Strategies for Reading Comprehension

• first read the passage, then read the questions
• base your answers to the question solely on what is stated or implied in the passage
• first and last sentences in each paragraph are critical
• learn to spot the major reading question types
• on the title questions, do not choose those that are too broad or too specific
• when asked to make inferences, base your answers on what the passage implies, not what it states directly.
• when asked to give the meaning of an unfamiliar word, look for nearby context clues

Read the passage then answer the questions:

    A few species demonstrate conditions which are neither complete hibernation nor aestivation. Instead of going into a long ‘sleep’ during the most adverse season, they become torpid for a few hours each day. This kind of behavior is known in other animals – bats become torpid during daytime, and hummingbirds at night. The first time I appreciated this phenomenon was while working with fat mice (Steatomys) in Africa. These mice, incidentally, have a most appropriate name, for their bodies are so full of fat they resemble little furry balls. Fat storage as a method of survival has rebounded to some extent as far as the fat mice are concerned. They are regarded as a succulent delicacy by many African tribes who hunt them with great tenacity; when captured, the mice are skewered and fried in their own fat. A captive fat mouse was once kept without food or water for thirty-six days; at the end of that time it had lost one-third of its body weight but appeared quite healthy. During the dry season, some captives spent the day in such a deep state of torpor that they could be roughly handled without waking. The body temperature was a couple of degrees above room temperature and the respiration was most irregular, several short pants being followed by a pause of up to three minutes. Just before dusk the mice woke up of their own accord and respired normally. In this case the torpid state was not induced by shortage of food or abnormal temperatures. The forest dormouse of southern Asia and Europe also undergoes periods of torpidity during the day; this species has been recorded as having pauses of up to seventeen minutes between breaths. There is also a record of a leaf-eared mouse of the Peruvian desert which became torpid under severe conditions.

Question 1:
The primary focus of the passage is on
(A) the inhumane treatment of laboratory specimens
(B) irregularities of respiration in mammals
(C) conditions that induce rodents to hibernate
(D) species that exhibit brief periods of dormancy
(E) the similarities among rodent species

Question 2:
It can be inferred from the passage that fat storage as a method of survival ‘has rebounded’ for fat mice for what reason?
(A) It has enabled them to go without food and water for long periods of time.
(B) It has made them particularly tempting to human predators.
(C) It has made them so spherical they cannot move easily.
(D) It has caused them to adopt abnormal patterns of sleep.
(E) It has made them susceptible to abnormal temperatures.

Question 3:
This passage would most likely appear in which of the following types of publications?
(A) A geographical atlas.
(B) A history of African exploration
(C) A textbook on rodent biology
(D) A guide to the care of laboratory animals
(E) A general-interest periodical

Question 4:
It can be inferred that in the paragraph preceding this passage the author most likely discussed
(A) his initial journey to Africa
(B) the problem caused by sleep deprivation
(C) other types of dormant states
(D) the physical appearance of rodents
(E) methods for measuring rodent respiration

Answers:
Question 1: D
Question 2: B
Question 3: C
Question 4: C

Explanations:

Question 1: The author is discussing the behavior of various rodents that become dormant or inactive for brief periods of time.

Question 2: Fat storage has worked against the fat mouse’s survival because it has led to the mice being considered a succulent delicacy by African hunters.

Question 3: This detailed account of a particular aspect of rodent behavior clearly belongs in a textbook on rodent biology

Question 4: In the opening sentence the author refers to hibernation and aestivation, two other types of dormant states. This suggests he has just been discussing these dormant states in some detail.

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