SSAT Middle Level Reading Practice Test 42

Tiny robots small enough to enter the human body are being developed by researchers for a variety of purposes including cancer treatment, drug delivery, and even new cell and tissue growth.    

Doctors are often faced with the challenge of performing microsurgery to repair blood vessels, transplant tissue or reattach a severed limb. These procedures are very intricate, and surgery is often not the most effective solution since it can be very difficult to conduct. Soon, many surgeons could be turning to nanotechnology and performing delicate tasks by remotely controlling tiny robots, similar in size to a grain of rice that could travel through the body.

Electrical engineers have designed tiny spinning screws that can swim through veins in the body. They can potentially burrow into tumors to kill them or deliver drugs to a specific tissue or organ. Since these screws are so small, they could be injected into the body using a standard hypodermic needle and once inside, magnetically steered around the body using a 3D magnetic field supply and controller. Engineers believe that these devices will be particularly useful for removing brain tumors since tumors are difficult to operate on.

-Marie McCulloch

1. According to the passage, nanotechnology

• A. is extremely small machines doing complex tasks.
• B. has been used to treat humans for many years.
• C. involves tiny screws guided by trained nurses.
• D. is used primarily in the treatment of cancer.
• E. uses small robots about the size of apples.

2. According to the passage, the "tiny spinning screws" are especially useful in removing brain tumors because

• A. they are injected with a hypodermic needle.
• B. drugs rarely work in the treatment of tumors.
• C. they can be magnetically steered with a device.
• D. it is hard to perform surgery on brain tumors.
• E. engineers are more precise than doctors.

3. Which of the following best expresses the main point of the second paragraph?

• A. We must find inexpensive ways to use tiny robots.
• B. Size is especially important in nanotechnology.
• C. Specific surgeries are very difficult to conduct.
• D. Various methods are used to repair blood vessels.
• E. Nanotechnology could help in difficult surgeries.

4. Which of the following is the best title for the selection?

• A. Recent Technology
• B. Treating Diseases
• C. Microscopic Robots
• D. Repair and Growth
• E. Medical Advances

5. The author would most likely agree that

• A. a robot the size of a grain of rice is not realistic.
• B. nanotechnology can do things surgeons cannot.
• C. the magnetic field controller is the best technology.
• D. nanotechnology should only be used in surgeries.
• E. humans need to give less responsibility to machines.