Reading and Comprehending Informational Texts Proficiently Practice Test

Read the passage. When heat energy is added to matter, particles usually move faster, which can lead to a phase change. For example, a solid may melt when its particles vibrate so much that they can slide past one another as a liquid. If heating continues, the liquid’s particles gain enough kinetic energy to spread out as a gas during evaporation. When heat is removed, the opposite can happen: gas particles slow down and condense into a liquid, and liquid particles can freeze into a solid. Although the state of matter changes, the molecules remain the same substance, just arranged and moving differently. Scientists use these ideas to explain weather, cooking, and even how materials are shaped in factories. According to the passage, what causes condensation to occur?

Read the passage. The internet is a global network that connects many devices, but it works because information is sent in organized steps. When you request a website, your device breaks the information into small pieces called data packets. Each packet is labeled with an IP address, which acts like a destination label so routers know where to send it. Routers are special computers that transmit packets along different paths, choosing routes that are available and efficient. Unlike a single phone call connection, packets from the same message may travel separate routes and arrive at different times. At the destination, the packets are reassembled so the message or webpage makes sense again. A server is a powerful computer that stores websites and responds when a browser asks for information. Because the system is decentralized, data can often be rerouted if one path fails. Based on the passage, why can packets from one message take different routes?