Vocabulary
Which of these situations most clearly illustrates the meaning of nostalgic?
a. Grandma loves to look at photos taken when her children were young.
b. Mike allowed his nephews to hand him tools as he fixed the tractor.
c. A variety of berry pies are available at the bakery near the post office.
d. The mayor called the meeting of City Council to order at 7:00 P.M
A. Grandma loves to look at photos taken when her children were young.
In “Is Our Gain Also Our Loss?” Cailin Loesch states, “It’s not just technology that’s changing, either: It’s our way of living.” How does she support this statement?
a. by describing recent advances in technology
b. by recalling memories of playing video games
c. by contrasting activities today with activities of the past
d. by imagining a future in which no improvements are possible
C. by contrasting activities today with activities of the past
If an episode of a television drama is a continuation of a previous show, which of the following must be true?
a. The episode has many new characters.
b. The episode is the next part of the story.
c. The episode has some different characters.
d. The episode takes place in a new location.
B. the episode is the next part of the story
Which underlined word in these sentences is a comparative adverb?
a. Does Japan have the longest trains in the world?
b. Do bullet trains travel faster than our local trains do?
c. Those trains move swiftly among the island’s major cities.
d. After an effortless train trip, we arrived at our destination rested.
B. Do bullet trains travel faster than our local trains do?
Which of these sentences correctly uses the comparative or superlative degree of the adjective difficult?
a. Of all the courses the dance school offers, ballet is the more difficult.
b. Of all the courses the dance school offers, ballet is the difficulter.
c. Of all the courses the dance school offers, ballet is the difficultest.
d. Of all the courses the dance school offers, ballet is the most difficult.
C. Of all the courses the dance school offers, ballet is the difficultest.
The author of “Is Our Gain Also Our Loss?” asks, “Will they laugh at us for using pieces of green paper to buy things?” To what is she referring?
a. coupons
b. dollar bills
c. fake money
d. credit cards
B. dollar bills
What is true of the suffix -ation in this word pair?
capitalize / capitalization
a. The suffix changes a verb to a noun.
b. The suffix changes a noun to a verb.
c. The suffix changes a verb to an adjective.
d. The suffix changes a noun to an adjective
A. the suffix changes the verb to a noun
In “Is Our Gain Also Our Loss?” Cailin Loesch reflects on her concerns about the future. Which of the following is a major way in which she does this?
a. She uses examples from American history to predict future events.
b. She asks questions about the future that cannot yet be answered.
c. She interviews her father about his fears about future events.
d. She dramatizes scenes involving people of the future.
B. She asks questions about the future that cannot yet be answered.
Which statement best describes the effect of the suffix -ation in the following word pair
capitalize/capitalization
a. The suffix changes a verb to a noun.
b. The suffix changes a noun to a verb.
c. The suffix changes a verb to an adjective.
d. The suffix changes a noun to an adjective.
A. The suffix changes a verb to a noun
The author of “Is Our Gain Also Our Loss?” sees many flaws in the cereal commercial she watches. What is her father’s reaction when he watches that commercial on YouTube?
a. Disappointment: It is not as great as he remembered.
b. Surprise: It seems old-fashioned and poorly made.
c. Delight: It reminds him of his younger days.
d. Pride: It looks just as good as modern ads
C. Delight: It reminds him of his younger days.
When you consider something, you think carefully about it. Based on that information and your understanding of the suffix -ation, choose the most likely definition of the word consideration.
a. without having thought carefully
b. the process of thinking carefully
c. to cause to think carefully
d. after thinking carefully
Which sentence from “Is Our Gain Also Our Loss?” best supports the authors words “It’s not just technology that’s changing, either: It’s our way of living.” by contrasting activities today with activities of the past?
a. I waited a moment for his comment to process, then looked down at my phone, analyzing it in a way that I had never before: feeling the cold, hard metal in my palm, and the smooth, sleek screen underneath my thumb.
b. Gradually, evenings spent doing homework at lamp-lit desks covered in pencils, paper, and textbooks are turning into late nights under bedsheets and blankets, a Google Docs page pulled up, fingers typing aggressively on a keyboard that can barely be seen in the dark.
c. When he saw that I was eating Life cereal, a huge smile immediately crept across his face, and he started excitedly reciting a commercial that he remembered from his childhood.
d. They say that you should never try to fix what’s not broken. Does the charm of the way things are now trump the need for things that are fresher, newer, and more advanced?
B. Gradually, evenings spent doing homework at lamp-lit desks covered in pencils, paper, and textbooks are turning into late nights under bedsheets and blankets, a Google Docs page pulled up, fingers typing aggressively on a keyboard that can barely be seen in the dark.
In which of the following situations is a vehicle moving gradually?
a. The ambulance zoomed in and out of the traffic along Route 3.
b. The sled whooshed down the driveway, banking at each curve.
c. The bulldozer inched forward toward the edge of the pit.
d. The sailboat skipped merrily across the sunlit waves.
C. The bulldozer inched forward toward the edge of the pit.
Read this quotation from the author’s father, which begins “Is Our Gain Also Our Loss?”
“When I was your age, I had to wait for the hourly report on TV in order to get the information that you have right at your fingertips. That’s the problem with the world today.”
Which sentence best explains the “problem” about which the father is complaining?
a. It isn’t fair that people now can immediately find information that used to be found only in libraries.
b. His childhood friends understand modern technology better than he does.
c. As a child, he rarely was able to do things when he wanted to do them.
d. New technologies are making modern life move too quickly.
D. New technologies are making modern life move too quickly
Which word in this sentence is a comparative adjective?
I have a new, high-tech phone, but Malik’s phone is flashier than mine.
a. new
b. high-tech
c. flashier
d. mine
C. flashier
In “Is Our Gain Also Our Loss?” how does the author’s father best help to prompt her reflections about the future?
a. When he shares with her his fears about a future in which people are disconnected from each other, she becomes fearful as well.
b. When he wonders aloud whether new technology will prove to do more harm than good, she is inspired to use technology for good.
c. When he indicates that the present is more troubling than the past, she wonders whether she will feel the same way when she is older.
d. When he reminisces about the dreams that he had for the future when he was her age, she determines that she will plan her own future.
C. When he indicates that the present is more troubling than the past, she wonders whether she will feel the same way when she is older.
When you consider something, you think carefully about it. Based on that information and your knowledge of the suffix -ation, identify the best definition of the word consideration.
a. without having thought carefully
b. the process of thinking carefully
c. to cause to think carefully
d. after thinking carefully
B. the process of thinking carefully
Which features most clearly identify “Is Our Gain Also Our Loss?” as a reflective essay? Choose two options.
a. It is expressed in informal language and a thoughtful tone.
b. It includes no dialogue and very little description.
c. It expresses the author’s thoughts and feelings.
d. It mostly presents facts about current events.
e. It features realistic characters from history.
A and C
Which sentence is correct?
a. This computer class is the too advanced course the college offers.
b. This computer class is the advancing course the college offers.
c. This computer class is the advancedest course the college offers.
d. This computer class is the most advanced course the college offers.
D. This computer class is the most advanced course the college offers.
Which sentence from “Is Our Gain Also Our Loss?” best supports the author's father's reaction of delight from seeing the commercial.
a. And so we boys spent our summer mornings waiting by the TV for the hourly report that read the temperature, praying that it would say the number we wanted….
b. He called me into his office, where he threw himself down in front of his desktop computer to search for the ad on YouTube, eager to take me back in time with him.
c. Then I turned to my dad, who was still beaming, as if all the happy memories from his childhood were flashing before his eyes.
d. The thing that has really stayed with me, though, is my dad’s comment about how all these new technologies are a “problem.”
C. Then I turned to my dad, who was still beaming, as if all the happy memories from his childhood were flashing before his eyes.