Question 26 - Reading and Writing Practice Test for the PSAT/NMSQT Exam

The field of geological engineering may not be well known to many people, but the work of this discipline is important to our daily lives and safety. Geological engineers apply geological science and engineering principles to situations such as assessing the suitability for civil engineering projects, mining operations, or oil and gas extraction. Geological engineers are concerned with the analysis of ground behavior and potential dangers that may arise from building on a particular site. They may be called in for landslide risk assessment, groundwater monitoring, or excavation projects.

The principles of geological engineering go back millennia, though the term “geological engineer” wasn’t coined until the 19th century. The oldest example of geological engineering principles may be the legendary Euphrates tunnel, dug under the Euphrates river to connect the halves of the city of Babylon in Mesopotamia. It was purportedly built around 2180-2160 B.C., though its existence has not been confirmed. The Eupalinos aqueduct tunnel on the Greek island of Samos was completed between 550-530 B.C. and was the first tunnel to apply the principles of geometry and trigonometry to allow the tunnel to be constructed inward from both ends simultaneously. This was a significant feat of geological engineering!