501 critical reading questions p3

34.

How does the objective of The Landlord’s Game differ
from that of Monopoly?
a. In The Landlord’s Game, you can only rent the
properties, but in Monopoly you may buy them.
b. The Landlord’s Game illustrates the inequality of the
landlord/tenant system, while Monopoly encourages
players to become landlords and become wealthy at
the expense of others.
c. The Landlord’s Game teaches the problems of
capitalism and Monopoly teaches the value of
money.
d. The Landlord’s Game was a way for Quakers to
understand the economic theories of Henry George,
and Monopoly explains the evolutionary theories of
Charles Darrow.
e. In The Landlord’s Game, players try to land on as
many rail- roads and utilities as possible, but in
Monopoly they try to avoid them.
35.

36.

In line 38, what does swallowed Darrow’s prevarication
mean?
a. ate his lunch
b. believed his lie
c. understood his problem
d. played by his rules
e. drank his champagne

In line 28, the statement that the rules of The
Landlord’s Game were explained and transmuted
relies on the notion that
a. when people pass along information by word of
mouth, it goes through changes.
b. when people explain things to their friends, they
take on a different appearance.
c. friends rely on one another for vital information.
d. it’s not always easy to play by the rules.
e. word of mouth is the best way to spread information.
In paragraph 4, the author implies that
a. Parker Brothers bought the game from Charles
Darrow.
b. it is not difficult to get a patent for an idea you didn’t
invent.
c. Monopoly made Parker Brothers and Darrow
37.


millions of dollars.
d. Lizzie Magie tried to sell her game to George Parker.
e. The Landlord’s Game was popular with Quakers.

18


501 Critical Reading Questions
Why did Mrs. Phillips sell her patent to Parker
Brothers?

a. So a large company would market her game and
spread the word about Henry George’s single tax
theory.
b. So she could make money.
c. So The Landlord’s Game could compete with
Monopoly.
d. So the truth would be told about Charles Darrow.
e. So she would become famous.
38.

39.

All of the following questions can be explicitly
answered on the basis of the passage EXCEPT
a. Why did Lizzie Magie invent The Landlord’s Game?
b. Was was the object of The Landlord’s Game?
c. What were some of the properties on The
Landlord’s Game board?
d. Who did Charles Darrow sell the game to?
e. How did Parker Brothers find out that Charles
Darrow didn’t invent the game?
Questions 41–47 are based on the following
passage.
The following selection is adapted from a news story about
a bill recently introduced in Congress.
(1)

(5)

(10)

(15)

(20)


I
n
t
h
e
p
a
s
t
t
h
i
r
t
y
y
e
a
r
s
,
A
m
e

r

icans’ consumption of restaurant and take-out
food has doubled. The result, according to many
health watchdog groups, is an increase in
overweight and obesity. Almost 60 million
Americans are obese, costing $117 billion each
year in health care and related costs. Members
of Congress have decided they need to do
something about the obesity epidemic. A bill was
recently intro- duced in the House that would
require restaurants with twenty or more
locations to list the nutritional content of their
food on their menus. A Senate version of the bill
is expected in the near future.
Our legislators point to the trend of
restaurants’ marketing larger meals at attractive
prices. People order these meals believing that
they are getting a great value, but what they are
also getting could be, in one meal, more than
the daily recommended allowances of calories,
fat, and sodium. The question is, would people
stop “supersizing,” or make other healthier
choices if they knew the nutritional content of
the food they’re ordering? Lawmakers think they
would, and the grav- ity of the obesity problem
has caused them to act to change menus.
The Menu Education and Labeling, or MEAL,
Act, would result in menus that look like the
nutrition facts panels found on food in supermarkets. Those panels are required by the 1990

Nutrition Labeling

19


501 Critical Reading Questions

(25)

(30)

(35)

(40)

(45)

(50)

and Education Act, which exempted restaurants.
The new restaurant menus would list calories, fat,
and sodium on printed menus, and calo- ries on
menu boards, for all items that are offered on a
regular basis (daily specials don’t apply). But isn’t
this simply asking restaurants to state the
obvious? Who isn’t aware that an order of
supersize fries isn’t health food? Does anyone
order a double cheeseburger thinking they’re
being virtuous?
Studies have shown that it’s not that simple. In

one, registered dieti- cians couldn’t come up with
accurate estimates of the calories found in certain
fast foods. Who would have guessed that a milk
shake, which sounds pretty healthy (it does
contain milk, after all) has more calories than
three McDonald’s cheeseburgers? Or that one
chain’s chicken breast sandwich, another bettersounding alternative to a burger, con- tains more
than half a day’s calories and twice the
recommended daily amount of sodium? Even a
fast-food coffee drink, without a doughnut to go
with it, has almost half the calories needed in a
day.
The restaurant industry isn’t happy about the
new bill. Arguments against it include the fact
that diet alone is not the reason for America’s
obesity epidemic. A lack of adequate exercise is
also to blame. In addi- tion, many fast food
chains already post nutritional information on
their websites, or on posters located in their
restaurants.
Those who favor the MEAL Act, and similar
legislation, say in response that we must do all
we can to help people maintain a healthy
weight. While the importance of exercise is
undeniable, the quantity and quality of what we
eat must be changed. They believe that if we
want consumers to make better choices when they
eat out, nutritional information must be provided
where they are selecting their food. Restaurant
patrons are not likely to have memorized the

calorie counts they may have looked up on the
Internet, nor are they going to leave their


t
a
b
l
e
s
,
o
r
a
l
i

ne, to check out a poster that might be on the
oppo- site side of the restaurant.
The purpose of the passage is to
a. targue the restaurant industry’s side of the debate.
explain wh

41.

b.

y dieticians have trouble estimating the
nutritional content of fast food.
c. help consumers make better choices when dining out.

d. explain one way legislators propose to deal
with the obesity epi- demic.
e. argue for the right of consumers to
understand what they are ordering in fast
food restaurants.

20


501 Critical Reading Questions
42.

According to the passage, the larger meals
now being offered in restaurants
a. cost less than smaller meals.
b. add an extra side dish not offered with smaller meals.
c. include a larger drink.
d. save consumers money.
e. contain too many calories, fat, and sodium.

43.

In lines 15–16, the word gravity most nearly means
a. the force of attraction toward earth.
b. a cemetery plot.
c. seriousness.
d. jealousy.
e. presumption of wrongdoing.

According to the passage, why is the restaurant

industry against the new Congressional bill?
a. They don’t want any healthy items on their menus.
b. Because lack of adequate exercise is also
responsible for the obesity epidemic.
c. They don’t want to be sued if they incorrectly
calculate the calories in their menu items.
d. They feel their industry is already over-regulated.
e. Because people would stop coming to their
establishments if they knew what was in the food.
44.

Why is the chicken breast sandwich mentioned in
paragraph 4?
a. It is an example of a menu item that contains more
fat than one would assume.
b. It is the only healthy choice on some restaurants’
menus.
c. It has twice as much salt as the recommended daily
allowance.
d. It has as many calories as three McDonald’s
hamburgers.
e. It is a typical selection in a Value Meal.
45.

46.

The passage explains that those in favor of
the MEAL Act want nutritional information
placed
a. anywhere the consumer can make a menu selection.

b. in print advertisements.


c. on websites.
d. on toll-free hotlines.
e. on posters with print large enough to read from any

position in the restaurant.

21


501 Critical Reading Questions
If the MEAL Act is passed, consumers would see
a. menus that tell them how to select the
healthiest complete meal.
b. menus that look like nutritional labels on packaged
food.
c. restaurants with more extensive information on their
websites.
d. less television advertising of fast food restaurants.
e. restaurants that serve healthier food choices.
47.

Answers
1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

c. The answer may be found in lines 4 and 5,
which state that Rus- sell wanted an
alternative to ftis scratcfted and warped
pftonograpft records. You may infer that the
problem with such records was their poor
sound quality.
e.Lines 26–27 state that the detector’s
function is to convert data collected by the
laser into music.
b.While the paragraph explains the function
of semiconductor lasers in reading the
information on CDs, it does not say anything about why they were invented.
a.Evidence may be found in lines 23–24,
which state that today’s models are quirkier
and less perfect than the supermodels.
c. A resumé is literally the summary of one’s
job experience, edu- cation, and skills. The
author is saying that there is nothing one
can say about these models except that they
look great; their figurative resumé has only
one item on it. Being great-looking isn’t work
experience (choice a), one would not literally
list “great-looking” alone on a resume

(choices b and d), and patftos is a feeling of
pity or sorrow (choice e).
e.To wax means to become, and rftapsodic
means excessively enthusiastic. Although
rhapsodic can also mean like a musical
composition of irregular form, this definition
does not fit with the rest of the sentence.


7.

8.

9.

e.Lines 5–7 mention calculators (adding
machines), computers, card punches, and
manuals. The only item not mentioned is
kitchen scales.
c. A sneer is a facial expression that signals
contempt or scorn. Accountants and
bookkeepers didn’t like the comptometer,
because as lines 13–14 explain, it performed
their job faster than they could.
b.The Museum has a collection of computerrelated magazines, manuals, and books (line
7). They would not contain informa-

22

501 Critical Reading Questions

12.

15.

tion on the inventor of the telephone (choice
a), other museums in California (choice c),
the profession of comptometer opera- tion
(choice d), or why video games are harmful
(choice e).
Since IBM played, and continues to play, an
important role in the development of
computers and computer-related technology, it could most likely be researched at
the Museum.
10. d.Lines 4–5 explain that there was a social
component to a trip to the marketplace. To
be social means to be around others, suggesting that people sought out interaction
with one another.
11. c. The prefix ante- means earlier, as does
pre-. Additional context clues may be found
in the first paragraph, which explains the
similarities between historical marketplaces
(those of long ago), and the malls of today,
and in line 6, which states the mall is a
descendant of the marketplace.
a. This information is not given in the passage.
13. b.The answer is in lines 27–29: It was
constructed according to a uni- fied plan,
ratfter tftan as a random group of stores.

Nicftols’ company owned and operated tfte
mall, leasing space to a variety of tenants.
14. e.Lines 31–34 explain that Gruen took the
shopping mall to the next level by intending
it to take the place of a city center, with
leisure and entertainment opportunities as well
as shopping and dining.
b. All of the other choices are mentioned in lines 46–
48.
16. a.Lines 36–38 list some of Southdale’s
offerings, such as shops, restaurants, a
school, a post office, a skating rink, works
of art, and fountains. These are also
available in a city, and may be considered
among the pleasures of urban life.
17. e.All of the other choices were mentioned in
the last two para- graphs as positive impacts


18.

19.

20.

of megamalls. However it is unlikely that a
mall in Minnesota would be in direct
competition for vis- itors with a Mall located
on the other side of the world.
a.Salad is the best choice, because (lines 4–

7) at the time, Ameri- cans were beginning to
eat healthier foods, such as vegetables.
e.Lines 33 and 34 explain that he skipped
the fermentation process, which means that
the fish was fresh, or raw. If you answered
choice b, check back to the passage. There
is no rea- son to believe that sushi with
fermented rice was not being con- sumed in
Edo before Yohei’s innovation. If you
answered choice d, note that the passage
does not indicate when, or with whom,
wasabi began being used as a condiment with
nigiri zusfti.
c. It states in lines 42 and 43 that ama ebi is
raw shrimp, and sftime saba is marinated
mackerel. You can infer that ebi means
shrimp,

23


501 Critical Reading Questions

21.

22.

23.

24.

25.

26.

because “raw” is not one of your choices. You
can also infer that sftime means marinated,
because mackerel is not one of your choices.
Therefore, sftime ebi means marinated shrimp.
d.Nowhere in the passage does the author
mention a preference for either type of sushi.
The answer to choice a may be found in lines
36 and 37. Choice b is found in lines 10–13,
choice c is answered by lines 46–51, and
choice e is answered by
lines 26–29.
a.It is noted in lines 15 and 16 that sushi
consumption in America is 40% higher than
it was in the late 1990s (five years ago).
While the other answers might be true, they
are not described in the passage.
b.Unpalatable may be defined as not
agreeable to taste; from the Latin palatum,
which refers to the roof of the mouth. You
know the word palate as the roof of the
mouth, so unpalatable most likely has to do
with the sense of taste. The biggest clue to
the definition comes in line 24, which states
that Americans have decided, tftis oncescorned food is truly delicious.
d.It is mentioned in lines 25–26 that sushi

was developed for the purpose of
preserving fish. Line 29 clearly states that
pickling, which takes place at the end of the
sushi-making process, is a means of
preserving.
d.The nori is typically on the outside of the
roll, surrounding the rice (lines 46 and 47). If
the rice is wrapped around the seaweed, the
inside (rice) is now on the outside. In
addition, you could use the process of
elimination, as none of the other choices
make sense.
c. The author does not have a bite to his
argument, as required by satire, cynicism,
and sarcasm. He is also not speaking to two
audiences, one that gets it and one that
doesn’t, as with irony. He is simply trying to
be funny, as in lines 1–3, which says that


27.

28.

once a boy becomes a man, he will compete
for cash on
an island.
d.This is the only statement made by both
authors (see Passage 1 lines 37–38, and
Passage 2 lines 33–34). Don’t be tricked by

the choices that are true, such as a, b, and
e. They need to be believed by both authors
to be correct.
a.Passage 2 repeats a number of times its
first question: Why does Reality TV get such
a bad rap? Lines 2 and 3 explain the argument further, saying its popularity is blamed
on degenerate morals and a decreasing
attention span. The first lines of para- graph
2 (13–16) again question the argument against
Reality

24


501 Critical Reading Questions

29.

30.

31.

32.

TV, and the last paragraph repeats the
questioning. There are no outcomes or any
need for change mentioned. A brief history is
given, and the subject of getting famous
through exposure on Reality TV is brought
up, but neither is the primary purpose of the

passage.
b.Passage 1 centers on a problem with
Reality TV, and while Passage 2 does
mention some problems, they are not what
he or she feels, but rather the opinion of
some people. Choice a is incorrect because
Passage 1 does not defend Reality TV. Choice
c is incorrect because the author of Passage 2
acknowledges that some people have a
problem with Reality TV (lines 1–3 and 48–
49). Choice d is incorrect because Passage 2
does not say anything about variety in TV
programming. Choice e is wrong because
Passage 2 doesn’t mention the cost of
producing TV shows.
a.Ratings refers to how many people watch the
show. A homerun is the best possible kind of
hit, so a ratings ftomerun is a symbolic term
meaning that many people watch the show.
Choices b, c, and e reference ball games
literally, but the author used the term
figuratively, so those choices are incorrect.
Nielsen is the company that gathers TV
ratings, but high ratings have nothing to do
with whether they like a show or not.
e.Both passages show that there is a
debate about Reality TV. In Passage 1, the
author is against it, but notes that it is
popular (lines 10 and 37). The author of
Passage 2 likes it, and also rec- ognizes that

it gets a bad rap (line 1). Although most of
the other choices are factual, they do not
appear in both passages, and are not
illustrated by them.
c. The clue comes in Passage 1, which
describes the swathing and flower gluing as
crimes against defenseless walls. Swathing
is therefore something done to a wall. The


33.

34.

35.

only choice that makes sense is c, to cover.
d. While there is evidence for the other
choices,
they
are
not
the
most
troublesome. The author repeats in every
paragraph the idea that Reality TV isn’t
real.
e.Look back to lines 7–10, where George’s
single tax proposal (the idea The Landlord’s
Game was meant to teach) is described as

aiming to weaken tfte ability to form
monopolies, encourage equal opportunity,
and narrow tfte gap between ricft and poor.
b.Lines 13–20 explain the first part of the
question, while lines 52–55 contain the
answer to the second. Don’t be distracted
by the other answers that contain true
statements that are not,

25


501 Critical Reading Questions

36.

37.

38.

39.

40.

41.

42.

43.

44.

however, the objectives of the games. Note
also that evolution was a theory of Charles
Darwin, not Charles Darrow.
b.Lines 35–37 explains that Darrow
fraudulently claimed to be the game’s
inventor (he was introduced to it before he
got a patent as its inventor). Parker
Brothers bought his patent believing that it
was genuine, meaning that they believed
Dar- row’s falsehood.
a.The answer is in line 26. Having the game
and its rules spread by word of mouth
means it will alter sligfttly from one person
to another.
b.To imply means to hint at, rather than to
state outright. The other choices are all
directly stated in the paragraph, while b is
implied.
a.Lines 46 and 47 say she sold it to
remain true to her original intent, which
was, according to line 11, to spread the
word about George’s single tax theory.
e.Lines 42 and 43 say that Parker Brothers
found out that Dar- row wasn’t the inventor,
but nowhere in the passage does it say how
they learned the information.
d.In the first paragraph, where the theme is
typically introduced, it states that members

of Congress ftave decided tftey need to do
some- tfting about tfte obesity epidemic (lines
5 and 6).
e.The answer is found in lines 12–14: wftat
tftey are also getting could be, in one meal,
more tftan tfte daily recommended
allowances of calories, fat, and sodium.
c. Clues for this question are found in the
first paragraph, in which the obesity
problem is called an epidemic, and the
stag- gering cost of the problem is
mentioned.
b.Paragraph 5 states that the restaurant
industry has responded to the bill by pointing
out that diet alone is not tfte reason for


45.

46.

47.

Amer- ica’s obesity epidemic. A lack of
adequate exercise is also to blame.
c. The answer is in lines 32–35: the chicken
breast sandwich con- tains more than twice
tfte recommended daily amount
of sodium.
a. Paragraph 6 explains that those who

support the MEAL Act believe nutritional
information must be provided wftere tftey
are selecting tfteir food (lines 46 and 47).
b.The answer is in lines 18–20: Tfte Menu
Education and Labeling, or MEAL, Act,
would result in menus tftat look like tfte
nutrition facts panels found on food in
supermarkets.

26