Word Choice
Which literary device is most clearly used in this passage?
A relationship is like the stock market. There are a lot of ups and downs, but ultimately, you can only get out of it what you put into it.
A. Aphorism
B. Analogy
C. Annotation
D. Allusion
B. Analogy
Which is most clearly a supporting detail sentence?
Some intriguing, though incomplete, ideas have come from researchers trying to explain why our brains give us such vivid and emotional experiences every night. Sigmund Freud believed that dreams are expressions of memories and anxieties that we avoid thinking about during our waking lives. Carl Jung provided a modern version of the ancient opinion that dreams are messages that help us figure out how to avoid disaster, almost like prophecies. Perhaps the popularity of Jung's interpretation is the reason that many people keep dream journals, where they write down their dream experiences before they forget them. After all, if dreams are messages, one had better not ignore them.
A.Some intriguing, though incomplete, ideas have come from researchers trying to explain why our brains give us such vivid and emotional experiences every night.
B.Carl Jung provided a modern version of the ancient opinion that dreams are messages that help us figure out how to avoid disaster, almost like prophecies.
C.Perhaps the popularity of Jung's interpretation is the reason that many people keep dream journals, where they write down their dream experiences before they forget them.
D.After all, if dreams are messages, one had better not ignore them.
B.Carl Jung provided a modern version of the ancient opinion that dreams are messages that help us figure out how to avoid disaster, almost like prophecies.
Read the following passage:
Sounds of Seagulls was a bad movie. It was far too long and the acting was terrible. Plus, the soundtrack was extremely boring.
Which statement best evaluates the use of a claim and reasoning?
A. The passage has a strong claim backed up by sound reasoning.
B.The passage has a strong claim that is not backed up by sound reasoning.
C.The passage does not have a claim but does contain sound reasoning.
D.The passage does not have a claim and does not contain any sound reasoning.
A. The passage has a strong claim backed up by sound reasoning.
There has been much debate in our community lately about the starting time of schools. It is clear from the evidence presented that the high school needs to have a later starting time. Records show that 70 percent of tardy high school students show up before the end of first period. Some residents believe that this is due to early morning doctor appointments, but only eight percent of those students had medical excuses. They are simply sleeping in. Additionally, parents of younger children complain that they have to wait until 8:45 to see their kids off to elementary school.
Which of these is the author's claim?
A.There has been much debate in our community lately.
B.High school needs to have a later starting time.
C.70 percent of tardy high school students show up before the end of first period.
D.This is due to early morning doctor appointments.
B.High school needs to have a later starting time.
Based on the context, what meaning does this passage convey by using verbal irony?
Overall, the drummer's smashing, stomping, thrashing, and pounding made for an . . . interesting interpretation of soft jazz.
A. The author thinks the performance was unsuitable.
B. The author is secretly jealous of the drummer's skill.
C. The author does not particularly like soft jazz.
D. The author found the drummer's playing to be innovative.
A. The author thinks the performance was unsuitable.
Which is most clearly a topic sentence?
Volcanoes may be scary, but they are the result of simple and very natural processes. Volcanoes are holes in the Earth's crust where substances from beneath the surface, such as hot gases and molten rock, can escape. "You can think of a volcano as a paper cut or a pimple on the Earth," says volcanologist Roberta Alvarez. "They're usually not a big deal on the scale of the whole planet, but they're a big deal to us." Sometimes these eruptions can be small and ongoing, such as the Mt. Kilauea eruption in Hawaii that has been occurring since 1983. Other times, as was the case with Mt. St. Helens in Oregon, the eruptions are abrupt and violent. When the lava and ash emitted from a volcano cool and harden, they gradually form mountains.
A. "You can think of a volcano as a paper cut or a pimple on the Earth,"
B. When the lava and ash emitted from a volcano cool and harden, they gradually form mountains.
C. Sometimes these eruptions can be small and ongoing, such as the Mt. Kilauea eruption in Hawaii that has been occurring since 1983.
D. Volcanoes may be scary, but they are the result of simple and very natural processes.
D. Volcanoes may be scary, but they are the result of simple and very natural processes.
Which of the following is a factual claim?
A. I had to wear a jacket to school every day this year.
B. This winter was the coldest in the past 50 years.
C. Everyone loved having five straight snow days.
D. My sister had never seen such bad weather in her life.
B. This winter was the coldest in the past 50 years.
You've probably seen news reports about the couple who fed their cat a vegetarian diet. Although I believe in individual rights, this couple took things too far. Cats are natural carnivores, which mean they only eat meat. By changing this necessary part of the cat's diet, the couple caused serious health problems for the animal. Yes, it's true that meat-based commercial cat food can be expensive, but responsible pet owners must consider the costs before adopting a cat. Personal preferences about food should stay personal and not be inflicted on animals.
Which is an example of a counterclaim?
A. I believe in individual rights.
B. Responsible pet owners must consider the costs.
C. Meat-based commercial cat food can be expensive.
D. Personal preferences about food should stay personal.
C. Meat-based commercial cat food can be expensive.
Read the sentence below.
Starting high school is like trying to understand how a house was built without knowing anything about carpentry, plumbing, electricity, or architecture. You have to learn as you go.
The analogy in this sentence connects two ideas in order to make the point that high school is a process of:
A. asking difficult questions.
B. introducing radical ideas.
C. exploring a new phenomenon.
D. teaching a difficult subject.
C. exploring a new phenomenon.
Which statement best explains how paragraph 2 makes the essay clearer?
A. It previews the safety guidelines that are explored in detail throughout the essay.
B. It gives details about volcano safety that help develop the essay's main purpose.
C. It gives background for the more practical information on volcanoes that follows.
D. It describes what volcanoes are so that the reader can recognize one if necessary.
C. It gives background for the more practical information on volcanoes that follows.
Which selection from the passage is an irrelevant piece of evidence?
No one should be able to go to the lake this year. The lake is extremely polluted, several people have already been hurt in boating accidents, and the river is much more fun to go to anyway.
A. No one should be able to go to the lake this year.
B. The lake is extremely polluted.
C. Several people have already been hurt in boating accidents.
D. The river is much more fun to go to anyway.
D. The river is much more fun to go to anyway.
Claim #1: Zoos are a great way to educate the public about animals and their needs.
Claim #2: Zoos are an inhumane way to provide people with entertainment.
Which piece of evidence best supports claim #2?
A. Animals that become sick or injured in zoos are treated by trained veterinarians.
B. Most large animals are used to living in areas over 100 times larger than their zoo enclosures.
C. Over 50 million people visited zoos in the United States last year.
D. Zoos separate their animals by species, often combining animals with similar habitats.
B. Most large animals are used to living in areas over 100 times larger than their zoo enclosures.