Reading Comprehension 16

Reading Comprehension 16

1. Which of the following best describes the function of the second paragraph (lines 21-36)?

A. It summarizes the points presented in the first paragraph.

B. It identifies a problem and describes a possible solution.

C. It provides an example of a phenomenon presented in the first paragraph.

D. It questions the need to acquire additional information.

E. It explains why a particular hypothesis about the origins of a phenomenon cannot be tested.

Reading Comprehension 16

2. According to the passage, if neutrinos are affected by gravity, it may also be true that neutrinos

A. contain information about the origins of the universe

B. are the most abundant subatomic particles in space

C. produce infinitesimal flashes of light when they interact with cosmic rays

D. will eventually inhibit the expansion of the universe

E. are unaffected by the presence of other subatomic particles

Reading Comprehension 16

3. Which of the following is mentioned in the passage as a major obstacle confronting physicists in their attempts to study neutrinos?

A. The difficulty of distinguishing the visible traces of neutrinos from those of other phenomena that appear in Earth’s atmosphere

B. They difficulty of predicting the conditions in space under which neutrinos will be produced

C. Physicists’ uncertainty as to the origins of neutrinos

D. Physicists’ inability to predict the quantity of neutrinos required to affect the speed at which the universe expands

E. The difficulty of establishing whether neutrinos possess mass and are therefore susceptible to gravitational pull

Reading Comprehension 17

Reading Comprehension 17

1. The passage is primarily concerned with

A. suggesting an alternative to a traditional hypothesis

B. reporting an explanation for a physical phenomenon

C. documenting the discovery of an atmospheric process

D. contesting the conclusions of a research study

E. reconciling two views of a scientific development

Reading Comprehension 17

2. It can be inferred from the passage that if summers at the north and south poles of Mars had always been equally warm, scientists would expect to observe all of the following EXCEPT

A. north and south polar ice caps of approximately equal size

B. approximately equal amounts of water vapor reaching higher altitudes above the north and south poles

C. water vapor in the upper atmosphere circulating north and south in approximately equal quantities

D. continual shrinkage of both the north and south polar ice caps at approximately equal rates

E. water from the north being pumped southward and water from the south being pumped northward in approximately equal amounts

Reading Comprehension 17

3. Which of the following best describes the relationship between the first and second paragraphs of the passage?

A. The second paragraph points out important differences between a phenomenon described there and a related phenomenon described in the first paragraph.

B. The second paragraph describes in greater detail a phenomenon mentioned in passing in the first paragraph.

C. The second paragraph introduces recent evidence that casts doubt on a hypothesis described in the first paragraph.

D. The second paragraph resolves an apparent inconsistency noted by the author in the first paragraph.

E. The second paragraph proposes practical applications of theoretical research described in the first paragraph.