Passage #1
Based on the article, the coaches at IMG can best be described as —
F concerned about the effectiveness of their coaching ability
G focused on becoming coaches at a professional level
H dismissive of the mistakes students make
J caring about the future success of the students
The correct answer is J.
The coaches at IMG care about the future success of the students, regardless of whether or not the students end up playing baseball in the major leagues. In paragraph 24, coaches are described as “positive and encouraging” and also honest and realistic. In paragraph 28, IMG baseball chief Ken Bolek explains that “‘If we do a good job, stressing certain characteristics and traits that are necessary for anybody leaving here to be successful regardless of what the volition is, that’s the grand slam for us.’”
What is the author’s purpose for mentioning the children’s race through the house?
F To illustrate that some children value fun above competition
G To emphasize that his child is athletically superior to her friends
H To highlight that children often disregard household rules
J To show that children lack concerns about safety when competing
The correct answer is F.
In paragraph 8, the author describes Naomi and Kean falling “joyfully into the couch” at the end of their race around the house. Each child claims to be first, without arguing with the other. Cyrus finishes the race behind the other two children and proclaims his third-place finish with “total joy and celebration.” The author includes the description of the race to illustrate that the children value fun above competition.
Both Ketchum Marsh in “A Baseball School for Big-League Dreamers” and the author of “I Believe in the Also-Rans” —
A are frustrated by their limited athletic abilities
B are natives of the same geographic location
C have families that emphasize the importance of athletics
D have attended exclusive schools that focus on achievement
The correct answer is D.
Ketchum Marsh in “A Baseball School for Big-League Dreamers” attended IMG Academies, “a private sports school where dreams of baseball glory are nurtured.” The author of “I Believe in the Also-Rans” attended an “elite school” where “achievement and winning were all-important.”
What does the graphic best suggest about the different levels of baseball competition?
F More athletes prefer playing college baseball than minor-league baseball.
G Most Little League baseball players participate in multiple sports when they reach high school.
H Playing Little League baseball is necessary to becoming a major-league player.
J Baseball leagues become more selective as players advance.
The correct answer is J.
At each level of the pyramid depicted in the graphic, the number of players decreases. There are approximately 2,000,000 kids who play Little League in the United States, but only 750 individuals who play in the Major Leagues. This information is included to emphasize how each level of competition in baseball becomes more selective.
Read the following dictionary entry.
validate \Ɏva-lǨ-ɑdāt\ v 1. declare or make legal 2. prove or confirm to be true 3. approve an expressed agreement 4. mark with an indication of being official
Which definition best matches the use of the word validated in paragraph 3?
F Definition 1
G Definition 2
H Definition 3
J Definition 4
The correct answer is G.
The definition “prove or confirm to be true” best matches the meaning of validated as it is used in paragraph 3. The author contrasts the school environment, where exams and success at sports prove or confirm a person’s progress or value, with the “real messy world” where progress is not validated in such a concrete way.
What do Ketchum Marsh in “A Baseball School for Big-League Dreamers” and Cyrus in “I Believe in the Also-Rans” have in common?
F Neither is a natural-born athlete.
G Both become easily frustrated by failure.
H Neither has supportive adults in his life.
J Both hope to play professional sports.
The correct answer is F.
In “A Baseball School for Big-League Dreamers,” the author describes Ketchum Marsh’s debut at IMG as “less than stellar.” Regarding Ketchum, Coach Ken Bolek states, “There weren’t a lot of things that just came naturally to him as an athlete.” The author of “I Believe in the Also-Rans” points out that his daughter’s friend Cyrus “was slower to develop physically and was nowhere near as speedy as his two playmates.” Neither Ketchum Marsh nor Cyrus is a natural-born athlete.
Which sentence from “A Baseball School for Big-League Dreamers” best supports the main idea of the article?
A Tuition, room and board here for the combined academic and sports program is about $70,000 a year.
B Most players here won’t ever put on a big-league uniform, but they come to IMG trying to find and reach their potential.
C He remembers being fascinated by how the players and coaches talked and how fans reacted to the game.
D Ketch doesn’t think about the numbers.
The correct answer is B.
The main idea of the article is that although most students who play baseball will never become professional baseball players, they can still learn important lessons and develop valuable characteristics and traits from playing the sport. Support for this idea is provided by this sentence.
Based on the information presented in the essay, what is one message the reader can infer?
A Avoiding competition is better than participating when failure is certain.
B Being rewarded simply for participating belittles the efforts of the winners.
C Persistence ensures that a loser will eventually become a winner.
D Satisfaction comes from being dedicated and doing your best.
The correct answer is D.
One central message in the article is that satisfaction comes from being dedicated and doing your best. The children all love to run and take satisfaction at the end of a race, regardless of who finishes first. Naomi and Kean both share the joy of coming in first place, and Cyrus is just as happy and satisfied with his third-place finish.
Which sentence correctly describes the organizational pattern used by the authors of the two selections?
A Both selections provide definitions of key terms to add meaning to the texts.
B Both selections include anecdotes as examples to support their main ideas.
C Both selections use quotations from experts to support the main ideas in the texts.
D Both selections use cause-and-effect to highlight the relationships between key ideas.
The correct answer is B.
The authors of “A Baseball School for Big-League Dreamers” and “I Believe in the Also-Rans” discuss competition and achievement. Both authors include anecdotes to support their main ideas. In the first selection, the author describes Ketchum Marsh and his experience at an elite baseball academy. In the second selection, the author describes a race between his daughter and two of her friends.
The author wrote “A Baseball School for Big-League Dreamers” primarily to —
F highlight the reasons people pursue a career in sports
G persuade readers to support schools that specialize in training student-athletes
H inform readers about a unique school and the students who attend it
J convince student-athletes to enroll in a specialized school for sports
The correct answer is H.
Throughout the article, the author provides information about IMG Academies, the coaches who work there, and the students who enroll in the school in hopes of fulfilling their dreams. The author’s purpose is to inform readers about this unique school and the students who attend it.
What can the reader conclude from paragraph 3?
A The author’s education did not fully prepare him for living in the real world.
B The author was better at sports than at academics while growing up.
C Educational priorities at elite schools differ from those in public schools.
D Students in England are required to attend school through the university level.
The correct answer is A.
In paragraph 3, the author contrasts his education with his experience in the “real messy world.” Based on the details provided, the reader can conclude that the author’s education did not fully prepare him for life outside the “sanctuaries of high school and University.”
What is the purpose of paragraph 32 in “A Baseball School for Big-League Dreamers” and paragraph 3 in “I Believe in the Also-Rans”?
A To explain that early disappointment can often lead to long-term failure
B To point out the educational advantages of attending elite schools
C To emphasize that the realities of adult life often differ from early experiences
D To specify the most important qualities needed to become a successful adult
The correct answer is C.
In paragraph 32 from “A Baseball School for Big-League Dreamers,” Ketchum Marsh explains that it is unlikely for kids growing up with dreams of becoming a professional baseball player to actually achieve that reality. In paragraph 3 from “I Believe in the Also-Rans,” the author compares the “sanctuaries of high school and University,” where he achieved success in class and on the sports field, to the “real messy world,” where success is not as easily or clearly achieved. Both paragraphs are included to illustrate the contrasting realities between adult life and early experiences.
Read this quotation from paragraph 13.
“Ketchum Marsh is one of the most successful stories that will come out of IMG,” Bolek says, focusing not just on baseball, but on life.
What evidence does the author present in the article to support the opinion expressed in this quotation?
A A reference to Marsh’s work ethic
B An anecdote about Marsh’s time as a batboy
C A description of Marsh’s training regimen
D Information about Marsh’s future plans
The correct answer is A.
The author presents evidence that Bolek considers Marsh a success because he has an excellent work ethic that has helped him in life, not just in his baseball playing.
What is the main idea of the selection?
F Children usually develop friendships with others who have similar abilities.
G Parents should encourage their children to be active because fitness is important.
H People should celebrate their best efforts even if they don’t always succeed.
J People who consistently win competitions as children have lifelong advantages over those who don’t.
The correct answer is H.
The main idea of the article is that people should celebrate their best efforts regardless of whether or not they succeed. In paragraph 8, the author describes Cyrus joyfully celebrating his third-place finish in a race, and in paragraph 9, the author states that he believes “in celebrating those that finish third in a three-horse race.”
Read this sentence from paragraph 2 of “I Believe in the Also-Rans.”
As an English teenager I was schooled in an elite school where I was fed the idea that I was better than others and that achievement and winning were all-important.
Which sentence from “A Baseball School for Big-League Dreamers” contrasts with the attitude expressed in the sentence from “I Believe in the Also-Rans”?
F “You kind of just don’t want to leave the field at the end of the night,” he says.
G “We are not sending the message that every one of our players are going to wind up playing shortstop for the Mets.”
H Bolek, who has coached in the minors, the majors and college, says his job is not always about baseball.
J And there’s something else: Many of the coaches have given years to the game.
The correct answer is G.
In the quotation from “A Baseball School for Big-League Dreamers,” the coaches are realistic about the chances players have of reaching the big leagues. The coaches emphasize characteristics and traits that will help their players succeed in any endeavor, rather than focus on winning and athletic achievement. These ideas contrast with the attitude of being “better than others” and the idea that “achievement and winning were all-important” found in the quotation from paragraph 2 of “I Believe in the Also-Rans.”