Variant 1 You could have come first and won the race if you … faster

23. It is clear from the passage that compared to Hurricane Hazel, Hurricane Fran ...
A) was responsible for more deaths because the area was more densely populated.
B) was a weaker storm and so caused less damage.
C) caused greater destruction even though it was a weaker storm.
D) inflicted greater damage because it was a much stronger storm.
24. The phrase SPRANG UP in the text is closest in meaning to ... .
A) showed B) jumped high C) demolished D) came into existence


The word alphabet is made up from the first two letters of the Greek alphabet - alpha and beta and describes any group of symbols intended to represent the sounds used in speech. The letters of an alphabet can be assembled in thousands of different combinations to form words, and are therefore much more flexible than other symbols, such as pictograms or ideograms each of which can only stand for one particular object or idea. The origin of alphabets is obscure. Some scholars believe that the first true alphabets developed from Egyptian Hieroglyphics; others contend that the cuneiform scripts of the Sumerians, Babylonians and Assyrians hold the key.
25. The author informs us that an alphabet is ...
A) two Greek letters, alpha and beta B) a group of signs that stand for vocal sounds
C) a group of meaningless symbols D) the sounds used when we speak
26. We can understand from the passage that alphabets are well-suited for writing because ...
A) they derive from ancient hieroglyphics B) their letters represent specific words or ideas
C) they are not as rigid as other symbolic systems D) they can have thousands of different letters
27. According to the passage academics disagree about ...
A) the disadvantages of alphabets B) pictograms and ideograms
C) the origin of alphabets D) the key to cuneiform scripts


Each year, about 7000 people in the United States are bitten by poisonous snakes. Fewer than a dozen of these persons die, but many are left with disability of a limb and scarring at the site of the bite. Persons at greatest risk are those who handle snakes for purposes of entertainment, religion or science. Outside the high-risk group, hunters, farmers and fishermen are the most likely to be bitten. The best way to tell the difference between a poisonous and a non-poisonous bite is to identify the snake. A non-poisonous bite doesn’t usually cause much pain or swelling, though the wound may bleed freely. When there is any doubt as to whether the snake is venomous, presume that the bite was poisonous and take precautions.