DIRECTIONS:
In the passages that follow, certain words and phrases are underlined and numbered. In the right-hand column, you will find alternatives for the underlined part. In most cases, you are to choose the one that best expresses the idea, makes the statement appropriate for standard written English, or is worded most consistently with the style and tone of the passage as a whole. If you think the original version is best, choose “NO CHANGE.” In some cases, you will find in the right-hand column a question about the underlined part. You are to choose the best answer to the question.
You will also find questions about a section of the passage, or about the passage as a whole. These questions do not refer to an underlined portion of the passage, but rather are identified by a number or numbers in a box.
For each question, choose the alternative you consider best and fill in the corresponding oval on your answer document. Read each passage through once before you begin to answer the questions that accompany it. For many of the questions, you must read several sentences beyond the question to determine the answer. Be sure that you have read far enough ahead each time you choose an alternative.
I Am Iron Man
[1] The term "Iron Man" has many connotations, including references to a song, a comic book icon, even a movie. [2] Yet only one definition of the term truly lives up to its name: the Ironman Triathlon held annually in Hawaii Q1 a picturesque setting for a challenging race. [3] This grueling race demands amazing physical prowess and the ability to swim, bike, and run a marathon, all in less than 12 hours with no break. [4] Very few individuals are up to the task. Q2 Otherwise, Q3 Gordon Haller is a notable exception. Growing up in the 1950s, Haller developed an interest in many sports categorized as endurance athletics, and welcomed their Q4 grueling physical demands. As he pursued a degree in physics he drove a taxi to pay the bills, but competitive training proved Q5 his passion. So when he heard about the race in 1978, the first year it was held, he immediately signed up.
The race somewhat Q6 originated in an amusing way. The members of two popular sports clubs, the Mid-Pacific Road Runners of Honolulu, and the Waikiki Swim Club Q7 of Oahu, had a long-standing and good-natured debate going over who made better athletes: runners or swimmers. However, some local bikers thought both clubs were wrong, while claiming Q8 that they, in fact, deserved the title. Wanting to settle the dispute once and for all, when Q9 they decided to combine three separate races already held annually on the island Q10 into one massive test of endurance. Thus, the Waikiki Rough water Swim of 2.4 miles, the Around-Oahu Bike race of 112 miles, and the Honolulu Marathon of 26.2 miles were all combined to form the Ironman Triathlon.
Haller was one of only fifteen competitors to show up that February morning to start the race. He quickly scanned the few pages of rules and instructions, and while reading those pages Q11 on the last page he discovered a sentence that would become the race's famous slogan: "Swim 2.4 miles! Bike 112 miles! Run 26.2 miles! Brag for the rest of your life!" Haller took that to heart, and at the end of the day, he had became Q12 the first Ironman champion in history. Q13
In the approximately thirty years since that very first race, the Ironman has become a tradition in Hawaii and now boasts approximately 1,500 entrants every year. The competitors Q14 who complete the race don't have to be the first across the finish line to claim success: just finishing is a victory unto itself. Q15