Word Choice
Jeb had a meeting at work to discuss the company’s progress in product development. The conversation veered briefly into the area of customer satisfaction, yet Jeb’s boss steered them away from that discussion, claiming that it wasn’t pertinent to the goals of the current meeting. In less than an hour, they had already covered all of the items on the agenda, and the meeting ended.
Which of the following words is a synonym of the underlined word as it is used in the passage?
A. Similar
B. Important
C. Unrelated
D. Interesting
E. Relevant
E. Relevant
Which sentence is grammatically correct?
A. The English teacher returned the exams to Tamara and me
B. The English teacher returned the exams to Tamara and I.
A. The English teacher returned the exams to Tamara and me
It was a fine day and the sky was clear above Lake Moore. Trees all around were blooming. The air itself seemed easier to breathe than usual as I stood there, taking in the magnificent view. I had just stepped out of the lake. My feet were still soaked in the gentle water of the lake and I myself was completely drenched, but the gentle breeze, which made the flowers around dance ever so slightly, only made me shiver with joy.
Which of the following is an example of personification?
A. Trees all around were blooming.
B. My feet were soaked.
C. The breeze made the flowers dance.
D. It only made me shiver with joy.
C. The breeze made the flowers dance.
Which quotation supports the idea that museums have found ways to replace the money lost when they offer free admission?
A. "And, she added, 'Tourists are not price sensitive' in the same way that local visitors are."
B. "The Hammer Museum in LA was able to go free by getting two donors to back free admission for four years with a $2 million gift."
C. "'We're noticing a 25 percent increase in attendance since going free,' said Samuel Vasquez, director of events and visitors.
D. "And there's a new way to become a member; instead of paying for it, guests tally 12 visits in a year."
B. "The Hammer Museum in LA was able to go free by getting two donors to back free admission for four years with a $2 million gift."
Which line provides the best example of the painter’s point of view or perspective of his work?
A. The mural he was working on depicted a very neat garden. Men and women in white, doctors and nurses, turned the soil, planted seedlings, sprayed bugs, spread fertilizer.
B. The painter's face curdled with scorn. "You think I'm proud of this daub?" he said. "You think this is my idea of what life really looks like?"
B. The painter's face curdled with scorn. "You think I'm proud of this daub?" he said. "You think this is my idea of what life really looks like?"
"Territory held today by a given nation-state in the past likely belonged to a different political entity...even if one wanted to reunite dispersed works of art, where would one do so?
What is the meaning of the word dispersed as used in the paragraph?
A. borrowed
B. scattered
C. unclaimed
D. uncovered
B. scattered
Some members of my extended family were selected to speak at the party, including ________.
Which of the following options completes the sentence properly?
A. me and my mom
B. my mom and me
C. I and my mom
D. my mom and I
B. my mom and me
In which of the following examples does the author use an allusion?
A. The aroma of grandma's chicken soup filled the room with warmth.
B. The stars blinked at me from above.
C. I'm as hungry as a horse.
D. That girl is so strong, I think she might be from the planet Krypton.
D. That girl is so strong, I think she might be from the planet Krypton.
Every day after work Paul took his muddy boots off on the steps of the front porch. Alice would have a fit if the boots made it so far as the welcome mat. He then took off his dusty overalls and threw them into a plastic garbage bag; Alice left a new garbage bag tied to the porch railing for him every morning. On his way in the house, he dropped the garbage bag off at the washing machine and went straight up the stairs to the shower as he was instructed. He would eat dinner with her after he was "presentable," as Alice had often said.
What type of person is Alice?
A. care free and calm
B. meticulous and controlling
C. messy and sloppy
D. sad and angry
B. meticulous and controlling
Which of the following sentences uses the word inclement correctly?
A. The inclement weather permitted the soccer game to carry on; what a beautiful evening under the stadium lights!
B. John's inclement attitude stemmed from the class period before, when he failed a math test.
C. The inclement weather made it a perfect day to enjoy the beach!
D. Jennifer's inclement attitude made her a great team player, for she was always upbeat and positive.
B. John's inclement attitude stemmed from the class period before, when he failed a math test.
Read the following two sentences and determine the definition of the underlined word that appears in both of them:
The man had grown very reclusive in his old age, leaving his house only to get the paper in the morning.
George was so used to his reclusive behavior over the last five years that he found it odd and even difficult to talk to people at the party.
A. Weak or weary in regards to health, or otherwise physically depleted
B. Tending to avoid the company of others and to seek solitude; living apart from society.
C. Elitist; thinking oneself above others in wisdom or status
D. Having a tendency to avoid events, often important ones, due to laziness or apathy.
E. Being afraid of the outdoors or preferring to be indoors due to comfort or anxiety
B. Tending to avoid the company of others and to seek solitude; living apart from society.
Which sentence is grammatically correct?
A. By the end of the term, our command of the subject matter seemed pretty good to we students, even if the teacher didn't think so.
B. By the end of the term, our command of the subject matter seemed pretty good to us students, even if the teacher didn't think so.
B. By the end of the term, our command of the subject matter seemed pretty good to us students, even if the teacher didn't think so.
"His voice was to her (Pastorella) as the sunshine to the wintry earth, and she who had longed for death felt the spring of life arise anew within her."
What does the figurative language in this sentence convey about Pastorella?
A. She still doubts that she will truly be saved
B. Her strength arises from the pain of loneliness
C. She feels joy after an extended period of hopelessness
D. Her affectionate thoughts have been her only comforts
C. She feels joy after an extended period of hopelessness
"Tornadoes are destructive."
Which piece of evidence BEST supports this claim?
A. The tornado was 2 miles wide
B. 3 out of the 4 families in our community are without power and 35 have lost parts of their house or roof
C. The tornado's wind speeds reached 100 mph
D. It was an F1 tornado
B. 3 out of the 4 families in our community are without power and 35 have lost parts of their house or roof
Which sentence uses the word discrepancy correctly?
A. Since the discrepancy was worthy of celebration, there was food and music as part of the event.
B. The discrepancy led to a partnership between the two men, as they never had a disagreement.
C. Typically, students who share a discrepancy will get along well in a group.
D. The discrepancy revealed that someone was lying, since Jack and Jim told two different stories.
D. The discrepancy revealed that someone was lying, since Jack and Jim told two different stories.
"City officials shared several of the tree emails with me, but redacted the names of the senders to respect their privacy."
What is the meaning of the word redacted as it is used in the sentence?
A. altered
B. composed
C. removed
D. organized
C. removed
Read the following sentence and choose the correct spelling for each word in the brackets:
The movie was [incredable/incredible] and it had a very [sensable/sensible] morale.
A. incredable/sensible
B. incredible/sensible
C. incredible/sensable
D. incredable/sensable
B. incredible/sensible
"It seemed as if an enormous giant, or a titan, had sculptured his own likeness on the precipice. There was the broad arch of the forehead, a hundred feet in height; the nose, with its long bridge; and the vast lips, which, if they could have spoken, would have rolled their thunder accents from one end of the valley to the other."
What is the effect of the figurative language in these sentences?
A. It highlights the grandeur of the Great Stone Face
B. It explains the source of the prophecy of the Great Stone Face
C. It emphasizes the position of the Great Stone Face relative to the valley
D. It describes how the inhabitants of the valley discovered the Great Stone Face
A. It highlights the grandeur of the Great Stone Face
"He was undoubtedly a gentleman of honorable pedigree and of many accomplishments, but two of his accomplishments emerged from all the rest."
What does the phrase undoubtedly a gentleman of honorable pedigree suggest about the man?
A. He acts confidently
B. He is a trustworthy person
C. He has refined social behaviors
D. He comes from a respected family
D. He comes from a respected family
Passing fears are common in early childhood. Many 2- to 4-year-olds are afraid of animals, especially dogs. By 6 years, children are more likely to be afraid of the dark. Other common fears are of thunderstorms, doctors, and imaginary creatures.
What is the stated main idea of this paragraph?
A. Passing fears are common in early childhood.
B. Many 2- to 4-year olds are afraid of animals, especially dogs.
C. By 6 years, children are more likely to be afraid of the dark.
D. Other common fears are of thunderstorms, doctors, and imaginary creatures.
A. Passing fears are common in early childhood.