HSPT Reading : Inferential Comprehension
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Example Question #2 : Making Inferences In Contemporary Life Passages
"A Short History of Recent Zoos" by Will Floyd
Throughout the twentieth century, zoos underwent large-scale transformations. Before World War I, zoos were small parts of larger municipal parks, and featured sparse cages with little room for their inhabitants. This model held sway until mid-century, with many zoos struggling to remain open during the Great Depression and World War II. The successful zoos survived through making themselves cheap family entertainment. In the 1960s, zoos began to change in drastic ways. With the growing strength of environmental and animal rights movements, the public clamored for more naturalistic and spacious environments in which the animals could live.
The most emblematic of these transformations was the development of the Los Angeles Zoo. In 1966, the cramped and antiquated zoo used grants from the city government to move to a brand-new facility. Although the zoo moved just two miles away, the new location was exponentially bigger, and it featured fresh landscapes that resembled the animals’ natural habitats, instead of dilapidated cages. As the Los Angeles Zoo developed, it was able to work on preservation and conservation efforts for endangered species. New educational programs also became key elements of the Zoo’s mission. Now the old Zoo’s cages stand as ruins and reminders of what past generations saw when they visited years ago.
It can be inferred from the passage that the Great Depression __________.
precipitated zoos' moves to larger spaces
caused no changes to American society
only affected the Los Angeles Zoo
made it difficult for zoos to stay open
made cities want to eliminate zoos
made it difficult for zoos to stay open
The Great Depression is only mentioned once, and in connection with World War II. This means the passage says almost nothing about what the Great Depression truly was. What the passage does note is that "zoos were struggling to remain open," during the Great Depression.
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