ovement of the progress bar may be uneven because questions can be worth more of
Reading Passage
Which word could best replace
dwindled in paragraph 7 of the
passage?
O fractured
O shrunk
O collapsed
○ broken
R
billion pieces, but in 2007 the numbers quickly began to drop. Since 2007, the total
volume of all mail has dropped 25 percent and since 2001 the volume of first-class mail
has declined by nearly one-third (USPS, "Pieces of Mail").
7 In 1987, the average U.S. household received 1.6 pieces of personal correspondence
each week, but by 2012 that number had dropped to 0.7 pieces. Most significantly, in
that same time period, the number of handwritten letters plummeted 80 percent
(Mazzone and Rehman). It's not just personal correspondence that has dwindled; more
financial statements, bills, and the checks that follow them have become digital every
year. In 2002, about 75 percent of all bills were paid by mail; by 2012, that number had
decreased to 40 percent and the trend continues (Mazzone and Rehman). Most
Americans pay at least one bill each month online. As many businesses offer incentives
such as gift cards or discounts for going paperless, the paper bill, paper check, and
paper bank statement are becoming fossils of a bygone age.
8 Interestingly, the volume of mail that is considered advertising has held steady. But