GA Milestones EOG Practice Test 13
10 free GA Milestones EOG practice questions in the real exam format, covering the official content areas, with an explanation for every answer.
Question 1 of 10
Interpreting TextsPassage 1: Let the Night Be Dark
1For most of human history, night was dark. Today, in much of the world, it never fully is. Streetlights, parking lots, billboards, and buildings send light into the sky, where it scatters and forms a glow over cities that can be seen many miles away. Scientists call this skyglow, and it is one part of a larger problem known as light pollution.
2The animals that suffer most are those that depend on darkness, or on natural light, to find their way. Newly hatched sea turtles, for example, crawl toward the brightest horizon, which on an undeveloped beach is the moonlit ocean. On a beach lined with hotels and streetlights, the brightest horizon may be inland, and hatchlings can wander toward roads instead of the water. Many songbirds migrate at night, and bright buildings can pull them off course, leading to deadly collisions. Even fireflies, which flash to find mates, have a harder time signaling one another under bright lights.
3People lose something, too. A 2016 study of satellite data estimated that nearly 80 percent of North Americans cannot see the Milky Way from where they live. For most of history, the sky full of stars was something every child grew up under. Now many children have never seen it.
4The recent switch to LED streetlights has made the problem worse in some places. LEDs save energy, but many of them give off a bright, bluish-white light, and blue light scatters through the atmosphere more than the orange glow of older streetlights. Some cities that changed to LEDs became brighter at night, not dimmer.
5The good news is that light pollution is one of the easiest kinds of pollution to reduce. Unlike chemicals in a river, it disappears the moment a switch is turned off. Cities can choose shielded fixtures that point light down instead of up, warmer-colored bulbs, and timers or motion sensors so that lights shine only when needed. A dark sky is not something we have to rebuild. We only have to stop covering it up.
Passage 2: Light Where It Matters
1Most people never think about streetlights until one goes out. Then they notice how much they depend on it. Good lighting helps drivers see people crossing the street, helps walkers see uneven sidewalks, and makes people feel more comfortable outdoors after dark. For many neighborhoods, the question is not whether to have lights, but how to light them well.
2Some people argue that bright lights also prevent crime. The research on that question is mixed: some studies have found that better lighting reduces certain crimes, while others have found little change. What is clear is that lighting helps people see what is around them, and that matters to someone walking home from a late shift.
3Over the past fifteen years, many cities have replaced their old orange streetlights with LEDs. LED lights use far less electricity, last much longer, and cost less to maintain, which saves taxpayers money and reduces the energy needed to keep streets lit. For city budgets, the switch has been one of the clearest successes in modern public works.
4The switch has also taught lessons. Some early LED streetlights were harsh and glaring, and residents complained. Many cities now choose warmer-colored LEDs and fixtures that aim light downward onto the street, where it is useful, rather than sideways into bedroom windows or upward into the sky, where it is wasted.
5The goal should be smart lighting, not darkness. Lights that turn on when someone approaches, dim late at night, and point only where they are needed can keep streets safe while using less energy. Done well, lighting can protect people without lighting up the whole sky.
Read "Let the Night Be Dark" and "Light Where It Matters." Then answer the questions.
Which statement BEST expresses the central idea of Passage 1?