Practice Test 2 - AP English Language and Composition
Section I
TIME: 1 HOUR
DIRECTIONS: Questions 1–13. Carefully read the following passage and answer the accompanying questions.
The passage comes from the quill of a renowned essayist of the 16th century.
Passage 1
I am not excessively fond of salads or fruit, with the exception of melons. My father hated every kind of sauce; I like them all. Eating too much makes me uncomfortable; but in respect of its properties I am not yet very certain that any kind of food disagrees with me. Nor have I noticed that I am affected by full or new moons, by autumn or spring.
(5)We are subject to fickle and inexplicable changes. For example, radishes, which I first found to agree with me, afterwards disagreed, and now they agree again. In several things I have found my stomach and palate to vary in the same way: I have changed more than once from white wine to claret, and back again from claret to white wine.
I have a dainty tooth for fish, and the meatless days are my meat-days; my fasts are my (10)feasts. Besides, I believe that it is, as some people say, more easily digested than meat. As it goes against my conscience to eat meat on fish-days, so my taste rebels against mixing meat and fish; the difference seems to me too wide.
From my youth up I have occasionally skipped a meal; either to sharpen my appetite for the next day (for, as Epicurus used to fast and make lean meals in order to accustom (15)his greed to dispense with plenty, I do so, on the contrary, in order to train my greed to take better advantage of plenty and to enjoy it more cheerfully); or I used to fast to keep my strength for the performance of some mental or bodily action; for both my body and mind are made cruelly sluggish by repletion. . . . To cure my ailing digestion, I say that we should not so much look to what we eat as to whom we eat with.
(20)To me no dressing is so acceptable, and no sauce so appetizing, as that derived from good company. I think it is more wholesome to eat more at leisure with a good friend, and less, and to eat oftener. But I would give hunger and appetite their due; I should take no pleasure in dragging through three or four wretched repasts a day, restricted by doctors’ orders. Who will assure me that I can recover at supper-time the good appetite I had this (25)morning? Let us old men especially take the first opportunity that comes our way. Let us leave the making of dietaries to doctors and almanac makers . . . .
I do not cover my legs and thighs more in winter than in summer: simple silk hose. For the relief of my colds I gave way to the habit of keeping my head warmer, and my belly on account of the colic. But in a few days my ailments became accustomed to them and scorned (30)my ordinary precautions: from a cap I advanced to a kerchief, and from a bonnet to a lined hat. The wadding of my doublet is now only ornamental. All that would be of no avail unless I added a hare’s skin or a vulture’s plumage, with a skull-cap for the head. Continue this gradual progress and you will go a long way. I shall take care not to do so, and would gladly go back to where I began, if I dared. “Have you developed a new ailment? Is the remedy no (35)longer of any avail? You have grown accustomed to it? Then try another.” In this way they ruin their health who allow themseves to be fettered by enforced rules, and superstitiously adhere to them; they need more and more, and after that more again. There is no end.
1. Which of the following best describes the rhetorical function of the last sentence of the first paragraph (line 4)?
(A) It helps to establish the speaker’s credentials as an expert on the topic of the passage.
(B) It challenges a commonly held superstition to be discussed later in the passage.
(C) It introduces a major theme in the passage.
(D) It refers to an old saying about the consequences of overeating.
(E) It creates a rhetorical link between paragraph 1 and the first sentence of paragraph 2.
2. The writer’s rhetorical purpose in alluding in line 4 to “full and new moons” and also to seasons of the year is primarily to
(A) acknowledge his awareness that some foods are not available all the time.
(B) admit that some common superstitions may have merit.
(C) confess that he’s occasionally fallen prey to irrational decision making.
(D) ridicule the notion that the moon and seasons guide our eating decisions.
(E) reject the idea that food choices need to vary according to the months and seasons.
3. Describing his culinary preferences in lines 1–8, the writer’s primary purpose is to
(A) outline standards for pleasurable eating.
(B) stress that regularly changing one’s diet is good for you.
(C) flaunt his tendency to change his diet whenever he wants.
(D) urge the members of his audience to vary their food choices.
(E) describe a diet that his audience may do well to emulate.
4. The speaker’s references to radishes and to claret (lines 5–8) function in all the following ways EXCEPT to
(A) prove the validity of the second paragraph’s topic sentence.
(B) identify the changes that the speaker has experienced.
(C) define the word “fickle” (line 5).
(D) add to the litany of the speaker’s personal quirks.
(E) hint that the speaker has switched from a serious to an ironic tone.
5. The description of the speaker’s “dainty tooth for fish” (line 9) contributes to the unity of the passage by
(A) contrasting the tastes of two different foods.
(B) adding further details to the speaker’s self-portrait.
(C) condemning those who do not observe meatless days.
(D) drawing a parallel between different kinds of cooking.
(E) commenting on the absurdity of the speaker’s taste in food.
6. Which of the following best describes the rhetorical function of lines 21–25?
(A) They serve as a transition between the paragraphs that come both before and after.
(B) They support the speaker’s assertion that he likes all sauces (line 2).
(C) They provide evidence contrary to material in the previous paragraph.
(D) They reiterate an idea presented in a previous paragraph.
(E) They state a logical conclusion based on statements in the previous paragraph.
7. The writer’s main rhetorical purpose in lines 22–26 (starting with “But I would give hunger . . .”) is to argue that
(A) his advanced age accounts in part for his culinary eccentricities.
(B) the amount one eats is more important than what one eats.
(C) one should give physicians their due as responsible guides regarding what one should and should not eat.
(D) after a lifetime of eating whatever he desired, there is no reason to change now.
(E) “doctors and almanac makers” (line 26) help people like the speaker to age gracefully.
8. In order to leave a rhetorical effect on his audience, the speaker overstates some of his thoughts. In context, which of the following excerpts is the idea most exaggerated?
(A) “from white wine to claret, and back again” (line 8)
(B) “body and mind are made cruelly sluggish” (lines 17–18)
(C) “three or four wretched repasts a day” (line 23)
(D) “from a bonnet to a lined hat” (lines 30–31)
(E) “a hare’s skin and a vulture’s plumage” (line 32)
9. Drawing contrasts is an effective rhetorical strategy. The principal contrast drawn by the speaker throughout the passage is between
(A) theory and fact.
(B) conventions and individual preferences.
(C) old wives’ tales and modern practices.
(D) youth and old age.
(E) restraint and freedom.
10. In context, which of the following statements accurately describes the writer’s tone?
(A) His tone when discussing salads and fruits (line 1) is hypercritical.
(B) He uses a vacillating tone when talking about radishes (lines 5–6).
(C) When the subject is meat and fish (lines 11–12), he adopts a peevish tone.
(D) The tone of his comment on skipping meals (line 13) is conciliatory.
(E) The tone of his reference to dinner companions (lines 20–21) is compassionate.
11.The rhetoric in the passage creates a portrait of a man who can best be described as
(A) shamelessly self-absorbed.
(B) well educated.
(C) adaptable to change.
(D) cultured and sophisticated.
(E) pious and self-righteous.
12. The passage as a whole can best be described as
(A) an authority’s prescription for a better diet.
(B) an anecdote about old-fashioned eating customs.
(C) an account of one man’s culinary preferences.
(D) a comparison of the speaker and his father.
(E) a reflection on unhealthful eating habits.
13. In the context of the passage, all of the following excerpts contain the same rhetorical device EXCEPT
(A) “I first found to agree with me, afterwards disagreed” (lines 5–6).
(B) “changed . . . from white wine to claret, and back again” (lines 7–8).
(C) “not so much look to what we eat as to whom we eat with” (line 19).
(D) “eat more at leisure with a good friend, and less, and to eat oftener” (lines 21–22).
(E) “they need more and more, and after that more again.” (line 37).
DIRECTIONS: Questions 14–24. Carefully read the following passage and answer the accompanying questions.
This passage by a 20th-century author is an excerpt from an essay about Henry David Thoreau’s Walden.
Passage 2
Allen Cove, Summer, 1954
Walden is an oddity in American letters. It may well be the oddest of our distinguished oddities. For many it is a great deal too odd, and for many it is a particular bore. I have not found it to be a well-liked book among my acquaintances, although usually spoken of with respect, and one literary critic for whom I have the highest regard can find no reason for (5)anyone’s giving Walden a second thought. To admire the book is, in fact, something of an embarrassment, for the mass of men have an indistinct notion that its author was a sort of Nature Boy.
I think it is of some advantage to encounter the book at a period in one’s life when the normal anxieties and enthusiasms and rebellions of youth closely resemble those of (10)Thoreau in that spring of 1845 when he borrowed an ax, went out to the woods, and began to whack down some trees for timber. Received at such a juncture, the book is like an invitation to life’s dance, assuring the troubled recipient that no matter what befalls him in the way of success or failure he will always be welcome at the party—that the music is played for him, too, if he will but listen and move his feet. In effect, that is what the book is—an (15)invitation, unengraved; and it stirs one as a young girl is stirred by her first big party bid. Many think it is a sermon; many set it down as an attempt to rearrange society; some think it none of these.
It still seems to me the best youth’s companion yet written by an American, for it carries a solemn warning against the loss of one’s valuables, it advances a good argument for (20)traveling light and trying new adventures, it rings with the power of positive adoration, it contains religious feeling without religious images, and it steadfastly refuses to record bad news. If our colleges and universities were alert, they would present a cheap pocket edition of the book to every senior upon graduating, along with his diploma, or instead of it. Even if some senior were to take it literally and start felling trees, there could be worse (25)mishaps: the ax is older than the Dictaphone* and it is just as well for a young man to see what kind of chips he leaves before listening to the sound of his own voice. And even if some were to get no further than the table of contents, they would learn how to name eighteen chapters by the use of only thirty-nine words and would see how sweet are the uses of brevity.
(30)If Thoreau had merely left us an account of a man’s life in the woods or if he had simply retreated to the woods and there recorded his complaints about society, or even if he had contrived to include both records in one essay, Walden would probably not have lived a hundred years. As things turned out, Thoreau, very likely without knowing quite what he was up to, took man’s relation to Nature and man’s dilemma in society and man’s capacity (35)for elevating his spirit and he beat all these matters together, in a wild free interval of self-justification and delight, and produced an original gourmet omelette from which people can draw nourishment in a hungry day. Walden is one of the vitamin-enriched American dishes.
If it were a little less good than it is, or even a little less queer, it would be an abominable (40)book. Even as it is, it will continue to baffle and annoy the literal mind and all those who are unable to stomach its caprices and imbibe its theme. Certainly, the plodding economist will continue to have rough going if he hopes to emerge from the book with a clear system of economic thought. Thoreau’s assault on the Concord society of the mid-nineteenth century has the quality of a modern Western: he rides into the subject at top speed, shooting (45)in all directions. Many of his shots ricochet and nick him on the rebound, and throughout the melee there is a horrendous cloud of inconsistencies and contradictions, and when the shooting dies down and the air clears, one is impressed chiefly by the courage of the rider and by how splendid it was that somebody should have ridden in there and raised all that ruckus.
(50)When he went to the pond, Thoreau struck an attitude deliberately. But posturing was not to draw the attention of others to him but rather to draw his own attention more closely to himself. “I learned this at least by my experiment: that if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.” The sentence has the power to resuscitate (55)the youth drowning in a sea of doubt. I recall my exhilaration upon reading it many years ago, in a time of hesitation and despair. It restored me to health. And now in 1954 when I salute Henry Thoreau on the hundredth birthday of his book, I am merely paying off an old score—or an installment on it.
14. The writer’s intent of the opening paragraph (lines 1–7) is mainly to
(A) acknowledge that Walden is not an easy read.
(B) admit that Walden is not his favorite book.
(C) raise the reader’s curiosity about what makes Walden an “oddity.”
(D) prod readers into making up their own minds about the book’s success.
(E) prepare readers for a devastating review of Thoreau’s book.
15. The rhetoric in lines 10–11, describing what he did in the spring of 1845, implies mainly that Thoreau
(A) had a specific plan of action in mind.
(B) was determined to make a name for himself.
(C) acted impulsively.
(D) had a devil-may-care attitude.
(E) had energy to spare.
16. In the second paragraph (lines 8–17), which of the following best characterizes the writer’s position on the relevance of reading Walden at a young age?
(A) The book is “like an invitation” (lines 11–12). It can be accepted, ignored, or turned down.
(B) Because he was a young man when he went into the woods, Thoreau serves as a role model for young readers.
(C) Although not all young people are rebels, enough of them are to make Walden a kind of handbook for youth.
(D) On principle, thoughtful young readers may be unable to accept Thoreau’s ideas.
(E) Thoreau offers youthful readers a plan for figuring out their place in the world.
17. By using the locution “began to whack down some trees” (lines 10–11) the writer intends mainly to
(A) illustrate that Thoreau was typical of young men going through the “normal” stages of life alluded to in line 9.
(B) support his assertion in line 7 that Thoreau was a “sort of Nature Boy.”
(C) characterize the free-spirited personality of young Henry Thoreau.
(D) switch the tone of the passage from generally cerebral to more down-to-earth and physical.
(E) editorialize on how attitudes toward trees changed between 1845 and 1954, when the passage was written.
18. Which of the following best describes the writer’s exigence in the passage?
(A) The mixed messages that Walden sends to young readers
(B) Thoughtful commentary on how to live a productive and satisfying life
(C) The need for universal truths
(D) The serenity and grandeur that can be found in nature
(E) The dictum that to understand the world one must retreat from it
19. In context, the third paragraph (lines 18–29) can be used to support which of the following claims about the writer’s tone?
(A) His tone when discussing Walden’s function as a book for young people is hyperbolic.
(B) His tone when mentioning religion is disapproving.
(C) He uses a reverent tone when referring to colleges and universities.
(D) When referring to felling trees he adopts a sentimental tone.
(E) He adopts an ironic tone when discussing Walden’s table of contents.
20. By figuratively likening Walden to an “original gourmet omelette,” (line 36) the writer intends to convey the idea that Thoreau’s work
(A) may not suit all tastes.
(B) appeals mostly to sophisticates.
(C) is a basic treatment of the subject but tends to be effete.
(D) is comprised largely of a harmonious mix of quality ingredients.
(E) is more than a little pretentious.
21. The writer’s opinions about Walden in lines 39–49 are primarily meant to
(A) reiterate the wide disparities in readers’ views of the book.
(B) confuse the reader as a means to stimulate curiosity.
(C) prepare prospective readers for a challenging but stimulating ride.
(D) entice readers with the promise of an unusual experience.
(E) argue that contradictions in the book don’t impede understanding it.
22. Which of the following best describes the rhetorical effect of the writer’s frequent use of “if . . . then” sentence construction, as in lines 22, 30, et al.?
(A) It heightens the validity of the conclusions drawn by the writer.
(B) It enhances the unity of the passage.
(C) It uses the text of the passage to echo Walden’s theme, an alternate lifestyle.
(D) It reflects the conviction and sincerity of the writer.
(E) It transforms the writer’s opinions into facts.
23. Which of the following excerpts does the writer use specifically to support an assertion made early in the passage that readers of Walden should be young?
(A) “it advances a good argument for traveling light” (lines 19–20)
(B) “it steadfastly refuses to record bad news” (lines 21–22)
(C) “to see what kind of chips he leaves before listening to the sound of his own voice” (lines 25–26)
(D) “his shots ricochet and nick him on the rebound” (line 45)
(E) “not to draw the attention of others to him but rather to draw his own attention more closely to himself” (lines 51–52)
24. The writer’s purpose in the last paragraph (lines 50–58) can best be described as an effort to
(A) vicariously relive his experience reading Walden.
(B) inform his audience that Thoreau’s initial motives for telling the story of his life in the woods changed over time.
(C) express gratitude to Thoreau for writing an autobiographical story.
(D) inspire his audience to read Walden because long ago it had life-altering effects on him.
(E) advise young readers that Walden offers wise counsel to help them overcome self-doubt.
DIRECTIONS: Questions 25–32. Carefully read the following passage and answer the accompanying questions.
The passage below is a draft.
Passage 3
(1) For an artist to achieve the highest position in the history of human culture, they must have a number of circumstances going their way. (2) It must be a significant moment in cultural history and in the development of the craft. (3) Ludwig van Beethoven was born into a family of professional musicians in Bonn in the Rhineland. (4) He learned the rudiments of (5)music from his father and was later taught by the best musicians in the court. (5) From the first, his genius impressed all with whom he came in contact.
(6) The first decade of his career was characterized by youthful exuberance, by a proud consciousness of his own powers. (7) Then, just as he was beginning to realize his ambitions, fate struck a staggering blow. (8) He, who had been hailed as the most promising (10)musician of his time, began to lose his hearing.
(9) Fifty-seven years later, as a crusty old bachelor, so deaf he couldn’t hear his own music played by a full orchestra, yet still able to hear thunder, he shook his fist at the roaring heavens for the last time and died. (10) He died as he had lived, challenging God and defying the universe. (11) He was Defiance Incarnate. (12) For instance, encountering a (15)Grand Duke and his court in public, his hat was jammed down on his head while striding through the aristocratic entourage. (13) He had the manners of a disobliging steamroller (most steamrollers are abjectly obliging and conciliatory); and he was rather less particular about his dress than a scarecrow. (14) In fact, he was once arrested as a tramp because the police authorities refused to believe that such a tatterdemalion could be a famous composer, much less a temple of the most turbulent spirit that ever walked the streets of Vienna, Europe’s musical capital.
(15) Beethoven was only nineteen when the French Revolution electrified Europe. (16) That event aroused visions of liberty, fraternity and equality that he carried with him for the rest of his life. (17) It struck at the heart of the established order. (18) Young Beethoven, a (25)rebel by temperament, became one of thousands all over Europe to whom revolutionary stirrings held out the promise of a new order. (19) He adopted as his motto the thoroughly republican sentiment, “Freedom above all!”
(20) That Beethoven’s spirit was turbulent is beyond question. (21) The impetuous fury of his strength, which he could quite easily contain and control but often would not, goes (30)beyond anything of the kind to be found in the works of other composers. (22) No other composer has ever melted his hearers into complete sentimentality by the tender beauty of his music, comprised of serene and memorable themes and motifs that are typically Beethovian. (23) Nobody but Beethoven could govern Beethoven; and when, as it happened when the fit was on him, he deliberately refused to govern himself.
25. In order to begin the passage with a standard English sentence that is both related to the text and accords with the writing style and tone of the passage that follows, which of the following would be the best replacement for the underlined section of sentence 1 (reproduced below)?
For an artist to achieve the highest position in the history of human culture, they must have a number of circumstances going their way.
(A) circumstances should be lined up
(B) they should have circumstances in their corner
(C) a number of circumstances must coincide
(D) the circumstances for him or her must be right
(E) similar circumstances and conditions should prevail
26. The writer wants an effective transition between sentences 2 and 3 (reproduced below)—that is, between the opening of the passage and the introduction of the person who’ll be the focus of the passage.
(2) It must be a significant moment in cultural history and in the development of the craft. (3) Ludwig van Beethoven was born into a family of musicians in Bonn in the Rhineland.
Which of the following best achieves that purpose?
(A) Prayers were answered precisely during the heyday of two famous classical composers, Haydn and Mozart.
(B) Somebody appeared in the history of music at precisely the right time.
(C) At the time there were several candidates.
(D) These conditions were ideally filled with the arrival of an Olympian figure in musical history.
(E) It seems that the circumstances were outstanding at this significant moment.
27. In sentence 14 (reproduced below), which of the following versions of the underlined text coincides with the writer’s portrait of Beethoven?
In fact, he was once arrested as a tramp because the police authorities refused to believe that such a tatterdemalion could be a famous composer, much less a temple of the most turbulent spirit that ever walked the streets of Vienna, Europe’s musical capital.
(A) (no change)
(B) believed that every man must be the master of his own fate
(C) suffered through childhood with an overbearing alcoholic father
(D) found expression in pure sound
(E) acquired numerous musical jobs, among them, an assistant organist in a chapel
28. The writer wants to add emphasis to the claim made in sentence 11 (reproduced below), adjusting capitalization as necessary, to give greater credence to the evidence that follows.
He was Defiance Incarnate.
Which of the following best achieves that goal?
(A) Yes, he definitely was Defiance Incarnate.
(B) Unquestionably, he was Defiance Incarnate.
(C) Was he Defiance Incarnate? Absolutely!
(D) Indeed, he was often referred to as “Defiance Incarnate.”
(E) Everybody used to call him Defiance Incarnate.
29. To back up the claim made in sentence 11, the writer wants to revise sentence 12 (reproduced below) by providing a pertinent anecdote.
For instance, encountering the Grand Duke and his court in public, his hat was pulled down over his ears while striding through the aristocratic entourage.
Which of the following versions of sentence 12 best serves the purpose?
(A) (no change)
(B) To prove the point, his hat was defiantly pulled down over his ears one day when he strode through the aristocratic Grand Duke and his court after meeting them in the street one day.
(C) One day, for example, he encountered the Grand Duke and his court in the street. Not only didn’t he step aside, he pulled his hat down over his ears and strode right through the middle of the entourage.
(D) One day, to cite a for instance, Beethoven encountered the Grand Duke and his aristocrat court in public. Defiantly, then, he strode through the entourage and pulled down his hat to cover his ears.
(E) One day, the Grand Duke and his court encountered Beethoven in public. Defiantly, he pulled his hat over his ears and strode directly through the aristocratic entourage.
30. The writer is thinking about adding the following sentence to the fourth paragraph (sentences 15–19) to provide more information about Beethoven’s life.
Although Vienna was a far cry from Paris, no place is wholly insulated against time.
Where would the sentence best be placed?
(A) (leave it out)
(B) Before sentence 15
(C) After sentence 15
(D) After sentence 16
(E) After sentence 17
31. In sentence 22 (reproduced below) the writer wants to provide a convincing detail to illustrate Beethoven’s impetuosity.
No other composer has ever melted his hearers into complete sentimentality by the tender beauty of his music, comprised of serene and memorable themes and motifs that are typically Beethovian.
Which version of the underlined text accomplishes this goal?
(A) (as it is now)
(B) exploiting various sounds created by instruments that had been used since the Renaissance
(C) regularly employing traditional tempos and rhythms for both soloists and the string and brass sections of the orchestra
(D) and then suddenly turned on them and mocked them with derisive trumpet blasts for being such fools
(E) often writing musical passages that have become instantaneously recognizable by classical music devotees
32. The writer wants to end with a thought that brings closure to the passage and also reflects its content. Which of the following best accomplishes that goal?
(A) That’s the way most geniuses are.
(B) Naturally, he didn’t follow this pattern in every sonata, quartet, concerto, and symphony he wrote.
(C) Meanwhile, however, he made musical history.
(D) You might say that the world is a better place because of that.
(E) He was ungovernable.
DIRECTIONS: Questions 33–39. Carefully read the following passage and answer the accompanying questions.
The passage is the first draft of a speech to be delivered at a conference of state and local highway safety officials in 1954, when the construction of America’s interstate highway system was being planned.
Passage 4
Good morning, ladies and gentlemen:
(1) A privilege accorded me is that of coming to this meeting in order to extend to each and every one of you a sincere welcome on behalf of the Government of the United States. (2) The purpose of our meeting is one that is essentially local or community-based. (3) But when any particular activity in the United States takes 38,000 American lives in one year, it is transformed (5)like a national problem of the first importance.
(4) I refer, of course, to the horrific annual death toll on our nation’s streets and highways. (5) This conference has been called, and you have heeded the call with an understanding between us that this is not merely a local and community problem. (6) It is a problem for all of us, from the highest to the lowest echelon of government and for every citizen of our great (10)land. (7) Studies of traffic fatalities contain startling statistics, among them one that seems especially dire: (8) During the past fifty years, traffic accidents killed more people than wars.
(9) We have organizations and laws that presumably work effectively to promote safety on the road—or at least try to minimize the danger. (10) But you will probably agree, in view of the loss of lives, the bodily harm, and the incalculable suffering of victims and their survivors, (15)we haven’t done enough. (11) Obviously, it is now a long-standing problem which by its nature has no easy solutions.
(12) The building of the biggest infrastructure project in American history, the proposed interstate highway system, will not only improve driving safety, but will also be of huge benefit to the United States economy. (13) Throughout the country, road-building companies (20)are already starting to hire thousands of workers.
(14) Best of all, however, it will save lives because safety is of primary importance. (15) The roadways will be smooth and wide, with landscaped dividers separating lanes of opposing traffic. (16) There will be limited access. (17) In rural areas, entrances and exits may be dozens or more miles apart. (18) Imagine, too, that you and your family might drive from (25)Maine to Florida or from New Jersey to Texas, and never meet a stop light.
(19) Of course all of us recognize that the reality of this idealized vision is still years away. (20) After today’s meeting, most of us will get into our cars, pull out of the parking lot and face the driving hazards and hardships of today. (21) Yet each one of you can contribute something to traffic safety in your community, whether you are driving a car or crossing (30)the street.
(22) Everyone starts learning basic safety skills and attitudes from their families. (23) Children are taught to look both ways, a habit that lasts a lifetime. (24) After all, safety is an essential part of parenting, and family roles help permanently to shape people’s lives. (25) I do believe, as is often said, that “It takes a village . . . .” In other words, both families and communities (35)can foster not only safe driving habits but also pedestrian awareness. (26) Organized community groups command respect and thereby win the support of everyone who values public safety. (27) Public opinion will do the rest.
33. The speaker wants to greet the audience (sentence 1, reproduced below) in a cordial, concise, business-like manner.
A privilege accorded me is that of coming to this meeting in order to extend to each and every one of you a sincere and cordial welcome on behalf of the Government of the United States.
Which of the following versions best achieves that purpose?
(A) (as it is)
(B) It is a high honor and distinct personal privilege to welcome you here this morning on behalf of the government of the United States.
(C) Hello and welcome. Thanks a lot for accepting your government’s invitation to this conference. We really appreciate you being here today.
(D) You have come from all corners of America to be here today. When you go back home, I hope you’ll feel so very, very thrilled that you had come here to this meeting.
(E) I am happy to see you here today and thank you, on behalf of our government, for coming to this important conference.
34. The purpose of sentences 2 and 3 (reproduced below) is to justify the convening of the conference.
(2) The purpose of our meeting is one that is essentially local or community-based. (3) But when any particular activity in the United States takes 38,000 American lives in one year, it is transformed like a national problem of the first importance.
Which of the following versions of the underlined section does that most effectively?
(A) (as it is)
(B) the priority about how to resolve it needs a change
(C) its character changes it into a first-rate national problem
(D) the results are being felt across the country
(E) it becomes a nation-wide concern
35. The speaker wants to add a word or phrase at the start of sentence 5 (reproduced below), adjusting for capitalization as needed, to set up a cause-and-effect relationship with the idea in sentence 4.
This conference has been called, and you have heeded the call with an understanding between us that it is not merely a local and community problem.
Which of the following best achieves this goal?
(A) For this purpose only,
(B) In the interests of halting the carnage,
(C) Between us,
(D) Consequently,
(E) To support the government’s cause,
36. While reading this draft, the writer thinks that the meaning of sentence 8 (reproduced below) may be misunderstood or misinterpreted.
During the past fifty years, traffic accidents killed more people than wars.
Which of the following versions of the underlined text would solve that problem?
(A) (as it is)
(B) wars had killed fewer people than traffic accidents.
(C) the chances of dying in traffic accidents are greater than those in war.
(D) deaths in traffic accidents outnumbered deaths in war.
(E) more deaths occur in traffic accidents than occur in war.
37. Between the third and fourth paragraphs—i.e., between sentences 11 and 12 (reproduced below)—the writer, for the sake of coherence, wants to add a sentence with two functions: first, to serve as a transition between paragraphs and, second, also to introduce the topic of the new paragraph.
(11) Obviously, it is now a long-standing problem which by its nature has no easy solutions.
(12) The building of the biggest infrastructure in American history, the proposed interstate highway system, will not only improve driving safety, but will also be of huge benefit to the United States economy.
Which of the following best serves that purpose?
(A) No sensible person can honestly say, well, all we need are more traffic cops, more traffic lights, safer cars, and tougher licensing requirements.
(B) However, under the leadership of our president, this bleak picture will soon begin brightening.
(C) But the U.S., the most resourceful country on earth, ten years ago led the world into the Atomic Age and ended World War II.
(D) At this time in our history, such a dilemma is positively archaic, and we have no choice but to deal with it intelligently.
(E) The time is ripe for government officials to sit down with auto-industry manufacturers and unions and do something about it.
38. In sentence 13 (reproduced below), the writer wants to provide a convincing argument why the new road system will be an economic boon to the country.
Throughout the country, road-building companies are already starting to hire thousands of workers.
Which version of the underlined text best accomplishes this goal?
(A) (as it is)
(B) people with city jobs will no longer have to live in the city.
(C) as more people drive, automobiles will come with many more built-in safety features and lower gas prices.
(D) tourists will stop along the highway to buy gas, have picnics, and see the sights.
(E) the system will allow people to cross long stretches of countryside in a hurry.
39. The writer wants to add the following sentence to the last paragraph (sentences 22–27).
Teens, sometimes reluctantly, emulate their parents’ safety habits.
Where would the sentence best be placed?
(A) (leave it out)
(B) Before sentence 23
(C) After sentence 23
(D) After sentence 24
(E) After sentence 25
DIRECTIONS: Questions 40–45. Carefully read the following passage and answer the accompanying questions.
The passage is a draft of an op-ed piece that the writer wants published in a local newspaper.
Passage 5
(1) What a relief it was six years ago, to be promoted to work in the office of the superintendent after a decade grappling with fifth-graders as a classroom teacher. (2) For the first time I got the opportunity to do something about educational issues from pre-K to 12th grade that had long plagued our district.
(5)(3) Over time, I observed changes that adversely affected the level of education in our schools. (4) I had seen them, been part of them—and above all grew tired of them. (5) But as the superintendent, I am super-confident that we—meaning you the citizens of Springhill, and we, the staff of our schools—are up to the task of raising the standards we hold dear.
(6) I don’t question for a moment why I wanted this responsibility, even as I’m tasked (10)with making budget reductions even while the district is so under-resourced. (7) I love this community deeply, and I’m inspired daily by educators’ dedication and our children. (8) I know our district has had its challenges. (9) But I also know that we’re ready to re-write the story.
(11) It’s time we finally address these issues; from systemic financial challenges and (15)under-enrollment, to teacher retention and quality schools across Springhill. (12) I’m committed to fundamentally changing how the district does business, and ready for every opportunity to rethink and reallocate where we spend money for Springhill’s students. (13) Change will be difficult, but the outcome makes it imperative: high-quality community schools in every neighborhood!
(20)(14) Our ability to invest more in our schools is on the horizon. (15) Looking at the overall picture of the future, the bottom line that lies ahead will require a series of re-arrangements of school configurations. (16) Such changes can be expansions to larger facilities. (17) Closures that will de-inventory some of the district’s present-day existing buildings. (18) Last but not least, consolidations to be rolled out more or less about five years down the (25)road.
(19) It will be tough, painful work, but by making difficult decisions now, we will create conditions that will better serve our children long into the future. (20) If we don’t make these changes, we run the risk of the state taking control of our schools, an action that could have dire consequences. (21) I believe from the bottom of my heart that it’s possible to serve (30)all students and I am ready to set the trajectory to secure this future for our children. (22) To make this happen, we need to make sure and guarantee that every school is adequately staffed and has sufficient resources. (23) Above all, we must have high-quality teachers, administrators and support personnel whom we compensate competitively. (24) A faction in the community strongly opposes regular pay increases, asserting that annual salaries are (35)already too high for a ten-month job that includes weeks of vacation time.
(25) Being the superintendent is not a one-person show, so I invite the community to the table for this dialogue. (26) Please reach out to me if you’d like to be part of the solution for the future of Springhill’s schools. (27) I work for you, and I am listening.
40. Which of the following sentences, if placed before sentence 1, would capture the interest of readers and provide an effective introduction to the topic of the passage?
(A) As a parent myself, I’m interested in making our schools as good as they can be.
(B) Now, in my sixth year as superintendent of Springhill’s schools, you probably want to know our plans for the future.
(C) When I became superintendent of the Springhill School District, it was a dream come true, even though I knew the road ahead would be tough.
(D) I was born and raised in Springhill, where I attended school from K to 12.
(E) The urge to be a school superintendent is like having an itch so annoying you’ve got to scratch it.
41. After sentence 3, the writer wants to cite a symptom of the district’s educational decline. Which of the following would best achieve that goal?
(A) Twelfth graders graduating from high school got accepted more at state institutions than at private and prestigious ones.
(B) Greater college acceptances occurred from state institutions than from prestigious, private ones.
(C) Prestigious private institutions accepted fewer seniors than did state universities and colleges.
(D) In the past, 80 to 90 percent of our Honor Society seniors were accepted at prestigious private colleges; this year the percentage fell to 60.
(E) Applicants to state colleges and universities received acceptances larger in quantities than prestigious, private institutions.
42. The writer is concerned about the ambiguity of sentence 9 (reproduced below).
But I also know that we’re ready to re-write the story.
In the context, which of the following interpretations best articulates and is also most consistent with the main point of the passage?
(A) (leave it as it is)
(B) Nevertheless, it’s time to go where our district has never gone before.
(C) But let us not forget the past while planning for the future.
(D) However, we can use lessons of the past to plan the future.
(E) But don’t dwell on the past; instead, focus on the future.
43. The writer thinks that sentences 15–18 (reproduced below) form a vague, longwinded, jargon-filled, hard-to-follow statement.
(15) Looking at the overall picture of the future, the bottom line that lies ahead will require a series of re-arrangements of school configurations. (16) Such changes can be expansions to larger facilities. (17) Closures that will de-inventory some of the district’s present-day existing buildings. (18) Last but not least, consolidations to be rolled out more or less about five years down the road.
In the context, which of the following versions best eliminates the writer’s concerns and also supports the basic meaning of the passage?
(A) To meet the demands of the next five years, the district must expand, combine, and eliminate some of its facilities.
(B) Looking five years into the future, some of the district’s buildings will require expansion, elimination, or re-configuration.
(C) Planning for the next five years must include re-configuring the district’s facilities by expanding, eliminating, or re-configuring some of them.
(D) The meeting of demands during the next five years necessitates that some district buildings will be required to being expanded, eliminated, or re-configured.
(E) Within the next five years’ time, some district buildings must undergo expansion, elimination, or re-configuration to meet future demands.
44. At the end of sentence 20 (reproduced below) the writer wants to provide a persuasive argument for avoiding a state takeover of the schools.
If we don’t make these changes, we run the risk of the state taking control of our schools, an action that could have dire consequences.
Which version of the underlined text best accomplishes this goal?
(A) a condition that would force the district to abandon plans to reduce class sizes and expand after-school tutorial and enrichment programs.
(B) a step that will encourage the growth and expansion of charter schools.
(C) an action that is very damaging to democracy in our district.
(D) a move that is likely to cause discontent and conflict in our school community.
(E) a policy that nullifies laws saying and guaranteeing every child the right to a free education.
45. The writer wants to rebut the claim alleged in sentence 24 that teachers are overpaid. Which one of the following ideas would be least effective in achieving this purpose?
(A) Reading a letter of gratitude from the parent of a child who received after-school help in writing a college application essay from her English teacher
(B) A personal anecdote about having been a teacher and buying classroom supplies because of the school’s limited budget
(C) Citing statistics about the hours that teachers spend commuting because they can’t afford to live in the district
(D) A description of a third-grade class in which nine of thirty-two children speak languages other than English at home
(E) Explaining that a third of the district’s teachers are paying off student loans
Section II
Three Essay Questions
TIME: 2 HOURS AND 15 MINUTES
Write your essays on standard 8½” × 11” composition paper. At the exam you will be given a bound booklet containing 12 lined pages.
Essay Question 1
Essay Question 2
SUGGESTED TIME: 40 MINUTES
(This question counts as one-third of the total score for Section II.)
I know a number of you have been curious about what it’s like over here, so we are going to take a small mental voyage. First off, we are going to prepare our living area. Go to your vacuum, open the canister, and pour it all over you, your bed, clothing, and your personal effects. Now roll in it until it’s in your eyes, nose, ears, hair, and . . . well, you get (5)the picture. You know it’s just perfect when you slap your chest and cough from the dust cloud you kicked up. And so, there is no escape, trust me. You just get used to it.
OK, pitch a tent in your driveway, and mark off an area inside it along one wall about six feet by eight feet (including your bed). Now pack everything you need to live for four months—without Wal-Mart—and move in. Tear down the three walls of your tent seen from (10)the street and you have about as much privacy as I have.
If you really want to make this accurate, bring in a kennel full of pugs; the smell, snoring, and social graces will be just like living with my nine tentmates. Also, you must never speak above a whisper because at all times at least four of your tentmates will be sleeping. That’s where the flashlight comes in handy; you are going to use it to navigate a pitch-dark tent, (15)24 hours a day.
Time for hygiene. Walk to the nearest bathroom. In my case, it’s a thousand-foot trudge over loose gravel. Ever stagger to the john at 0400? Try it in a frozen rock garden. Given the urges that woke you at this hour, taking the time to put on your thermals and jacket might not be foremost in your mind. But halfway there, it’s too late. So dress warmly. It gets (20)really freakin’ cold here at night.
I don’t even feel like talking about the latrine experience. All I have to say is that, after the first time, I went back to the tent and felt like either crying or lighting myself on fire to remove the filth.
Essay Question 3
SUGGESTED TIME: 40 MINUTES
(This question counts as one-third of the total score for Section II.)
It’s human nature to plan, dream, and think about the future. In fact, most students go to school and college with the presumption that they are being prepared for what lies ahead. On the other hand, some people think it’s foolish and wasteful to be anything but wary about the future because our vision is limited, and unexpected events and conditions will inevitably cause us to be disappointed. Such people prefer to live for the present, to make the most of what exists here and now and to avoid wasting time with concerns about uncontrollable things to come. In your opinion, is it more worthwhile to concentrate on the present or use our energies to shape our future?
