Fall 2016/RV3Reading ExamName Grade: __ /40
Reading 1 Directions: Skim the questions. Then read the passage below and circle the best answer. (2 points each)
1. This reading is mostly about ______.
- articles about fingerprinting
- the history of fingerprinting
- how fingerprints are used to identify people
- the reasons people have their fingerprints taken
2. A synonym for “matched against” is
a. compared with
b. taken away
c. added to
d. sent to
3. Match each idea to the paragraph that discusses it. Write the paragraph number on the line.
- uniqueness of fingerprints _____
- classifying fingerprints _____
4. Match each idea to the paragraph that discusses it. Write the paragraph number on the line.
- FBI’s fingerprint identification system _____
- Fingerprinting as an old science _____ Could be Paragraph 1 or 2?
5. How were fingerprints used in ancient times?
A. To identify criminals
B. To sign agreements
C. To seal contracts
D. All of the above
E. Both A and B
6. Who wrote about fingerprints in 1686?
A. Henry Faulds and Charles Darwin
B. William James Herschel
C. Marcello Malpighi
D. Nehemiah Grew
7. Why did Sir William James Herschel ask people to put their handprints on contracts?
A. This was required by the FBI.
B. The people were not able to write.
C. He wanted to follow the local customs.
D. He wanted people to keep their promises.
8. You can infer from the reading that Charles Darwin was a _____.
- a book publisher
- an FBI agent
- a criminal
D. a scientist
9. How long does it take the IAFIS to find someone’s fingerprints?
A. within 30 seconds
B. within 30 minutes
C. within 30 hours
D. within 30 days
10. If you work in a classified job, you ___.
A. may not discuss your work.
B. work only with fingerprints.
C. must travel to many different places.
D. probably have a criminal background.
Reading 1
If you enjoy watching crime shows on TV, you know that fingerprints play a large role in identifying people. But, you might be surprised to find out that using fingerprints for identification is not a new science. In fact, it is very old –– dating back at least as far as 1885-1913 B.C.E. In Babylon, when people agreed to a business contract, they pressed their fingerprints into the clay in which the contract was written. Thumbprints have also been found on clay seals from ancient China.
In 14th century Persia, which is now Iran, a government doctor recognized that all fingerprints are different. In 1684, a British doctor, Nehemiah Grew, spoke about the ridged surfaces of the fingers. In 1686, a professor of anatomy (the study of the structure of the human body) named Marcello Malpighi, wrote about the ridges and loops in fingerprints. Malpighi’s work was considered so important that a layer of skin found on the fingertips was named after him. This layer of skin is called the Malpighian layer. Although scientists had studied fingerprints, the value of fingerprinting in the identification of individuals did not become clear until later.
Sir William James Herschel is generally thought to be the first European to realize that fingerprints were unique to each person. In his work as chief magistrate in the Hoogly district in Jungipoor, India, Herschel asked people to put their fingerprints on contracts. Herschel believed that personal contact with the contracts made people more likely to honor their commitments, or to keep their promises. As he looked at more and more fingerprints, he began to see that all the fingerprints were different. He started to believe that fingerprints were unique, which means they are all different from each other, and permanent, which means that they do not ever change. To prove that they never change, Herschel kept track of his own fingerprints over his entire lifetime.
Dr. Henry Faulds, a British surgeon at a Japanese hospital, began studying the furrows (also called ridges) on fingertips in the 1870s. He published an article in a scientific journal about the use of fingerprints as a tool in identification. He also devised, or invented, a system of classifying fingerprints. He wrote Charles Darwin about his findings, but Darwin was getting too old to work on the findings. So, he promised to pass the information to his cousin, Sir Francis Galton. Using Henry Faulds’ findings, Galton published a major book on classifying fingerprints based on arches, loops, and whorls. His work with Sir Edward R. Henry on fingerprint classification was the basis of a classification system which is still used by law enforcement agencies in English–speaking countries.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) now uses a variation of the Galton– Henry system. Although the use of fingerprinting in identification originated in Britain, it has been developed in the United States. In 1924, two large fingerprint collections were combined to form the foundation of the Identification Division of the FBI. Within the Identification Division, the Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification Systems (IAFIS) can search and find fingerprints anywhere in the United States within thirty minutes. The IAFIS can compare results with automated fingerprint systems in countries around the world. The IAFIS has the fingerprints of more than 250 million people on file.
About one in six Americans has fingerprints on file with the FBI. But not all the fingerprints are related to criminal investigations. People need to have their fingerprints taken for many other reasons. People have their fingerprints taken for employment, licenses, and adoption. For example, when people want to work for the government in classified, secret jobs, their fingerprints are checked to be sure they do not have a criminal background. When prospective parents adopt a child, their fingerprints are matched against those of all criminals for the safety of the child.
Reading 2 Directions: Skim the questions. Then read the passage below and circle or write the best answer. (2 points each)
1. The purpose of the article is to ____.
- persuade the reader to get a mosquito for a pet.
- teach the reader how to prevent a mosquito bite
- show that there is no perfect solution to the mosquito problem
- explain how a small animal like the mosquito can be as dangerous as more powerful animals
2. The words “on the other hand’ in Paragraph 2 are used to ____.
- express a conclusion
- Show difference
- show similarity
- show surprise
3. What part of speech is the word bite as it is used in the following sentence from the passage?
Sentence: The result of the bite can be as minor as an itchy bump or as serious as death.
- noun
- verb
- adjective
- adverb
4. As used in Paragraph 2, minor most likely means _____.
- not serious
- very serious
- dangerous
- controversial
5. Which of the following is true according to the reading?
- A bite from a female mosquito is more dangerous to humans than a bite from a male mosquito.
- Larger animals such as tigers and sharks are more dangerous than mosquitoes.
- 200 million people get sick from malaria and yellow fever each year.
- Scientists have found the best way to kill mosquitoes.
6. The purpose of Paragraph 4 is to ____.
- offer hope that scientist will find a solution to the mosquito problem some day
- explain some ways to reduce the chance of getting bitten by a mosquito
- explain what causes mosquitoes to be dangerous
- talk about dangerous animals
7. According to the passage, which of the following is NOT an enemy of the mosquito?
- bats
- rats
- birds
- dragonflies
Finish the sentences with three (3) words or less from the reading.
8. Mosquitoes can be killed by other animals or with ______.
9. Mosquitoes carry the deadly diseases yellow fever and ______.
10. Female mosquitoes feed on animal blood whereas male mosquitoes ______or the juice of the plant.
Reading 2
When we are young, we learn that tigers and sharks are dangerous animals. We might be scared of them because they are big and powerful. As we get older, however, we learn that sometimes the most dangerous animals are also the smallest animals. In fact, the animal that kills the most people every year is one that you have probably killed yourself many times: the mosquito.
While it may seem that all mosquitoes are biters, this is not actually the case. Male mosquitoes eat plant nectar. On the other hand, female mosquitoes feed on animal blood. They need this blood to live and produce eggs. When a female mosquito bites a human being, its bitecarries a small amount of saliva into the blood. This saliva may or may not contain a deadly disease. The result of the bite can be as minor as asmall spot that itches or as serious as death.
Because a mosquito can bite many people in the course of its life, it can carry diseases from one person to another very easily. Two of the most deadly diseases carried by mosquitoes are malaria and yellow fever. More than 700 million people become sick from these diseases every year. At least 2 million of these people will die from these diseases.
Many scientists are working on safer and better ways to kill mosquitoes, but so far, there is no sure way to protect everyone in the world from their deadly bites. Mosquito nets can be placed over beds to protect people against being bitten. These nets help people stay safe at night, but they do not kill any mosquitoes. Mosquitoes have many natural enemies like bats, birds, dragonflies, and certain kinds of fish. Bringing more of these animals into places where mosquitoes live might help to cut down the amount of mosquitoes in that area. This is a natural solution, but it does not always work very well. Mosquitoes can also be killed with poisons or sprays. Even though these sprays kill mosquitoes, they may also harm other plants or animals.
Although mosquitoes may not seem as scary as larger, more powerful animals, they are far more dangerous to human beings. But things are changing. It is highly likely that one day scientists will find a way to keep everyone safe from mosquitoes and the diseases they carry.
Reading 1 Fingerprints Answer Key
1.B
2.D
3.Paragraph 3, Paragraph 4
4.Paragraph 5, Paragraph 1
5.E
6.C
7.B
8.D
9.B
10.A
Reading 2 Mosquitoes Answer Key
1.C
2.D
3.A
4.A
5.A
6.C
7.B
8.poisons or sprays
9.malaria
10. eat plant nectar
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