VSTEP Reading Test Sample

VSTEP READING TEST SAMPLE

Time Allowance: 1 hour
Number of Questions: 40

Directions: In this section of the test, you will read FOUR different passages, each followed
by 10 questions about it. For questions 1-40, you are to choose the best answer A, B, C or D, to
each question. Then, on your answer sheet, find the number of the question and fill in the space
that corresponds to the letter of the answer you have chosen. Answer all questions following a
passage on the basis of what is stated or implied in that passage.
You have 60 minutes to answer all the questions, including the time to transfer your answers to the
answer sheet.
Example: Read the following passage and the answer the questions that follow.
FALL WEATHER
One of the first things we look for in fall is the first frost and freeze of the season, killing
or sending into dormancy the beautiful vegetation you admired all summer long. For some
locations along the Canadian border, and in the higher terrain of the West, the first freeze
typically arrives by the middle part of September. Cities in the South may not see the first
Line freeze until November, though a frost is very possible before then. A few cities in the
5 Lower 48, including International Falls, Minnesota and Grand Forks, North Dakota, have
recorded a freeze in every month of the year.
0. When does the first freeze often arrive in the South?
A. Early September B. Mid September
C. November D. Before November

C. November.
Questions 1-10
Line Ever wondered what it feels like to have a different job? Here, four people with very
different careers reveal the trade secrets of their working day.
Luc
My day typically starts with a business person going to the airport, and nearly
5 always ends with a drunk. I don't mind drunk people. Sometimes I think they're the
better version of themselves: more relaxed, happier, honest. Only once have I feared
for my life. A guy ran out at a traffic light and so I sped up before his brother could
run, too. He seemed embarrassed and made me drop him at a car park. When we
arrived, the first guy was waiting with a boulder, which went through the
10 windscreen, narrowly missing my head. But the worst people are the ones who call

Harry
I not only provide appearance for my client, I also do damage control. We've had
clients involved in lawsuits, divorces or drugs. One mistakenly took a gun to an
airport. On the red carpet at the Academy Awards or the Golden Globes I'm the
15 person making my client look good. The other day at an Oprah Winfrey event, the
carpet wasn't put down properly and my clients almost went flying I had to catch
them. They can make some strange requests, too. At a black-tie gala at the White
House, two clients hated the dinner and insisted that we circle around Washington
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DC to find a KFC open at 1a.m. I had to go in wearing a gown and order so they
could eat it in the car.
20 Jennifer
I could teach you to do a basic brain operation in two weeks. But what takes time
and experience is doing it without wrecking the brain of the patients - learning your
limitations takes years.
25 I ended up working as a pediatric neurosurgeon because children make better
recoveries from brain damage than adults. So it's more rewarding in terms of
outcome and I find their resilience really inspiring. It's taken me a decade to become
comfortable discussing an operation with children, but they have to be able to ask
questions. You have to show them respect. Sometimes their perspective is funny;
30
most teenage girls just want to know how much hair you'll shave off.
I don't get upset by my job. These children are dying when they come in and I do
whatever I can to make them better.
Solange
When you become a judge after years of being a barrister and trying to make points
that win cases, you have to remember that a huge part of what you do is listening - to
35
advocates, to witnesses, to defendants. Behind closed doors most judges, even very
experienced ones, are much more anxious about their work than most people might
think. We agonize over what we do and the decisions we have to make. It would be
bizarre to say that as a judge, we learn to be less judgmental. But as you see the
complex and difficult lives of the people who end up in front of you, you realise that
your job is not so much to judge them as to ensure that everyone receives justice.

1. My day typically starts with a

business person going to the airport, and nearly always ends with a drunk
A. Normally, I will take a business person and a drunk at the airport.
B. Normally, I will go to the airport in the morning and come back with a drunk.
C. Normally, my first passenger will be a businessman and my last one a drunk.
D. Normally, I will drive a businessman to the airport and come back almost drunk.
2. What does Harry probably do for a living?
A. A tour guide B. An agent
C. A lawyer D. A driver
3. in line 17 could be best replaced by
A. drive B. look
C. walk D. ride
4. In lines 23-24 Learning your limitations takes
years
It takes a person a long time to
A. control his weakness in a brain operation. B. understand what he cannot help.
C. perform even a basic operation. D. be able to perform a brain surgery.
5. their 5 refers to
A.
C. children D. adults
6. in line 28 is closest in meaning to
A. question B. worry
C. view D. prospective
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7. According to the passage, whose job involves in a large part listening to others?

8. According to the passage, who is likely to meet different types of people every day?
A. Luc B. Harry
C. Jennifer D. Solange
9. ones refers to
A. judges B. barristers
C. advocates D. defendants
10. What is the purpose of this passage?
A. To inform people of what to expect in those jobs.
B. To report what different people do and think about their jobs.
C. To raise awareness of the importance of different jobs.
D. To discuss the advantages and disadvantages of these jobs.
Questions 11-20
Spring is the season when newly minted college graduates flock to New York City to start
their careers. They begin the search for their dream apartment, brokers say, with the same
single-minded determination that earned them their degrees and landed them their jobs in
the first place. But that determination only goes so far when it comes to Manhattan real
5 estate. [A]

10 The first shock for a first-time renter will probably be the prices. Consider that the average
monthly rent for a one-bedroom in the Village is more than $3,100 and that the average
for a studio is over $2,200. Or that the average rent for a one-bedroom in a doorman
building anywhere in Manhattan is close to $3,500. [B]
Mr. Hunt said that when he shows prospective renters what their budget really can buy,
15 they are sometimes so appalled t

Alternatively, the renter checks his or her expectations and grudgingly decides to raise the
price limit, or look in other neighborhoods or get a ro

20
from now until September will quickly learn that renting in New York is not like renting
anywhere else. [C]
The second shock is likely to be how small a Manhattan apartment can be. It is not
25 uncommon in New York, for example, to shop for a junior one-bedroom only to find out
it is really a studio that already has or can have a wall put up to create a bedroom.
[D] To start with, landlords want only tenants who earn at least 40 times the monthly rent,
which means an $80,000 annual salary for a $2,000 apartment. According to census data,
more than 25,000 graduates aged 22 to 28 moved to the city in 2006, and their median
30 salary was about $35,600.
Those
who must make at least 80 times the monthly rent. In addition to a security deposit, some
landl
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renter for that $2,000 apartment is out of pocket nearly $10,000 just to get the keys to the
place.
35
11. Which of the following would be the best title for this article?
A. Best Guide to Finding an Apartment in New York City
B. New York City - Haven for First-time Renters
C. Surprises Await First-time Renters in New York City
D. Sure You Can Afford it in New York City?
12. On average, how much do tenants have to pay for a studio in New York City?
A. About $2,000 B. More than $2,000
C. More than $3,100 D. Less than $3,500
13. prospective
A. Apparent B. Prosperous
C. Potential D. Upcoming
14. Which of the following is NOT listed by Mr. Hunt as a reaction of prospective renters
when he informs them of the prices?
A. They think the broker is meaning to deceive them.
B. They decide to move to another city.
C. They decide to look for a place in a different neighborhood.
D. They find someone to share the accommodation with.
15. According to Mr. Hunt, what would make the process of finding an apartment
challenging?
A. Renters do not trust the brokers.
B. Renters over-expect about places they can rent.
C. Landlords expect tenants to have secured income.
D. Renters want to bargain with landlords.
16. Which of the following would best describe the attitude of renters who decide to raise
their price limit after being informed of the price?
A. Willing B. Hopeful
C. Reluctant D. Frustrated
17. In which space (marked [A], [B], [C], or [D] in the passage) will the following sentence
18.
fit?
Aside from the realities of price and space, the requirements set by New York landlords
are also bound to help turn a bright-eyed first-
A. [A] B. [B] C. [C] D.[D]
18. Why did the writer mention the income of college graduates in 2006?
A. To demonstrate that graduates can earn a decent salary if they work in New York City
B. To indicate that less than 50% of the surveyed graduates could afford apartments in New
York City
C. To suggest that New York City is not a place for graduates
D. To prove that to guarantee a place in New York City is financially out of reach for an average
graduate
19. What does the word Those 28 refer to?
A. Landlords B. Graduates
C. Guarantors D. Parents
20. Which of the following sentences would best complete the last paragraph?

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A. On top of that, every owner also has their own requirements, so just because you
qualified her
B.
work.
C. So the key to finding that first apartment is to learn as much as possible about the market
before arriving in the city and to keep an open mind.
D. You have to be flexible and you have to come to the city armed with information and financial
paperwork.
Questions 21-30
over the plane's public address
system. "If you look out of the window on the right side of the aircraft," he said, "you
will have a clear view of Greenland. In my 15 years of flying, I have not seen a scene
5 like this." I opened the window shade, and I understood what had so startled the pilot.
Instead of the habitual snowy landscape and frozen glaciers, a wide swathe of black
water was visible as it flowed into the Atlantic. It was late spring, but the giant icebox
that is Greenland was already melting.

10 The fleeting image that I saw from 30,000 feet in early May is consistent with massive
amounts of climate data gathered from across the planet. It is now clear that on average,
the global surface temperature has increased by about one degree Celsius since 1900 and
has been the cause of extreme climate events across the planet.
15 At times, warming climate combined with soot in the air thrown by wild fire has
accelerated the melting. Warm weather is leading ice sheets to break up and turning
glaciers into flowing streams. In May, NASA scientists concluded that the rapidly
melting glacial region of Antarctica has passed "the point of no return", threatening to
20 increase sea levels by as much as 13 feet within the next few centuries. [A] The fact that
the melting is taking place slowly and its effect may not be felt for a few decades seems
to offer comfort to those who want to continue their lifestyle relying on fossil fuels.
Unwilling to believe in global warming or make the sacrifices needed to face the
25 challenge, politicians have been finding excuses to do nothing. [B]

American President Barack Obama, not hobbled by the need to fight elections, has now
broken ranks with such politicians. Unable to pass legislation in the face of Republican
(and sometimes Democratic) opposition, he instructed the Environmental Protection
30 Agency to announce regulatory policies to curb emissions from power plants in the
United States by 30 per cent by 2030.He hopes that regulations would influence the US
states to adopt aggressive market interventions to address global warming. Of course,
execution of the policy still lies in the hands of many state governors who would find
ways to resist, saying that regulations would raise the cost to the economy and cause
unemployment among coal workers. As President Obama told Thomas Friedman of the
New York Times: "One of the hardest things in politics is getting a democracy to deal
with something now where the payoff is long term or the price of inaction is decades
away." [C]

The price of inaction could be raised - if the coming global summit on climate in Paris
could do what other summits have failed to do: agree on a fixed target for greenhouse
gas emissions and a rigorous system for monitoring. China has hinted at capping coal
burning in the next 15 years, adding weight in favor of action. [D] Meanwhile, melting
in Greenland and the Antarctica will continue as the sun scorches the fields and rising
water threatens the coastal areas.

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21. In paragraph 1, what does the pilot mean by saying 15 years of flying, I have not

A. This scene is very unusual.

B. The pilot is not an attentive person.
C. The scene makes flying worthy.
D. This scene is very magnificent.
22. aw from the plane?
A. To introduce the idea of global warming
B. To give specific detail to support his point that global warming needs public awareness
C. To express his opinion towards research on global surface temperature
D. To contrast with what the pilot is saying
23. in line 16 closest in meaning to?
A. Warm up B. Reassure
C. Discourage D. Assist
24. What is the main idea of paragraph 3?
A. Hot weather combined with wild fire soot has been melting glaciers.
B. There has been enough evidence that global warming is an urgent issue.
C. Global warming is evident but some are not willing to deal with this.
D. The earliest effects of melting glaciers can only been seen in centuries.
25. such politicians
.
B. Those who are not at the same rank as Obama.
C. Those who take no actions against global warming.
D. Those who do not believe in global warming.
26. In which space (marked [A], [B], [C], or [D] in the passage) will the following sentence
fit?
India, the world's third largest user of coal, may have to take measures on its own or
face isolation.
A. [A] B. [B] C. [C] D.[D]
27. best
described as
A. skeptical B. appreciative C. sympathetic D. supportive
28. What can the word in line 35 be best replaced by?
A. shines B. warms up C. burns D. heats up
29. Which of the following best describes the tone of the author in this passage?
A. skeptical B. concerned C. indifferent D. pessimistic
30. Which of the following could best describe the message that the author wants to pass to
readers?
A. Fossil fuel should be replaced in the future.
B. Solutions to global warming need political support.
C. Rapid glacial melt has reached an irreversible point.
D. Politicians play a key role in resolving global issues.
Questions 31-40
The earliest evidence for life on Earth comes from fossilized mats of cyanobacteria called
stromatolites in Australia that are about 3.4 billion years old. Ancient as their origins are,
these bacteria, which are still around today, are already biologically complex they have
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cell walls protecting their protein-producing DNA, so scientists think life must have
begun much earlier, perhaps as early as 3.8 billion years ago. But despite knowing
5 approximately when life first appeared on Earth, scientists are still far from answering
how it appeared.
Today, there are several competing theories for how life arose on Earth. Some question
whether life began on Earth at all, asserting instead that it came from a distant world or
the heart of a fallen comet or asteroid. Some even say life might have arisen here more
than once.
10
Most scientists agree that life went through a period when RNA was the head-honcho
molecule, guiding life through its nascent stages. According to this "RNA World"
hypothesis, RNA was the crux molecule for primitive life and only took a backseat when
DNA and proteins which perform their jobs much more efficiently than RNA
developed.
15
RNA is very similar to DNA, and today carries out numerous important functions in each
of our cells, including acting as a transitional-molecule between DNA and protein
synthesis, and functioning as an on-and-off switch for some genes.
But the RNA World hypothesis doesn't explain how RNA itself first arose. Like DNA,
20 RNA is a complex molecule made of repeating units of thousands of smaller molecules
called nucleotides that link together in very specific, patterned ways. While there are
scientists who think RNA could have arisen spontaneously on early Earth, others say the
odds of such a thing happening are astronomical.
"The appearance of such a molecule, given the way chemistry functions, is incredibly
improbable. It would be a once-in-a-universe long shot," said Robert Shapiro, a chemist
25 at New York University. "To adopt this, you have to believe we were incredibly lucky."
But "astronomical" is a relative term. In his book, The God Delusion, biologist Richard
Dawkins entertains another possibility, inspired by work in astronomy and physics.
Suppose, Dawkins says, the universe contains a billion planets, a conservative estimate,
30 he says, then the chances that life will arise on one of them is not really so remarkable.
Furthermore, if, as some physicists say, our universe is just one of many, and each
universe contained a billion planets, then it's nearly a certainty that life will arise on at
least one of them.
Shapiro doesn't think it's necessary to invoke multiple universes or life-laden comets
35 crashing into ancient Earth. Instead, he thinks life started with molecules that were
smaller and less complex than RNA, which performed simple chemical reactions that
eventually led to a self-sustaining system involving the formation of more complex
molecules. "If you fall back to a simpler theory, the odds aren't astronomical anymore,"
Shapiro concluded.
31. they
A. mats B. origins C. bacteria D. DNA
32. According to the passage, what is RNA?
A. A protein B. A molecule C. A nucleotide D. A cell
33. The phrase in line 12 is closest in meaning to
A. enjoyed more dominance B. turned to be useless
C. stepped back to its place D. became less important
34. According to the passage, what is NOT true about RNA?
A. It is the crux of a widely accepted theory on the origin of life.
B. It is believed to be most important for early life.
C. Like DNA, it executes many duties in human cells.
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D. There is still disagreement over how RNA first appeared.

35. What does Robert Shapiro mean when he says

A. Supporters of RNA world hypothesis must think that humans were extremely blessed.
B. Humans were incredibly lucky because the RNA was the first form of life on Earth.
C. He believes it is near impossible that RNA accidentally arose on Earth.
D. Humans were unlucky because the RNA world hypothesis is highly improbable.
36. Which of the following statements would Dawkins most probably support?
A. As there are a countless number of planets, it is surprising that life arose on Earth only.
B. Life may exist on planets other than Earth and in universes other than ours.
C. There are many universes like ours, which contain an incredible number of planets.
D. Given the colossal number of planets, the appearance of life on one of them was not
unusual.
37. According to the passage, which is most likely supported by Robert Shapiro?
A. Life on Earth first came from outer space.
B. It is highly possible that DNA was present in earliest stages of life.
C. Earliest life might not have arisen in the form of complex molecules.
D. Life has arisen more than once on Earth.
38. Which of the following is NOT mentioned as a hypothesis of life origin?
A. Life was formed elsewhere and then came to Earth.
B. Life was brought to Earth with crashing comets.
C. RNA played a central role in the early form of life.
D. DNA is more efficient than RNA for primitive life.
39. Which of following conclusions can be drawn from this passage?
A. Among many hypotheses for life origin on Earth, RNA remains the most important one.
B. Many theories of the origin of life have been proposed but no fully accepted theory exists.
C. Trying to explain what happened billions of years ago is an extremely difficult but
possible task.
D. The answer to the question of how life appeared would have important implications for
the likelihood of finding life elsewhere in the universe.
40. Which of the following best describes the organization of this passage?
A. A general presentation followed by a detailed discussion of both sides of an issue.
B. A list of possible answers to a question followed by a discussion of their strengths and
weaknesses.
C. A general statement of an issue followed by a discussion of possible answers.
D. A discussion of different aspects wrapped up by an answer to the question.

This is the end of the reading paper.

Now please submit your test paper and your answer sheets.

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