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GAT Reading Comprehension

GAT General Reading Comprehension Sample Questions

Read the passage carefully and answer the questions that followed

The explosion of a star is an awesome event. The most violent of these cataclysms, which produce supernovae, probably destroys a star completely. Within our galaxy of roughly 100 billion stars the last supernova was observed in 1604. Much smaller explosions, however, occur quite frequently, giving rise to what astronomers call novae and dwarf novae. On the order of 25 novae occur in our galaxy every year, but only two or three are near enough to be observed. About 100 dwarf novae are known altogether. If the exploding star is in a nearby part of the galaxy, it may create a “new star” that was not previously visible to the naked eye. The last new star of this sort that could be observed clearly from the Northern Hemisphere appeared in 1946. In these smaller explosions the star loses only a minute fraction of its mass and survives to explode again. Astrophysicists are fairly well satisfied that they can account for the explosions of supernovae. The novae and dwarf novae have presented more of a puzzle. From recent investigations that have provided important new information about these two classes of exploding star, the picture that emerges is quite astonishing. It appears that every dwarf nova – and perhaps every nova – is a member of a pair of stars. The two stars are so close together that they revolve around a point that lies barely outside the surface of the larger star. As a result the period of rotation is usually only a few hours, and their velocities range upward to within a two-hundredth of the speed of light.

  1. According to the passage, our observations of nova are hampered by their
    1. extreme brightness
    2. loss of mass
    3. speed of rotation
    4. distance from Earth
    5. tremendous violence

  2. The production of supernova
    1. occurs frequently
    2. occurs 25 times in 1 year
    3. occured in 1946
    4. occured in 1604
    5. occured 100 billion years ago

  3. By the term "new star" the author mean one that has
    1. recently gained in mass
    2. moved from a distant galaxy
    3. become bright enough to strike the eye
    4. not previously risen above the horizon
    5. become visible by rotating in its orbit

  4. Which from the following statement(s) true about novae and dwarf novae
    5. I. 25 novae and super novae occur in our galaxy every year
    II. occur in result of smaller explosions
    III. only 100 of smaller explosions are known
    1. I only
    2. II only
    3. III only
    4. I and II
    5. II and III

  5. When novae and dwarf novae occur,
    1. the star survive to explode again
    2. the star destroys completely
    3. the star devides in two parts
    4. the star becomes a dwarf novae
    5. None of these

  6. The statement, "velocities range upward to within a two-hundredth of the speed of light" is for
    1. novae
    2. dwarf novae
    3. supernova
    4. novae and dwarf novae
    5. pair of stars

  7. The period of rotation of the pair of stars is usually only a few hours, because
    1. the one star is so smaller
    2. the two stars are very near to each other
    3. the revolving point is too near
    4. they do not have solid outer surface
    5. their speed is equal to the speed of light

ANSWERS: GAT Reading Comprehension

  1. D
  2. D
  3. C
  4. B
  5. A
  6. E
  7. C