ISEE Upper Level Reading Comprehension Practice Test 27

1. The primary purpose of the passage as a whole is to

• A. question the reliability of information about the Black Death.
• B. criticize fourteenth-century people for their reaction to the Black Death.
• C. provide an overview of current beliefs about the Black Death.
• D. argue that the Black Death is more harmful than current diseases.

2. According to the passage, some people in the fourteenth century attributed the Black Death to

• A. planetary phenomena.
• B. fleas and rodents.
• C. Yersinia pestis.
• D. lack of cleanliness.

3. One possible reason the Black Plague is particularly interesting to those who study diseases is that

• A. its limitation to China and India allows for greater scientific understanding of its causes.
• B. the name Black Death evokes both the color of the symptoms and the horror of the disease.
• C. its repeated recurrence for several hundred years makes it a particularly devastating plague.
• D. the bacteria that caused it and the mode of transmission remain present today in many areas.

4. In line 25, "decimated" most nearly means

• A. armed.
• B. destroyed.
• C. infected.
• D. treated.

5. The sentence "Hypotheses and extrapolations will have to do" (lines 57-58) refers to

• A. the incomplete nature of present-day knowledge about the Black Plague.
• B. the scientific method, which relies on the experimental testing of hypotheses.
• C. the particular symptoms that many victims of the Black Plague suffered.
• D. whether the bacteria Yersinia pestis continues to exist today.

6. The author mentions Jewish people in line 41 in order to show that

• A. no group of people was immune to the devastating effects of the Black Plague.
• B. not all groups of people looked to the stars to explain the reasons for the Black Plague.
• C. some people's lack of understanding of the cause of the Black Plague led them to violent acts.
• D. their belief that earthquakes caused the Black Plague had disastrous consequences for them.

7. Which sentence best expresses the main idea of the passage?

• A. The term igloo refers more to a broader category of home than merely to homes made of snow.
• B. Igloos come in a variety of sizes, and all are able to keep people inside them warm.
• C. Igloos made of snow by the Inuit are known to be particularly well constructed.
• D. Outside of the arctic regions of Alaska and Canada, igloos are no longer built.

8. According to the passage, which is true about igloos?

• A. Igloos cannot maintain warmth without a stone lamp or stove.
• B. A bed in an igloo is often placed higher than the entrance of the igloo.
• C. A larger igloo is better suited to maintaining a warm environment.
• D. Only the Inuit still make igloos from snow today.

9. The author of the passage appears to be most interested in

• A. the number of igloos contained in a typical village.
• B. how many people can live in igloos of various sizes.
• C. the most effective way to maintain warmth in an igloo.
• D. how igloos are designed and used by indigenous arctic people.

10. According to the passage, a stone lamp can have the effect of

• A. ensuring that only a limited number of animal skins and furs are required to keep the igloo's inhabitants warm.
• B. further strengthening the igloo through a process of partially melting and refreezing the snow from which the igloo is constructed.
• C. allowing the parents of Inuit children to have sufficient light by which to read the historical accounts of their ancestors.
• D. providing an alternative to the use of small stoves to ensure that igloos are brought to a comfortable temperature for sleep.

11. Which of the following describes the organization of lines 31-44?

• A. A statement is made and supporting examples are provided.
• B. An opinion is offered and then contradicted with facts.
• C. Types of igloos built today are compared with igloos from the past.
• D. Reasons are given for the way igloos of different sizes are constructed.

12. The author implies that some igloos

• A. can be constructed with materials other than snow.
• B. can be moved from one location to another during a hunting trip.
• C. cannot be built to a size sufficient to accommodate more than one family.
• D. cannot be brought to temperatures of 60 degrees without an external heat source.