Vocab Words
Read the sentence.
Mr. Sharma was determined to nurture a sense of responsibility and compassion in his students.
Which definition is correct for the word nurture as it is used in the sentence?
-Identify
-Encourage
-Create
-Reduce
Encourage
Read the sentence.
Some crabs cleverly disguise themselves by attaching pieces of sea plants and animals to their backs.
Which word most precisely matches the meaning of disguise as it is used in the sentence?
Camouflage
Read the excerpt from “The Key to Stop Bullying: Popular Kids.”
That’s because the researchers weren’t interested in which students were perceived as popular, or as everyone’s friend—rather, they wanted to know who was actually in a position to transmit social norms via direct interaction. (For simplicity’s sake, I’m blending terms together just a bit. There isn’t perfect overlap between popularity and degree of social connectedness, nor between conflict and bullying, but there is a fair amount of it. So even though this study is technically about an anti-conflict intervention, the researchers do see it as targeting bullying in important ways, and they reference bullying in the article.)
Which options correctly explain the author’s purpose for including the information in parentheses?
Select all that apply.
-The author wants the audience to know that he has done his homework on the topic, but he wants to keep his information separate from the information in the study.
-The author is anticipating a counterargument that the study he cites is not directly on topic.
- The author makes the audience feel as if they are being told an important secret about popularity and bullying.
-The author contradicts the researchers because he feels that popularity should be considered in the study.
-The author wants the audience to know that he has done his homework on the topic, but he wants to keep his information separate from the information in the study.
-The author is anticipating a counterargument that the study he cites is not directly on topic.
Read the opening of “Everyday Survival.”
Long ago I believed that survival meant having a pack full of equipment that would allow me to make fire and build shelter and trap varmints to eat in the wilderness. But then I kept coming across cases in which someone had survived without any equipment or had perished while in possession of all the right tools. Obviously, something else was at work here.
Which elements does the author use to draw readers’ interest?
Select all that apply.
-A memory about his “long ago” beliefs about survival
-Contrasting references to current events
-An anecdote that includes intriguing information
-Startling facts and specific descriptions of survival techniques
-An anecdote that includes intriguing information
-A memory about his “long ago” beliefs about survival
Read the sentence.
From the moment he announced his candidacy for political office, Santiago knew he wanted his campaign to promote pluralism and tolerance.
Which option most accurately explains what Santiago might do to support this goal if he is elected?
-He might draft a proposal for each major church to build their own recreation center. He might draft a proposal for each major church to build their own recreation center.
-He might work with local high schools to create additional extracurricular programs. He might work with local high schools to create additional extracurricular programs.
-He might encourage his voting base to attend rallies and fundraisers. He might encourage his voting base to attend rallies and fundraisers.
-He might seek input from a variety of community leaders to establish common goals and interests.
He might seek input from a variety of community leaders to establish common goals and interests.
Which word is a synonym for the word alienation?
-Indication
-Irritation
-Isolation
-Illustration
Isolation
Read the excerpt from “Virtual Reality Gets Real.”
Virtual reality has already proved useful in treating phobias and PTSD. … Bailenson and others think it could also be used to build empathy. What if you could step inside a documentary, rather than just watching it on a screen—almost literally walking in someone else’s shoes?
Which context clue from the excerpt best indicates the meaning of the word empathy as it is used in the excerpt?
-Think it could also be used
-Walking in someone else’s shoes
-Step inside a documentary
-Treating phobias and PTSD
Walking in someone else's shoes
Imagine that you are a writer whose task is to write an article for an audience of amateur chefs about how to make quick snacks for a party.
Which information would be most important to include in the text?
-Instructions for elaborate decorating of pastries
-Simple, easy-to-follow directions
-A list of exotic gourmet ingredients
-Gluten-free, vegan, and sugar-free options
Simple, easy-to-follow directions
You are researching issues with plastic debris in the Pacific Ocean. Your teacher recommended that you choose and read online resources carefully because when using the information in a research report, you need to make sure the information is accurate.
Which options identify effective strategies for assessing the accuracy of your sources?
Select all that apply.
-Determine if the information in the source is written well and free of grammatical errors.
-Conduct research to determine whether the sources of information listed can be verified in another source.
-Ask questions about the material presented in the source to decide if it completely addresses the topic.
-Analyze a topic to determine if it needs to be changed because the information in the sources leads to a different topic.
-Determine if the information in the source is written well and free of grammatical errors.
-Conduct research to determine whether the sources of information listed can be verified in another source.
-Ask questions about the material presented in the source to decide if it completely addresses the topic.
Read the excerpt from the TED Talks presentation “I Am the Son of a Terrorist.”
For the victims of terrorism, I will speak out against these senseless acts and condemn my father’s actions. And with that simple fact, I stand here as proof that violence isn’t inherent in one’s religion or race, and the son does not have to follow the ways of his father. I am not my father.
Zak Ebrahim ends this section with the simple statement “I am not my father.”
Which is the most accurate explanation of the effect Ebrahim achieves with this simple syntax?
-He emphasizes the word “I,” showing that this is a personal story that reflects only his truth and not a larger lesson.
-He is prevented from using lengthy and confusing examples that would cloud his overall message.
-He restates his central idea once more to his audience, in case they previously did not understand it.
-He highlights and consolidates his core message into a single, memorable idea.
He highlights and consolidates his core message into a single, memorable idea.
In which sentence is the word logistical used incorrectly?
-Bob encountered logistical difficulties when trying to schedule everyone during the holidays.
-Gina brought in a party planner when she realized there were too many logistical problems to manage by herself.
-The logistical nightmare Gina faced at work involved figuring out how to package and mail 87 boxes in three days.
-The logistical conclusion Bob came to after analyzing all the data was that the company should raise its prices by two percent.
The logistical conclusion Bob came to after analyzing all the data was that the company should raise its prices by two percent.
Which would be the best format to use to request a raise in pay?
A formal letter
Read the excerpt from “How Not to Raise a Bully: The Early Roots of Empathy,” in which the author uses rhetorical features to persuade her readers.
How do you teach a child right from wrong without being too tough or slipping into abuse? Who among us has not raised our voice—O.K., screamed—while disciplining our children?
What options correctly explain why the author uses these rhetorical features?
Select all that apply.
-The author asks rhetorical questions to invite the audience to carefully think about the presented topic.
-The author asks personal questions to conduct an informal survey of the way parents discipline their children.
-The author uses words like “abuse” and “screamed” to create a negative tone and to exaggerate the level of discipline that parents use.
-The author uses first-person pronouns like “us” and “our” to appear friendly and to create an inclusive tone.
-The author asks rhetorical questions to invite the audience to carefully think about the presented topic.
-The author uses first-person pronouns like “us” and “our” to appear friendly and to create an inclusive tone.
For an informative essay, you are researching different kinds of plastic recycling programs across the US. Your teacher recommended that you choose online resources that are applicable to your chosen topic.
Which questions would you ask yourself to evaluate whether a source contains relevant information about your topic?
Select all that apply.
-How is the information in the source presented?
-What was the author’s purpose in writing the source?
-What is the research focus of the source?
-When was the information in the source written?
-What is the research focus of the source?
-When was the information in the source written?
Read the sentence.
While mindfulness is often considered an adult practice, it can benefit teens in three ways; lessening the stress of daily life, helping develop empathy, and aiding in concentration.
Which option revises the sentence correctly?
-While mindfulness is often considered an adult practice, it can benefit teens in three ways: lessening the stress of daily life, helping develop empathy, and aiding in concentration.
-While mindfulness is often considered an adult practice; it can benefit teens in three ways: lessening the stress of daily life, helping develop empathy and aid in concentration.
-While mindfulness is often considered an adult practice—it can benefit teens in three ways—lessen the stress of daily life, help develop empathy, and aid in concentration.
-While mindfulness is often considered an adult practice, it can benefit teens in three ways lessening the stress of daily life, help develop empathy, and aiding in concentration.
While mindfulness is often considered an adult practice, it can benefit teens in three ways: lessening the stress of daily life, helping develop empathy, and aiding in concentration.
Which sentence uses the word indemnity correctly?
-Frustrated with the audience’s behavior, the actor stormed off the stage with indemnity, which forced the other actors to ad-lib the rest of the scene.
-A tiger stalks its prey with intense focus and indemnity.
-Patrícia read through the construction contract to check that it provided adequate indemnity in case any structures were damaged.
-Calvin’s indemnity and stubbornness made him difficult to work with.
Patrícia read through the construction contract to check that it provided adequate indemnity in case any structures were damaged.
Read the statement from “Video Games in the Age of Cell Phones.”
[Mobile games] are increasingly, for better or worse, what we do with our free time. …
What textual evidence best supports this statement?
Select all that apply.
-This year … mobile games are expected to outearn traditional console games (Xbox, PlayStation, etc.) for the first time.
-… Americans who play mobile games do so for more than two hours a day, up from an hour and 20 minutes in 2012, according to a survey by the NPD Group, a market-research company.
-More than 100,000 new iPhone and iPad games were uploaded to Apple’s App Store last year—upwards of 500 a day, by some estimates.
-These little games have become very big business, and they’re only getting bigger.
-This year … mobile games are expected to outearn traditional console games (Xbox, PlayStation, etc.) for the first time.
-… Americans who play mobile games do so for more than two hours a day, up from an hour and 20 minutes in 2012, according to a survey by the NPD Group, a market-research company.
-More than 100,000 new iPhone and iPad games were uploaded to Apple’s App Store last year—upwards of 500 a day, by some estimates.
Read the excerpt from “Primates, Empathy, and Making Connections.”
Shared laughter is just one example of our primate sensitivity to others. Instead of being Robinson Crusoes sitting on separate islands, we’re all interconnected, both bodily and emotionally.
Which option correctly identifies the way figurative language is used in the excerpt?
-An allusion is used to create a contrast that emphasizes the idea of being interconnected.An allusion is used to create a contrast that emphasizes the idea of being interconnected.
-Irony is used to point out that humans are connected to primates through laughter.Irony is used to point out that humans are connected to primates through laughter.
-A simile is used to compare shared laughter among humans and primates.A simile is used to compare shared laughter among humans and primates.
-Hyperbole is used to highlight the extreme contrasts between human and primate laughter.
An allusion is used to create a contrast that emphasizes the idea of being interconnected. An allusion is used to create a contrast that emphasizes the idea of being interconnected.
Which strategies can a writer use to vary syntax in a text?
Select all that apply.
-Use transitional words and phrases at the beginnings and ends of sentences and paragraphs.
-Use sentences of different lengths and complexity.
-Use varying kinds of tone throughout the text.
-Use multiple headings and bulleted lists to separate sentences and paragraphs.
-Use transitional words and phrases at the beginnings and ends of sentences and paragraphs.
-Use sentences of different lengths and complexity.
Which sentence correctly omits hyphens in a phrase?
-The pastor was a well respected member of his community.
-Adrianne and Gina rented an off campus apartment together.
-The equipment that the IT department ordered was state of the art.
-I made an end of the year financial checklist in December.
The equipment that the IT department ordered was state of the art.
If a written agreement is not equitable, it is not _[blank]_.
Which option best completes the sentence?
-Enforceable
-Logical
-Fair
-Brief
Fair
Read the paragraph.
Desert ecosystems are typically harsh environments for their occupants. Excessive heat and little rainfall make survival difficult. Animals in the North American deserts include tortoises, jackrabbits, and kangaroo rats. Life forms inhabiting the desert must adapt accordingly.
What information from the paragraph is not relevant to the main idea of the paragraph?
-Excessive heat and little rainfall make survival difficult.
-Animals in the North American deserts include tortoises, jackrabbits, and kangaroo rats.
-Life forms inhabiting the desert must adapt accordingly.
-Desert ecosystems are typically harsh environments for their occupants.
Animals in the North American deserts include tortoises, jackrabbits, and kangaroo rats.
Read the excerpt from “Everyday Survival,” in which the author relates a story told by a retired Los Angeles police officer.
Denial, which psychologists call the “incredulity response,” is almost universal, even among individuals with excellent training. David Klinger, a retired Los Angeles police officer, describes in his book Into the Kill Zone that while moonlighting as a bank guard he saw “three masked figures with assault rifles run through the foyer of the bank.” His first thought was that the local SWAT team was practicing. His second was that they were dressed up for Halloween.
How does the author use this story as a rhetorical strategy to support his perspective?
Select all that apply.
-To show his readers that denial is such a common human response that it even occurs in experienced emergency personnel
-To demonstrate his own expertise in having done extensive research into the concept of denial
-To describe a tragic situation that will appeal to his readers’ emotions
-To explain why police officers always respond to emergency situations as they should
-To show his readers that denial is such a common human response that it even occurs in experienced emergency personnel
-To demonstrate his own expertise in having done extensive research into the concept of denial
Read the two sections of the passage.
1) The halftime performers whirled through a complex series of choreographed moves. 2) Twirling their batons so fast they resembled helicopter blades.
Which option explains why Section 2 is a sentence fragment?
-It does not contain a verb.
-It begins with participle verb form and therefore must be linked with an independent clause or main sentence.
-It begins with a coordinating conjunction and therefore must be linked with an independent clause or main sentence.
-It does not contain a noun.
-It begins with participle verb form and therefore must be linked with an independent clause or main sentence.
Read the excerpt from President Woodrow Wilson’s speech “The Meaning of Liberty.”
A patriotic American is a man who is not niggardly and selfish in the things that he enjoys that make for human liberty and the rights of man. He wants to share them with the whole world, and he is never so proud of the great flag under which he lives as when it comes to mean to other people as well as to himself a symbol of hope and liberty. I would be ashamed of this flag if it ever did anything outside America that we would not permit it to do inside of America.
Which option most clearly identifies Wilson’s argument in the excerpt?
-A true patriot spreads the American flag around the world by expanding American territory.
-A true patriot spreads America’s reputation as a symbol of hope by protecting American freedom.
-A true patriot supports the values of the American Constitution abroad as well as at home.
-A true patriot supports the best interests of one’s fellow American citizens above all others.
A true patriot supports the values of the American Constitution abroad as well as at home.