Middle Level ISEE Reading Practice Test 72

1 During the winter months in many
2 regions, food can be extremely scarce. For
3 the wildlife of these areas, this can be a
4 great problem unless animals have some
5 mechanism that allows them to adapt. Some
6 animals migrate to warmer climates. Others
7 hibernate to conserve energy and decrease
8 the need for food. Prior to hibernation, an
9 animal will generally eat a lot to build up a
10 store of fat. The animal's system will "feed"
11 off the fat stores throughout the long cold
12 winter months. When the animal hibernates,
13 its body temperature decreases and its body
14 functions slow down considerably. The
15 dormouse's heartbeat, for example, slows
16 down to just a beat every few minutes. Its
17 breathing also becomes slow and its body
18 temperature drops to just a few degrees
19 above the temperature of the ground around
20 it. All these changes decrease the need for
21 fuel and allow the animal to survive long
22 periods without any food. It is a mistake
23 to think that all hibernating animals sleep
24 for the whole winter. In fact, many animals
25 hibernate for short spurts during the winter.
26 They may wake for an interval of mild
27 weather. Scientists have now discovered
28 the chemical that triggers hibernation. If
29 this chemical is injected in an animal in the
30 summer months, it can cause the animal to
31 go into summer hibernation.

1. The primary purpose of the passage is to

• A. compare the hibernating dormouse with other hibernating animals
• B. debunk some common myths about hibernation
• C. discuss the discovery of the chemical that causes hibernation
• D. explore some basic information about hibernation

2. As used in line 7, the word "conserve" most closely means

• A. expend
• B. help
• C. reserve
• D. waste

3. According to the author, each of the following happens to a hibernating animal EXCEPT

• A. it goes into a dream state
• B. its body temperature drops
• C. its breathing slows
• D. its heartbeat slows

4. Which of the following can be inferred as a reason a hibernating animal may interrupt its hibernation?

• A. A day or two of stormy weather
• B. An overabundance of food
• C. A week in which there was no snow
• D. A week in which the temperature was well above freezing

5. According to the author, if the chemical that triggers hibernation is injected into an animal when it would not normally hibernate, the chemical may

• A. allow the animal to shed extra fat stores
• B. cause an out-of-season hibernation
• C. cause body functions to slow to a halt
• D. decrease an animal's need for food

6. The tone of the passage is best described as

• A. amazed
• B. concerned
• C. indifferent
• D. informative