The word “bulk” in the passage is closest in meaning to A. strength B . effort C. activity D . mass
b) In a countercurrent exchange system, the blood vessels carrying cooled blood from the turtle’s flippers run close enough to the blood vessels carrying warm blood from the body to pick up some heat from the warmer blood vessels; thus, the heat is transferred from the outgoing to the ingoing vessels before it reaches the flipper itself. This is the same arrangement found in an old-fashioned steam radiator, in which the coiled pipes pass heat back and forth as water courses through them .
The phrase “courses through” in the passage is closest in meaning to A . rises through B. heats up in C. runs through D. collects in
c) In 1950, myxoma virus, a parasite that affects rabbits, was deliberately introduced into Australia to control the rabbit population . Spread rapidly by mosquitoes, the virus devastated the rabbit population . The virus was less deadly to the offspring of surviving rabbits, however, and it caused less and less harm over the years . The word “devastated” in the passage is closest in meaning to A. influenced B. infected C. strengthened D. destroyed
4. Read the passage below and answer the questions that follow.
Reading Passage Fossil Preservation
1 When one considers the many ways by which organisms are completely destroyed after death, it is remarkable that fossils are as common as they are. Attack by scavengers and bacteria, chemical decay, and destruction by erosion and other geologic agencies make the odds against preservation very high. However, the chances of escaping complete destruction are vastly improved if the organism happens to have a mineralized skeleton and dies in a place where it can be quickly buried by sediment. Both of these conditions are often found on the ocean floors, where shelled invertebrates (organisms without spines) flourish and are covered by the continuous rain of sedimentary particles. Although most fossils are found in marine sedimentary rocks, they also are found in terrestrial deposits left by streams and lakes. On occasion, animals and plants have been preserved after becoming immersed in tar or quicksand, trapped in ice or lava flows, or engulfed by rapid falls of volcanic ash .
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