Pathways Reading, Writing, and Critical Thinking 2e: Level 3 Unit 4 Test
Name: ________________________________ Class: ____________ Date: _________
1. VOCABULARY 1:
Complete the paragraph with the words in the box. Not all words will be used.
affordable alert deadly destruction disaster
effectively forecast get out hazards throughout
The world can be a dangerous place. In addition to the risks posed by diseases and wild animals, other
natural (1) _______________ include storms, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and floods. Fortunately,
such natural disasters occur rarely, and most people will live their entire lives without experiencing one.
However, because of their potential to cause major loss of life and massive (2) _______________ , many
people fear them. As a result, (3) _______________ history, people have looked for a way to say when
such (4) _______________ events might occur. Our ability to (5) _______________ the weather is
generally good, and it is usually possible to (6) _______________ people to hurricanes or tornadoes early
enough for them to (7) _______________ of the affected region in time. Unfortunately, we still don't have
the ability to (8) _______________ predict when and where volcanoes will erupt or earthquakes will
strike.
VOCABULARY 2:
Complete each sentence with a word from the box. Not all words will be used.
accumulate collapse continuously cracks entire
eruptions explode pressure threaten vast
2. In Japan, buildings are constructed in such a way that they might shake during an earthquake, but
generally will not _____________________ .
3. The 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake caused _____________________ to appear in roads and freeways
throughout northern California.
4. A new documentary about volcanoes tells the story of two major _____________________: Tambora in
1815 and Krakatoa in 1883.
5. When an earthquake hit Jamaica in 1692, almost the _____________________ city of Port Royal sank
beneath the sea.
6. If a supervolcano erupts, there will be massive destruction to _____________________ areas of land.
7. During an earthquake, _____________________ that has been building up underground is released
through cracks in the ground.
8. For many years, the United States Geological Survey has _____________________ monitored certain
parts of the country for earthquakes.
READING REVIEW 1:
Review the excerpt from a passage in Unit 4. Then complete the summary using the phrases in the
box. Not all phrases will be used.
Sensing Disaster
Twenty-three hundred years ago, hordes of mice, snakes, and insects fled the Greek city of
Helike on the Gulf of Corinth. "After these creatures departed, an earthquake occurred in the
night," wrote the ancient Roman writer Claudius Aelianus. "The city subsided; an
immense wave flooded and Helike disappeared."
Scientists have long suspected that animals might have a "sixth sense." This sense alerts them
when natural hazards - like earthquakes and tornados - are about to strike. Until recently,
though, we have had to rely on informal reports of changes in animal behavior. However,
scientists have now begun to detect evidence that suggests animals can indeed make
predictions.
[...] When it comes to predicting earthquakes, rodents such as rats appear to be the most
sensitive animals in the rain forest. "What was interesting was that rodents were the first to
disappear," Grant says. "They were nowhere to be seen eight days before the earthquake…
That they should completely disappear was amazing." Grant believes that recent research in
China and Japan may help explain why this happened. According to these studies, rats'
sleeping and waking patterns are disturbed in the days leading up to an earthquake. These
changes may alert them to a coming disaster.
[...] Eventually, scientists hope that signs from the natural world might help us forecast
earthquakes and serious weather events more effectively. Even a few minutes' warning could
be enough for people to avoid the destruction that severe storms and earthquakes can cause.
Over two thousand years ago, it seems the animals in Helike had an important message to
share. It's only now that we're really paying attention.
some species effective systems general situation
natural disasters sleeping habits some evidence
9. Do animals have a "sixth sense" that tells them when (1) ________________________ are about to
happen? There is (2) ________________________ to say that they do, and as a result, this is a question
that scientists are studying seriously. Rodents are among the species that seem most sensitive to such
events. It seems that the (3) ________________________ of these animals are affected in the days
leading up to an earthquake, and this causes them to leave the area. The ultimate hope is that scientists'
work in this area will lead to (4) ________________________ of forecasting.
READING REVIEW 2:
Review the excerpt from a passage in Unit 4. Then complete the summary using the phrases in the
box. Not all phrases will be used.
Yellowstone's Smoking Bomb
Yellowstone National Park, the oldest and most famous national park in the United States,
sits on top of one of the biggest volcanoes on Earth. Yellowstone's volcano is so big that
many scientists call it a supervolcano. As the name suggests, supervolcanoes are much bigger
and more powerful than ordinary volcanoes, and their eruptions can be exceptionally violent
and destructive. When volcanoes erupt, they can kill plants and animals for miles around.
When a supervolcano explodes, it can threaten whole species with extinction by changing the
climate across the entire planet.
[...] The most recent catastrophic eruption, about 640,000 years ago, poured out 240 cubic
miles (1,000 cubic kilometers) of rock, lava, and ash. A column of ash rose some 100,000
feet (30 kilometers) into the atmosphere, and winds carried ash and dust across the western
half of the United States and south to the Gulf of Mexico. Closer to the supervolcano, thick
clouds of ash, rocks, and gas - superheated to 1,470 degrees Fahrenheit (800 degrees Celsius)
- rolled over the land. This volcano's lava and debris destroyed everything within its
devastating range, filling entire valleys and forming layers hundreds of feet thick.
[...] So is the supervolcano going to explode again? Some kind of eruption is highly likely at
some point. The chances of another catastrophic super-eruption are anyone's guess. It could
happen in this century, or 100,000 years from now. No one knows for sure.
distant future major destruction massive volcano
lava and debris southern part whole planet
10. How many visitors to Yellowstone National Park know that it is actually a (1)
________________________ that is far more powerful than most such mountains? Eruptions from such
supervolcanoes are potentially so powerful that entire species might die out and the (2)
________________________ could be affected. Around 640,000 years ago, the Yellowstone
supervolcano erupted. That event caused (3) ________________________ and coated most of the western
half of the country with dust and ash. Such an event is likely to occur again, though scientists cannot say
whether it will happen soon or in the (4) ________________________.
READING PRACTICE:
Read the passage. Then answer the questions.
A In 1815, the mountain Tambora on the Indonesian island of Sumbawa exploded in the greatest
volcanic eruption in the past five hundred years. The explosion, which could be heard more than two
thousand kilometers away, destroyed the top of the mountain in an instant, and sent a huge amount of rock
and lava flowing down its slopes and into the sea. The resulting tsunami led to enormous destruction and
loss of life. The force of the eruption was so powerful that it also sent hot rock flying as much as forty
kilometers into the atmosphere. If such a volcanic event were to occur in the same area today, the damage
in terms of loss of life and financial cost would be enormous. As incredible as the Tambora event was, its
long-term impact is of most interest to scientists today.
B When Tambora erupted, it released millions of tons of dust and a gas called sulfur dioxide (SO2)
into Earth’s atmosphere. Unlike atmospheric carbon dioxide, SO2 has a cooling effect. In the months and
years after the eruption, this affected the climate of the entire planet. In one year, the scientific estimate is
that Earth’s average temperature dropped by one degree. This may seem a small change, but it had a huge
impact on people’s lives. In some areas, the summer of 1816 was colder and drier than normal. Other
areas experienced heavy rain or freezing temperatures. As a result, farms around the world could not
produce enough food. This caused a series of related problems including poor nutrition, the spread of
disease, an unstable world economy, and even social and political problems. It took many years for the
situation to become stable again.
C Even though the eruption of Tambora happened more than two hundred years ago, it remains a
good example of how volcanic eruptions can have an enormous effect on people’s lives. The main
problem today, however, is not that the world is getting colder because of volcanoes. On the contrary, it is
widely accepted that human activity is causing the world to become warmer. Climate scientists predict
that the average global temperature will rise between one and two degrees Centigrade during the next
century. Some people may argue that this is not a large increase, but the Tambora explosion shows that
even a small change in temperature can have dramatic results. In fact, extreme weather events and strange
climate patterns are already leading to major problems around the world.
D In addition to showing how disruptive climate change can be, research into volcanic eruptions
like Tambora may actually offer a way to curb global warming. In the last few decades, there have been
other large volcanic eruptions in countries around the world. Although these were nowhere near as large
as the Tambora explosion, they still released a great deal of dust and SO2 into the atmosphere. With
modern equipment, scientists were able to see how even these smaller volcanoes decreased global
temperatures. As a result, some people suggest that one way to fight global warming would be to
manufacture and release large amounts of SO2 into the atmosphere. If enough were released, this might
stop global temperatures from increasing, or even cause them to decrease. Most climate researchers
believe that this is not the best way to stop or reverse climate change because of the cost and potential for
negative side-effects, but if there are no other solutions, it may become a more attractive idea in the
future.
____ 11. What is the best title for this passage?
a. Causes of the Tambora Eruption
b. Tambora and Other Volcanoes
c. The Historical Impact of Tambora
____ 12. What does the author NOT say about the eruption of Tambora in paragraph B?
a. It caused a massive, deadly, and destructive ocean wave.
b. It had an immediate influence on the size of the mountain.
c. It had effects on the environment that still impact us today.
____ 13. What point does the author make in paragraph B?
a. Small temperature changes can have large impacts on the climate.
b. Tambora affected some regions much less than others.
c. The weather in 1816 prevented farmers from working.
____ 14. The word "dramatic" in paragraph C is closest in meaning to _____.
a. important
b. emotional
c. great
____ 15. What is the author's main purpose in paragraph C?
a. To imply that people understood the climate better in the past
b. To show the link between a past disaster and modern events
c. To argue that some natural disasters had a beneficial impact
____ 16. The word "curb" in paragraph D is closest in meaning to _____.
a. control
b. combine
c. collapse
____ 17. What does the author imply in paragraph D?
a. Climate scientists are generally optimistic about climate change, but concerned about
future eruptions.
b. Earth has recently experienced some volcanic eruptions that were nearly as large as the
Tambora one.
c. In addition to being formed naturally during volcanic processes, sulfur dioxide can be
created artificially.
READING SKILL REVIEW – UNDERSTANDING REFERENCING AND COHESION:
Read the passage. Then answer the questions.
A In 1815, the mountain Tambora on the Indonesian island of Sumbawa exploded in the greatest
volcanic eruption in the past five hundred years. The explosion, which could be heard more than two
thousand kilometers away, destroyed the top of the mountain in an instant, and sent a huge amount of rock
and lava flowing down its slopes and into the sea. The resulting tsunami led to enormous destruction and
loss of life. The force of the eruption was so powerful that it also sent hot rock flying as much as forty
kilometers into the atmosphere. If such a volcanic event were to occur in the same area today, the damage
in terms of loss of life and financial cost would be enormous. As incredible as the Tambora event was, its
long-term impact is of most interest to scientists today.
B When Tambora erupted, it released millions of tons of dust and a gas called sulfur dioxide (SO2)
into Earth’s atmosphere. Unlike atmospheric carbon dioxide, SO2 has a cooling effect. In the months and
years after the eruption, this affected the climate of the entire planet. In one year, the scientific estimate is
that Earth’s average temperature dropped by one degree. This may seem a small change, but it had a huge
impact on people’s lives. In some areas, the summer of 1816 was colder and drier than normal. Other
areas experienced heavy rain or freezing temperatures. As a result, farms around the world could not
produce enough food. This caused a series of related problems including poor nutrition, the spread of
disease, an unstable world economy, and even social and political problems. It took many years for the
situation to become stable again.
C Even though the eruption of Tambora happened more than two hundred years ago, it remains a
good example of how volcanic eruptions can have an enormous effect on people’s lives. The main
problem today, however, is not that the world is getting colder because of volcanoes. On the contrary, it is
widely accepted that human activity is causing the world to become warmer. Climate scientists predict
that the average global temperature will rise between one and two degrees Centigrade during the next
century. Some people may argue that this is not a large increase, but the Tambora explosion shows that
even a small change in temperature can have dramatic results. In fact, extreme weather events and strange
climate patterns are already leading to major problems around the world.
D In addition to showing how disruptive climate change can be, research into volcanic eruptions
like Tambora may actually offer a way to curb global warming. In the last few decades, there have been
other large volcanic eruptions in countries around the world. Although these were nowhere near as large
as the Tambora explosion, they still released a great deal of dust and SO2 into the atmosphere. With
modern equipment, scientists were able to see how even these smaller volcanoes decreased global
temperatures. As a result, some people suggest that one way to fight global warming would be to
manufacture and release large amounts of SO2 into the atmosphere. If enough were released, this might
stop global temperatures from increasing, or even cause them to decrease. Most climate researchers
believe that this is not the best way to stop or reverse climate change because of the cost and potential for
negative side-effects, but if there are no other solutions, it may become a more attractive idea in the
future.
____ 18. The word "its" in the final sentence of paragraph A refers to _____.
a. lava
b. rock
c. mountain
____ 19. The word "this" in the third sentence of paragraph B refers to _____.
a. the eruption
b. heat from the sun
c. the release of SO2
____ 20. The word "this" in the fifth sentence of paragraph C refers to _____.
a. the next century
b. a one or two degree rise
c. average global temperature
____ 21. The word "these" in the third sentence of paragraph D refers to _____.
a. countries around the world
b. large volcanic eruptions
c. the last few decades
____ 22. The word "this" in the final sentence of paragraph D refers to _____.
a. releasing SO2 into the atmosphere
b. fighting global warming
c. decreasing global temperatures
LANGUAGE FOR WRITING REVIEW - USING PARALLEL STRUCTURES:
Rewrite each set of sentences as one sentence. Connect parallel ideas with and. Use the example as a
guide.
Example:
Tornadoes occur often in some parts of the United States. They are also frequent in some Canadian
provinces.
Tornadoes occur often in some parts of the United States and Canada.
23. Most earthquakes are too small to cause damage. The same is true of the majority of storms.
_____________________________________________________________________
24. Erupting volcanoes may release sulfur dioxide into the atmosphere. Dust is often thrown into the air, too.
_____________________________________________________________________
25. Natural disasters can cause the destruction of buildings. People may die, too.
_____________________________________________________________________
26. Earthquakes are very common in Japan. They happen often in Mexico, too.
_____________________________________________________________________
27. In mountainous areas, avalanches are one possible hazard. Landslides may also occur in such regions.
_____________________________________________________________________
28. During an emergency, officials may advise people to stay in their homes. Listening to radio updates is
another good idea.
_____________________________________________________________________
WRITING SKILL REVIEW – WRITING A PROCESS ESSAY:
These notes summarize how to write a process essay. Turn each note into a full sentence. Use
appropriate transition words to start each sentence.
1. Think about and research the topic.
2. Organize ideas and write an outline.
3. Write a 1st draft.
4. Check the draft for errors.
5. Write and submit final draft.
29. The first step is to think about the topic and research it.
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
WRITING PRACTICE 1:
Complete these sentences that describe part of a process in your own words.
30. If you feel stressed, it is helpful to ___________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
31. When your teacher asks you to write an essay, the first step is
_____________________________________________________________________
32. Before you visit a new city or country, first
_____________________________________________________________________
33. There are several steps to learning new vocabulary. First of all,
_____________________________________________________________________
WRITING PRACTICE 2:
Write a process essay that would help other people understand how to do something.
34. Think of something you know how to do that has a clear process, for example making a cake, giving a
presentation, or updating your social media status. Write an essay to explain the process. Include an
introductory paragraph, at least one body paragraph, and a concluding paragraph in your essay. Make sure
you use clear expressions to introduce each step in the process.
