Praxis Core Reading Test Prep - Question List

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, also known as (1) NOAA (pronounced “Noah”), (2) descends from President Thomas Jefferson’s Survey of the Coast, which was established in the early 1800’s in efforts to promote safe (3) maritime commerce, or coastal trade. NOAA is therefore often considered the oldest scientific government (4) agency in the United States.

It was officially established in 1970 by President Richard Nixon, who thought it was necessary to (5) consolidate a number of agencies into one. Today, NOAA consists of multiple offices, where scientists explore the atmosphere and oceans using tools ranging from satellites that orbit Earth, to submarines that scrape the far depths of the oceans’ floor.

NOAA’s National Weather Service (NWS) is the organization responsible for weather forecasting and providing important storm warnings and advisories. It’s National Ocean Service (NOS) is in charge of mapping the country’s coastal waterways and promoting the conservation of the national marine sanctuaries; the marine equivalent of national parks. NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Services (NMFS) is tasked with managing fisheries around the country. The National Environmental Satellite, Data and Information Service (NESDIS) is NOAA’s office that oversees the environmental satellite programs and manages the data collected from the NWS.

Few people know that NOAA plays such an important role in our daily lives, yet it does none-the-less. It’s thanks to NOAA that we know when to take an umbrella with us to avoid getting soaking wet while walking to work, and to take refuge when an unexpected tornado strikes. Not only is it one of the oldest institutions, but also some will argue that it is also one of the most essential resources for the American people.

The term “descends”, bolded after the (2) in paragraph 1, is closest in meaning to

Tomato Fights as Tradition in One Spanish Town

Have you ever heard of people throwing rotten tomatoes at actors who perform poorly on stage? Well, in Spain they take the tomato throwing one step further. Each year in the village of Buñol, located in the eastern region near the Mediterranean, there is a tomato throwing festival known as the Tomatina. It is a food fight in which over 400,000 pounds (200,000 kilograms) of tomatoes are smashed and juiced over the bodies of more than 40,000 people each year.

This festival began in 1945 and there are several different (1) theories about where it got its start. According to one theory, once a group of teenagers were attending a religious procession in the main (2) plaza or town square. It is said that one person aggressively pushed another, and everyone started fighting. There just happened to be a vegetable stand in the street and the teens began throwing the tomatoes at each other until the police came and broke the fights up. The same teens decided to repeat the fighting match the next year, for fun, with tomatoes that they took from home. Since then people meet up the same day, on the last Wednesday of August, at the same plaza, to participate in this unique tomato fight.

During the Tomatina the (3) participants, dressed in old clothing, throw tomatoes at each other from balconies, trucks, throughout the streets…there is no way to escape it. The streets and the participants all end up covered in tomato sauce. The tomatoes have to be (4) ripe. One of the rules of this battle is that before throwing the tomatoes you must crush them in your hands to prevent hurting someone. The fight only lasts an hour. Trucks full of tomatoes arrive at the plaza and everyone gets prepared. A (5) rocket signals the beginning and the end of the fun battle. When the second rocket is heard, the fight stops, but the party continues.

Apart from having a great time at this celebration, all that tomato juice is apparently good for your skin. It’s an excellent treatment that helps with cleansing and toning.

Which of the following is true according to the passage?

Tomato Fights as Tradition in One Spanish Town

Have you ever heard of people throwing rotten tomatoes at actors who perform poorly on stage? Well, in Spain they take the tomato throwing one step further. Each year in the village of Buñol, located in the eastern region near the Mediterranean, there is a tomato throwing festival known as the Tomatina. It is a food fight in which over 400,000 pounds (200,000 kilograms) of tomatoes are smashed and juiced over the bodies of more than 40,000 people each year.

This festival began in 1945 and there are several different (1) theories about where it got its start. According to one theory, once a group of teenagers were attending a religious procession in the main (2) plaza or town square. It is said that one person aggressively pushed another, and everyone started fighting. There just happened to be a vegetable stand in the street and the teens began throwing the tomatoes at each other until the police came and broke the fights up. The same teens decided to repeat the fighting match the next year, for fun, with tomatoes that they took from home. Since then people meet up the same day, on the last Wednesday of August, at the same plaza, to participate in this unique tomato fight.

During the Tomatina the (3) participants, dressed in old clothing, throw tomatoes at each other from balconies, trucks, throughout the streets…there is no way to escape it. The streets and the participants all end up covered in tomato sauce. The tomatoes have to be (4) ripe. One of the rules of this battle is that before throwing the tomatoes you must crush them in your hands to prevent hurting someone. The fight only lasts an hour. Trucks full of tomatoes arrive at the plaza and everyone gets prepared. A (5) rocket signals the beginning and the end of the fun battle. When the second rocket is heard, the fight stops, but the party continues.

Apart from having a great time at this celebration, all that tomato juice is apparently good for your skin. It’s an excellent treatment that helps with cleansing and toning.

The word “ripe”, in bold after the (4) in the third paragraph, can best be described as

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, also known as (1) NOAA (pronounced “Noah”), (2) descends from President Thomas Jefferson’s Survey of the Coast, which was established in the early 1800’s in efforts to promote safe (3) maritime commerce, or coastal trade. NOAA is therefore often considered the oldest scientific government (4) agency in the United States.

It was officially established in 1970 by President Richard Nixon, who thought it was necessary to (5) consolidate a number of agencies into one. Today, NOAA consists of multiple offices, where scientists explore the atmosphere and oceans using tools ranging from satellites that orbit Earth, to submarines that scrape the far depths of the oceans’ floor.

NOAA’s National Weather Service (NWS) is the organization responsible for weather forecasting and providing important storm warnings and advisories. It’s National Ocean Service (NOS) is in charge of mapping the country’s coastal waterways and promoting the conservation of the national marine sanctuaries; the marine equivalent of national parks. NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Services (NMFS) is tasked with managing fisheries around the country. The National Environmental Satellite, Data and Information Service (NESDIS) is NOAA’s office that oversees the environmental satellite programs and manages the data collected from the NWS.

Few people know that NOAA plays such an important role in our daily lives, yet it does none-the-less. It’s thanks to NOAA that we know when to take an umbrella with us to avoid getting soaking wet while walking to work, and to take refuge when an unexpected tornado strikes. Not only is it one of the oldest institutions, but also some will argue that it is also one of the most essential resources for the American people.

According to paragraph 2, all of the following statements are true EXCEPT:

Tomato Fights as Tradition in One Spanish Town

Have you ever heard of people throwing rotten tomatoes at actors who perform poorly on stage? Well, in Spain they take the tomato throwing one step further. Each year in the village of Buñol, located in the eastern region near the Mediterranean, there is a tomato throwing festival known as the Tomatina. It is a food fight in which over 400,000 pounds (200,000 kilograms) of tomatoes are smashed and juiced over the bodies of more than 40,000 people each year.

This festival began in 1945 and there are several different (1) theories about where it got its start. According to one theory, once a group of teenagers were attending a religious procession in the main (2) plaza or town square. It is said that one person aggressively pushed another, and everyone started fighting. There just happened to be a vegetable stand in the street and the teens began throwing the tomatoes at each other until the police came and broke the fights up. The same teens decided to repeat the fighting match the next year, for fun, with tomatoes that they took from home. Since then people meet up the same day, on the last Wednesday of August, at the same plaza, to participate in this unique tomato fight.

During the Tomatina the (3) participants, dressed in old clothing, throw tomatoes at each other from balconies, trucks, throughout the streets…there is no way to escape it. The streets and the participants all end up covered in tomato sauce. The tomatoes have to be (4) ripe. One of the rules of this battle is that before throwing the tomatoes you must crush them in your hands to prevent hurting someone. The fight only lasts an hour. Trucks full of tomatoes arrive at the plaza and everyone gets prepared. A (5) rocket signals the beginning and the end of the fun battle. When the second rocket is heard, the fight stops, but the party continues.

Apart from having a great time at this celebration, all that tomato juice is apparently good for your skin. It’s an excellent treatment that helps with cleansing and toning.

The word “plaza”, in bold after the (2) in the second paragraph, is closest in meaning to