GED, HiSET and TASC Reading Test Practice Passages
Passing the GED, HiSET and TASC Reading and Language Arts, and Math Test gives those who do not complete high school, or who do not meet requirements for high school diploma, the opportunity to earn their high school equivalency credential, in the majority of the United States, Canada, or internationally. GED, HiSET and TASC are test that can be easily passed if you take time and study!
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| GED, HiSET and TASC Reading |
Reading Passages ELA (CAHSEE) Grade Level Nonfiction Passages
8th-10th Grade Reading Leve passages
- An African Heritage in Chicago identify and support the main idea in a nonfiction passage
- Bold Plans, Big Dreams, City Progress identify and support the theme of a text
- Changing the Ecosystem infer and support the main idea of a passage
- Changing the Ecosystem with Multiple Choice Questions and Activities
- Chicago is a City of Possibilities: Deval Patrick, Leader for Chicago analyze a text and write an extended response based on it
- Deval Patrick's Acceptance Speech infer and support the main idea of a passage
- George Washington Carver
- Gwendolyn Brooks, An African American Poet
- Honest Abe infer and support the main idea of a passage
- Inaugural Address by John F. Kennedy evaluate information, summarize, and identify and support a main idea
- Inferential Questions: Harold Washington's Acceptance Speech
- Labor Day Address--Barack Obama Speech infer and support the main idea of a passage
- Learn about Physical Therapists evaluate information, summarize, and identify and support a main idea
- Learn about South Africa evaluate information, summarize, and identify and support a main idea
- Maintaining Cultural Continuity infer and support the main idea of a passage
- New Leadership analyze a speech
- Settlement infer and support the main idea of a passage
- Settlement with Multiple Choice Questions and Activities
- Transportation Changes infer and support the main idea of a passage
- What is Your Own Big Plan? (Barack Obama speech) analyze a text and respond to the issues it presents, write an extended response to a persuasive text
- What Values Have Shaped Chicago? identify the main idea of a passage
- Why is Community Service Important? identify the main idea and supporting information
- Chicago High Schools infer predictions
- Chicago Legacy: DuSable's Choices and Changes infer and support the main idea of a passage
- Deval Patrick's Acceptance Speech infer and support the main idea of a passage
- Harold Washington's Acceptance Speech
- Frederick Douglass Speech on Women's Suffrage
- John F. Kennedy's Remarks in the Rudolph Wilde Platz, Berlin
- Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address
- President Barack Obama's Speech to Students
- President Franklin D. Roosevelt's First Inaugural Address
Deforestation
is the act of permanently destroying forests in order to make land available
for a variety of purpuses intends to provide benefit to the humans. However, in
the process it results in far more damage that all its benefits.
Facts
·
According to an estimate by the United Nation’s
Food and Agricultural Organization or FAO, the world is losing around 18
million acres, which translates into 7.3 million hectares, of forestland every
year. This is approximately the size of the country of Panama
·
Moreover, the real cause of concern is due to
the fact that an overwhelming majority of the cleared forestlands lies in the
tropical belt, which is home an alarmingly high number of flora and fauna that
are endemic to the region. In fact, around half of the total forests cleared
every year lie in the tropical zone as per the FAO estimates. The country that
has suffered from the highest amount of deforestation is Indonesia
·
In addition to the loss of valuable lifeforms,
deforestation is also being held responsible for an estimated 6 percent to 12
percent of the annual carbon dioxide emissions around the globe, according to
Nature Geoscience.
·
Finally, forests cover approximately 30 percent
of the landmass across the globe, which is rapidly shrinking due to
deforestation. Countries being worst sufferers or most vulnerable to the
vagaries of deforestation include Indonesia, Brazil, Thailand, Democratic
Republic of Congo, Russia, Alaska in USA, and parts of Eastern Europe.
Causes
The
causes behind deforestation are numerous, with some being of more consequence
that the others.
·
Forests are cleared to make land available for
housing and cultivation. The rapid increase in the pace of urbanization has
been mainly because of the huge rise in the human population, while an
aspiration middle class is also leading to growth of cities around the globe. Moreover,
a burgeoning population pressure is leading to an increase demand for land for
cultivation to supply enough food grains.
·
Many forests are being cleared because of the
huge demand for timber to manufacture commercial items such as paper,
furniture, and homes. In fact, the forest based industries form a backbone of a
many national economies around the world, with the continuing abuses of the
forests being a result of the attempt to extract more resources from them.
·
Forestlands are cleared to obtain various
valuable consumer items such as palm tree oil. Moreover, sometimes the forests
are cleared to make room for cattle ranching, and various other associated
commercial activities.
·
Finally, many indigenous tribes and people from
low income groups cut down trees in order to obtain fuel wood for their homes.
Effects
Deforestation
has had a number of serious ill effects on the planet earth and all her
inhabitants, which people had not bargained for when they launched their
massive deforestation drives.
·
Deforestation has directly led to a significant
rise in the amount of carbon released into the atmosphere. Loss of trees is
also compromising the ability to consume carbon dioxide emitted through various
human activities, all of this leading rise in the level of Greenhouse Gases
such as CO2 and water vapor, and the phenomenon termed as Global
Warming.
·
Deforestation is also causing disruption to the
water cycle and the weather pattern, which does not bode well for
agriculturists around the globe.
·
Deforestation is leading to loss of various
species of plants and animals, as well as, as an increase in the rate of soil
erosion.
Government
and international organizations, as well as, the general populace need to
realize that deforestation is leading to inevitable destruction of the global
ecosystem through which is going bode nothing good for the human civilization.
Questions
1. What is
the full form of FAO?
a) Food
and Agriculture Organization
b) Food
and Agricultural Organization
c) Food
and Agronomic Organization
2. According
to UN reports, what is the amount of forest cover lost every year?
a) 15
million hectares
b) 18
million hectares
c) 7.3
million hectares
3. Which
is the country that has suffered the most from deforestation?
a) Democratic
Republic of Congo
b) Indonesia
c) Brazil
4. Which
factors, as per the author, are behind the ongoing deforestation around the
globe?
a) Population
pressure, forest based industries, demand for forest products, and fuel wood
b) Population
pressure, heavy industries, lack of demand for forest products
c) Drop in
population growth rates, fuel wood, rise in demand for forest products, and
decrease in demand for food grains
5. Which
among the following is not a Greenhouse Gas?
a) Carbon
dioxide
b) Sulfur
dioxide
c) Water
vapor
6. Deforestation
is having harmful impact upon which of the following natural processes, as per
the author
a) Water
cycle and weather pattern
b) Nitrogen
cycle and weather pattern
c) Carbon
cycle and direction of the oceanic currents
7. The
author has hoped for the governments, international organizations, and the
general populace to realize that
a) Deforestation
can make the countries and their people extremely prosperous
b) Deforestation
is bound to turn out disastrous for the humans and other inhabitants of planet
earth
c) Deforestation
is the answer to all the economic and social woes faced by the modern society
Can
you Win Arguments with Your Parents with Facts?
Parents often find it difficult
to communicate with their children, especially during the adolescence period
when the raging hormones turn almost every person into somewhat of a rebel. However,
the situation is tricky equally from both sides, and teenagers have to face the
brunt of lack of understanding between them and their parents as well. The
problem lies in the fact that no one is quite sure regarding root cause of this
troubling issue, and this leads to farther alienation between parents and their
teenage children. However, you can averse this situation with a little bit of
effort on both you and your parents’ part.
Most teenagers believe that it
is next to impossible to win arguments with their parents, because of the lack
of understanding about the change of cultural milieu between different
generations. They believe that their parents argue with them based on nostalgia
and emotions, rather than hard facts that are irrefutable but not quite
overwhelming as raw emotion. Thus, you may feel less inclined to have arguments
with your parents based solely upon facts and nothing else, because of the
belief that with any such approach it is going to land you in an unenviable
situation. However, such a notion is as far from the truth as possible, and it
is possible to have reasoned arguments with your parents, and even convince
them if you have solid reasons backing your argument.
The most important criterion
for having a reasoned argument is to ensure that both parties are willing to
hear each other out, and give value to reasons that have facts and logic to
back them. Even if you consider it highly unlikely to be the case, while you
are having an argument with your parents regarding anything from wearing your
favorite clothes to college to life in general, it is generally the truth.
Your parents have nothing but
the best of thoughts for you, and they are certainly not your nemesis when it
comes to living your life on your own terms. However, the concern that they
feel towards you and your wellbeing may often seem to be unduly protective and
restrictive on their part. This however is not necessarily a reason why you
must hold a grudge towards your parents. Instead, you can help them understand
your own point of view in a calm and reasoned manner without having to hurt
their feelings, and dismissing any or all of their thoughts without judging
them first on their merit.
The best thing to do in case
you are having serious difference of opinion with your parents is to have calm
chat with them, while you present all the fact in your favor to bolster your
argument. Even if you consider the facts and logic presented by you to be
infallible, be prepared to have your parents show serious doubts about the
sanguinity of your claims. This might be because of a difference of
perspective, and not necessarily because your parents do not trust your
judgment or the validity of your argument.
The most efficient way to win
arguments with your parents with facts is by convincing them that the decision
you have taken or about to take is to the best of your interests. Since the
only concern your parents have is regarding your wellbeing, any argument that
focuses on this aspect is likely to enjoy the most amicable countenance from your
parents. Therefore, if you have facts to back your argument, and prove that you
are quite aware of the implications of your actions, there is no reason to
believe that you cannot win arguments with your parents based solely upon
facts.
Questions
1.
During which period do parents face most
difficulty in communicating and connecting emotionally with their children?
a)
Infancy
b)
Adolescence
c)
Adulthood
2.
What reasons do teenagers give to justify their
belief regarding the inability of their parents to understand the logic behind
their arguments?
a)
Generational gap regarding changing social
milieu
b)
Intentional misunderstanding
c)
Both
3.
What is reality regarding having arguments with
parents?
a)
That they are not ready to pay attention to any
reasoning
b)
That they are ready to concede to well reasoned
arguments
c)
That they lack the ability appreciate reasoned
arguments
4.
What is/are the most important criteria for
having a reasoned argument?
a)
Willingness to listen to other end of the
argument
b)
Attach value to well reasoned arguments
c)
Both
5.
Why do
parents tend to become overprotective of their children?
a)
Out of concern for their wellbeing
b)
To humiliate them in front of their friends
c)
To ensure that they lack the skills to survive
on their own
6.
What might be the reason/s behind parents
shooting down arguments that seems infallible to their children?
a)
Because parents do not trust their children’s
judgment
b)
Because parents might possess a different
perspective than their children
c)
Both
7.
What method does the author suggest to teenagers
to win arguments with their parents?
a)
By making them understand about the positive
impact of the decisions made by their children
b)
By deceiving them with false promises
c)
By keeping them in the dark and not share
anything of importance
Captain James Cook Mini
Biography
1. James
Cook is one of the most renowned explorers and navigators that the world has
ever seen, and according to many has done more to fill the unknown spots on the
map of the world than anyone else in history has. He is famous for having
discovered the Great Barrier Reef off the coast of New
Zealand and Australia
2. James
Cook was born on October 27, 1728, to a Scottish farmhand in
Marton-in-Cleveland, Yorkshire ,
England Whitby , England
3. The
apprenticeship with the Quaker ship-owner was just a beginning to a long and
eventful career on the high seas. James Cook dreamt of joining the British
Navy, and this desire eventually led him to joining the same a few years later.
He showed great skill and fortitude during his life in the navy, and this
resulted in Cook being promoted to the rank of ship’s master by the time he was
29 years of age.
4. James
Cook shone in his role as a ship’s master in the British Navy, and this became
even more apparent during the Seven Years War, which lasted from 1756 to 1763. During
the war, Cook served the Royal Navy by commanding a captured ship with great
success. However, his real claim to fame lay far away from the hustle and
bustle of naval warfare, in the field of exploration to the far edges of the
known world during the latter half of the eighteenth century.
5. James
Cook was chosen to command the first scientific expedition to ever head for the
Pacific Ocean . This was a monumental endeavor
because of the limited knowledge in hand during those times regarding the
geography of the region. Cook’s ship was aptly named HMS Endeavor to reflect
upon the mammoth efforts made by the captain and crew to extend the horizon of
knowledge regarding the world.
6. James
Cook discovered and charted New Zealand
in 1770 on his ship the HMS Endeavor, and this was in addition to the discovery
and exploration of the Great Barrier Reef of the coast of Australia Great Barrier Reef was an incredible feat because of the fact
that its infamy as one of the most dangerous areas to navigate for any ship.
7. James
Cook returned to England Antarctica .
On this voyage, Captain Cook charted a number of islands that exist in the
Pacific such as Tonga , Easter Island , New Caledonia ,
the South Sandwich Islands, and South Georgia .
Apart from that, he also disapproved the existence of the mythical southern
supercontinent, Terra Australis.
8. James
Cook also made valuable contribution towards improving the health condition of
sailors while on long expeditions by trying to control scurvy, which is caused
by vitamin efficiency, and was a huge problem for sailors. He sought to do so
by feeding his crew a meal consisting of watercress, sauerkraut, and orange
extract.
9. James
Cook met his demise while fighting a skirmish with the islanders of Kealakekua Bay , Hawaii
Questions
a) Explorer
and pirate
b) Explorer
and navigator
c) Admiral
and navigator
2. Which
among the following is not a famous achievement of James Cook?
a) Discovering
New Zealand
b) Discovering
and charting the Great Barrier Reef
c) Discovering
Antarctica
3. Under
whom James Cook did do his first apprenticeship?
a) A naval
officer
b) His
father, a farmhand
c) A
Quaker ship-owner
4. What
role did James Cook play as a naval officer during the Seven Years War?
a) He was
the admiral of the Royal Navy
b) He
commanded a captured ship for the Royal navy
c) He took
no part in the war
5. Where
did James Cook head during his first scientific mission and on which ship?
a) The Atlantic , HMS Excalibur
b) The North Sea , HMS Enterprise
c) The
Pacific, HMS Endeavor
6. What is
the name of the fabled southern supercontinent whose existence James Cook
refuted through his explorations?
a) Terra Australia
b) Terra
Australis
c) Terra Australasia
7. James
Cook sought to fight scurvy with a combination of what diet?
a) Sandwiches,
sauerkraut, and orange juice
b) Sauerkraut,
orange extract, and onions
c) Watercress,
sauerkraut, and orange extract
Claude Monet French
Impressionist Painter
1. Oscar
Claude Monet, better known as Claude Monet, is among the most celebrated name
in the world of art, and he has been the leading figure in the art movement
known as Impressionism, which sought to enrich visual art by capturing light
and natural forms. Born to Adolphe Monet, who was into his family’s shipping
business, and Louis, a homemaker, on November 14, 1840 in Paris, Claude became
fascinated with drawing from an early age. His mother consistently supported his
artistic endeavors till her death in 1857, while his father wished him to join
the family’s shipping business.
2. One of
the earliest influences upon Claude Monet was a local landscape artist, Eugene
Boudin, whom he met in port town of Le
Havre Paris
in 1859, and enrolled himself at the Academie Suisse as a student, where the
paintings of the Barbizon school had much
influence upon him.
3. Claude
Monet served in the military from 1861 to 1862, during which he was stationed
in Algeria Paris
4. Monet
won acceptance to an annual juried art show held in Paris Seine River
5. Monet
soon found a patron in the form of Louis-Joachim Guadibert, which enabled him
to take care of his family, and this culminated in him marrying his long-term
mistress and lover Camille in 1870. After a brief stint in England to avoid the
Franco-Prussian War, Monet returned to Paris and visited a number of his
artists friends such as Renoir, Pissarro, as well as, Edouard Manet. Together
they formed the Societe Anonyme des Artistes, Peintres, Sculpteurs, Graveurs,
which served as an alternative platform to the Salon to exhibit their works.
6. ‘Impression,
Sunrise’ (1873), one of Monet’s most influential works, revolutionized the
exhibition held in April 1874 by the society, and gave name to the movement
Impressionism which critics sought to downplay as more a sketch than a finished
painting.
7. Monet’s
wife passed away in 1879, and he moved in with the couple Ernest and Alice
Hoschede, and the six children. However, he slowly grew closer to Alice
8. Claude
Monet found much impression in Giverny, and painted several series of water
lilies and Japanese style bridges over ponds for much of his later life. His
final project was also a series of 12 water lily paintings commissioned by a
museum in Paris France ,
and the Thames River
in London
9. Claude
Monet passed away on December 5, 1926 in Giverny. However, his impact on the
world of art continues to be felt till this date.
Questions
1. What
was the profession of Claude Monet father, Adolphe Monet?
a) A
landscape artist
b) Family’s
shipping business
c) A
portrait maker
2. Eugene
Boudin introduced Monet to what type of painting practice?
a) Plein
Air Painting
b) Landscape
Painting
c) Impressionist
Painting
3. What
was the name of the artist who provided strong support and advice to the young
Monet?
a) Auguste
Renoir
b) Johann
Barthold Jongkind
c) Edouard
Manet
4. Monet
founded the Societe Anonyme des Artistes, Peintres, Sculpteurs, Graveurs with
his friends as –
a) An
association to secure better bargaining rights for the painters
b) An
alternate platform to the Salon to exhibit their works
c) An
opportunity to earn better money as an alternate profession
5. What
was the logic behind the coining of the phrase ‘Impression’ upon Monet’s work
‘Impression, Sunrise
a) Because
it created a strong impression in the mind of the viewer
b) To
derogatively suggest that it resembled a sketch more than a completed painting
c) To
suggest that it impressed with its rich detailing and texture
6. Which
place of dwelling had a lasting impact upon the creative sensibility of Claude
Monet?
a) Paris
b) La
Havre
c) Giverny
7. Which
series have been the most famous and distinguishing of Claude Monet’s work ion
nature?
a) The
paintings of Rouen Cathedral
b) The paintings on River Thames
c) The
paintings on water lilies
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