Reading Comprehension Test

Submitted by Masna Thoumprathom (Na) 1002

ALS
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease affecting
roughly 2 percent of people worldwide. While the causes of ALS are not
definitively known, it is understood that the symptoms of the disease are due to
the progressive degeneration of motor neurons.Interestingly, sensory afferent
(line 5) neurons are unaffected by the degenerative changes in ALS, while efferent motor
neurons are lost both centrally and peripherally.

The symptoms of ALS can be understood in terms of the hierarchical organization

of motor neurons. UMNs with cell bodies in the precentral gyrus project their
axons from the brain to synapse onto LMNs in the ventral horn of the spinal cord.
LMNs project from their respective spinal segments onto muscles at
(line 10) neuromuscular junctions to promote muscle contraction. Apart from UMNs, LMNs
in the ventral horn also receive input from spinal interneurons, as well as sensory
input from type Ia sensory axons.

In fact, this global quality of affected motor cells is required for a diagnosis of
ALS. That is, a diagnosis requires symptoms of the loss of both upper and lower
motor neurons (UMN and LMN, respectively), which may include muscle atrophy,
weakness, either increased or decreased muscle tone/spasticity, and
exaggerated deep tendon reflexes, for example the knee-jerk or patellar reflex.

SOURCE:https://www.khanacademy.org/test-prep/mcat/biological-sciences-practice/biological-
sciences-practice-tut/e/nervous-system-disorders-i--als

1. The word neurons in line 3 is closest in meaning to

A) nerve fiber
B) nerve cells
C) cell membrane
D) organelle

2. The word degeneration in line 3 is closest meaning to

A) regression
B) regeneration
C) regenerate
D)generate

3. The word their in line 7 refers to

A) ALS
B) UMNs
C) LMNs
D) spinal cord

4. According to the passage, what is the cause of ALS disease?

A) degeneration of neurons
B) rarely exercise
C) eat too much fast food
D) not enough sleep
5. According to the passage, what are unaffected from sensory afferent neurons?
A) The degenerative changes in UMN
B) The degenerative changes in ALS
C) The degenerative changes in LMN
D) The degenerative changes in nerve cells

6. According to the passage, how many people were affected from this disease?
A) 22 percent of people worldwide
B) 12 percent of people worldwide
C) 20 percent of people worldwide
D) 2 percent of people worldwide

7. The second paragraph talks about

A) it is important for ALS patients to receive social and psychological support
B) disease that result from LMN
C) LMNs receive input from upper motor neurons from the opposite side of the
brain
D) disease that result from UMN

8. Which process are similar to sensory input from type Ia sensory axons?
A) UMNs with cell bodies in the precentral gyrus project their axons from the
brain to synapse
B) LMNs in the ventral horn also receive input from spinal interneurons
C) LMNs project from their respective spinal segments onto muscles
D) motor neurons that originate in the brainstem

9. Which of the following information is NOT mentioned in the passage?

A) LMNs in the ventral horn receive input from spinal interneurons
B) hierarchical organization of motor neurons is also known as a symptoms of
neurons
C) How to prevent from ALS
D) UMNs in the pyramidal tract directly synapse with LMNs

10. What can be inferred about the diagnosis of ALS?

A) LMNs receive output from spinal cord
B) ALS was affecting many people worldwide
C) disease that concerned about nerve cell in the brain and spinal cord
D) symptoms cannot progression to other muscles.

Osmosis
 All living things are made up of tiny units called cells. The cells are
surrounded by a covering called a membrane. The membrane controls what
moves in and out of the cell. Cells need many kinds of materials in order to
thrive. They must have water, oxygen, glucose (sugar), sodium, potassium and a
(line 5) variety of other minerals. The body has to have a delivery system to get these
materials where they need to go. In addition, every cell produces waste materials
that it needs to get rid of. The body has to have a method of waste collection and
disposal. Like a fleet of trucks form a transport system to the pickup and deliver
goods in the world, the body has a transport system, too.

There are two types of transport: active transport, and passive transport. Passive
transport is easiest for the cells because they dont need to use any energy to
(line make it happen. Diffusion is the simplest and most common form of passive
10) transport. During the diffusion process, tiny particles of the materials that need
to be delivered to the cells are spread through either a gas, like oxygen, or a
liquid, like water. Areas with high concentrations of the materials slowly diffuse
them to areas of low concentration of the materials.

Osmosis is a unique form of passive transport that allows water to pass through
(line the cell membrane but keeps most other materials out. Active transport is used
15) when the concentration of materials inside the cell is high, and the cell needs to
push materials into areas of high concentration of the materials. Unfortunately,
this kind of transport requires the cell to work against the natural direction of
diffusion. This causes the cell use energy. One example of this is how nerve cells
work. They pump sodium out and pull potassium in. Although they must expend
energy in this process, doing so allows them to thrive.

Source:http://www.k12reader.com/reading-comprehension/Gr5_Wk5_Active_Passive_Transport.pdf

1. The word thrive in line 3 is closest in meaning to

A) live
B) successful
C) develop
D) decline

2. The word disposal in line 7 is closest in meaning to

A) holding
B) discarding
C) keeping
D) beginning

3. The word they in line 10 refers to

A) active transport
B) passive transport
C) cell
D) cell membrane

4. According to the passage, how many types of transport are in osmosis?

A) one type
B) two types
C) three types
D) four types

5. The third paragraph talks about?

A) simple diffusion
B) What type of transportation is osmosis
C) How osmosis work
D) facilitated diffusion

6.According to the passage, why passive transport is the easiest transportation

for cells?
A) because passive transport require energy to move molecules
B) because passive transport move substance directly
C) because passive transport dont need to use any energy
D) because passive transport move from low to high concentration gradient

7. What is the main topic of the first paragraph?

A) the definition of osmosis
B) the definition of passive transport
C) the definition of cell and cell membrane
D) the definition of active transport

8. According to the passage, what materials that cell need to get rid of after
produced?
A) glucose
B) exceed materials
C) waste materials
D) oxygen

9.What can be inferred about the movement of passive transport in term of

concentration?
A) stay the same
B) low to high
C) high to low
D) back and forth

10. What can be inferred about active transport?

A) it moves from high to low concentration, so it doesnt need to use energy
B) it moves from low to high concentration, so it doesnt need to use energy
C) it moves from high to low concentration, so it needs to use energy
D) it moves from low to high concentration, so it needs to use energy