FND 3016
READING PRACTICE TEST
201420
Text 1: Questions 1 to 30
Encyclopedia
1. An encyclopedia is a collection of information about all the things
human beings know. Whether it is published on paper or online, an encyclopedia
is a huge collection of articles, each on a different subject. The first encyclopedias
may have begun as lecture notes by and for teachers of ancient schools over a
thousand years ago. There was so much information in them that it was
separated into different books, called volumes. Each was for a different subject or
course of study. The word encyclopedia at first meant the teachings of the school.
The name "encyclopedia" is from the 16th century.
2. After the printing press was invented, dictionaries with long definitions began
to be called encyclopedias. For example, if a dictionary of science included essays,
it was thought of as an encyclopedia or a knowledgeable book on the subject of
science. Some encyclopedias then included essays on more than one subject and
put them in alphabetical order instead of grouping them together by subject. This
is very similar to how most encyclopedias look today.
3. In the eighteenth century, companies started publishing encyclopedias for
public use in libraries, which is different from when an encyclopedia was used as
the curriculum in a private school. These publishers employed hundreds of
experts to write articles on thousands of different subjects. They also had to read,
edit and choose the articles. People thought these books were extremely
important and used them to check facts and for research. Today, Internet
encyclopedias allow their visitors to submit articles. An example of this is
Wikipedia. Encyclopedias are a great source of knowledge and include topics on
just about any topic or subject you can think of.
4. The largest online encyclopedia in the English language is Wikipedia, which
contains more than 4.75 million articles. The second largest is the Encyclopedia
Britannica, which also happens to be the largest in print form. Not everyone
thinks online encyclopedias are as good as printed ones. One critic says that
Wikipedia is not as good as other encyclopedias because anyone can change it, so
some people may write things that are wrong. Also, the way that Wikipedia works
means that there is likely to be bias – this is when people write things that they
want others to believe in, but they might not be true.
Adapted from: http://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Encyclopedia
FND 3016
READING PRACTICE TEST
ID: _________________________
SECTION: __________
Read the text and answer the questions in BB Learn.
Text 1: Encyclopedia
1.
The words “human beings” in paragraph 1 are closest in meaning to:
a.
b.
c.
d.
2.
The word “huge” in paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to:
a.
b.
c.
d.
3.
Volumes
Courses
Lecture notes
Teachings
The word “each” in paragraph 1 refers to:
a.
b.
c.
d.
7.
Book
Subject
Information
Study
The different books that are part of a set of encyclopedia are called _____.
a.
b.
c.
d.
6.
True
False
Not Given
The word “it” in paragraph 1 refers to:
a.
b.
c.
d.
5.
Very big
Hold
Tiny
Old
The first encyclopedias were published in the year 1015.
a.
b.
c.
4.
Collections
Books
People
Subjects
Teacher
Encyclopedia
Article
Volume
What is from the 16th century?
a.
b.
c.
d.
Books
The word ‘encyclopedia’
Teachings of the school
A year
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FND 3016
8.
The main idea of paragraph 1 is _____.
a.
b.
c.
d.
9.
READING PRACTICE TEST
To tell us the history of the word encyclopedia
To explain how encyclopedias first started
To encourage us to use encyclopedias more
To describe the different subjects in encyclopedias
Some dictionaries started to be called encyclopedias after the printing press was
invented.
a.
b.
c.
True
False
Not Given
10. The word “definitions” in paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to:
a.
b.
c.
d.
Meanings
Nouns
Words
Vocabularies
11. The word “it” in paragraph 2 refers to:
a.
b.
c.
d.
Knowledge
An essay
A dictionary
Science
12. Some encyclopedias were arranged in an A-Z format.
a.
b.
c.
True
False
Not Given
13. Some encyclopedias put essays in alphabetical order and not by _____.
a.
b.
c.
d.
Alphabet
Letter
Dictionary
Subject
14. The word “this” in paragraph 2 refers to:
a.
b.
c.
d.
Knowledge
Grouping essays by subject
What happens today
Putting essays in alphabetical order
15. The main idea of paragraph 2 is _____.
a.
b.
c.
d.
To describe how encyclopedia essays began to be arranged alphabetically
Give some background information on the printing press
Discuss the advantages of grouping by subject
Describe what encyclopedias look like nowadays
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FND 3016
READING PRACTICE TEST
16. The word “started” in paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to:
a.
b.
c.
d.
Researched
Said
Began
Printed
17. From the 18th century, people could use encyclopedias in ______.
a.
b.
c.
d.
Public
A library
Companies
Universities
18. How many different subjects did people write about?
a.
b.
c.
d.
Hundreds of thousands
Hundreds
Thousands
100,000
19. The word “they” in paragraph 3 refers to:
a.
b.
c.
d.
Experts
Employers
Libraries
People
20. The word “this” in paragraph 3 refers to:
a.
b.
c.
d.
Great sources of knowledge
Checking facts for research
Letting people send articles to online encyclopedias
The Internet
21. There is pretty much an encyclopedia topic on anything you can think of.
a.
b.
c.
True
False
Not Given
22. The main idea of paragraph 3 is _____.
a.
b.
c.
d.
Highlight the differences between online encyclopedias in the past and today
To inform people that encyclopedias are good for checking facts
Explain how to become a writer for an encyclopedia
Say how encyclopedias changed from the 18th century to today
23. Wikipedia is the largest paper-based encyclopedia in English.
a.
b.
c.
True
False
Not Given
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FND 3016
READING PRACTICE TEST
201420
24. Wikipedia has ______ articles in its encyclopedia.
a.
b.
c.
d.
Exactly 4.75 million
Fewer than 4.75 million
Around 4.75 million
Over 4.75 million
25. The word “change” in paragraph 4 is closest in meaning to:
a.
b.
c.
d.
Edit
Chance
Mistake
Damage
26. The word “wrong” in paragraph 4 is closest in meaning to:
a.
b.
c.
d.
Mistaken
Out
Right
Incorrect
27. On Wikipedia, it is probably right to say that
a.
b.
c.
d.
Everything is true
Most things are true
Less than half of what is written is true
Almost nothing is true
28. The word “this” in paragraph 4 refers to:
a.
b.
c.
d.
Likely
Bias
Things
Wikipedia
29. The word “they” in paragraph 4 refers to:
a.
b.
c.
d.
People
Things people write about
Bias
Others who don’t believe things
30. The main idea of paragraph 4 is _____.
a.
b.
c.
d.
To tell people that printed encyclopedias are better than online encyclopedias
To talk about online encyclopedias and a problem they have
To encourage people to change online encyclopedias
To compare Encyclopedia Britannica and Wikipedia
FND 3016
READING PRACTICE TEST
Text 1: Encyclopedia - Answers
1. The words “human beings” in paragraph 1 are closest in meaning to:
a. Collections
b. Books
*c. People
d. Subjects
2. The word “huge” in paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to:
*a. Very big
b. Hold
c. Tiny
d. Old
3. The first encyclopedias were published in the year 1015.
a. True
b. False
*c. Not Given
4. The word “it” in paragraph 1 refers to:
a. Book
b. Subject
*c. Information
d. Study
5. The different books that are part of a set of encyclopedia are called _____.
*a. Volumes
b. Courses
c. Lecture notes
d. Teachings
6. The word “each” in paragraph 1 refers to:
a. Teacher
b. Encyclopedia
c. Article
*d. Volume
7. What is from the 16th century?
a. Books
*b. The word ‘encyclopedia’
c. Teachings of the school
d. A year
8. The main idea of paragraph 1 is _____.
a. To tell us the history of the word encyclopedia
*b. To explain how encyclopedias first started
c. To encourage us to use encyclopedias more
d. To describe the different subjects in encyclopedias
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FND 3016
READING PRACTICE TEST
201420
9. Some dictionaries started to be called encyclopedias after the printing press was invented.
*a. True
b. False
c. Not Given
10. The word “definitions” in paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to:
*a. Meanings
b. Nouns
c. Words
d. Vocabularies
11. The word “it” in paragraph 2 refers to:
a. Knowledge
b. An essay
*c. A dictionary
d. Science
12. Some encyclopedias were arranged in an A-Z format.
*a. True
b. False
c. Not Given
13. Some encyclopedias put essays in alphabetical order and not by _____.
a. Alphabet
b. Letter
c. Dictionary
*d. Subject
14. The word “this” in paragraph 2 refers to:
a. Knowledge
b. Grouping essays by subject
c. What happens today
*d. Putting essays in alphabetical order
15. The main idea of paragraph 2 is _____.
*a. To describe how encyclopedia essays began to be arranged alphabetically
b. Give some background information on the printing press
c. Discuss the advantages of grouping by subject
d. Describe what encyclopedias look like nowadays
16. The word “started” in paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to:
a. Researched
b. Said
*c. Began
d. Printed
17. From the 18th century, people could use encyclopedias in ______.
a. Public
*b. A library
FND 3016
READING PRACTICE TEST
c. Companies
d. Universities
18. How many different subjects did people write about?
a. Hundreds of thousands
b. Hundreds
*c. Thousands
d. 100,000
19. The word “they” in paragraph 3 refers to:
*a. Experts
b. Employers
c. Libraries
d. People
20. The word “this” in paragraph 3 refers to:
a. Great sources of knowledge
b. Checking facts for research
*c. Letting people send articles to online encyclopedias
d. The Internet
21. There is pretty much an encyclopedia topic on anything you can think of.
*a. True
b. False
c. Not Given
22. The main idea of paragraph 3 is _____.
a. Highlight the differences between online encyclopedias in the past and today
b. To inform people that encyclopedias are good for checking facts
c. Explain how to become a writer for an encyclopedia
*d. Say how encyclopedias changed from the 18th century to today
23. Wikipedia is the largest paper-based encyclopedia in English.
a. True
*b. False
c. Not Given
24. Wikipedia has ______ articles in its encyclopedia.
a. Exactly 4.75 million
b. Fewer than 4.75 million
c. Around 4.75 million
*d. Over 4.75 million
25. The word “change” in paragraph 4 is closest in meaning to:
*a. Edit
b. Chance
c. Mistake
d. Damage
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FND 3016
READING PRACTICE TEST
26. The word “wrong” in paragraph 4 is closest in meaning to:
a. Mistaken
b. Out
c. Right
*d. Incorrect
27. On Wikipedia, it is probably right to say that
a. Everything is true
*b. Most things are true
c. Less than half of what is written is true
d. Almost nothing is true
28. The word “this” in paragraph 4 refers to:
a. Likely
*b. Bias
c. Things
d. Wikipedia
29. The word “they” in paragraph 4 refers to:
a. People
*b. Things people write about
c. Bias
d. Others who don’t believe things
30. The main idea of paragraph 4 is _____.
a. To tell people that printed encyclopedias are better than online encyclopedias
*b. To talk about online encyclopedias and a problem they have
c. To encourage people to change online encyclopedias
d. To compare Encyclopedia Britannica and Wikipedia
201420