PRAXIS reading workshop
Sessions 2 -3
You may find answers for this page at http://ed.coastalapps.org/ under PRAXIS Core workshop
resources.
1. What words may indicate that the text is a descriptive text?
2. What words may indicate that the text has a sequence text structure?
3. What words may indicate that the text has a comparison text structure?
4. What words may indicate that the text has a cause and effect text structure?
5. What words may indicate that the text has a problem and solution text structure?
6. What words may indicate the question is a literal question?
7. What words may indicate the question is an inferential question?
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PRAXIS reading workshop
Sessions 2 -3
Of all the natural sciences there is not one which offers such sublime objects to the
attention of the inquirer as does the science of astronomy. From the earliest ages the study of the
stars has exercised the same fascination as it possesses at the present day. Among the most
primitive peoples, the movements of the sun, the moon, and the stars commanded attention from
their supposed influence on human affairs.
The practical utilities of astronomy were also obvious in primeval times. Maxims of
extreme antiquity show how the avocations of the husbandman are to be guided by the
movements of the heavenly bodies. The positions of the stars indicated the time to plough, and
the time to sow. To the mariner who was seeking a way across the trackless ocean, the heavenly
bodies offered the only reliable marks by which his path could be guided. There was,
accordingly, a stimulus both from intellectual curiosity and from practical necessity to follow the
movements of the stars. Thus began a search for the causes of the ever-varying phenomena
which the heavens display.
1. What is the main idea of this passage?
A. Sailors use the stars to navigate.
B. Astrology is an ancient practice.
C. The stars have always been in the exact same place.
D. Mankind has always been interested in astronomy.
2. What is the best antonym for primeval?
A. modern
B. ancient
C. stupid
D. intelligent
3. What does the author mean by the phrase 'avocations of the husbandman'?
A. duties of a spouse
B. responsibilities of a family member
C. tasks of the farmer
D. preferences of an astronomer
4. Why did people desire to learn more about the behavior of the sun, moon, and stars?
A. Because they thought the heavenly bodies influenced human behavior
B. To help them know when to plant their crops
C. To navigate
D. All of the above
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PRAXIS reading workshop
Sessions 2 -3
In 1892, the Sierra Club was formed. In 1908, an area of coastal redwood trees north of
San Francisco was established as Muir Woods National Monument. In the Sierra Nevada
Mountains, a walking trail from Yosemite Valley to Mount Whitney was dedicated in 1938. It is
called the John Muir Trail.
John Muir was born in 1838 in Scotland. His family name means "moor," which is a
meadow full of flowers and animals. John loved nature from the time he was small. He also liked
to climb rocky cliffs and walls.
When John was 11 years old, his family moved to the United States and settled in
Wisconsin. John was good with tools and soon became an inventor. He first invented a model of
a sawmill. Later, he invented an alarm clock that would cause the sleeping person to be tipped
out of bed when the timer sounded.
Muir left home at an early age. He took a 1,000-mile walk south to the Gulf of Mexico in
1867and 1868. Then he sailed for San Francisco. The city was too noisy and crowded for Muir,
so he headed inland for the Sierra Nevadas.
When Muir discovered the Yosemite Valley in the Sierra Nevadas, it was as if he had
come home. He loved the mountains, the wildlife, and the trees. He climbed the mountains and
even climbed trees during thunderstorms in order to get closer to the wind. He put forth the
theory in the late 1860s that the Yosemite Valley had been formed through the action of glaciers.
People ridiculed him. Not until 1930 was Muir's theory proven correct.
Muir began to write articles about the Yosemite Valley to tell readers about its beauty.
His writing also warned people that Yosemite was in danger from timber mining and sheep
ranching interests. In 1901, Theodore Roosevelt became president of the United States. He was
interested in conservation. Muir took the president through Yosemite, and Roosevelt helped get
legislation passed to create Yosemite National Park in 1906.
Although Muir won many conservation battles, he lost a major one. He fought to save the
Hetch Hetchy Valley, which people wanted to dam in order to provide water for San Francisco.
In late 1913, a bill was signed to dam the valley. Muir died in 1914. Some people say losing the
fight to protect the valley killed Muir.
5. What happened first?
A. The Muir family moved to the United States.
B. Muir Woods was created.
C. John Muir learned to climb rocky cliffs.
D. John Muir walked to the Gulf of Mexico.
E. John Muir visited along the east coast.
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PRAXIS reading workshop
Sessions 2 -3
6. When did Muir invent a unique form of alarm clock?
A. While the family still lived in Scotland
B. After he sailed to San Francisco
C. After he traveled in Yosemite
D. While the Muir family lived in Wisconsin
E. After he took the long walk
7. What did John Muir do soon after he arrived in San Francisco?
A. He ran outside during an earthquake.
B. He put forth a theory about how Yosemite was formed.
C. He headed inland for the Sierra Nevadas.
D. He began to write articles about the Sierra Nevadas.
E. He wrote short stories for the local newspaper.
8. When did John Muir meet Theodore Roosevelt?
A. Between 1901 and 1906
B. Between 1838 and 1868
C. Between 1906 and 1914
D. Between 1868 and 1901
E. Between 1906 and 1907
9. What happened last?
A. John Muir died.
B. John Muir Trail was dedicated.
C. Muir's glacial theory was proven.
D. The Sierra Club was formed.
E. John's family visited him.
The Galapagos Islands are in the Pacific Ocean, off the western coast of South America.
They are a rocky, lonely spot, but they are also one of the most unusual places in the world. One
reason is that they are the home of some of the last giant tortoises left on earth.
Weighing hundreds of pounds, these tortoises, or land turtles, wander slowly around the
rocks and sand of the islands. Strangely, each of these islands has its own particular kinds of
tortoises. There are seven different kinds of tortoises on the eight islands, each kind being
slightly different from the other.
Hundreds of years ago, thousands of tortoises wandered around these islands. However,
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PRAXIS reading workshop
Sessions 2 -3
all that changed when people started landing there. When people first arrived in 1535, their ships
had no refrigerators. This meant that fresh food was always a problem for the sailors on board.
The giant tortoises provided an easy solution to this problem.
Ships would anchor off the islands, and crews would row ashore and seize as many
tortoises as they could. Once the animals were aboard the ship, the sailors would roll the tortoises
onto their backs. The tortoises were completely helpless once on their backs, so they could only
lie there until used for soups and stews. Almost 100,000 tortoises were carried off in this way.
The tortoises faced other problems, too. Soon after the first ships, settlers arrived,
bringing pigs, goats, donkeys, dogs and cats. All of these animals ruined life for the tortoises.
Donkeys and goats ate all the plants that the tortoises usually fed on, while the pigs, dogs and
cats consumed thousands of baby tortoises each year. Within a few years, it was hard to find any
tortoise eggs-or even any baby tortoises.
By the early 1900s, people began to worry that the last of the tortoises would soon die
out. No one, however, seemed to care enough to do anything about the problem. More and more
tortoises disappeared, even though sailors no longer needed them for food. For another 50 years,
this situation continued. Finally, in the 1950s, scientists decided that something must be done.
The first part of their plan was to remove as many cats, dogs and other animals as they
could from the islands. Next, they tried to make sure that more baby tortoises would be born. To
do this, they started looking for wild tortoise eggs. They gathered the eggs and put them in safe
containers. When the eggs hatched, the scientists raised the tortoises in special pens. Both the
eggs and tortoises were numbered so that the scientists knew exactly which kinds of tortoises
they had and which island they came from. Once the tortoises were old enough and big enough
to take care of themselves, the scientists took them back to their islands and set them loose. This
slow, hard work continues today, and, thanks to it, the number of tortoises is now increasing
every year. Perhaps these wonderful animals will not disappear after all.
10. What happened first?
A. Sailors took tortoises aboard ships.
B. The tortoise meat was used for soups and stews.
C. Tortoises were put onto their backs.
D. Settlers brought other animals to the islands.
E. Pigs had been all the sailors had to eat.
11. What happened soon after people brought animals to the islands?
A. Tortoise eggs were kept in safe containers.
B. Scientists took away as many animals as they could.
C. The animals ate the tortoises' food and eggs.
D. The tortoises fought with the other animals.
E. The tortoises continued to wander freely.
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PRAXIS reading workshop
Sessions 2 -3
12. When did people start to do something to save the tortoises?
A. In the 1500s
B. In the 1950s
C. In the early 1900s
D. In the 1960s
E. In the 1400s
13. What happens right after the tortoise eggs hatch?
A. The scientists take the tortoises back to their islands.
B. The scientists get rid of cats, dogs, and other animals.
C. The sailors use the tortoises for food.
D. The scientists raise the tortoises in special pens.
E. The scientists encourage the villagers to help.
14. What happened last?
A. The tortoises began to disappear.
B. The number of tortoises began to grow.
C. Scientists took away other animals.
D. Tortoises were taken back to their home islands.
E. The number of tortoises began to decrease.
Lyndon Johnson’s fathers once told him that he did not belong in politics unless he could
walk into a room full of people and tell immediately who was for him and who was against him.
In fact, even the shrewd Johnson had not quite such an uncanny power, but his liking for this
story tells something useful about him; he set much store by instinct. No wonder, then, that it
would be to his instincts – honed in the Texas hill country, sharpened in a life of politics,
confirmed in a long and respectful congressional career – that he would often turn to while in the
White House.
This reliance on instinct enabled Johnson to put on the presidency like a suit of
comfortable old clothes. John Kennedy, on the other hand, came to it with historical, nearly
theoretical view of what was required of a strong President – he knew exactly what Woodrow
Wilson had said about the office and he had read Corwin and Neustadt. With eager confidence,
Kennedy acquired a presidential suit off the rack and put on a little weight to make himself fit it.
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PRAXIS reading workshop
Sessions 2 -3
15. In this passage the author compares the presidents to
A. other presidents who have served before them
B. a suit of clothing
C. the states from which they came
D. Corwin and Neustadt
E. instinctual animals
16. Which of the following words, if substituted for the word “uncanny” would introduce the
least amount of change in the meaning of the sentence?
A. legendary
B. subtle
C. invisible
D. persuasive
E. supernatural
Passage 1
When conducted properly, ecotourism – responsible travel to areas that conserves the
environment and sustains the well-being of local people – is less destructive than many other
environmental uses. The impacts of ecotourism can be managed to realize a balance between
preservation and development; such balance can be achieved, for example, by limiting both the
size and the number of tours in a particular area and by incorporating environmentally conscious
meals, lodging, waste management, and wildlife viewing principles into the tours. Further, by
creating economic incentives for impoverished villages or communities, ecotourism can
encourage local guardianship of natural resources, habitats and wildlife.
Passage 2
The environmental impacts of Lapa Rios (LR) Ecolodge in Costa Rica are clear and
unambiguous. First, the LR nature reserve and adjacent forest areas have shown pronounced
forest regrowth since the beginning of ecotourism in the region in the 1990s. Second, the
increasing number of tourists at LR has not led to negative consequences, because the company
prepared for such increases from the start; trails were designed to handle a number of
simultaneous tours with dispersion, and trail policy rigorously limits the number of tours per day
per trail (to two) and guests per tour (to eight).
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PRAXIS reading workshop
Sessions 2 -3
17. The authors of the passage agree that
A. preservation is more important that development.
B. measuring the success of ecotourism can be difficult.
C. ecotourism is justifiably more expensive than regular tourism.
D. ecotourism can have positive effects when done correctly.
E. the responsibility of environmental stewardship falls on the local people.
18. Which of the following statements best describes the relationship between the two
passages?
A. Passage 1 describes the causes of an event, whereas passage 2 focuses on the
effects of an event.
B. Passage 1 addresses current policies, whereas Passage 2 considers the future
policies.
C. Passage 1 makes general arguments, whereas Passage 2 offers a specific argument.
D. Passage 1 introduces a problems for which a tentative solution is provided in Passage
2.
E. Passage 1 advances a claim that is refuted with a counterclaim in Passage 2.
19. Unlike the author of Passage 2, the author of Passage 1 mentions
A. the number of allowable tours
B. the unintended consequences of ecotourism
C. the economic impact on local residents
D. the environmental ramifications of ecotourism
E. preferred modes of travel through natural areas
20. Which of the following specific strategies mentioned by the author of Passage 1 is
exemplified in Passage 2?
A. Limiting the size and number of tours
B. Recycling the waste produced by ecotourists
C. Increasing economic opportunities for communities
D. Incorporating environmentally conscious meals
E. Constructing environmentally friendly accommodations
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PRAXIS reading workshop
Sessions 2 -3
21. Which conclusion about takeout food ordered in Murrayville in 2005 is best supported by the
data in the graph above
A. Chinese food was the most ordered takeout food for each quarter.
B. During the second quarter, fewer orders were placed for Chinese food than for
rotisserie chicken.
C. During the fourth quarter, an approximately equal number of orders were placed for
pizza and Chinese food.
D. More orders were placed for pizza during the second half of the year than were placed
during the first half of the year.
A troublesome problem in the American economy is reduced competitiveness with other
industrial nations. This is especially true regarding automobile production and sales between the
United States and Japan. Japanese auto makers can produce smaller cars more cheaply than
many of the American Big Four auto makers. Also, for many years, the American market has
been open to Japanese car manufacturers. Because of this, car sales for GM, Chrysler, Ford, and
American Motors have suffered. Because of pressure from American government and business
leaders, Japan has voluntarily reduced the number of cars exported to the United States. This
self-imposed quota has allowed U.S. auto makers to improve quality, increase automation, and
reduce manufacturing costs. Unfortunately, American car buyers have not significantly
increased their purchase of domestic cars. They choose, instead, to pay more for the fewer
Japanese imports, and they have responded to the limited export of Japanese cars by buying more
European imports.
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PRAXIS reading workshop
Sessions 2 -3
22. According to the passage, one result of Japan’s voluntary restraint on auto exports to the U.S.
has been that
A. American cars have become scarce and highly priced.
B. American automobile manufacturers have demanded stronger protectionist policies.
C. Americans have been refusing to buy Japanese automobiles.
D. the Japanese have been buying more American cars.
E. American auto makers have become more competitive.
23. According to the passage, an effect of the reduced numbers of Japanese cars exported to the
U.S. has been
A. a decreased demand for Japanese imports by Americans.
B. an increase in the number of European imports sold in the U.S.
C. a decrease in the cost of Japanese imports.
D. an increase in the number of American cars sold in Japan.
E. a greater commitment by Americans to “buy American.”
Note: If you need me I am Nanci Howard at nhoward@g.coastal.edu
Prince 122 Literacy Lab
If you take the PRAXIS and do not pass the reading portion come see me and I will give you a
diagnostic test to better pinpoint your problems. Do this right after you get your scores – do not
wait until the last minute!
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