12.Practice.Tests.for.the.SAT_2015-2016_1128p

Section 71
Practice Test Twelve
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Directions: The passages below are followed by questions based on their content; questions following a pair of related
passages may also be based on the relationship between the paired passages. Answer the questions on the basis of
what is stated or implied in the passages and in any introductory material that may be provided.
Questions 7-19 are based on the following passage.
The following passages discuss the fu ture of the Internet
and the conflicting ideas surrounding its direction and
usefulness. Both passages were written in 2005 by Silicon
Valley executives.
Passage I
The Internet boom of the late 1990s created
much of the necessary infrastructure and awareness
to advance the Internet not only as a form
Line of technology but also as a public and consumer
(5) product. Nevertheless, though new dot-com companies
rapidly expanded and marketed their products
during the late 1990s, the dot-corns failed
to attract significant numbers of consumers or,
consequently, much in the way of profits. As an
(10) end result, most of the dot-corns of the late 1990s
failed. Today, however, due to two key changes in
the market, dot-com companies, along with their
niche in the economy, are poised to return stronger
than ever.
(15) The first factor that indicates a dot-com resurgence
is the proliferation of broadband Internet
service in the United States. The financial boom
that the dot-corns precipitated and experienced
during the late 1990s proved unsustainable largely
(20) due to the lack of demand for dot-com services,
specifically online retailing-known as "e-tailing."
This lack of demand was not a result of consumer
preference, but rather of the consumer's lack of
access. The number of Americans who possessed
(25) access to the Internet remained low even during
the late 1990s. Furthermore, even those with
access had slower dial-up access, which precluded
them from fully exploiting the conveniences developed
by the dot-corns. Today, though, many more
(30) households have broadband, which continues to
penetrate the market rapidly.
The second factor that indicates a dot-com
resurgence is the entry of traditional, established
companies into the market. During the late 1990s,
(35) new dot-com companies attempted to provide
traditional services like grocery and apparel retailing.
The existing, traditional economy, known as
the "brick-and-mortar" economy for its reliance
on physical locations consumers could visit, did
(40) not previously interact with the "new economy."
Today, existing powerhouse companies have
established Internet sites that catalogue all of
the goods and services they sell. Such companies
already bear the costs and revenues of traditional
( 45) retailing. They do not need to build infrastructure
such as warehouses, inventories, a labor force, and
delivery mechanisms as the dot-corns once needed
to do. These companies have few barriers to entry
to the online marketplace as they need only estab-
( 50) lish a website that lists their products.
Given the favorable conditions that have
emerged in the online marketplace, it would be
safe to assume that as more and more consumers
gain Internet access, the online marketplace will
(55) continue to grow. This will set the stage for the
revolution that the Internet inaugurated. Soon, we
will see how truly life changing this technology
can be.
Passage 2
The Internet will undoubtedly revolutionize life
(60) in the twenty-first century, but not through its
current prevailing use. A revolution in human life
and relations began with the advent of the microcomputer.
The revolution continued through the
networking of the world's computers. However,
( 65) this network, the Internet, has been grossly misused.
The most powerful communication and data
tool ever developed currently functions as nothing
more than an electronic catalogue site for retailers.
While corporations, universities, and gov-
(70) ernment entities have utilized the Internet for
administrative and operational purposes, the most
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