little TV, and then off to dreamland. And so went week after week, and month after month. So Jake
swung the bat, sending the ball out of Dodger Stadium and into the Baseball Hall of Fame . . . “Come on, get up,” giggled
Taylor, holding a ringing alarm clock only inches from her brother’s face. “You’ll be late for school!” Jake shook his head
in disbelief and ducked under the covers. Moments later Jake awakened to an empty, quiet room. He noted with
puzzlement that all the buttons on his pajama top had popped off in the night. Then he pulled himself from bed and
padded sleepily to the shower. The bathroom mirror reflected a face that was oddly unfamiliar—one with heavier
eyebrows and new creases in its brow. Jake rubbed a hand over his face and felt the unexpected sandpaper abrasion of
whiskers. Mystified and dazed, he staggered downstairs to the kitchen, where he was shocked to discover a teenaged
Taylor sitting at the breakfast table beside his father, who was graver and heavier.

“So you finally woke up,” commented Jake’s father, casually sipping his coffee. “We thought you’d sleep forever.” “You
certainly overslept!” added Taylor in a surprisingly mature voice. Jake shook his head as if to disperse the fog of dreams.
“What are you talking about?” “You’ve been asleep for four years,” Jake’s father replied calmly. “Better get dressed, or
you’ll be late for your last day of school.” This statement set Jake’s mind reeling. His last day of school? Had he really
slept so long? Was he now eighteen years old? Lost in a whirl of confusion, Jake went to his room to dress for school and
discovered that none of his clothes fit him. He borrowed a shirt, pants, and shoes from his father—and they made him
look and feel even older. Taylor led zombie-like Jake out the front door to the curb. Boarding his bus, Jake stared in
bewilderment at the aged faces of his friends. “Hey, it’s Jake!” shouted someone from the back of the bus. “He’s back!”
One by one, his schoolmates began to recognize him. “Buddy, you sure look older!” said someone sitting near where
Jake stood. Jake looked down to discover his friend Benjamin smiling heartily and looking startlingly like his older
brother. Jake sat beside Benjamin, who eagerly told what had happened during Jake’s years of slumber—how Mr. Albert
had retired from teaching science, and how Ms. Freed had married. Benjamin spoke excitedly of hockey games won and
lost; of books read and remembered; of school plays, classes, pep rallies, and car washes. They were small, ordinary
events, but to Jake they seemed extraordinary because they had happened without him. He had missed grades nine
through twelve. And now there would be no more school days with Benjamin, his teachers, or his other friends. Jake had
slept them all away. “Come on, buddy, get up,” called Jake’s father. Jake pried open leaden eyelids to see his father
standing at the foot of his bed, looking younger and leaner. Beside him was a nine-year-old Taylor, seemingly more
girlish and bubbly than ever before. 20 “Come on, sleepyhead!” she giggled. Her laughter seemed as bright as the yellow
sunshine splashing about the room. “You don’t want to miss school, do you?” Jake beamed and looked at his family.
“No, I wouldn’t want to do that,” he said as he threw back the covers and leaped out of bed.

1. What conclusion can be made based on the fact that Jake’s pajamas do not fit?
A. He has cheap pajamas that came apart while he slept.
B. He has grown lots in the four years he was asleep.
C. He ate too much the night before and gained weight. D. He had a growth spurt that happened overnight.

2. In paragraph 20, the phrase “as bright as the yellow sunshine” is an example of which term?
A. simile
B. metaphor
C. personification
D. onomatopoeia

3. Which event happens first?

A. Jake dreams about having lunch with Tom Cruise.
B. Jake dreams about flying over the neighbourhood.
C. Jake dreams about playing baseball for the Dodgers.
D. Jake dreams about sleeping for four years.

4. Why does Jake leap out of bed at the end of the story?
A. He does not want his dad bugging him.
B. He does not want his sister laughing at him.
C. He does not want to sleep his life away.
D. He does not want to grow anymore.

5. What do the italicized sentences represent in the story?

A. dreams
B. conversations
C. opinions
D. titles

6. After reading the passage, what could be the belief of the author?
A. Teenagers should not listen to their friends.
B. Teenagers should not listen to their parents.
C. Teenagers should not let opportunities pass them by.
D. Teenagers should not sleep more than ten hours a night.

7. What could be another title for the story?

A. Life is Full of Important Things to Do
B. Annoying Sisters Keep You Awake
C. He is Just a Growing Boy
D. Alarm Clock Jitters
From Sandals to Sneakers—Shoes Step Forward
Shoes—we wear them nearly every day. We walk, run, jump, climb, and stand in them for hours on
end. Yet we hardly think about them because they are such an ordinary part of our daily lives. Shoes were
not always an important part of people’s wardrobes. The ancient Greeks, Egyptians, and Persians made
and wore sandals, but actually went barefoot most of the time. These people lived in regions where the
weather was temperate, and shoes were not needed to keep their feet warm. Archaeologists have found
shoes in the ruins of these civilizations, but they seem to have been worn mainly by royalty, who could
afford to employ tailors and shoemakers.
Shoes in Early Civilizations
As shoes became more common in ancient Egypt, the first ones were simple sandals created mainly to
protect the soles of the feet from rough surfaces. The easiest way to make shoes in these ancient times
was to use materials that were readily available, including tree bark, leaves, and grasses. In ancient Egypt,
sandals were made of rushes, which are grassy plants with hollow stalks. Rushes are the same plants used
today to make chair bottoms, mats, and baskets.
Among the ancient Greeks, sandals were woven of similar plant materials, but the Greeks also varied
the process by tying small pieces of wood together with dried grass. In later years, they made sandals with
leather from the hides of animals. The first Greek shoes were purely functional, but over time most were
dyed and decorated to make fashion statements. Women began to wear soft, enclosed leather shoes, and
these grew increasingly fancy in the later years of the Greek civilization.
The Romans wore sandals much like the Greeks did, but used more pieces of leather to make them.
Some Roman sandals had straps that wrapped around the ankles. Shoemakers often dyed these sandals in
bright colors that represented the different jobs held by the people wearing them. The patricians, or
privileged classes, wore red sandals with moon-shaped ornaments on the back. Senators wore brown shoes
with four black leather straps wound around the lower leg. Consuls, or legal officers, wore white shoes,
and soldiers wore heavy leather sandals that were more like boots—but with bare toes!
Meanwhile, people who lived in cold northern climates were making their shoes from the hides of
furry animals, such as polar bears and yaks. The soles and tops of these shoes were made from pieces of
soft leather sewn together. This type of shoe—whether or not it used fur—was called a moccasin. Some
Native American groups made and wore moccasins for thousands of years. Some moccasins were plain,
and others were adorned with beadwork.
The Shoemaking Process
As the centuries passed, the primary material for shoes continued to be leather, and the process of making shoes did
not change quickly. A wood and metal framework called a “last” was wrapped with pieces of leather that were then
sewn together. As late as the mid-1800s, lasts were straight on both sides; this meant that there was no difference in
shape between left and right shoes. It also meant that shoes were uncomfortable and that breaking them in was not
easy. The lasts were made in different sizes, but for a long time only two widths were available—thin and stout

For centuries, shoes were sewn by hand, just as they had been by the ancient Egyptians. Machines to
assist shoemakers were not used until the rolling machine was invented in 1845. This device was used to
pound pieces of leather into thin strips. About the same time, Elias Howe invented the sewing machine,
and pieces of shoe leather could now be sewn together more quickly. Another inventor, Lyman Reed
Blake, created a machine for sewing the soles of shoes to the upper parts. Because shoes could be made
faster and more cheaply, people who had never owned shoes before could now afford to buy and wear
them.
New Trends, Materials, and Designs
In Europe and North America during the seventeenth century, most people wore boots because they
were practical. Even in many large cities, dirt roads were common, and people had to walk along muddy
pathways and across streams. By the eighteenth century, however, more city streets were paved with
cobblestones, and it was easier to keep shoes clean. Shoes became more decorative, and fancy buckles of
gold and silver were often used. Most shoes worn in the United States throughout the nineteenth century
were patterned after European styles.
The major change in shoes over the last century has been the use of materials other than leather.
Humphrey O’Sullivan invented the first rubber heel for shoes in 1898. Rubber heels were popular because
they lasted much longer than heels made of leather. The use of rubber soles came next. The first rubber soled shoes
were calledplimsolls, and they were manufactured in the United States in the late 1800s.
The first American shoes made without leather were invented in 1917. The upper material was made
of a flexible canvas. Those were the original “sneakers,” a word that was used because the rubber sole
made the shoe very quiet, unlike most leather shoes, which often squeaked when people walked.
Many people today choose athletic shoes for casual wear, but not until the late 1970s were shoes
designed with amateur athletes in mind. Shoes made of rubber and canvas were worn by tennis,
volleyball, and basketball players. By the 1980s, companies began to design athletic shoes for specific
sports, helping athletes perform better while protecting their feet and providing comfort.
Shoes have come a long way since the ancient Egyptians created their first sandals. Many more types of materials are
used, and shoes have never been more comfortable or supportive for feet. Even so, it is interesting that the basic sandal,
crafted by people more than four thousand years ago, still has many similarities to shoes we wear today.

8. What was the purpose of the first shoe?

A. comfortable
B. fashionable
C. functional
D. popularity

9. Which event happened first in the history of shoes?

A. the making and wearing of moccasins
B. the making and wearing of sandals
C. the making and wearing of boots
D. the making and wearing of sneakers
10. Which civilization was the first to wear shoes to make a fashion statement?
A. Greek
B. Roman
C. Egyptian
D. Persian

11. What is the correct hyphenated word?

A. moon-shaped
B. fur-was
C. shoe-whether
D. available-thin

12. “Some moccasins were plain, and others were adorned with beadwork.” What type of context clue is
used to help you define the word adorned?
A. antonym
B. synonym
C. example
D. explanation

13. Which is the correct analogy?

A. Thin is to stout as skinny is to long.
B. Thin is to stout as narrow is to wide.
C. Thin is to stout as short is to thin.
D. Thin is to stout as tall is to fat.

14. What is the author’s purpose in writing the passage?

A. to inform about the first sneaker
B. to inform about the history of moccasins
C. to inform about ancient Greeks
D. to inform about the history of shoes

15. An example of personification would be

A. nonlethal shoes.
B. fancy buckles of gold.
C. paved with cobblestones.
D. squeaked when people walked.
 Irisan Children’s Learning Center, Inc.
Reading Test
English 7
Name:_____________________________________
Date:_____________

Directions: Read the following passage and answer correctly the questions that follow. Encircle your answer.
The Bread Lesson
My dad has watermelon-size biceps, a neck like an inner tube, and enormous, muscular hands that
make him seem like he’s always wearing baseball mitts. He doesn’t seem like the kind of guy who
would bake great bread, but he is and he does. Every Saturday he puts on his chef’s apron, rolls up
his sleeves, breaks out a bag of flour, and produces two loaves of homemade bread. When he’s done,
the whole house smells delicious, and I can’t wait for a hot slice smothered with yellow, melting
butter.
The rest of the week, Dad is a car mechanic, which involves lots of heavy lifting, tightening,
unscrewing, shoving, shaking, yanking, and banging. People tend to think of their cars as metallic
members of the family, so there’s lots of pressure on Dad to make sure pumps pump, steering steers,
and brakes brake. The shop where Dad works is understaffed, so he’s under a lot of stress. Sometimes
I worry he’s going to overheat and blow a gasket or something, like some old car. I think Dad began
baking bread to help him relax. I see him in the kitchen, working on a spongy hunk of
dough—punching and pounding it into submission.
I’ve been feeling kind of stressed out myself since I found out I didn’t qualify for the swim team.
Now I’ll have to wait a whole year to try out again; that might as well be a million years. Plus, I’m
taking some tough classes this year, and my best friend moved away.
I think Dad knew I was feeling pressure. He sat next to me on the sofa last Saturday and asked me
how things were going. I said OK, even though I didn’t feel OK at all. He looked at me for a
moment, then he said it was time for me to help. He got up from the sofa and headed to the kitchen.
5 I couldn’t imagine what help I could offer. Still, I followed right behind him. Once we were
standing by the counter, Dad gave me one of his old aprons. He slipped it on over my head and tied it
in the back with such obvious pride that you’d think I was being knighted, which felt kind of silly but
also kind of nice. I was being initiated as a bread-baker.
Next, Dad got out his enormous stainless-steel mixing bowl, handed me a large wooden spoon, and
told me to stir while he added the ingredients. He threw in a large handful of flour from a sack. A
haze of flour dust began to hover in the air like fog. He then sprinkled salt into the bowl. Dad isn’t
big on measuring. He instinctively knows exactly how much of each ingredient to use, and the bread
always turns out great. The entire operation was accomplished as if we were part of a NASA space
launch. Flour? Check. Yeast? Check. Milk? Check. Sugar, shortening, and salt? Check, check, check.
When I had stirred the flour and milk mixture into a thick, gooey lump, Dad had me turn it over
onto the countertop, which had been dusted with flour. Then he showed me how to knead the
dough—repeatedly pushing away at the rubbery glob, stretching it out, pounding it, and folding it in
on itself. As I kneaded it, I felt the dough come to life beneath my hands. It took ten minutes and a
surprising amount of energy to corral the unruly blob into a neat, round mass.
8 Next came the most difficult and surprising part – doing nothing. We put the dough back into the
metal bowl. Then we waited for more than an hour for the dough to slowly swell up and double in
size. Next, we deflated the risen dough by punching it down. We divided it in two and waited for it to
rise again. Afterward, we put the dough into pans and waited another hour for the dough to rise and
double one last time. Dad said the waiting is always the hardest part because of the sharp, sweet smell
coming from the yeast. “It’s hard to resist putting the dough directly into the oven, but if you do, the
loaves will be small, and the bread will be tough. The most important lesson of all is learning to be
patient,” Dad explained. While we waited, we sat and talked. Silence is a blank space that begs to be filled. It’s like the
dough—it swells up and fills a room with emptiness unless you punch it down with words. It felt good to be still and
listen to each other. It felt good to open up and share our thoughts. As the flour dust in the kitchen quietly settled, time
seemed to slow down. The dough was going to rise at its own pace. We could do nothing to make it rise faster. As I
accepted that, I stopped watching the clock and drumming my fingers on the tabletop. I started enjoying the quiet time
with Dad. My father taught me how to bake bread, but I think I learned something more. I learned to appreciate the
slowly ticking rhythm of time. I learned to relax and let the bread rise.

1. Why is the narrator feeling stressed?

A. The narrator does not want to move away.
B. The narrator dislikes baking bread with father.
C. The narrator does not make the swim team.
D. The narrator has never made bread.

2. What is the meaning of the phrase, “you’d think I was being knighted” in paragraph 5?
A. It was a chance to do something with Dad after work.
B. It was an opportunity to improve my bread-baking skills.
C. It was exciting to use the new stainless steel mixing bowl.
D. It was an honor to be included in my father’s baking activities.

3. The word deflated is used in paragraph 8. Which word is the antonym of deflated?
A. contracted
B. expanded
C. collapsed
D. swerved

4. What type of figurative language is found in the sentence, “Silence is a blank space that begs to be
filled”?
A. irony
B. simile
C. metaphor
D. hyperbole

5. What does the author suggest would fill the emptiness of blank space?
A. baking
B. talking
C. drumming
D. working

6. What is the theme of the story?

A. It is important to find ways to relax.
B. It is important to know how to bake bread.
C. It is difficult to relax in times of stress.
D. It is difficult to enjoy time with family.

7. What organizational pattern is used in the story?

A. spatial
B. sequential
C. compare/contrast
D. fact/opinion

Adventurous Storyteller
Jack London, one of America’s major writers of adventure tales, was born in California in 1876.
During his life, London worked at many jobs. His broad life experiences would become the background
for his writing.
London loved to read. As a teenager, he spent many hours educating himself at the Oakland,
California, public library. He attended college at the University of California at Berkeley, but he stayed for
only six months. He thought Berkeley was “not lively enough” and wanted to do something more
exciting.
London wrote stories about working people and the hard times they had making a living. He knew
their problems first hand. He worked as a sailor, rancher, factory employee, railroad hobo, and gold
prospector, to name just a few of his many jobs.
London grew up near the waterfront in Oakland. He loved the water. When he was fifteen years old,
he bought a small sailboat called a sloop. Later he sailed to Japan on a schooner, which is a much larger
sailing boat.
Like many people of the time, London caught the Klondike Gold Rush Fever. In l897, he headed for
Alaska. He didn’t find gold, but he discovered something even more valuable. He discovered that people
enjoyed listening to the stories he made up with his vivid imagination. London entertained the miners with
story after story. Later, using his experiences during the Gold Rush, he created many more colorful stories.
London resolved to live a full, exciting life. He once said, “I would rather be a superb meteor, every
atom of me in magnificent glow, than a sleepy and permanent planet.” Each day, he pushed himself. Once
London determined that he was going to be a writer, nothing could stop him. His goal was to write at
least one thousand words every day. He refused to stop even when he was sick. In eighteen years, the
writer published fifty-one books and hundreds of articles. He was the best-selling and highest-paid author
of his day. Many people also considered him to be the best writer.
White Fang and The Call of the Wild are his most famous stories and are about surviving in the
Alaskan wilderness. Readers can enjoy Jack London’s energy and his talent for telling wonderful stories
each time they open one of his novels.
8. Why was Jack London able to write on many topics?
A. He had a variety of experiences and jobs.
B. He was drawn to the Klondike Gold Rush.
C. He pushed himself to reach goals.
D. He was the best-selling and highest-paid author.

9. Why did Jack London not complete college?

A. He travelled to Alaska in 1897.
B. He was hired to sail to Japan.
C. He spent much of his time writing.
D. He was not interested enough.

10. What do a sloop and schooner have in common?

A. They were both built in Japan.
B. They were both owned by Jack London.
C. They are both types of watercraft.
D. They were both made in the early 1900s.

11. When did Jack London discover he first had a talent for storytelling?
A. when he went to college
B. when he went to Alaska
C. when he was a teenager
D. when he worked as a sailor

12. Which word best describes Jack London?

A. cautious
B. unfocused
C. imaginative
D. compassionate

13. What is the author’s purpose in writing the passage?

A. identify books written by Jack London
B. provide information on Jack London’s life
C. support the statement that London was the “best writer”
D. describe life during the Klondike Gold Rush
 Irisan Children’s Learning Center, Inc.
Reading Test
English 9

Name:_____________________________________
Date:_____________

Directions: Read the following passage and answer correctly the questions that follow. Encircle your answer.

Did you know that there is a fiber that is as flexible and lightweight as nylon yet five times stronger than steel? Did you
know that this fabric is resistant to temperatures higher than 500 degrees Fahrenheit? Did you know that a woman
invented this fiber? This miraculous fabric is called Kevlar and it is used to make everything from body armor to musical
instruments.

The year was 1964. There were gasoline shortages due to conflict in the Middle East. A Polish-American chemist named
Stephanie Louise Kwolek was working for DuPont, an American chemical company. She and her group were trying to
make a lightweight, yet durable fiber to be used in tires. Lighter tires would allow vehicles to get better gas mileage, but
the tires had to be strong enough to resist the wear and tear of the road. They had been working on the problem for
some time and had little success, until Kwolek had a breakthrough.

Kwolek and her group were synthesizing or creating fibers to test. During one of the steps in the process, Kwolek created
a milky white solution by mixing two chemicals that were often used in the process. This solution was usually thrown
away, but Kwolek convinced one of the technicians to help her test it. They were amazed to discover that the fabric that
Kwolek had created was not only more durable than nylon, it was more durable than steel. Kwolek had invented Kevlar.

Kevlar is a remarkable fabric known for its strength and durability. Since its invention it has found its way into a wide
variety of products. Kevlar is used in sporting equipment like bike tires, bowstrings, and tennis racquets. It is used in
musical instruments like drum heads, reeds, and speaker cones. And it is used in protective gear like motorcycle safety
jackets, gloves, and shoes. However, Kevlar is best known for its ability to stop bullets.

Richard Armellino created the first Kevlar bulletproof vest in 1975. It contained 15 layers of Kevlar, which could stop
handgun and shotgun bullets. The vest also had a steel plate over the heart, which made the vest strong enough to stop
rifle rounds. Vests like Armellino'swere quickly picked up by police forces and it is estimated that by 1990, half of all
police officers in America wore bulletproof vests daily. By 2006 there were over 2,000 documented police vest "saves,"
or instances where officers were protected from deadly wounds by wearing bulletproof vests.

Kevlar is an amazing fabric not only for its hardness and durability, but also for its heat resistance. Because of this it has
been used to replace asbestos. Asbestos is a naturally occurring material that is known for its ability to resist fire.
Asbestos can resist temperatures over 1000 degrees Fahrenheit. For this reason it was used in roofs, electrical cables,
and brake pads, until people discovered that it causes cancer and other serious health problems. Kevlar poses no such
risks. It is lightweight, flexible, and resistant to fire. Therefore, it has proven to be a good replacement for asbestos in
many cases.

Since its invention in 1964, Kevlar has won its way into our lives. From musical instruments and brake pads to protective
equipment and sporting gear, Kevlar is everywhere. Every day of your life you are exposed to something that was made
better by Kevlar. Who'd have known?
1. Which of the following is not a product that has been made with Kevlar?

a. Tennis racquets b. Bungee jumping cords

c. Brake pads d. Body armor

2. When was the first bulletproof vest invented?

a. 1964 b. 1975
c. 1990 d. 2006

3. For which of the following characteristics is Kevlar known?

a. Heat resistance b. Strength

c. Durability d. All of the above

4. Who is credited with inventing Kevlar?

a. Robert Kevlar b. Richard Armellino

c. Stephanie Kwolek d. None of the above

5. Which of the following caused the search for a fabric like Kevlar?

a. A shortage in the gasoline supply b. A desire to protect police officers

c. The need to replace asbestos d. The want of better musical instruments

6. A vest made of 15 layers of Kevlar with no steel plates could stop all but which of the following rounds?

a. Handgun rounds b. Shotgun pellets

c. Rifle rounds d. It could stop all of the above

7. Why did people begin using asbestos in buildings?

a. It was extremely durable b. It was very heavy

c. It was poisonous to insects d. It was resistant to fire

8. According to the article, how many American police officers are estimated to wear bulletproof vests daily?

a. 1,000 b. 2,000
c. Over half d. Almost all of them

9. How much stronger is Kevlar than steel?

a. Half as strong b. As strong

c. Five times as strong d. 200 times as strong

10. What product was Kwolek trying to improve when she invented Kevlar?

a. Tires b. Milk c. Brake pads d. Armor

 Irisan Children’s Learning Center, Inc.
Reading Test
English 10

Name:_____________________________________
Date:_____________

Directions: Read the following passage and answer correctly the questions that follow. Encircle your answer.

In the 16th century, an age of great marine and terrestrial exploration, Ferdinand Magellan led the first expedition to sail
around the world. As a young Portuguese noble, he served the king of Portugal, but he became involved in the quagmire
of political intrigue at court and lost the king’s favor. After he was dismissed from service by the king of Portugal, he
offered to serve the future Emperor Charles V of Spain.

A papal decree of 1493 had assigned all land in the New World west of 50 degrees W longitude to Spain and all the land
east of that line to Portugal. Magellan offered to prove that the East Indies fell under Spanish authority. On September
20, 1519, Magellan set sail from Spain with five ships. More than a year later, one of these ships was exploring the
topography of South America in search of a water route across the continent. This ship sank, but the remaining four
ships searched along the southern peninsula of South America. Finally they found the passage they sought near 50
degrees S latitude. Magellan named this passage the Strait of All Saints, but today it is known as the Strait of Magellan.

One ship deserted while in this passage and returned to Spain, so fewer sailors were privileged to gaze at that first
panorama of the Pacific Ocean. Those who remained crossed the meridian now known as the International Date Line in
the early spring of 1521 after 98 days on the Pacific Ocean. During those long days at sea, many of Magellan’s men died
of starvation and disease.

Later, Magellan became involved in an insular conflict in the Philippines and was killed in a tribal battle. Only one ship
and 17 sailors under the command of the Basque navigator Elcano survived to complete the westward journey to Spain
and thus prove once and for all that the world is round, with no precipice at the edge.

1. The 16th century was an age of great ______ exploration.

a. cosmic
b. land
c. mental
d. common man
e. water

2. Magellan lost the favor of the king of Portugal when he became involved in a political ________.
a. entanglement
b. discussion
c. negotiation
d. problem
e. None of the above

3. The Pope divided New World lands between Spain and Portugal according to their location on one side or the other of
an imaginary geographical line 50 degrees west of Greenwich that extends in a _________ direction.
a. north and south
b. crosswise
c. easterly
d. south east
e. north and west

4. One of Magellan’s ships explored the _________ of South America for a passage across the continent.
a. coastline
b. mountain range
c. physical features
d. islands
e. None of the above
5. Four of the ships sought a passage along a southern ______.
a. coast
b. inland
c. body of land with water on three sides
d. border
e. answer not available
6. The passage was found near 50 degrees of ________.
a. Greenwich
b. The equator
c. Spain
d. Portugal
e. Madrid
7. In the spring of 1521, the ships crossed the _______ now called the International Date Line.
a. imaginary circle passing through the poles
b. imaginary line parallel to the equator
c. area
d. land mass
e. answer not available

The following passage refers to questions 8 through 14.

Marie Curie was one of the most accomplished scientists in history. Together with her husband, Pierre, she discovered
radium, an element widely used for treating cancer, and studied uranium and other radioactive substances. Pierre and
Marie’s amicable collaboration later helped to unlock the secrets of the atom.

Marie was born in 1867 in Warsaw, Poland, where her father was a professor of physics. At an early age, she displayed a
brilliant mind and a blithe personality. Her great exuberance for learning prompted her to continue with her studies
after high school. She became disgruntled, however, when she learned that the university in Warsaw was closed to
women. Determined to receive a higher education, she defiantly left Poland and in 1891 entered the Sorbonne, a French
university, where she earned her master’s degree and doctorate in physics.

Marie was fortunate to have studied at the Sorbonne with some of the greatest scientists of her day, one of whom was
Pierre Curie. Marie and Pierre were married in 1895 and spent many productive years working together in the physics
laboratory. A short time after they discovered radium, Pierre was killed by a horse-drawn wagon in 1906. Marie was
stunned by this horrible misfortune and endured heartbreaking anguish. Despondently she recalled their close
relationship and the joy that they had shared in scientific research. The fact that she had two young daughters to raise
by herself greatly increased her distress.

Curie’s feeling of desolation finally began to fade when she was asked to succeed her husband as a physics professor at
the Sorbonne. She was the first woman to be given a professorship at the world-famous university. In 1911 she received
the Nobel Prize in chemistry for isolating radium. Although Marie Curie eventually suffered a fatal illness from her long
exposure to radium, she never became disillusioned about her work. Regardless of the consequences, she had dedicated
herself to science and to revealing the mysteries of the physical world.

8. The Curies’ _________ collaboration helped to unlock the secrets of the atom.
a. friendly
b. competitive
c. courteous
d. industrious
e. chemistry
9. Marie had a bright mind and a ______ personality.
a. strong
b. light-hearted
c. humorous
d. strange
e. envious
10. When she learned that she could not attend the university in Warsaw, she felt _________.
a. hopeless
b. annoyed
c. depressed
d. worried
e. None of the above
11. Marie _________ by leaving Poland and travelling to France to enter the Sorbonne.
a. challenged authority
b. showed intelligence
c. behaved
d. was distressed
e. answer not available
12. _________ she remembered their joy together.
a. Dejectedly
b. Worried
c. Tearfully
d. Happily
e. Irefully
13. Her _________ began to fade when she returned to the Sorbonne to succeed her husband.
a. misfortune
b. anger
c. wretchedness
d. disappointment
e. ambition
14. Even though she became fatally ill from working with radium, Marie Curie was never _________.
a. troubled
b. worried
c. disappointed
d. sorrowful
e. disturbed