Unit 1
Which statements from the passage provide the best textual evidence to support the central idea that virtual reality changes an individual’s behavior based on their experiences in a simulation?
If you have a particularly attractive avatar, you become friendlier.
It can help people overcome a fear of heights, for example, through simulations of standing on a balcony or walking across a bridge.
If you use a thesaurus to look up a synonym of the word resilient, what word are you most likely to find?
adaptable
In which sentence is the word biodegradable used correctly?
Because he wanted to use biodegradable products for his party, Bako purchased paper towels made from bamboo and sugarcane.
If you used a thesaurus to look up a synonym for the word encroach, which word would you likely find?
intrude
Which option provides the best definition of the word infraction?
the act of breaking a promise
the act of breaking a precedent
the act of breaking a bone
the act of breaking a rule
the act of breaking a rule
How does the information in the excerpt from “Virtual Reality Gets Real” connect to develop the central idea?
In the first paragraph, if-then statements convey results based on what is experienced in the simulations.
What does it mean if a friend tells you she wants to emulate a famous scientist?
She wants to mirror the scientist’s personality or actions.
If you used a thesaurus to look up an antonym of the word distraught, which words would you most likely find?
unperturbed
The long day of travel made all the children in the family _______, so everyone was glad to get home.
Which word form correctly completes the sentence?
A: irritable
B: irritation
C: irritate
D: irritability
irritable
Elena did not have _______cash to pay for her latte.
Which word form correctly completes the sentence?
sufficiency
insufficient
sufficient
suffice
sufficient
Which sentence uses the word canvass correctly?
My neighbor is going to canvass the neighborhood to determine if residents favor lower speed limits.
The teenagers rushed to get their smartphones so that they could take pictures of their sand castle before the rising tide eradicated all traces of it.
Which word most precisely matches the meaning of eradicated as it is used in the sentence?
destroyed
precede - verb - to come before or ahead of
proceed - verb - to go on, continue
In which sentences are these words used correctly?
The motorcade was unable to proceed because of a traffic jam.
Announcements about the day’s events preceded the first presentation.
Research being done on sleep cycles confirms the study’s findings. As you sleep, the level of the stress hormone cortisol follows a cycle. At first it drops, and at the same time, the brain releases chemicals that enhance the immune system, allowing it to repair itself and fight off viruses. When it is time to wake up, your cortisol levels begin to rise again, getting the body ready for the day.
Which term in the passage would most likely be used only in a scientific context?
A: sleep cycle
B: cortisol
C: immune system
D: chemicals
cortisol
Ms. Kapoor began the school day with confidence that her students would be able to finish their art projects in class. She was a little nervous about letting them use glitter and sculpting clay, but she passed out the materials nonetheless. It didn’t take very long for her classroom to fall into complete anarchy. By the end of the class period, the carpet was covered in purple glitter and two students had clay stuck in their hair.
What phrases are context clues that clarify the meaning of the word anarchy?
two students had clay stuck in their hair
but she passed out the materials nonetheless
She was a little nervous about letting them use glitter and sculpting clay
the carpet was covered in purple glitter
two students had clay stuck in their hair
She was a little nervous about letting them use glitter and sculpting clay
the carpet was covered in purple glitter
Jenny felt that the task before her—memorizing the meanings of 30 vocabulary words overnight—was insurmountable.
incapable of being mastered or overcome.
Carla took her interest in graphic design very seriously. Even though she was only in 10th grade, she signed up for several graphic design workshops, purchased some beginner-level books on the topic, and began saving money to purchase a more computer.
Which option best completes the sentence to convey the idea that Carla was committed to growing as a student of graphic design?
sophisticated
When Jackson wore green plaid pants with a red striped shirt, his mother asked him to reconsider his fashion faux pas.
The phrase faux pas comes from the French language and literally means “false step.” What does faux pas mean in the sentence?
mistake
Liberty does not consist, my fellow-citizens, in mere general declarations of the rights of man. It consists in the translation of those declarations into definite action. Therefore, standing here where the declaration was adopted, reading its businesslike sentences, we ought to ask ourselves what there is in it for us. There is nothing in it for us unless we can translate it into the terms of our own conditions and of our own lives. We must reduce it to what the lawyers call a bill of particulars. It contains a bill of particulars, but the bill of particulars of 1776. If we would keep it alive, we must fill it with a bill of particulars of the year 1914.
Which option most accurately explains how Wilson supports the theme that liberty is based on words rather than on actions?
A: He explains that the American people must translate the meanings within the Declaration of Independence and apply them to their lives in 1914.
B: He explains that only the actions of the American people matter now and that the words of the Declaration of Independence no longer apply to the United States.
C: He explains that the American people must get together to perform actions that the founding fathers of our country would be proud of.
D: He explains that only the bill of particulars in the Declaration of Independence can be applied to 1914, which means citizens must act on these particulars.
He explains that the American people must translate the meanings within the Declaration of Independence and apply them to their lives in 1914.
With her arm in a sling, Leticia found that even the simplest tasks, showering, dressing, and cooking, took her a long time to complete.
Which option shows a way to clarify this sentence by revising the punctuation?
With her arm in a sling, Leticia found that even the simplest tasks—showering, dressing, and cooking took her a long time to complete.
With her arm in a sling, Leticia found that—even the simplest tasks: showering, dressing, and cooking—took her a long time to complete.
With her arm in a sling, Leticia found that even the simplest tasks—showering, dressing, and cooking—took her a long time to complete.
With her arm in a sling, Leticia found that even the simplest tasks, showering, dressing, and cooking—took her a long time to complete.
With her arm in a sling, Leticia found that even the simplest tasks—showering, dressing, and cooking—took her a long time to complete.
Interviews with a focus group showed that most people couldn’t help but feel negative about Senator Hudson’s campaign. And as a result, those running the campaign decided it was prudent to change the tone of their message slightly.
The coordinating conjunction and is used to begin a sentence that contains a continuation of an idea.
The worst thing a homeowner could do is neglect the legwork required to make an informed decision. It is important to research and consult with a few solar energy specialists to ensure that the best possible choices are made for the home. No one wants to feel buyer’s remorse later.
Which option best analyzes the effect of the figurative language Kavita used in the passage?
Kavita applied hyperbole in the phrase “The worst thing a homeowner could do” to emphasize the importance of the information that follows.
Which sentences would be appropriate to include in a complaint letter to the mayor of a city?
The mayor’s office needs to take its responsibility seriously when it comes to keeping buses safe.
Thank you for your attention to the important issues regarding safety on the city’s buses.
Have you ever read the Declaration of Independence or attended with close comprehension to the real character of it when you have heard it read? If you have, you will know that it is not a Fourth of July oration. The Declaration of Independence was a document preliminary to war. It was a vital piece of practical business, not a piece of rhetoric; and if you will pass beyond those preliminary passages which we are accustomed to quote about the rights of men and read into the heart of the document you will see that it is very express and detailed, that it consists of a series of definite specifications concerning actual public business of the day. Not the business of our day, for the matter with which it deals is past, but the business of that first revolution by which the Nation was set up, the business of 1776. Its general statements, its general declarations cannot mean anything to us unless we append to it a similar specific body of particulars as to what we consider the essential business of our own day.
Which option most accurately describes Wilson’s purpose in this excerpt?
A: to celebrate this day, July 4, 1914, as the anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence
B: to use the Declaration of Independence as a model to specifically address the circumstances of the United States in 1914
C: to inform his audience that the original words of the Declaration of Independence have no meaning in contemporary times
D: to persuade his audience to better understand that 1914 calls for a new and different Declaration of Independence
to use the Declaration of Independence as a model to specifically address the circumstances of the United States in 1914
innate adj. 1. built-in 2. essential 3. inborn 4. elemental
Read the sentence.
Salmon swim thousands of miles in response to the innate urge to migrate to breeding grounds.
Which synonym best matches the meaning of innate as it is used in the sentence?
essential
elemental
built-in
inborn
inborn