Answer and explanation reading comprehension of TOEFL test [email protected] 1. Which of the following locations would be most likely to have a high concentration of Vibrio parahaemolyticus ? a. A bay b. A sea c. The middle of the ocean d. Sediment Answer : (A) The last sentence of paragraph 1 state that Vibrio parahaemolyticus is found in highest abundance in inshore waters, particularly near harbor (a harbor is similar to a bay) • [email protected] 2. The word “inshore” in line 4 is closest in meaning to a. Near the coast b. Deep c. Active d. Cold Answer : (A) ‘Inshore’ means ‘close to shore’ or ‘near the coast’ • [email protected] 3. The word “it”in line 9 refers to a. Vibrio parahaemolyticus b. Sea water c. Sodium chloride content d. Water temperature Answer : (A) The entire reading passage concerns Vibrio parahaemolyticus. The word ‘it’ in paragraph 1, refers to that organism, and so does the word ‘it’ line 11. The preceding sentence refers to the organism by name and calls it an ‘organism’. When it refers to it as a ‘organism’, it discusses ‘isolation’ . Thus, the only thing ‘it’ can referring to is the ‘organism’. • [email protected] 4. The safest time for eating seafood in the north pacific is probably a. August b. November c. July d. September Answer : (B) The last sentence of paragraph 2 states that a Japanese scientist has not isolated Vibrio parahaemolyticus as frequently in winter as during warmer months. November is the coldest month listed for the north pacific • [email protected] 5. The most common symtom of V. Parahaemolyticus poisoning is..... a. Nausea b. Diarrhea c. Vomiting d. Headache and fever Answer : (B) The first sentence of paragraph 3 gives diarrhea as the most common symptom • [email protected] 6. The word “this” in line 12 refers to a. Contaminated foods b. Symptoms c. A person d. Diarrhea Answer : (D) The word ‘this’ refers to ‘diarrhea, the most common symptom’, which appears just before it • [email protected] 7. The incubation period for this illness is.... a. 2 to 3 days b. 3 to 4 hours c. 4 to 5 days d. Several months Answer : (C) An incubator period means the time between a micoorganism’s into a body and the exhibiting of the first symptoms. The first sentence of paragraph 3 says that the first symtom occurs ‘within four or five days’ • [email protected] 8. In line 11 “ contaminated” is closest in meaning to a. Ocean b. Tainted c. Salty d. Cooked Answer : (B) The fact that a person becomes ill after eating ‘contaminated’ food should lead you to conclusion that it means ‘tainted’. If you dont’t know the meaning of ‘tainted’, it is still possible to eliminate the other three choices from the way ‘contaminated’ is used • [email protected] 9. Nishio’s study showed that a. The presence of V. Parahaemolyticus was dependent on neither the salt content nor the water temperature b. The presence of V. Parahaemolyticus was dependent only on the salt content c. The presence of V. Parahaemolyticus was independent of both the water temperature and the salt content d. The presence of V. Parahaemolyticus was dependent on the waater temperature Answer : (D) Paragraph 2, sentence 1, states, ‘the distribution of the bacteria in sea water was dependent on the water temperature’, but ‘independent of the sodium chloride content’. Sodium chloride is salt • [email protected] 10. The word “cramps” in line 12 means most nearly the same as a. Noises b. Toxicity c. Severe pain d. High temperature Answer : (C) Since stomach cramps are given as a symptom of the infection, you can assume they would be unplesant. Choice (C) is the most logical. Although high temperature would also be unplesant, it would not normally be associated with the stomach. • [email protected] Part 2 1. Recombinant DNA technology consists primarily of a. Producing several therapeutically important biomolucules b. Giving rice to large amounts of protein c. Introducing genetic material from one organism into another d. Using a viral enzyme called reverse trancriptase Answer : (C) Paragraph 1, sentence 2, says that the technology ‘allows scientists to introduce genetic material (or genes) from one organism into another’. The key word in this question is ‘primarily’. Choice (D) is a small part of the technology. Choice (B) is the function of the foreign gene and also involves only a part of the technology. • [email protected] 2. The word “profound” in the line 3 is closest in meaning to a. Significant c. Dangerous b. Boring d. Secret Answer : (A) Substitute the answer choices for ‘profound’ in the sentence. From the context, you can infer that recombinant DNA technology is incredible. The development is not ‘boring’, choice (B), or ‘secret’, choice (D). The technology may be ‘dangerous’ choice (C), but that is not the focus of this sentence. ‘Profound’ means ‘significant’ in this use. • [email protected] 3. In line 5, the word “isolation” is closest in meaning to a. Destruction c. Segregation b. Duplication d. Study Answer : (C) In the sentence, ‘isolation’ applies to a piece of DNA from an organism under study. ‘Destruction’ (A) of the DNA doesn’t make sense, nor does the ‘study’ of what is already being studied, choice (D). ‘Duplication’ is addressed in the last half of the sentence by ‘artificially synthesized’. ‘Isolation’ is closest in the meaning to ‘segregation’. • [email protected] 4. Recombinant DNA technology has been used in the production of all of the following biomolecules EXCEPT a. Growth hormones c. Interferon b. Eschecia coli d. Insulin Answer : (B) Paragraph 1, sentence 5, tell us that Escherichia Coli is a bacterium into which the recombinant molecule can be introduced. It is not itself produced by DNA technology. • [email protected] 5. In line 6, “artificially” is closest in meaning to a. Correctly c. Artistically b. Synthetically d. Carefully Answer : (B) The word ‘artificially’ means ‘not naturally’ or ‘synthetically’. 6. The word “ligated” in line 7 is closest in meaning to a. Intersected b. Cut c. Elevated d. Bound Answer : (D) In the sentence, a piece of DNA is being ‘ligated’ to a fragment of bacterial DNA. The only answer choice that makes sense is (D). • [email protected] 7. Which of the following is NOT true? a. The foreign gene will replicate in the bacteria, but it will not express itself through transcription and translation. b. The bacterium Eschecia coli can be grown in large amounts in synthetic media. c. Research continues in an effort to find other uses for this technology. d. Recombinant DNA technology is a recent development. Answer : (A) Sentence 6 states that ‘the foreign gene will not only replicate in the bacteria, but also express itself’. Thus choice (A) is the one choice that is not true. Choice (B)(C) and (D) are specifically mentioned in the passage. • [email protected] 8. In line 8, the word “fragment” is nearest in meaning to a. Particle c. Opposite b. Reproduction d. Large piece Answer : (A) The ‘fragment’ in the sentence is some bacterial DNA. Choice (B) and (C) do not make sense, and it’s highly unlikely that scientists would be dealing with a ‘large piece’ (D) of DNA. ’Particle’ is the best answer choice. • [email protected] 9. The word “capacity” in line 8 is nearest in meaning to a. Hormones c. Ability b. Technology d. Space Answer : (C) The sentence states that bacterial DNA has the ‘capacity’ to replicate itself independently. DNA doesn’t have ‘hormones’, choice (A),(B) or (D). It does have the ‘ability’ to replicate, however, so that is the best choice. • [email protected] 10. Expression of a gene in Eschecia coli requires a. The viral enzyme reverse transcriptase b. The processes of transcription and translation c. Production of insulin and other biomolecules d. That the bacteria be grown in a synthetic media Answer : (B) The last sentence of paragraph 1 states that the expression of a gene requires the processes of transcription and translation. Choice (D) is not true because, while the reading states that Eschecia coli may be produced in large amounts in synthetic media, it does not say that it requires synthetic media. • [email protected] Thank you • [email protected]
