8th Final Exam

This question has two parts. First, answer part A. Then, answer part B. What is one central idea of the article?

• A Dogs are known for their loyal and devoted companionship to humans.
• B Bioluminescent sea creatures may help researchers cure diseases such as Parkinson’s.
• C It is safer and easier to conduct research on dogs than on humans.
• D Glowing beagles could help doctors effectively treat human diseases.

Which sentence from “The Glowing Beagle” best supports the answer to part A?

• A “For many years, scientists have studied bioluminescent sea creatures such as jellyfish.”
• B “If scientists can successfully conduct research on a dog that has a disease that a human can also develop, the scientists may find clues to curing that disease by observing the dog"
• C “However, though many studies have been conducted using human volunteers, the type of gene testing that scientists have done on dogs cannot be conducted on humans.”
• D “They see great potential in these developments and hope that the future of scientific research on genes is bright, not only for humans, but for their best friends, the dogs.”

Look at the first sentence of the passage. Dogs have provided many services for people over the years. What relationship does this sentence have with the rest of the first paragraph?

• A It introduces a problem. The rest of the paragraph lists possible solutions.
• B It states an observed effect. The rest of the paragraph examines causes.
• C It provides an opinion. The rest of the paragraph provides reasons.
• D It presents an idea. The rest of the paragraph gives examples.

Which of the following gives the best summary of the ideas in “The Glowing Beagle”?

• A Some animals, such as jellyfish, can produce their own light. By transferring the light-producing gene to dogs, scientists have found a way to make dogs glow when placed under ultraviolet light. This could lead to important discoveries.
• B The fascinating study of bioluminescent sea creatures has led to new research for curing diseases. However, scientists now cruelly perform tests, such as gene transfers, on live animals.
• C By successfully transferring genes from light-producing sea creatures to dogs, scientists have found a way to study and possibly cure diseases in people. Though there are several drawbacks, scientists are hopeful that the challenges can be overcome.
• D Scientists have discovered a cure for Alzheimer’s disease. By transferring genes from bioluminescent sea creatures to dogs, researchers discovered where disease-producing genes can be found. They found ways to prevent these genes from becoming active.

The author believes the gene transfer process is a positive discovery, but she also wants to acknowledge that there are people who oppose it. Which sentence from the passage best supports this statement?

• A “And of course, dogs are probably best known for their faithful companionship to individuals and families.”
• B “The result was a delightful dog named Tegan who is like any other beagle except that she appears to glow when placed under an ultraviolet light.”
• C “Though transferring fluorescent genes to a dog does not harm a dog in any way, there are some critics of the process.”
• D “Small creatures such as mice and rats can live happily in small cages, but dogs of course cannot.”
• E “They see great potential in these developments and hope that the future of scientific research on genes is bright, not only for humans, but for their best friends, the dogs.”

This question has two parts. First, answer part A. Then, answer part B. Part A Which of the following is a key argument in the passage?

• A People read fewer newspapers and novels than they ever did in the past.
• B People in print publishing tend not to appreciate the advantages of digital publishing.
• C Digital publications need more editing than traditional publications.
• D Modern technologies are changing publishing and information access for the better.

Part B Which statement from “It’s a Great Time to Be in Publishing!” does not support the answer to part A?

• A “Still, when I think about the vast array of new opportunities . . . I see a thriving industry in the making.”
• B “Despite the length of this column, every word that comes into my head doesn’t get published . . .”
• C “The massive move toward on-demand publishing is eliminating the waste from the printing process.”
• D “Computers have made interacting with text an increasingly large part of our lives.”

In the first paragraph of “It’s a Great Time to Be in Publishing!”, how does author Dan Costa respond to the concerns of people who might disagree with him?

• A He identifies things that others consider to be negative changes to publishing but explains that these are actually positive changes.
• B He lists what other people claim are negative changes to the publishing industry and then presents evidence that these changes never occurred.
• C He acknowledges that bad things have happened in publishing but suggests that new opportunities have been created.
• D He presents information about positive changes in the publishing industry and suggests that people who disagree with him are simply opposed to new technology.

How does the author of “It’s a Great Time to Be in Publishing!” connect an increase in reading to modern methods of publishing?

• A by making an analogy between reading newspapers and novels and reading on cell phones
• B by contrasting the form and content of what people used to read to what they read now
• C by separating the benefits of traditional publshing models into different categories
• D by comparing and contrasting on-demand printing and other digital printing technologies

This question has two parts. First, answer part A. Then, answer part B. Part A How does Richard Kennedy feel when he reads the newspaper article about Samuel Ferguson’s plan?

• A He is shocked.
• B He is angry but amused.
• C He is nervous.
• D He is secretly proud.