The Incredible Machine: Ferris Wheel

1.

The Incredible Machine Everyone has a favorite attraction at an amusement park, and I am no different. However, unlike most people who seem to prefer rollercoasters, my favorite ride is a little more gentle. Every time I go to Coney Island, Navy Pier, or the Santa Monica Pier, I absolutely have to ride the Ferris wheel. The Ferris wheel is simple and yet also quite complex. That is, riding it is easy, but how it works is complicated. A series of carts are attached to a wheel, which is attached to a rim. That rim rotates vertically around an axis, and gravity keeps the carts upright. As simple as the ride seems, only advanced engineers can make safe and fun Ferris wheels. What It Lacks in Thrills… While the Ferris wheel is not as thrilling as a roller coaster, it is still very exciting. The fact of being high in the air makes it so much more entertaining than a lot of rides. I mean, how often do you hang from that high up in daily life? Nevertheless, I have to admit, I don’t seek Ferris wheels out because of their excitement. Rather, I find them very relaxing. At the top of the Ferris wheel, you get beautiful sights of the park. You also get a sense of calm that you don’t get in the hustle and bustle of the park below. Additionally, Ferris wheels are also gorgeous to look at when they are lit up at night. In fact, the original Ferris wheel was designed as much to be seen as to be ridden. It Happened at the World’s Fair The first Ferris wheel was made by and named after George Washington Gale Ferris, Jr. He designed it for the Chicago World’s Fair in 1893. It was the tallest attraction there, standing 264 feet high. However, visitors to the fair were impressed by the size of the ride as well as the mechanics of it. In 1893, anything that was not turned by hand was considered a sight to see. And the wheel, which was a machine, was truly incredible to see. Further, as one visitor put it, the wheel was amazing because it seemed to be missing support. That is, it did not look like it could stand on its own. And yet it did and even rotated! They Keep Reaching Higher and Higher Ferris wheel technology has only improved since then. Most of today’s Ferris wheels are much larger than that first one. The largest in the world is the "Singapore Flyer," which stands slightly taller than twice what Ferris’s did! Today, the Ferris wheel is the most common amusement park ride. But that does not mean you should take them for granted. Instead, be thankful for Ferris’ invention. The next time you’re at an amusement park, don’t just look up at the impressive wheel in the sky on your way to a newer attraction. Take it for a spin!

2.

In the final section of the passage, we learn how Ferris wheels "keep reaching higher and higher." This seems to be a common trend among the developers of modern technology. What makes us want to continually strive to create something bigger and better? Is this good? Please explain using 150 words or more and no more than 400 words.

3.

As used in paragraph 1, the word attraction most nearly means

A.

Sense
B.

Park
C.

Ride
D.

Vision

Correct Answer
C. Ride

Explanation
1) C Question Type: Vocabulary attraction (noun): a thing or place that draws visitors by providing something fun. In the first paragraph, the author describes a person’s “favorite attraction at an amusement park.” He or she says that some “prefer rollercoasters” but that his or her “favorite ride” is the Ferris wheel. This suggests that an attraction is a type of ride, so choice (C) is correct. Though attraction can involve senses, the passage does not suggest that an attraction is a type of sense. One cannot really have a “favorite sense at an amusement park.” Choice (A) is not correct because of this. The passage suggests that an amusement park has attractions. However, it does not suggest that an attraction is actually a park. After all, one cannot really have a “favorite park at an amusement park.” Choice (B) is not correct because of this. Though attraction often involves vision, the passage does not suggest that an attraction is a form of vision. Choice (D) is not correct because of this.

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4.

It can be understood that Coney Island, Navy Pier, and the Santa Monica Pier are all examples of

A.

Amusement parks
B.

Ferris wheels
C.

Vacation spots
D.

Boat docks

Correct Answer
A. Amusement parks

Explanation
2) A
Question Type: Inference
In the first paragraph, the author describes rides at amusement parks. He or she writes that his or her “favorite ride is a little more gentle.” Then, the author says that he or she has to ride the Ferris wheel whenever he or she goes to Coney Island, Navy Pier, or the Santa Monica Pier. This suggests that each of these places is an amusement park that contains a Ferris wheel. Because of this, choice (A) is correct. Coney Island is an amusement park in Brooklyn, NY; Navy Pier is located in Chicago, IL; and the Santa Monica Pier is an amusement park near Los Angeles, CA. The author suggests that he or she has to ride the Ferris wheel at Coney Island, Navy Pier, and the Santa Monica Pier. This does not mean that those places are actually Ferris wheels. Instead, it means that they have Ferris wheels. Because of this, choice (B) is not correct. The author suggests that Coney Island, Navy Pier, and the Santa Monica Pier are places he or she visits. That does not mean they are places everyone goes on vacation though. The passage does not suggest that they are vacation spots then. Instead, it only suggests they are places that have Ferris wheels. Because of this, choice (C) is not correct. Though an island and piers could possibly dock boats, the author does not suggest that any of the places mentioned in the question actually do so. Instead, he or she suggests that they are places containing Ferris wheels. Because of this, choice (D) is not correct.

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5.

The impressive engineering and beauty of Ferris wheels is what the author likes best about them.

A.

True
B.

False

Correct Answer
B. False

Explanation
this, choice true is not correct. In fact, the author suggests that Ferris wheels are not that exciting. He or she writes that a Ferris wheel is “not as thrilling as a roller coaster
The author explains what he or she likes best about Ferris wheels in the fourth paragraph. He or she writes, “I find them very relaxing” because of the “beautiful sights of the park” one gets at the top of the ride. The thing he or she likes best about Ferris wheels, then, is the beautiful sights and relaxation they allow

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6.

Select all that are correct. According to the passage, the Ferris wheel was originally designed for

A.

Coney Island
B.

The world's fair
C.

Disney World
D.

Singapore

Correct Answer
B. The world's fair

Explanation
Question Type: Detail
In the sixth paragraph (below the caption It Happened at the World’s Fair), the author writes about the first Ferris wheel. He or she states that George Washington Gale Ferris, Jr. “designed it for the Chicago World’s Fair in 1893.” The correct answer is (B), then. Though the author suggests that Coney Island has a Ferris wheel, he or she does not suggest that the first one was built there. Because of this, choice (A) is not correct. The passage never mentions Disneyworld. It does, however, mention the first Ferris wheel. Because of this, choice (C) is not correct. The author writes that the largest Ferris wheel in the world is in Singapore. He or she does not suggest that that Ferris wheel was the first one built, though. Because of this, choice (D) is not correct.

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7.

In paragraph 1, the author uses an antonym for the word simple. What is the vocabulary word given in the text.

Correct Answer
complex

Explanation
In the given question, the author is asking for the vocabulary word that is an antonym for "simple" as used in paragraph 1. The correct answer is "complex" because an antonym is a word with the opposite meaning. Since "simple" means easy or uncomplicated, "complex" is the best choice as it means intricate or complicated.

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1

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8.

This passage was most likely written to

A.

Describe the author’s favorite amusement park rides
B.

explain the original design of Ferris wheels and how they work today
C.

Describe the history of Ferris wheels and why they are so popular
D.

Explain the history of Ferris wheels and why the author likes them

Correct Answer
D. Explain the history of Ferris wheels and why the author likes them