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

Section 4
610 Practice Test Seven
13. In the second paragraph, the author mentions
photosynthesis primarily in order to
(A) refute the theory that an epidemic was
responsible for dinosaur extinction
(B) illustrate the importance of a clean atmosphere
for life on the earth
(C) support the contention that dinosaurs were
primarily plant eaters
(D) explain how the cloud of dust caused the
extinction of dinosaurs
(E) clarify how iridium was distributed evenly
around the earth
14. According to the author, the discovery of a layer
of iridium in geologic sediments (lines 22-30) was
considered unusual because
(A) iridium had never been detected there before
(B) the metal is normally quite scarce on the
earth's surface
(C) few volcanoes had been active during the era
when the sediments were laid down
(D) iridium had not previously been linked to
worldwide fallout
(E) nobody had previously thought to link iridium
with dinosaur extinction
15. The Alvarez theory would most directly be
strengthened by additional information
concerning
(A) the extraterrestrial origins of the Yucatan
crater
(B) the number of dinosaur species indigenous to
the Yucatan area
(C) the iridium content of the Yucatan crater
(D) the discovery of a crater of similar age in the
Southern Hemisphere
(E) the volcanic forces responsible for burying
the Yucatan crater
Questions 16-24 are based on the following passage.
Mention a rock garden to most people and, in
response, they may ask you how to grow rocks
and why you would want to do so. Actually, a
Line rock garden (also known as an alpine garden)
(5) contains not only rocks but also flowers that
grow in mountainous regions. The flowers are
planted in a bed of rocks; hence the name. Rock
gardens are believed to have originated in China
and Japan; they were introduced to the West in
(10) the seventeenth century. The popularity of rock
gardens has increased dramatically since then, and
today there are numerous international rock garden
societies with many thousands of members.
One aspect of the appeal of rock gardens is
( 15) that they provide gardeners the opportunity to
cultivate beautiful plants in growing conditions
that are less than ideal. If the land is hilly, stony,
or awkwardly arranged, for example, a gardener
would be unable to raise many traditional garden
(20) plants, since they could not survive such condi-
. tions. In contrast, alpine plants such as gentians,
edelweiss, stonecrops, and saxifrages, as well as
rockrose, columbine, phlox, and bluebell, not only
survive but also thrive in these conditions because
(25) their native soils have characteristics similar to
those of mountainous regions.
In order to plant a rock garden, a gardener
must start with the rocks, ensuring that they are
arranged in a manner that is both beautiful and
(30) conducive to plant growth. If the ground is already
rocky, the gardener need only rearrange the rocks
into a growing area. In order to avoid uninspired
placements that work against the beauty of the garden,
the gardener should draw up plans of his or
(35) her rock garden before he or she begins the work.
In addition, the rocks must be planted deeply into
the soil-in some cases, half or more of a rock will
be buried-so that they are stable and cannot be
dislodged easily, which would upset the plants.
(40) Gardeners whose plot lacks a sufficient number
or the proper kinds of rocks can buy them
from local nurseries. Rocks native to a gardener's
region work best and are usually readily available
I GO ON TO THE NEXT PAGE>