Middle Level ISEE Reading Practice Test 69

1 Bison and buffalo are not the same
2 animal. For years, American bison were
3 mistakenly referred to as buffalo. Due to
4 this confusion, there are many references
5 to buffalo in the United States. There is the
6 city of Buffalo in northwestern New York
7 state. In addition, the buffalo appeared
8 on the U.S. nickel for many years at the
9 beginning of the twentieth century. This is
10 often referred to as the "Buffalo Nickel" to
11 distinguish it from the current nickel with
12 Thomas Jefferson on the front. Buffalo are
13 actually found in Asia, Africa, and South
14 America. Bison roamed the North American
15 western plains by the millions just a couple
16 of centuries ago. Because the bison were so
17 widely hunted, however, their numbers fell
18 greatly. In fact, as of a century ago, there
19 were only about 500 left. They were deemed
20 near extinction, but due to conservation
21 efforts, their numbers have increased. There
22 are approximately 50,000 bison living today
23 in protected parks. Though they may never
24 be as abundant as they once were, they are
25 not in danger of extinction as long as they
26 remain protected.

1. The primary purpose of the passage is to

• A. applaud conservation efforts
• B. explain the genetic difference between the bison and the buffalo
• C. explain why people confuse the buffalo and the bison
• D. give some background on the American bison

2. The passage implies that the primary difference between the buffalo and the bison is

• A. their geographic location
• B. their number
• C. their size
• D. when they existed

3. As used in line 19, the word "deemed" most closely means

• A. found
• B. hunted
• C. ruled
• D. eaten

4. According to the passage, what can be hoped for as long as the American bison is protected?

• A. They will be as plentiful as they once were.
• B. They will disturb the delicate ecological balance in the plains.
• C. They will face even greater dangers.
• D. They will probably not die out.

5. According to the passage, the primary reason that the American bison is no longer near extinction is

• A. conservation efforts
• B. lack of interest in hunting them
• C. loss of value of their fur
• D. the migration of the animals

6. In line 6, the author mentions the city of Buffalo in order to

• A. criticize a hunting practice
• B. establish the reason for a particular currency
• C. illustrate a common misunderstanding
• D. pinpoint the first sighting of buffalo in New York