Practice Test 1

Passage 1:

Government officials today quarantined a entire flight of passengers arriving from Hong Kong due to fears that several passengers were infected with a deadly flu virus. The virus, which has been responsible the deaths of at least five people in Hong Kong during the past two weeks, is feared to be highly contagious. Acting on a tip from health officials, federal officials refused to allow any of the passengers to deplane for over five hours while they decided what to do with them. Finally, it was decided to place them in quarantine for the next eight days, which is the typical incubation period of the disease in humans.

Health official Brandon Smith. Commenting to reporters at the airport, said “This stain of the flu virus is highly contagious, and not much is known about it. The government did the right thing.” He cited this as the reason why the government decided to quarantine the passengers. The decision did not go over well with many people. Many doctors and scientists considered this move to be unnecessary and one person at the airport was overhead talking about “draconian measures by a government abusing its power.” The families and friends of the quarantined victims were not pleased of course, and the airline has been inundated by calls complaining about the treatment.
The flu virus, which has been around for several years, does not appear to be contagious in humans. This directly contradicts the comments by Brandon Smith, which appear to be the impetus for the government to make this decision. Mr. Smith himself is a rather controversial figure, one who has often sounded the alert for various diseases only to be proven wrong at a later juncture. Only time will tell if his most recent decision is a brilliant move or another one of his typical overreactions.
 

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Passage 2:

Dear Sir/Madam:

The article “Passengers from Hong Kong Quarantined at Airport” that was written by Mary Rather and appeared in you December 4 Edition appalled me. This is a typical example of the agenda journalism that seems to plague our papers nowadays. As someone who has studied this flu virus for a couple of years, let me assure you that it is every bit as virulent as Dr. Brandon Smith asserts. Ms. Rather’s very disdainful attitude towards Dr. Smith’s opinion comes across loud and clear in the article. I was under the impression that journalists were supposed to be unbiased. Considering the attack on Dr. Smith, this article belongs in the editorial section rather than on the front page.

In fact, I am curious as to what Ms. Rather’s medical qualifications are that she feels confident enough to editorialize on how dangerous this flu virus is. While I have never met Dr. Smith, I am aware of his qualifications: he graduated from a leading medical school, he has been a successful researcher for over twenty years, and he is highly respected in his profession. It is my opinion that this newspaper and Mary Rather owe Dr. Brandon Smith an apology for questioning both his qualifications and his judgment. I, however, don’t plan to read this apology, because I am canceling my subscription to your paper immediately.

Sincerely,
Dr. Charles Hewitt
University Hospital