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Tornado.jpg PART B: Read the following passage carefully, and then answer the questions that follow.    Tornadoes    Storms, such as thunderstorms and hurricanes, become even more dangerous when they spawn tornadoes. A dark funnel of cloud extends down below the clouds of the storm. If it does not reach the ground, then it is called a funnel cloud. If it does reach the ground, it’s called a tornado. Debris and dust are kicked up where the narrow end of the funnel touches the ground.   Tornadoes, also called twisters, are columns of air rotating dangerously fast. The air is in motion because of the difference in pressure between the center of the tornado (very low pressure) and the outer edge of the tornado (high pressure). Some tornadoes are quite narrow — only 75 meters (250 feet) across where they touch the ground. Other, much more massive tornadoes can be up to two miles across. Often a tornado will touch the ground for only a few minutes and travel less than a mile. But some tornadoes touchdown for much longer, plowing through towns, neighborhoods, or farms. After a tornado has come and gone, scientists look at the amount of damage that it caused to figure out the strength of the twister. They use the Enhanced Fujita (EF) Scale – six categories that describe how tornado damage relates to wind speeds. According to the scale, EF0 is the weakest tornado category with gusts up to 85 mph (135 kph) and EF5 is the strongest tornado with wind gusts over 200 mph (320 kph).   In general, tornadoes fall into three types: weak tornadoes, strong tornadoes, and violent tornadoes. A tornado’s type is based on its size, how long it lasts and how much damage it causes.  Weak tornadoes usually last less than 10 minutes, have winds less than 100 mph (160 kph) and cause damage such as broken tree branches and damaged roofs. Over two-thirds of all tornadoes are weak. Weak tornadoes include those in the first two categories of the Enhanced Fujita Scale: EF0 and EF1.  Strong tornadoes can last 20 minutes or longer and have winds of 110 to 205 mph (177 to 330 kph) — strong enough to demolish mobile homes and overturn trains. Nearly a third of tornadoes are strong and they cause nearly a third of all tornado-related deaths. Strong tornadoes include those in the next two categories of the Enhanced Fujita Scale: EF2 and EF3.  Violent tornadoes can last over an hour and have wind speeds greater than 205 mph (330 kph). These monster tornadoes can toss cars and houses into the air and carry them for miles. While violent tornadoes are the least common, they are the deadliest, causing over two-thirds of all tornado-related deaths. A violent tornado is part of the last two categories on the Enhanced Fujita Scale: EF4 and EF5.   5. Tornadoes can occur anywhere in the world. About 75% of the world’s tornadoes occur in the United States; most in an area of the central US called Tornado Alley.  © 2023 UCAR Did you complete the reading? 

9. Where is the best place to add this sentence: This means people who live in this area are more likekly to experience hurricanes. 

Tornado.jpg PART B: Read the following passage carefully, and then answer the questions that follow.    Tornadoes    Storms, such as thunderstorms and hurricanes, become even more dangerous when they spawn tornadoes. A dark funnel of cloud extends down below the clouds of the storm. If it does not reach the ground, then it is called a funnel cloud. If it does reach the ground, it’s called a tornado. Debris and dust are kicked up where the narrow end of the funnel touches the ground.   Tornadoes, also called twisters, are columns of air rotating dangerously fast. The air is in motion because of the difference in pressure between the center of the tornado (very low pressure) and the outer edge of the tornado (high pressure). Some tornadoes are quite narrow — only 75 meters (250 feet) across where they touch the ground. Other, much more massive tornadoes can be up to two miles across. Often a tornado will touch the ground for only a few minutes and travel less than a mile. But some tornadoes touchdown for much longer, plowing through towns, neighborhoods, or farms. After a tornado has come and gone, scientists look at the amount of damage that it caused to figure out the strength of the twister. They use the Enhanced Fujita (EF) Scale – six categories that describe how tornado damage relates to wind speeds. According to the scale, EF0 is the weakest tornado category with gusts up to 85 mph (135 kph) and EF5 is the strongest tornado with wind gusts over 200 mph (320 kph).   In general, tornadoes fall into three types: weak tornadoes, strong tornadoes, and violent tornadoes. A tornado’s type is based on its size, how long it lasts and how much damage it causes.  Weak tornadoes usually last less than 10 minutes, have winds less than 100 mph (160 kph) and cause damage such as broken tree branches and damaged roofs. Over two-thirds of all tornadoes are weak. Weak tornadoes include those in the first two categories of the Enhanced Fujita Scale: EF0 and EF1.  Strong tornadoes can last 20 minutes or longer and have winds of 110 to 205 mph (177 to 330 kph) — strong enough to demolish mobile homes and overturn trains. Nearly a third of tornadoes are strong and they cause nearly a third of all tornado-related deaths. Strong tornadoes include those in the next two categories of the Enhanced Fujita Scale: EF2 and EF3.  Violent tornadoes can last over an hour and have wind speeds greater than 205 mph (330 kph). These monster tornadoes can toss cars and houses into the air and carry them for miles. While violent tornadoes are the least common, they are the deadliest, causing over two-thirds of all tornado-related deaths. A violent tornado is part of the last two categories on the Enhanced Fujita Scale: EF4 and EF5.   5. Tornadoes can occur anywhere in the world. About 75% of the world’s tornadoes occur in the United States; most in an area of the central US called Tornado Alley.  © 2023 UCAR Did you complete the reading? 

15.> List Three Ways Climate Change is affecting Hurricanes. 1> [BLANK-1] 2> [BLANK-2] 3> [BLANK-3]

As described in the section Anatomy of Sleep, people who act out dreams physically during sleep (such as sleep walkers) may have problems in the signal system in which part of the brain? Anatomy of Sleep 5. Several structures within the brain are involved with sleep. The hypothalamus, a peanut-sized structure deep inside the brain, contains groups of nerve cells that act as control centers affecting sleep and arousal.  Within the hypothalamus is the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) – clusters of thousands of cells that receive information about light exposure directly from the eyes and control your behavioral rhythm.  Some people with damage to the SCN sleep erratically throughout the day because they are not able to match their circadian rhythms with the light-dark cycle.  Most blind people maintain some ability to sense light and are able to modify their sleep/wake cycle. 6. The brain stem, at the base of the brain, communicates with the hypothalamus to control the transitions between wake and sleep.  (The brain stem includes structures called the pons, medulla, and midbrain.)  Sleep-promoting cells within the hypothalamus and the brain stem produce a brain chemical called GABA, which acts to reduce the activity of arousal centers in the hypothalamus and the brain stem.  The brain stem (especially the pons and medulla) also plays a special role in REM sleep; it sends signals to relax muscles essential for body posture and limb movements, so that we don’t act out our dreams. 7. The thalamus acts as a relay for information from the senses to the cerebral cortex (the covering of the brain that interprets and processes information from short- to long-term memory).  During most stages of sleep, the thalamus becomes quiet, letting you tune out the external world.  But during REM sleep, the thalamus is active, sending the cortex images, sounds, and other sensations that fill our dreams.  8. The pineal gland, located within the brain’s two hemispheres, receives signals from the SCN and increases production of the hormone melatonin, which helps put you to sleep once the lights go down.  People who have lost their sight and cannot coordinate their natural wake-sleep cycle using natural light can stabilize their sleep patterns by taking small amounts of melatonin at the same time each day.  Scientists believe that peaks and valleys of melatonin over time are important for matching the body’s circadian rhythm to the external cycle of light and darkness. 9. The basal forebrain, near the front and bottom of the brain, also promotes sleep and wakefulness, while part of the midbrain acts as an arousal system.  Release of adenosine (a chemical by-product of cellular energy consumption) from cells in the basal forebrain and probably other regions supports your sleep drive.  Caffeine counteracts sleepiness by blocking the actions of adenosine. The amygdala, an almond-shaped structure involved in processing emotions, becomes increasingly active during REM sleep. 

Which is the best paraphrase of the sentence “In general, people are getting less sleep than they need due to longer work hours and the availability of round the clock entertainment and other activities”?

In  the sentence “Your heartbeat and breathing slow to their lowest levels during sleep”, what does their refer to? [BLANK-1]

As described in the section Anatomy of Sleep, people who act out dreams physically during sleep (such as sleep walkers) may have problems in the signal system in which part of the brain? Anatomy of Sleep 5. Several structures within the brain are involved with sleep. The hypothalamus, a peanut-sized structure deep inside the brain, contains groups of nerve cells that act as control centers affecting sleep and arousal.  Within the hypothalamus is the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) – clusters of thousands of cells that receive information about light exposure directly from the eyes and control your behavioral rhythm.  Some people with damage to the SCN sleep erratically throughout the day because they are not able to match their circadian rhythms with the light-dark cycle.  Most blind people maintain some ability to sense light and are able to modify their sleep/wake cycle. 6. The brain stem, at the base of the brain, communicates with the hypothalamus to control the transitions between wake and sleep.  (The brain stem includes structures called the pons, medulla, and midbrain.)  Sleep-promoting cells within the hypothalamus and the brain stem produce a brain chemical called GABA, which acts to reduce the activity of arousal centers in the hypothalamus and the brain stem.  The brain stem (especially the pons and medulla) also plays a special role in REM sleep; it sends signals to relax muscles essential for body posture and limb movements, so that we don’t act out our dreams. 7. The thalamus acts as a relay for information from the senses to the cerebral cortex (the covering of the brain that interprets and processes information from short- to long-term memory).  During most stages of sleep, the thalamus becomes quiet, letting you tune out the external world.  But during REM sleep, the thalamus is active, sending the cortex images, sounds, and other sensations that fill our dreams.  8. The pineal gland, located within the brain’s two hemispheres, receives signals from the SCN and increases production of the hormone melatonin, which helps put you to sleep once the lights go down.  People who have lost their sight and cannot coordinate their natural wake-sleep cycle using natural light can stabilize their sleep patterns by taking small amounts of melatonin at the same time each day.  Scientists believe that peaks and valleys of melatonin over time are important for matching the body’s circadian rhythm to the external cycle of light and darkness. 9. The basal forebrain, near the front and bottom of the brain, also promotes sleep and wakefulness, while part of the midbrain acts as an arousal system.  Release of adenosine (a chemical by-product of cellular energy consumption) from cells in the basal forebrain and probably other regions supports your sleep drive.  Caffeine counteracts sleepiness by blocking the actions of adenosine. The amygdala, an almond-shaped structure involved in processing emotions, becomes increasingly active during REM sleep. 

In the following sentence from paragraph 10, what does each refer to? ” Each is linked to specific brain waves and neuronal activity.” 10. There are two basic types of sleep:  rapid eye movement (REM) sleep and non-REM sleep (which has three different stages).  Each is linked to specific brain waves and neuronal activity.  You cycle through all stages of non-REM and REM sleep several times during a typical night, with increasingly longer, deeper REM periods occurring toward morning.  [BLANK-1]

The last sentence of the reading says that “sleeping longer on the weekends may not be adequate.” Which word could be a synonym for adequate in this context?