Free DAA Verbal Reasoning: Reading Comprehension Questions and Answers — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Based on the passage, what was the original primary purpose of the Global Positioning System?
- Commercial logistics tracking
- Civilian in-car navigation
- Providing accurate time signals
- A navigation system for military forces (Correct answer)
Correct answer: A navigation system for military forces
The first sentence explicitly states, 'The Global Positioning System (GPS) was originally developed by the United States Department of Defense for military use.' This clearly identifies its initial purpose.
Question 2: According to the text, what is the minimum number of satellites a receiver needs to receive signals from to determine its location?
- One
- Three
- Four (Correct answer)
- Twenty-four
Correct answer: Four
The passage states, 'A receiver on the ground can determine its exact location by calculating the time difference between receiving signals from at least four different satellites.' This specifies the minimum requirement.
Question 3: The term 'Selective Availability' refers to which of the following?
- The system being available only in specific countries
- Intentionally reduced accuracy for civilian users (Correct answer)
- The system only being available at certain times of day
- The high cost of commercial GPS receivers
Correct answer: Intentionally reduced accuracy for civilian users
The passage defines this term directly: '...the U.S. government made the system available for civilian use in the 1980s, albeit with intentionally degraded accuracy known as 'Selective Availability'.' It was a deliberate reduction in precision for non-military users.
Question 4: When did a significant boom in commercial and personal GPS applications occur?
- During the 1970s
- In the 1980s
- After the year 2000 (Correct answer)
- Immediately after the project was codenamed NAVSTAR
Correct answer: After the year 2000
The text explains that 'Selective Availability' was removed in 2000, 'leading to a boom in commercial and personal GPS applications'. This indicates the growth happened after this policy change.
Question 5: What was the official codename for the GPS project mentioned in the passage?
- GPS
- NAVSTAR (Correct answer)
- DOD
- STARNAV
Correct answer: NAVSTAR
The second sentence of the passage provides this information: 'Codenamed NAVSTAR, the project was initiated in the 1970s...'.
Question 6: The functionality of the entire GPS system is dependent on what?
- Ground-based radio towers
- Smartphone mapping applications
- A network of orbiting satellites (Correct answer)
- The removal of Selective Availability
Correct answer: A network of orbiting satellites
The passage states, 'The system relies on a constellation of satellites orbiting the Earth, each transmitting precise time signals.' This shows that the satellites are the core component upon which the system depends.
Question 7: What can be inferred about the U.S. government's policy towards GPS in the 1980s?
- They wanted to quickly commercialize the technology for profit.
- They believed civilian use was more important than military use.
- They wanted to maintain a strategic military advantage while allowing limited civilian benefit. (Correct answer)
- They were required by international law to share the technology.
Correct answer: They wanted to maintain a strategic military advantage while allowing limited civilian benefit.
By making the system available for civilian use but with 'intentionally degraded accuracy,' the government showed it was willing to share the technology but wanted to ensure its military retained a significant advantage in precision.
Free DAA Verbal Reasoning: Reading Comprehension Questions and Answers
Based on the passage, what was the original primary purpose of the Global Positioning System?