Reading Comprehension Success in 20 Minutes a Day, 3rd Edition

b.
Farming has improved the soil of the plains.
c.
Farming has eroded the natural beauty of the
plains.
d.
Farming has chemically polluted the plains.
35.
The argument in this paragraph is based
primarily on
a.
facts of history and statistical studies.
b.
facts derived from the author’s personal
observations.
c.
feelings the author has picked up from
personal experience.
d.
feelings passed down to the author by
ancestors.
36.
From context, it can be determined that the word
“mercantile” has something to do with
a.
practicality.
b.
danger.
c.
America.
d.
spirituality.

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The coast of the State of Maine is one of the most irregular in the world. A straight line running from the south-
ernmost coastal city to the northernmost coastal city would measure about 225 miles. If you followed the coast-
line between these points, you would travel more than ten times as far. This irregularity is the result of what is called
a drowned coastline. The term comes from the glacial activity of the Ice Age. At that time, the whole area that is
now Maine was part of a mountain range that towered above the sea. As the glacier descended, however, it expended
enormous force on those mountains, and they sank into the sea.
As the mountains sank, ocean water charged over the lowest parts of the remaining land, forming a series
of twisting inlets and lagoons of contorted grottos and nooks. The highest parts of the former mountain range,
nearest the shore, remained as islands. Mt. Desert Island was one of the most famous of all the islands left behind
by the glacier. Marine fossils found here were 225 feet above sea level indicating the level of the shoreline prior to
the glacier.
The 2,500 mile long rocky and jagged coastline of Maine keeps watch over nearly 2,000 islands. Many of these
islands are tiny and uninhabited, but many are home to thriving communities. Mt. Desert Island is one of the
largest, most beautiful of the Maine coast islands. Measuring 16 miles by 12 miles, Mt. Desert was very nearly
formed as two distinct islands. It is split almost in half by Somes Sound, a very deep and very narrow stretch of
water seven miles long.
For years, Mt. Desert Island, particularly its major settlement, Bar Harbor, afforded summer homes for the
wealthy. Recently though, Bar Harbor has become a burgeoning arts community as well. But, the best part of the
island is the unspoiled forest land known as Acadia National Park. Since the island sits on the boundary line between
the temperate and subarctic zones, the island supports the flora and fauna of both zones as well as beach, inland,
and alpine plants. It also lies in a major bird migration lane and is a resting spot for many birds.
The establishment of Acadia National Park in 1916 means that this natural monument will be preserved and
that it will be available to all people, not just the wealthy. Visitors to Acadia may receive nature instruction from
the park naturalists as well as enjoy camping, hiking, cycling, and boating. Or they may choose to spend time at
the archeological museum learning about the Stone Age inhabitants of the island.
The best view on Mt. Desert Island is from the top of Cadillac Mountain. This mountain rises 1,532 feet,
making it the highest mountain on the Atlantic seaboard. From the summit, you can gaze back toward the main-
land or out over the Atlantic Ocean and contemplate the beauty created by a retreating glacier.