SECTION III: READING (5.0 points)
Part 1: Read the following passage and choose the correct answer to each of the following
questions. Write your answer (A, B, C, or D) in the numbered boxes.
Since ancient times, one of the most common materials people have utilized to make things
with is wood. Wood is used to make houses, buildings, and other structures. People also
make a large number of smaller objects with it.
The desire to make finished products more beautiful appears to be ingrained in huma n
nature. On account of this fact, for thousands of years, people have carved and shaped
wooden objects to make them more appealing to the eye. Humans have additionally tended
to create both religious and ceremonial objects from wood. In fact, all around the world,
countless cultures have made use of ceremonial wood carvings. These objects often reflect
the spirit of the people who made them, and each of them tends to hold a special
significance as well.
One of the most common types of wood carvings is the mask. People in many cultures in
Asia, Africa, and North America have made ceremonial wooden masks. In Africa, for
instance, large numbers of tribes use wooden masks for vari ous spiritual rituals. These
masks are often in the form of animals that are sacred to the tribes. In other cases, the masks
have human forms. The faces, however, may not be exactly humanlike. For instance, the
faces can be distorted, having wider, longer, smaller, or larger features than normal. The
masks may be carved to give them ugly or frightening appearances as well. And, on other
occasions, the masks are made to look as beautiful as possible.
While masks tend to be fairly small, other wood carvings can be enormous. Among the
largest of all ceremonial wood carvings is the totem p ole. Totem poles have been built by
several Native American tribes that reside in the northwestern part of North America. They
are normally made to represent families, or they may honor significant historical events.
Some even tell stories. A typical totem pole has several individual carvings on it. Each
carving represents a different part of the family history, event, or story. Most totem poles
have human or animal faces, as well as other figures, carved in them. They are so large that
they are made from e ntire trees. Once the trees are cut down, master craftsmen work on
them. When completed, they may or may not be painted. Then, the totem poles are
positioned in places of honor and placed upright.
1. What is this passage mainly about?
A. The ways wood can be used to make buildings B. The purposes of masks in some cultures
C. The types of wood carvings some people make D. Totem poles and their significance
2. In line 4, the word ingrained is closest in meaning to _________.
A. embedded B. disturbed C. initiated D. consistent
3. Why have some people carved wooden objects?
A. To give them to others as gifts B. To worship them as idols
C. To employ them as weapons D. To utilize them in ceremonies
4. In line 14, the phrase sacred to is closest in meaning to _________.
A. important to B. hunted by C. revered by D. necessary for
5. What does the author say about masks?
A. They always resemble human faces. B. It takes a great deal of effort to make them.
C. People make them on several continents. D. Animal masks are more popular than human ones.
6. The author uses totem poles as an example of _________.
A. wood carvings that are large in size B. a type of wood carving older than masks
C. the most impressive of all wood carvings D. the wood carvings favored by all Native Americans
7. In line 22, the word they refers to _________.
A. several Native American tribes B. totem poles C. families D. significant historical events
8. What does the author imply about wood carvings?
A. They take years to learn how to make. B. They are expensive to buy.
C. They need special types of wood. D. They may vary in size.
9. The author mentions all of the following about totem poles EXCEPT _________.
A. what they look like B. what they represent
C. which trees are used to make them D. who usually carves them
