141. One way to do this is to find a sheltered roost. Solitary roosters shelter in dense vegetation or enter a cavity-horned larks dig holes in the ground and ptarmigan burrow into snow banks-but the effect of sheltering is magnified by several birds huddling together in the roosts, as wrens, swifts, brown creepers, bluebirds, and anis do.
The word "magnified" is closest in meaning to which of following?
(A) caused
(B) modified
(C) intensified
(D) combined
142. The second possible benefit of communal roots is that they act as "information centers." During the day, parties of birds will have spread out to forage over a very large area. When they return in the evening some will have fed well, but others may have found little to eat.
The word "forage" is closest in meaning to which of following?
(A) fly
(B) assemble
(C) feed
(D) rest
143. Finally, there is safety in numbers at communal roosts since there will always be a few birds awake at any given moment to give the alarm. But this increased protection is partially counteracted by the fact that mass roosts attract predators and are especially vulnerable if they are on the ground.
The word "counteracted" is closest in meaning to which of following?
(A) suggested
(B) negated
(C) measured
(D) shielded
144. Drying, smoking, and salting could preserve meat for a short time, but the availability of fresh meat, like that of fresh milk, was very limited; there was no way to prevent spoilage.
The word "prevent" is closest in meaning to which of following?
(A) estimate
(B) avoid
(C) correct
(D) confine
145. The icebox became a fixture in most homes and remained so until the mechanized refrigerator replaced it in the 1920's and 1930's. Almost everyone now had a more diversified diet.
The word "fixture" is closest in meaning to which of following?
(A) luxury item
(B) substance
(C) commonplace object
(D) mechanical device
146. Some people continued to eat mainly foods that were heavy in starches or carbohydrates, and not everyone could afford meat. Nevertheless, many families could take advantage of previously unavailable fruits, vegetables, and dairy products to achieve more varied fare.
The word "Nevertheless" is closest in meaning to which of following?
(A) therefore
(B) because
(C) occasionally
(D) however
readily change its orientation, or phase. Cats know this instinctively, but scientists could not be sure how it happened until they increased the speed of their perceptions a thousand fold.
The word "readily" is closest in meaning to which of following?
(A) only
(B) easily
(C) slowly
(D) certainly
147. The changing profile of a city in the United States is apparent in the shifting definitions used by the United States Bureau of the Census. In 1870 the census officially distinguished the nation's "urban" from its "rural" population for the first time.
The word "distinguished" is closest in meaning to which of following?
(A) differentiated
(B) removed
(C) honored
(D) protected
148. Each SMSA would contain at least (a) one central city with 50,000 inhabitant or more or (b) two cities having shared boundaries and constituting, for general economic and social purposes, a single community with a combined population of at least 50,000, the smaller of which must have a population of at least 15,000.
The word "constituting" is closest in meaning to which of following?
(A) located near
(B) determined by
(C) calling for
(D) making up
149. The Anasazi lived in houses constructed of adobe and wood. Anasazi houses were originally built in pits and were entered from the roof.
The word "pits" is closest in meaning to which of following?
(A) stages
(B) scars
(C) seeds
(D) holes
150. Each kiva had a fire pit and hole that was believed to lead to the underworld. The largest pueblos had five stories and more than 800 rooms.
The word "stories" is closest in meaning to which of following?
(A) articles
(B) tales
(C) levels
(D) rumors
151. The village chief dealt with land disputes and religious affairs. The war chief led the men in fighting during occasional conflicts that broke out with neighboring villages and directed the men in community building projects.
The word "disputes" is closest in meaning to which of following?
(A) discussions
(B) arguments
(C) developments
(D) purchases
152. This had a considerable effect on cattle ranching, since the herds no longer had unrestricted use of the plains for grazing, and the fencing led to conflict between the farmers and the cattle ranchers.
The word "unrestricted" is closest in meaning to which of following?
(A) unsatisfactory
(B) difficult
(C) considerable
(D) unlimited
153. The steel wires used are galvanized-coated with zinc to make them rustproof. The two wires that make up the line wire or cable are fed separately into a machine at one end. They leave it at the other end twisted together and barbed.
The word "fed" is closest in meaning to which of following?
(A) put
(B) eaten
(C) bitten
(D) nourished
154. The pressure exerted on the human body increases by 1 atmosphere for every 10 meters of depth in seawater, so that at 30 meters in seawater a diver is exposed to a pressure of about 4 atmospheres.
The words "exposed to" in line 6 are closest in meaning to
(A) leaving behind
(B) prepared for
(C) propelled by
(D) subjected to
155. Deep dives are less dangerous if helium is substituted for nitrogen, because under these pressures helium does not exert a similar narcotic effect.
The word "exert" is closest in meaning to which of following?
(A) cause
(B) permit
(C) need
(D) change
156. As a scuba diver descends, the pressure of nitrogen in the lungs increases. Nitrogen then diffuses from the lungs to the blood, and from the blood to body tissues.
The word "diffuses" is closest in meaning to which of following?
(A) yields
(B) starts
(C) surfaces
(D) travels
157. During ascent from a depth of 10 meters, the volume of air in the lungs will double because the air pressure at the surface is only half of what it was at 10 meters. This change in volume may cause the lungs to distend and even rupture.
The word "rupture" is closest in meaning to which of following?
(A) hurt
(B) shrink
(C) burst
(D) stop
158. In the twentieth century, electron microscopes have provided direct views of viruses and minuscule surface structures. The word "minuscule" is closest in meaning to which of following?
(A) circular
(B) dangerous
(C) complex
(D) tiny
159. Unlike conventional electron microscopy, x-ray microscopy enables specimens to be kept in air and in water, which means that biological samples can be studied under conditions similar to their natural state.
The word "enables" is closest in meaning to which of following?
(A) constitutes
(B) specifies
(C) expands
(D) allows
160. Because of the wavelength of the x-rays used, soft x-ray microscopes will never match the highest resolution possible with electron microscopes. Rather, their special properties will make possible investigations that will complement those performed with light-and electron-based instruments.
The word "Rather" is closest in meaning to which of following?
(A) significantly
(B) preferably
(C) somewhat
(D) instead