Rose English Fantasy

351. Young that are fed by their parents become nutritionally independent at a much greater fraction of their full adult size. And in the meantime those young are shielded against the vagaries of fluctuating of difficult-to-find supplies.
The word "shielded" is closest in meaning to which of following?
(A) raised
(B) protected
(C) hatched
(D) valued

352. A second, more dense atmosphere, however, gradually enveloped Earth as gasses from molten rocks within its hot interior escaped through volcanoes and steam vents.
The word "enveloped" is closest in meaning to which of following?
(A) surrounded
(B) changed
(C) escaped
(D) characterized

353. With much of the water vapor already condensed into water and the concentration of carbon dioxide dwindling, the atmosphere gradually became rich nitrogen.
The word "gradually" is closest in meaning to which of following?
(A) accidentally
(B) quickly
(C) in the end
(D) by degrees

354. At any rate, plant growth greatly enriched our atmosphere with oxygen. The reason for this enrichment is that plants, in the presence of sunlight, process carbon dioxide and water to produce oxygen.
The word "At any rate" is closest in meaning to which of following?
(A) regardless
(B) in addition
(C) although unlikely
(D) fortunately

355. Over 25,000 islands are scattered across the surface of the Pacific, more than in all the other oceans combined, but their land area adds up to little more than 125,000 square kilometers, about the size of New York State, and their inhabitants total less than two million people, about a quarter of the number that live in New York City.
The word "scattered" is closest in meaning to which of following?
(A) widely known
(B) usually estimated
(C) rarely inhabited
(D) irregularly distributed

356. Many are uninhabitable, by virtue of their small size and particular characteristics, but even the most favored are very isolated fragments of land, strictly circumscribed by the ocean, strictly limited in terms of the numbers of people they can support.
The phrase "by virtue of" is closest in meaning to which of following?
(A) regarding
(B) because of
(C) taking advantage of
(D) in place of

The word "circumscribed" is closest in meaning to which of following?
(A) located
(B) flooded
(C) restricted
(D) pushed

357. Simply surviving those ocean crossings of indeterminate length, in open canoes, to arrive on the shores of uninhabited and hitherto unknown islands, was a formidable achievement.
The word "indeterminate" is closest in meaning to which of following?
(A) undecided
(B) uncertain
(C) unacceptable
(D) increasing

358. The Rosetta stone thwarted scholars' efforts for several decades until the early nineteenth century when several key hieroglyphic phrases were decoded using the Greek inscriptions.
The word "thwarted" is closest in meaning to which of following?
(A) continued
(B) influenced
(C) encouraged
(D) frustrated

359. Lichens, probably the hardiest of all plants, live where virtually nothing else can---not just on rugged mountain peaks but also on sunbaked desert rocks.
The word "hardest" is closest in meaning to which of following?
(A) most unusual
(B) most basic
(C) most abundant
(D) most vigorous

360. Unlike other members of the plant kingdom, lichens are actually a partnership between two plants. The framework of a lichen is usually a network of minute hairlike fungus that anchors the plant.
The word "framework" is closest in meaning to which of following?
(A) structure
(<B
(C) condition
(D) environment

361. When water is scarce (as is often the case on a mountain) , lichens may become dormant and remain in that condition for prolonged periods of time.
The word "prolonged" is closest in meaning to which of following?
(A) precise
(B) extended
(C) approximate
(D) regular

362. For decades, scientists wondered how the offspring of an alga and a fungus got together to form a new lichen; it seemed unlikely that they would just happen to encounter one another.
The word "encounter" is closest in meaning to which of following?
(A) lose
(B) support
(C) meet
(D) create

363. Newbery notwithstanding, Americans still looked on children's books as vehicles for instruction, not amusement, though they would accept a moderate amount of fictional entertainment for the sake of more successful instruction.
The word "notwithstanding" is closest in meaning to which of following?
(A) in spite of
(B) in addition to
(C) as a result of
(D) as a part of

364. As the children's book market expanded, then, what both public and publishers wanted was the kind of fiction Maria Edgeworth wrote: stories interesting enough to attract children and morally instructive enough to allay adult distrust of fiction.
The word "allay" is closest in meaning to which of following?
(A) clarify
(B) attack
(C) reduce
(D) confirm

365. The characters of children in this fiction were serious, conscientious, self-reflective, and independent --- strong>testimony to the continuing influence of the earlier American moralistic tradition in children's books.
The word" testimony to" is closest in meaning to which of following?
(A) inspiration for
(B) evidence of
(C) requirement for
(D) development of

366. The Moon, which has undergone a distinct and complex geological history presents a striking appearance.
The word "undergone" is closest in meaning to which of following?
(A) altered
(B) substituted
(C) experienced
(D) preserved

367. It is now known that the vast majority of the Moon's craters were formed by the impact of solid bodies with the lunar surface.
The word "vast" is closest in meaning to which of following?
(A) special
(B) Known
(C) varied
(D) great

368. The term "latent heat" refers to the energy that has to be used to convert liquid water to water vapor.
The word "convert" is closest in meaning to which of following?
(A) mix
(B) change
(C) adapt
(D) reduce

369. In the atmosphere, a large portion of the Sun's incoming energy is used to evaporate water, primarily in the tropical oceans.
The word "primarily" in the line 19 is closest in meaning to which of following?
(A) chiefly
(B) originally
(C) basically
(D) clearly

370. Other species may become better adapted to an environment, resulting in competition and, ultimately, in the death of a species.
The word "ultimately" is closest in meaning to which of following?
(A) exceptionally
(B) dramatically
(C) eventually
(D) unfortunately

371. One of the best-known examples of mass extinction occurred 65 million years ago with the demise of dinosaurs and many other forms of life.
The word "demise" is closest in meaning to which of following?
(A) change
(B) recovery
(C) help
(D) death

372. One interesting, and controversial, finding is that extinctions during the past 250 million years have tended to be more intense every 26 million years.
The word "finding" is closest in meaning to which of following?
(A) published information
(B) research method
(C) ongoing experiment
(D) scientific discovery

373. Even the name is an epithet, a synonym for the stunted, the scruffy, the insignificant, what is beautiful about such a place?
The word "insignificant" is closest in meaning to which of following?
(A) unimportant
(B) undisturbed
(C) immature
(D) inappropriate

374. Potter, for instance, found it convenient to locate their workshops near their source of clay, regardless of its relation to the center of settlement.
The phrase "regardless of" is closest in meaning to which of following?
(A) as a result of
(B) no matter what
(C) proud of
(D) according to

375. The techniques of pottery manufacture had evolved well before the Greek period, but marked stylistic developments occurred in shape and in decoration, for example, in the interplay of black and other glazes with the red surface of the fired pot.
The word "marked" is closest in meaning to which of following?
(A) original
(B) attractive
(C) noticeable
(D) patterned