TEST PREPARATION RESOURCE FOR OKLAHOMA PRIORITY ACADEMIC STUDENT SKILLS (PASS)

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Cover Credits Cover Designer: C. Vern Johnson Gas [Detail], 1940. Edward Hopper. Last of the Buffalo [Detail], 1889. Albert Bierstadt. His Hammer in His Hand [Detail], from the John Henry Series, 1944–7. Palmer Hayden.

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Printed in the United States of America. 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 XXX 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 Contents

Test-Taking Skills Practice Worksheets ...... 1 Preparing for Tests ...... 1 Strategies for Taking Standardized Tests ...... 2 Taking Objective Tests ...... 3 Reading Comprehension Questions ...... 4 Reading 1 from “On the Road with Grandpa” by Neil Hebbert ...... 5 Reading 2 “The Fox and the Crow” by Æesop ...... 6 Reading 3 from “Mozart, My Hero” by Niko Tsubota ...... 7 Reading 4 “Birches” by Robert Frost ...... 8 Reading 5 from “Researching Harper Lee Online” by Minna Brown ...... 10 Reading 6 from “The Gift of the Magi” by O. Henry ...... 11 Reading 7 from “The Not-So-Great Debate” by Kristy Cady ...... 13 Reading 8 from The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare ...... 15 Reading 9 from “Why Classes Separated by Gender Do Not Work” by Rachel Cobb ...... 17 Reading 10 from “An Encounter with an Interviewer” by Mark Twain ...... 18 Reading 11 from “Mess Your Way to Success” by Sarah Richards ...... 20 Reading 12 from “The Grass” by Marjory Stoneman Douglas ...... 21 Reading 13 from “Drawing Together in a Smaller World” by Ariana Sarar ...... 23 Reading 14 “I’m Nobody! Who are you?” by Emily Dickinson ...... 24 Reading 15 from “Where Do I Want My Talents to Take Me?” by Neil Rosen ...... 25 Reading 16 “Overcoming the Odds” ...... 26 Reading 17 from “What’s for Dinner?” by Heath Brinker ...... 28 Reading 18 “A Poison Tree” by William ...... 30 Reading 19 from “Crazy Quilt” by Roger Jansky ...... 31 Reading 20 “The Courage That My Mother Had” by Edna St. Vincent Millay ...... 33 Reading 21 from “Live for Tomorrow” by Cheryl Mackrory ...... 34 Reading 22 “Edith Wharton” ...... 35 Reading 23 from “The Clone Basketball Game” ...... 36 Reading 24 from “Nightmare Number Three” by Stephen Vincent Benét ...... 38 Test Preparation Resources ...... 40 Answer Key ...... 42

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Name______Class______Date ______Test–Taking Skills Practice Worksheets

PREPARING FOR TESTS Tests are a common part of school life. These guidelines will help you prepare for and take a test.

TEST-TAKING TIPS

Preparing for a Test Taking a Test

• Know what you will be tested on. •Quickly preview the test to note the number and types of questions. •Make a study plan to allow enough time to go over the material. • Read directions and questions carefully.

•Make lists of important points and ask some- • Allow extra time for long-answer questions. one to quiz you on them. Skip questions that seem difficult and go back to them later. •Try to predict questions that may be on the test and practice answering them. • Review your work before submitting it.

•Get plenty of sleep the before and eat a healthy breakfast.

EXERCISE

Test-Taking Strategies Write a brief response to each set of suggestions above. Do you use these strategies now? Which would help you most on your next test?

1. Preparing for a test

2. Taking a test

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STRATEGIES FOR TAKING STANDARDIZED TESTS A standardized test measures overall ability, or achievement over a period of time. On standardized tests, answers are recorded in a special format because they are scored by computer. You mark your answers on a separate answer sheet by blacking in a small circle under the option you have chosen. The computer then scans these marks to record the number of correct answers. To make sure your answers are scanned accurately, be sure to fill in all circles solidly.

•When selecting answers on a standardized test, keep these points in mind: • If you do not know the answer, try to rule out some choices and then guess from those remaining. • If a question seems too difficult, skip it and go back to it later. Keep in mind, though, that most tests allow you to go back only to questions within a section.

EXERCISE

Taking Standardized Tests Read, or reread, the section “Figurative Language” on page 18 of your textbook. Then fill in the circle that corresponds to the best answer to each question.

1. A synonym for hyperbole is ______. A B C D a. understatement b. exaggeration c. alliteration d. comparison 2. Saying “the White House” when you mean the president of the United States is an example of ______. A B C D a. metaphor b. personification c. synecdoche d. metonymy 3. Synaesthesia, metaphor, and hyperbole are all examples of ______. A B C D a. persuasive techniques b. rhetorical techniques c. figurative language d. literal language 4. Which line or lines from “Elegy for Jane” by Theodore Roethke on page 781 of your textbook contain a simile? A B C D a. “I remember the neckcurls, limp and damp as tendrils.” b. “And she balanced in the delight of her thought, / A wren, happy, tail into the wind.” c. “The sides of wet stones cannot console me.” d. “The shade sang with her.”

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TAKING OBJECTIVE TESTS The questions on objective tests have a single correct answer. Two common kinds of objective-test ques- tions are true/false and multiple-choice. The guidelines below can help you answer these kinds of questions effectively.

TIPS FOR ANSWERING OBJECTIVE-TEST QUESTIONS

True/False Words like all and never often appear in false statements. Words like most and often frequently appear in true statements. If any part of a statement is false, then the statement is false. Multiple-Choice Read all choices first. Rule out incorrect answers; then chose the answer that is most accurate or complete. Pay special attention to choices such as none of the above or all of the above.

EXERCISE

Answering Objective-Test Questions Turn to page 520 of your textbook and read “About the Author” and “About the Selections,” which introduce the poet Wallace Stevens. Then answer each set of questions.

True/False. Note whether each statement is true or false.

1. Wallace Stevens never held a regular job.

2. Stevens maintained contact with certain well-known poets.

3. Stevens wrote poems in high school and published his first book of poetry before graduating.

4. Stevens’s poetry was published in the first half of the twentieth century.

Multiple-Choice. Choose the best answer to complete each statement.

5. Stevens spent most of his life in ______. a. Albuquerque, New Mexico b. New York City c. Hartford, Connecticut d. Reading, Pennsylvania

6. Both selections by Stevens treat the relationship of ______. a. weather and mood b. work and art c. perception and imagination d. animals and humans © EMC EXPERIENCING LITERATURE TEST PREPARATION RESOURCE 3 Name______Class______Date ______

READING COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS Reading comprehension questions ask you to read a short piece of writing and answer several questions about it. To answer reading comprehension questions, follow these steps:

1. Read through all the questions quickly. 2. Read the passage with the questions in mind. 3. Reread the first question carefully. 4. Scan the passage to look for key words related to the question. When you find a key word, slow down and read carefully. 5. Answer the question. 6. Repeat this process to answer the rest of the questions.

EXERCISE

Answering Reading Comprehension Questions Select the best answer to the questions that follow this excerpt from the second inaugural address of Abraham Lincoln (on page 386 of your textbook). On the occasion corresponding to this four years ago, all thoughts were anxiously directed to an impending civil war. . . . One eighth of the whole population were colored slaves, not distributed generally over the Union, but localized in the Southern part of it. These slaves constituted a peculiar and powerful interest. All knew that this interest was, somehow, the cause of the war. . . . Neither party expected for the war, the magnitude, or the duration, which it has already attained. . . . Fondly do we hope—fervently do we pray—that this mighty scourge of war may speedily pass away. . . . With malice toward none; with charity for all; with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind up the nation’s wounds; to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan––to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace, among ourselves, and with all nations.

1. According to Lincoln, what was the cause of the war? a. states’ rights b. the interests of slaves c. a quest for territory d. an assassination

2. What is Lincoln’s overall goal as president for his second term? a. to pray for an end to the war b. to show malice toward none c. to achieve a just and lasting peace d. to free the slaves

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READING 1

DIRECTIONS Read the passage below. Then read each question that follows the passage. Decide which is the best answer to each question. Mark the letter for that answer.

from “On the Road with Grandpa” by Neil Hebbert My grandfather, Dennis Neil August Johnson, was born in 1910. (A) Recently, he recalled his trip to the West Coast in the summer of 1924. At that time he was thirteen, almost fourteen, and had five siblings, soon to be six. (B) Grandpa Dennis’s father, Sam Johnson, had been suffering from ulcers: making it difficult for him to farm his land just north of Sioux Falls, South Dakota. So Sam and his wife Ovida decided to take a trip. They sold much of their stock and machinery, but kept their car, a 1922 Buick open tour- ing car with wooden wheels. The family of eight packed up the Buick and started on their journey. “It was an adventure from the moment we left the farm,” Grandpa said. The family traveled due west toward Wyoming on graveled roads in South Dakota that didn’t even have guardrails. The small town of Presho, South Dakota, 213 miles west of Sioux Falls, was the first campsite on the journey. They camped out in their car for the whole trip. (C) When it rained they put up curtains to keep rain out and the family dry and comfortable. Three of Dennis’s sisters slept together in the back seat, his brother Astor on the front seat, Dennis and his sister Doris each on a cot, and the parents on a double cot. Grandpa said, “We mostly ate fried foods, siphoning gas from the Buick for our stove. It wasn’t the smartest idea in the world because it wasn’t very safe, but we did- n’t think about that at the time.”

1. What is the best change, if any, to make to the sentence marked A? A. Change his to him. B. Change West Coast to west coast. C. Change summer to Summer. D. Make no change.

2. What is the best change, if any, to make to the sentence marked B? A. Change ulcers: making to ulcers, making B. Change ulcers: making to ulcers—making C. Change ulcers: making to ulcers making D. Make no change.

3. What is the best change, if any, to make to the sentence marked C? A. Change they to they’re. B. Add a comma after rained. C. Add a comma after dry. D. Make no change.

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READING 2

DIRECTIONS Read the passage below. Then read each question that follows the passage. Decide which is the best answer to each question. Mark the letter for that answer.

“The Fox and the Crow” by Æsop

A Fox once saw a Crow fly off with a piece of cheese in its beak and settle on a branch of a tree. “That’s for me, as I am a Fox,” said Master Reynard, and he walked up to the foot of the tree. “Good day, Mistress Crow,” he cried. “How well you are looking today: how glossy your feathers; how bright your eye. I feel sure your voice must surpass that of other birds, just as your figure does; let me hear but one song from you that I may greet you as the Queen of Birds.” The Crow lifted up her head and began to caw her best, but the moment she opened her mouth the piece of cheese fell to the ground, only to be snapped up by Master Fox. “That will do,” said he. “That was all I wanted. In exchange for your cheese I will give you a piece of advice for the future— “Do not trust flatterers.”

1. This selection is written in the form of a A. tall tale B. fable C. spiritual D. proverb

2. The most likely reason the Crow doesn’t realize that she is going to lose the cheese is that she is A. afraid of the fox B. thinking about other birds C. attracted to the fox D. pleased at being asked to sing

3. Which of the following words best describes the fox’s character? A. vicious B. strange C. evil D. crafty

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READING 3

DIRECTIONS Read the passage below. Then read each question that follows the passage. Decide which is the best answer to each question. Mark the letter for that answer.

from “Mozart, My Hero” by Niko Tsubota A hero is someone that you look up to, not just because of what he or she has accomplished, but because he inspires you to accomplish things. (A) Because of this definition of a hero I chose to write about one of my heroes, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Mozart is a hero to me because whenever I lis- ten to one of his many piano pieces or symphonies it inspires me to do my best in practicing and per- forming. Mozart was a very smart person, a child prodigy and genius. He was born in Salzburg, Austria, in 1756. (B) Before he was even four years old he already show his talents for memory and ear-sophisti- cation. When his father realized that Mozart had a talent for music he signed him up for harpsichord lessons. A harpsichord is an old instrument, like a piano, but it has a raspy sound and fewer keys. Mozart quickly mastered it. Mozart started to compose music when he was six years old and toured Vienna at this age with his piano pieces. Mozart started to write operas in his teens. (C) His first opera, Mitridate, is performed when he was only fourteen! Critics compared him to Handel, another famous composer of those days, even at such a young age (Scime). Though Mozart had a short life he completed many amazing works. He composed over 600 different musical works; 21 stage and operas, over 50 symphonies, 25 piano concertos, 12 violin concertos, 17 piano sonatas, 26 string quartets, and many others (Chew).

1. What is the best change, if any, to make to the sentence marked A? A. Change this to these. B. Change hero I to hero, I. C. Change heroes to heros. D. Make no change.

2. What is the best change, if any, to make to the sentence marked B? A Change was to were. B Change show to showed. C Change his to him. D Make no change.

3. What is the best change, if any, to make to the sentence marked C? A. Change opera to Opera. B. Delete the comma after Mitridate. C. Change is to was. D. Make no change.

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READING 4

DIRECTIONS Read the passage below. Then read each question that follows the passage. Decide which is the best answer to each question. Mark the letter for that answer.

“Birches” by Robert Frost

When I see birches bend to left and right Across the lines of straighter darker trees, I like to think some boy’s been swinging them. But swinging doesn’t bend them down to stay

As ice storms do. Often you must have seen them Loaded with ice a sunny winter morning After a rain. They click upon themselves As the breeze rises, and turns many-colored As the stir cracks and crazes their enamel.

Soon the sun’s warmth makes them shed crystal shells Shattering and avalanching on the snow crust— Such heaps of broken glass to sweep away You’d think the inner dome of heaven had fallen. They are dragged to the withered bracken by the load,

And they seem not to break; though once they are bowed So low for long, they never right themselves: You may see their trunks arching in the woods Years afterwards, trailing their leaves on the ground Like girls on hands and knees that throw their hair

Before them over their heads to dry in the sun. But I was going to say when Truth broke in With all her matter of fact about the ice storm, I should prefer to have some boy bend them As he went out and in to fetch the cows—

Some boy too far from town to learn baseball, Whose only play was what he found himself, Summer or winter, and could play alone. One by one he subdued his father’s trees By riding them down over and over again

Until he took the stiffness out of them, And not one but hung limp, not one was left For him to conquer. He learned all there was To learn about not launching out too soon And so not carrying the tree away

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Clear to the ground. He always kept his poise To the top branches, climbing carefully With the same pains you use to fill a cup Up to the brim, and even above the brim. Then he flung outward, feet first, with a swish,

Kicking his way down through the air to the ground. So was I once myself a swinger of birches. And so I dream of going back to be. It’s when I’m weary of considerations, And life is too much like a pathless wood

Where your face burns and tickles with the cobwebs Broken across it, and one eye is weeping From a twig’s having lashed across it open. I’d like to get away from earth awhile And then come back to it and begin over.

May no fate willfully misunderstand me And half grant what I wish and snatch me away Not to return. Earth’s the right place for love: I don’t know where it’s likely to go better. I’d like to go by climbing a birch tree,

And climb black branches up a snow-white trunk Toward heaven, till the tree could bear no more, But dipped its top and set me down again. That would be good both going and coming back. One could do worse than be a swinger of birches.

1. Which of the following is an example of simile? A. Often you must have seen them / Loaded with ice B. Some boy too far from town to learn baseball C. And life is too much like a pathless wood D. I’d like to go by climbing a birch tree

2. The speaker dreams of A. going back to be a swinger of birches B. climbing the tallest birch tree she or he can find C. building a shelter out of birch trees D. writing a poem about birch trees

3. The overall tone of this passage is A. nervous and confused B. nostalgic and sentimental C. fearful and anxious D. serious and critical

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READING 5

DIRECTIONS Read the passage below. Then read each question that follows the passage. Decide which is the best answer to each question. Mark the letter for that answer.

from “Researching Harper Lee Online” by Minna Brown (A) One author who work I really like is Harper Lee. Like so many others who read the book, I thought To Kill A Mockingbird was a real page-turner. Naturally, I would like to know more about her and other things she may have written. I did a web site search and found two that seemed reliable: “To Kill A Mockingbird and Harper Lee” at http://www.chebucto.ns.ca/culture/harperlee/index.html and “Harper Lee” at http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/harperle.htm. It didn’t take me long to realize I favored the first one over the second. The first site, “To Kill A Mockingbird and Harper Lee,” had an interesting, clean line layout. (B) Three colors is used in all and there were no extravagant graphics, just a simple picture of Scout from the movie made from the novel. The first page clearly listed the categories that were included in the site and that was all. I clicked on the categories and saw more of the same layout with a few pictures and the same colors used sparingly. I liked that the whole site appeared uncluttered and was really easy to follow. As for the content of the site, it didn’t quite live up to my expectations. (C) There was a lot of infor- mation, but in categories like a “Mockingbird FAQ,” “Mockingbird quiz,” and “To Kill A Mockingbird—the book,” it was mostly covering the book and not Ms. Lee. There was also an address where you can e-mail the site creator to talk about the book. The biography in this site wasn’t very thorough at around one and a half pages long. Also, there were somewhat shorter biographies of oth- ers in Harper Lee’s family. This site might work better if you wanted a lot of information on her book and not as much on Harper Lee. It gave you some good details, but not too much information.

1. What is the best change, if any, to make to the sentence marked A? A. Change who to who’s. B. Change who to whose. C. Change who to whom. D. Make no change.

2. What is the best change, if any, to make to the sentence marked B? A. Change is used to were used. B. Change were no to weren’t no. C. Change Scout to scout. D. Make no change.

3. What is the best change, if any, to make to the sentence marked C? A. Change in to with. B. Delete the comma after quiz. C. Add a comma after covering the book. D. Make no change.

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READING 6

DIRECTIONS Read the passage below. Then read each question that follows the passage. Decide which is the best answer to each question. Mark the letter for that answer.

from “The Gift of the Magi” by O. Henry One dollar and eighty-seven cents. That was all. And sixty cents of it was in pennies. Pennies saved one and two at a time by bulldozing the grocer and the vegetable man and the butcher until one’s cheeks burned with the silent imputation of parsimony that such close dealing implied. Three times Della counted it. One dollar and eighty-seven cents. And the next day would be Christmas. There was clearly nothing to do but flop down on the shabby little couch and howl. So Della did it. Which instigates the moral reflection that life is made up of sobs, sniffles, and smiles, with sniffles predominating. While the mistress of the home is gradually subsiding from the first stage to the second, take a look at the home. A furnished flat at $8 per week. It did not exactly beggar description, but it certainly had that word on the lookout for the mendicancy squad. In the vestibule below was a letter box into which no letter would go, and an electric button from which no mortal finger could coax a ring. Also appertaining thereunto was a card bearing the name “Mr. James Dillingham Young.” The “Dillingham” had been flung to the breeze during a former period of prosperity when its pos- sessor was being paid $30 per week. Now, when the income was shrunk to $20, the letters of “Dillingham” looked blurred, as though they were thinking seriously of contracting to a modest and unassuming D. But whenever Mr. James Dillingham Young came home and reached his flat above he was called “Jim” and greatly hugged by Mrs. James Dillingham Young, already introduced to you as Della. Which is all very good. Della finished her cry and attended to her cheeks with a powder rag. She stood by the window and looked out dully at a gray cat walking a gray fence in a gray backyard. Tomorrow would be Christmas Day, and she had only $1.87 with which to buy Jim a present. She had been saving every penny she could for months, with this result. Twenty dollars a week doesn’t go far. Expenses had been greater than she had calculated. They always are. Only $1.87 to buy a present for Jim. Her Jim. Many a happy hour she had spent planning for something nice for him. Something fine and rare and ster- ling—something just a little bit near to being worthy of the honor of being owned by Jim.

1. Which of the following words best describes how Della is feeling? A. frustrated B. elated C. apprehensive D. courageous

2. What point of view is used in the selection? A. first-person B. second-person C. third-person D. none

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3. What does the narrator instruct the reader to look at while Della is crying? A. Jim’s character B. Della’s financial situation C. Jim and Della’s home D. a gray cat walking outside

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READING 7

DIRECTIONS Read the passage below. Then read each question that follows the passage. Decide which is the best answer to each question. Mark the letter for that answer.

from “The Not-So-Great Debate” by Kristy Cady Chris: I still can’t believe Coach White actually partnered me with George for Districts! George is such a loser. Mr. Perfect four-point-oh GPA, over there. What was Coach thinking?

Rose: (A) He was thinking about how you guys are such awesome debaters, and how great a team you would make with your combined talents. You guys will be impressive together. Don’t worry about it.

Chris: Actually Rose, I think you’re the awesome debater who should be teamed with George.

Rose: [chuckling] Well, I’m sure I would be the one debating with George if I hadn’t graduated last year. Besides, I only competed for one season—you and George had both debated for three.

Chris: [smug grin] Hey, one season would be seven years if you were a dog! And you can’t tell me that dogs aren’t smart—look at Lassie! [scared little kid voice] “Help, Rose! The Debate team has fallen and they can’t get up! Go find help, girl!”

Rose: [pretends not to be amused] Very funny, Chris. (B) Even in dog years your more experienced than I am.

Chris: I disagree. I suppose I am the more experienced debater here. Even so, would you look over this new Mozart Education case that I wrote? I’m hoping to shock a bunch of people with it because it’s something I know they won’t be expecting.

Chris: I guess it’s that time, eh? [closes the door and walks to a podium at the front of the room; he looks to the negative team] Negatives ready? [they nod] Judge ready? [s/he nods] Okay. [looks to the papers in his hand] Resolved: That the Federal government significantly increase academic achieve- ment in secondary schools in the United States. (C) American high school students cannot compete academically with students in many countries around the world. The current methods by which our students are being taught are not enough. As such, we are instituting a program in secondary schools where all students will be required to listen to the music of Mozart throughout the school day.

1. What is the best change, if any, to make to the sentence marked A? A. Change are to is. B. Delete the comma after debaters. C. Change team to Team. D. Make no change.

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2. What is the best change, if any, to make to the sentence marked B? A. Change your to you’re. B. Change experienced to expereinced. C. Change I am to me. D. Make no change.

3. What is the best change, if any, to make to the sentence marked C? A. Change high school to High School. B. Change academically to academicly. C. Add a comma after countries. D. Make no change.

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READING 8

DIRECTIONS Read the passage below. Then read each question that follows the passage. Decide which is the best answer to each question. Mark the letter for that answer.

from The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare

[Benvolio, Montague, and Lady Montague are at a public place in Verona. Montague and Lady Montague are married. Benvolio is Montague’s nephew and a friend of Romeo. Romeo is the Montagues’ son. Montague wants Benvolio to find out the cause of Romeo’s sorrow.]

Enter Romeo. Benvolio [to Montague]. See where [Romeo] comes. So please [Montague] step aside, I’ll know [Romeo’s] grievance, or be much denied. Montague. I would thou wert so happy by thy stay To hear true shrift. Come, [Lady Montague], let’s away. Exeunt Montague and Lady. Benvolio. Good morrow, cousin. Romeo. Is the day so young? Benvolio. But new strook nine. Romeo. Ay me, sad hours seem long. Was that my father that went hence so fast? Benvolio. It was. What sadness lengthens Romeo’s hours? Romeo. Not having that which, having, makes them short. Benvolio. In love? Romeo. Out— Benvolio. Of love? Romeo. Out of her favor where I am in love. Benvolio. Alas that love, so gentle in his view, Should be so tyrannous and rough in proof! Romeo. Alas that love, whose view is muffled still, Should, without eyes, see pathways to his will! Where shall we dine? O me! what fray was here? Yet tell me not, for I have heard it all: Here’s much to do with hate, but more with love. Why then, O brawling love! O loving hate! O any thing, of nothing first create! O heavy lightness, serious vanity, Misshapen chaos of well-seeming forms, Feather of lead, bright smoke, cold fire, sick health, Still-waking sleep, that is not what it is! This love feel I, that feel no love in this. Dost thou not laugh? Benvolio. No, coz, I rather weep. Romeo. Good heart, at what?

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Benvolio. At thy good heart’s oppression. Romeo. Why, such is love’s transgression. Griefs of mine own lie heavy in my breast, Which though wilt propagate to have it press’d With more of thine. This love that thou hast shown Doth add more grief to too much of mine own. Love is a smoke made with the fume of sighs, Being purg’d, a fire sparkling in lovers’ eyes, Being vex’d, a sea nourish’d with loving tears. What is it else? a madness most discreet, A choking gall, and a preserving sweet, Farewell, my coz. Benvolio. Soft, I will go along; And if you leave me so, you do me wrong. Romeo. Tut, I have lost myself, I am not here: This is not Romeo, he’s some other where. Benvolio. Tell me in sadness, who is that you love? Romeo. What, shall I grown and tell thee? Benvolio. Groan? why, no; But sadly tell me, who? Romeo. Bid a sick man in sadness make his will— A word ill urg’d to one that is so ill! In sadness, cousin, I do love a woman.

1. In this selection, the word “grievance” means A. attitude B. frame of mind C. complaint D. disease

2. Which of the following words best describes how Romeo feels after learning of Benvolio’s sadness? A. happier and relieved B. even sadder and more grief-stricken C. angry and resentful D. confused and unsure of what to do

3. Romeo is in love with someone who A. is dying B. does not know him C. does not love him D. is deeply in love with someone else

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READING 9

DIRECTIONS Read the passage below. Then read each question that follows the passage. Decide which is the best answer to each question. Mark the letter for that answer.

from “Why Classes Separated by Gender Do Not Work” by Rachel Cobb A recent study found that female students do better in only female classes, especially in math and sci- ence. (A) Put another way, separate classes would reduce the distraction created by the opposite sex, and they would give females more attention and encouragment. While the logical conclusion seems to be that high schools should segregate their math and science classes by gender, this idea is actually a very flawed one. In fact, girls should compete with boys in the math and science classroom. First, the idea of separate classes in math and science for males and females simply doesn’t match with what is happening in the real world. For instance, drive down any street and you will see women construction workers. (B) Or call for assistance from the police or fire departments, and you will as likely have women as men at you’re door. Or go to the doctor and it may be a woman; look in the phone book for a lawyer and you will find more female than male lawyers. Or ask to see the man- ager or owner of a business, and she is as likely to be a woman as a man. Across the employment spec- trum women are now doing jobs that used to be handled only by men. (C) How did these women acheive this? Not by sitting in classrooms with only other women, but by learning to compete with men.

1. What is the best change, if any, to make to the sentence marked A? A. Change separate to seperate. B. Delete the comma after sex. C. Change encouragment to encouragement. D. Make no change.

2. What is the best change, if any, to make to the sentence marked B? A. Change assistance to assistence. B. Change likely to likelly. C. Change you’re to your. D. Make no change.

3. What is the best change, if any, to make to the sentence marked C? A. Change these to them. B. Change acheive to achieve. C. Change this to these. D. Make no change.

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READING 10

DIRECTIONS Read the passage below. Then read each question that follows the passage. Decide which is the best answer to each question. Mark the letter for that answer.

from “An Encounter with an Interviewer” by Mark Twain The nervous dapper, “peart” young man took the chair I offered him, and said he was connected with the “Daily Thunderstorm” and added,— “Hoping it’s no harm, I’ve come to interview you.” “Come to what?” “Interview you.” “Ah! I see. Yes—yes. Um! Yes—yes. I see.” I was not feeling bright that morning. Indeed, my powers seemed a bit under a cloud. However, I went to the bookcase, and when I had been looking six or seven minutes, I found I was obliged to refer to the young man. I said,— “How do you spell it?” “Spell what?” “Interview.” “Oh my goodness! what do you want to spell it for?” “I don’t want to spell it; I want to see what it means.” “Well, this is astonishing, I must say. I can tell you what it means, if you—if you—” “Oh, all right! That will answer, and much obliged to you, too.” “In, in, ter, ter, inter—” “Then you spell it with an I?” “Why, certainly!” “Oh, that is what took me so long.” “Why, my dear sir, what did you propose to spell it with?” “Well, I—I—hardly know. I had the Unabridged, and I was ciphering around the back end, hoping I might tree her among the pictures. But it’s a very old edition.” “Why, my friend, they wouldn’t have a picture of it in even the latest e—My dear sir, I beg your par- don, I mean no harm in the world, but you do not look as—as—intelligent as I had expected you would.” “Oh, don’t mention it! It has often been said, and by people who would not flatter and who could have no inducement to flatter, that I am quite remarkable in that way. Yes—yes; they always speak of it with rapture.” “I can easily imagine it. But about this interview. You know it is the custom, now to interview any man who has become notorious.” “Indeed, I had not heard of it before. It must be very interesting. What do you do it with?” “Ah, well—well—well—this is disheartening. It ought to be done with a club in some cases; but cus- tomarily it consists in the interviewer asking questions and the interviewed answering them. It is all the rage now. Will you let me ask you certain questions calculated to bring out the salient points of your public and private history?” “Oh, with pleasure,—with pleasure. I have a very bad memory, but I hope you will not mind that. That is to say, it is an irregular memory,—singularly irregular. Sometimes it goes in a gallop, and then again it will be as much as a fortnight passing a given point. This is a great grief to me.”

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“Oh, it is no matter, so you will try to do the best you can.” “I will. I will put my whole mind on it.” “Thanks. Are you ready to begin?” “Ready.”

1. This selection is written in the form of a A. diary B. satire C. tall tale D. mystery

2. How does the interviewer most likely feel about the interview? A. exhilarated B. intimidated C. alarmed D. frustrated

3. The overall tone of the passage is A. playful B. discouraging C. resentful D. joyful

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READING 11

DIRECTIONS Read the passage below. Then read each question that follows the passage. Decide which is the best answer to each question. Mark the letter for that answer.

from “Mess Your Way to Success” by Sarah Richards This is your first and only warning; do not even think about doing this if you hate getting messy! All right, with the useless warning out of the way, we can get started. Most people like getting messy, even if they deny it. Think of mud wrestling. Think of mud pies and dirt fights you had as a kid. (A) This is one way to give in to the voice that says, “Get messy!” while giving the excuse that you are being a very mature artist. Making pottery is extremely dirty. You’re basically playing with dirt and mud. Dirt is the main ingredient for clay. Add some water, and you’ve got mud. (B) There are other ingredients of course so that you can mold and create. Working with clay is good, messy fun, but there’s also a bonus: pots make great gifts for your relatives and friends. My grandma loves it when I make something totally original just for her, and if the pot turns out to be a mess, it doesn’t matter. A lot of types of art origi- nated from mess-ups. (C) And she can make cool things for your friends, too. I made this gargoyle for my friend Deenah. She uses it for a bookend. So let’s get messy. There are five main steps to making your own masterpiece. Here they are.

1. What is the best change, if any, to make to the sentence marked A? A. Change This is to These were. B. Add a comma after messy. C. Change artist to Artist. D. Make no change.

2. What is the best change, if any, to make to the sentence marked B? A. Change There to Their. B. Change are to our. C. Add commas after ingredients and course. D. Make no change.

3. What is the best change, if any, to make to the sentence marked C? A. Change she to you. B. Change your to you’re. C. Change too to to. D. Make no change.

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READING 12

DIRECTIONS Read the passage below. Then read each question that follows the passage. Decide which is the best answer to each question. Mark the letter for that answer.

from “The Grass” by Marjory Stoneman Douglas The Everglades begin at Lake Okeechobee. That is the name later Indians gave the lake, a name almost as recent as the word “Everglades.” It means “Big Water.” Everybody knows it. Yet few have any idea of those pale, seemingly illimitable waters. Over the shallows, often less than a foot deep but seven hundred fifty or so square miles in actual area, the winds in one gray swift moment can shatter the reflection of sky and cloud whiteness standing still in that shining, polished, shimmering expanse. A boat can push for hours in a day of white sun through the short, crisp lake waves and there will be nothing to be seen anywhere but the brightness where the color of the water and the color of the sky become one. Men out of sight of land can stand in it up to their armpits and slowly “walk in” their long nets to the waiting boats. An everglade kite and his mate, questing in great solitary circles, rising and dipping and rising again all day long at the water faintly green with floating water lettuce or marked by thin standing lines of reeds, utter their sharp goat cries, and be seen and heard by no one at all. There are great shallow islands, all brown reeds or shrubby trees thick in the water. There are masses of water weeds and hyacinths and flags rooted so long they seem solid earth, yet there is noth- ing but lake bottom to stand on. There the egret and the white ibis and the glossy ibis and the little blue herons in their thousands nested and circled and fed. A long northeast wind, a “norther,” can lash all that still surface to dirty vicious gray and white, over which the rain mists shut down like stained rolls of wool, so that from the eastern sand rim under dripping cypresses or the west ridge with its live oaks, no one would guess that all that waste of empty water stretched there but for the long monotonous wash of waves on unseen marshy shores. Saw grass reaches up both sides of that lake in great enclosing arms, so that it is correct to say that the Everglades are there also. But south, southeast, and southwest, where the lake water slopped and seeped and ran over and under the rock and soil, the greatest mass of the saw grass begins. It stretches as it always has stretched, in one thick enormous curving river of grass, to the very end. This is the Everglades.

1. The author’s main purpose for writing this selection is probably to A. inform B. reflect C. entertain D. persuade

2. What turns the water into a dirty vicious gray and white? A. the wind B. the sun C. the tides D. people

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3. The phrase “river of grass” is an example of A. personification B. hyperbole C. metaphor D. simile

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READING 13

DIRECTIONS Read the passage below. Then read each question that follows the passage. Decide which is the best answer to each question. Mark the letter for that answer.

from “Drawing Together in a Smaller World” by Ariana Sarar “Shut up!” I yelled at the loud noises from the street. I shoved a pillow over my head to block out the noise that woke me from my sleep. (A) The hotel window had been left open until the air condition- ing kicked in, and I could hear shouts from outside. Seconds later, after barely dozing off, I awoke to my sister screaming my name. “Ariana! Ariana!” she yelled from across the room. She was standing near the bathroom door hold- ing the frame. The room was shaking back and forth. “What’s happening?” I called back. I was utterly confused and couldn’t seem to react. After living fourteen years in the United States and having my Turkish father as the most diverse part of my life, I had traveled with my family to Dad’s homeland. It was the end of a three-week trip and we had returned to Istanbul from the tourist city of Ayvalik. (B) We had come back from a day of sightseeing and were munching on juicy peaches from a grocer across the street from our hotel, it was as typical an evening as it could have been. We had watched a Jackie Chan movie on Turkish televi- sion, and soon after I had fallen asleep in the hotel room I shared with my older sister. “Come over here!” my sister ordered. “It’s an earthquake!” I didn’t know what was happening. I was sleepy and had never experienced an earthquake before. It took awhile for me to understand. I got up and tried to make my way across the room to where she was standing. Walking was much harder than I imag- ined with the floor shaking beneath me. With a drunken sensation, I stumbled across the room to her and stood clutching her arm until the earthquake subsided. It had to be the longest 45 seconds in my life. (C) Minutes later my parents rushed into our room and told us to get sweatshirts on and come with her down to the streets. All of the power had gone out and we were in total darkness. From the top floor of our hotel, we had to feel our way down the unlit, winding staircase for eight floors. It was extremely difficult. We were the last ones to come down, but were happy to recognize some other guests in the street outside our hotel.

1. What is the best change, if any, to make to the sentence marked A? A. Change hotel to Hotel. B. Add a comma after open. C. Change hear to here. D. Make no change.

2. What is the best change, if any, to make to the sentence marked B? A. Add a comma after sightseeing. B. Change juicy to juicey. C. Change the comma after hotel to a period and change it to It. D. Make no change.

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3. What is the best change, if any, to make to the sentence marked C? A. Add a semicolon after later. B. Change parents to Parents. C. Change her to them. D. Make no change.

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READING 14

DIRECTIONS Read the passage below. Then read each question that follows the passage. Decide which is the best answer to each question. Mark the letter for that answer.

“I’m Nobody! Who are you?” by Emily Dickinson

I’m Nobody! Who are you? Are you—Nobody—Too? Then there’s a pair of us? Don’t tell! they’d advertise—you know!

How dreary—to be—Somebody! How public—like a Frog— To tell one’s name—the livelong June— To an admiring Bog!

1. The theme of this poem is probably A. being nothing B. identifying our true selves C. maintaining privacy and solitude D. staying away from famous people

2. “How dreary—to be—Somebody! / How public—like a Frog—” is an example of A. personification B. hyperbole C. metaphor D. simile

3. How does the speaker of the poem most likely feel about her own identity? A. uncertain B. satisfied C. confused D. greatly dissatisfied

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READING 15

DIRECTIONS Read the passage below. Then read each question that follows the passage. Decide which is the best answer to each question. Mark the letter for that answer.

from “Where Do I Want My Talents to Take Me?” by Neil Rosen I started playing guitar about eight months ago when I was still fifteen. I don’t really remember exactly what motivated me to start playing guitar, but I suppose it was mostly my girlfriend’s influ- ence. She had just gotten an acoustic guitar for Christmas, and she had even started taking lessons at a local guitar shop. (A) I had been interested in guitar before that, mainly from seeing performances, of local guitarists that I knew. I play trombone in the high school band and bass trombone in one of the school jazz bands. I like playing in jazz band, but I always thought the guitarists had the coolest parts. So I started playing with my dad’s old classical guitar with the nylon strings. It had been in my room for ages, gathering dust underneath my bed, and it was missing a string. He had bought it in 1970, using part of his first paycheck after college to pay for it. He thought it cost 70 bucks then (Land). It is a Wilson, not exactly a famous name like Fender or Martin or Gibson. Unfortunately, it was out of tune so I couldn’t d o much. Not that I had the ability anyway. Eventually I talked my parents into letting me take lessons at the same guitar shop my girlfriend went to. I paid to restring the guitar and I started lessons playing that old classical. (B) My lessons was every week at fifteen dollars a lesson. That lasted about a month before I realized that I wanted to play electric, not classical. Todd, the owner of the shop, was trying to sell some of his low-end guitars in order to make room for new ones. So, after a couple weeks of trying to remember to do the chores that my parents think build character (take out the garbage, pick up the dog poop), I talked them into letting me buy an electric guitar. (C) I bought a new guitar, choose a blue one, and a small Ibanez GT-10 practice amp. I was really excited. I later realized that it wasn’t as cool a guitar as I thought it was.

1. What is the best change, if any, to make to the sentence marked A? A. Delete the comma after that. B. Delete the comma after performances. C. Change knew to known. D. Make no change.

2. What is the best change, if any, to make to the sentence marked B? A. Change was to were. B. Change dollars to dollers. C. Change lesson to lessen. D. Make no change.

3. What is the best change, if any, to make to the sentence marked C? A. Delete comma after guitar. B. Change choose to chose. C. Change practice to practise. D. Make no change.

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READING 16

DIRECTIONS Read the passage below. Then read each question that follows the passage. Decide which is the best answer to each question. Mark the letter for that answer.

“Overcoming the Odds” Lindsley Cameron lived in Japan for eight years and now lives in New York, where she writes about Japanese and Chinese art and culture for The New York Times and The New Yorker. In 1991 she pub- lished a book of short stories entitled The Prospect of Detachment. Then in 1998 Cameron wrote a book called The Music of Light. The Music of Light is a nonfiction account of Hikari Oe, the son of famous Japanese author Kenzaburo Oe. Hikari was born with a brain defect that left a large portion of his brain outside his skull. The surgery required to correct this and save his life left him severely damaged, with an Intelligence Quotient (IQ) in the range of 50–75. In addition to this, Hikari was diagnosed with autism. Doctors and acquaintances urged the Oes to allow Hikari to die rather than undertake the demanding responsibilities of raising such a dependent and handicapped child. However, Kenzaburo and his wife, Yukari, decided to devote their lives to raising Hikari to reach his fullest potential and he has far surpassed anyone’s expectations. Hikari’s name means “light” in Japanese. Early in his life, Hikari demonstrated an extraordinary interest in, and talent for, music. His parents nurtured this talent, and Hikari’s now a world-famous composer. The first CD of his compositions was released to high praise when he was twenty-nine. Though Hikari has learned to play simple pieces on the piano, he composes all of his work in his head and writes it down without playing it first. Cameron first became aware of Kenzaburo Oe and his work when she read Oe’s book A Personal Matter. In this book, Oe writes a fictional account of his and his wife’s decision not to allow their handicapped son to die, but rather to save his life and raise him. The book held a special power over Cameron because of her own experience as an adopted child. Her adoptive parents adopted a second daughter, but when they found out that she had cerebral palsy they sent her back to the adoption agency, “as though she were a piece of defective merchandise being returned to a department store.” Thus, Cameron was drawn to Oe’s work and its themes of defective, unwanted, and abandoned chil- dren.

1. Cameron is drawn to Oe’s book, A Personal Matter, because A. she is an adopted child B. she is a handicapped person C. she loves all of Oe’s books D. she loves music

2. Hikari grows up to A. play the violin B. compose music C. conduct a symphony D. write books

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3. Based on the passage, which word best describes how Cameron feels about her parents sending their second adopted daughter back to the adoption agency? A. benevolent B. resentful C. confused D. understanding

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READING 17

DIRECTIONS Read the passage below. Then read each question that follows the passage. Decide which is the best answer to each question. Mark the letter for that answer.

from “What’s for Dinner?” by Heath Brinker (A) This observation took place in a home where a mother and a daughter were discussing dinner preparations. The daughter had been home from middle school for two hours and the mother had just arrived home from work. Elise (voice soft and gentle, leaning in the doorway): Mom, what’s for dinner? Mom (plunking down in a chair, looking directly at Elise): I don’t know. What are you making for dinner? Elise (cocky tone of voice, walking away): Nothin’. Mom (voice rising from soft at beginning to loud at the end, without any humor in voice): Ooh yes you are! It’s your turn. Elise (B) (yelling from her bedroom across the way, in an honestly questioning voice, but not looking in her mom’s direction): What about Jake? He hasn’t cooked dinner in a while. Mom (leaning toward the bedroom, looking directly at Elise): Jake was gone last weekend and he is still tired. Elise (walking back into the kitchen crossing her arms, pouting voice): So? Mom (standing up and yelling): So WHAT? Elise (looking her mother straight in the eyes, stating clearly): So, I’m not makin’ dinner tonight. Mom (pointing at her and waving her index finger, voice speeding up): You are too, young lady. Elise (pout deepens, arms crossed): I’m not! Mom (now furious, with the face of someone who has just been kicked): You are too, and THAT’S the end of this discussion. Elise (yelling as she runs to her bedroom and slams bedroom door shut): I’m NOT making dinner, so there! Mom (going to bedroom door, yelling at the top of her lungs while banging her fists on Elise’s bed- room door): Elise, you get out here right now! You hear me! Obviously, the mother was trying to get a message across that Elise should make dinner, but it failed because Jake ended up making dinner. Elise resisted the order to make dinner by firm verbal state- ments and very little emotion. (C) The mother, on the other hand, raised both: the volume and the tone of her voice a couple of times, becoming louder and higher pitched with frustration. The mother used many gestures, while the daughter seemed collected and calm until she finally denied the mother, strongly. The daughter had power over the mother in this exchange because she won in the end. The mother appeared tired and unable to protest, her emotions clearly not affecting the daughter. The daughter did not recognize or sympathize with the mother’s stress.

1. What is the best change, if any, to make to the sentence marked A? A. Change were to was. B. Change discussing to discusing. C. Change preparations to preperations. D. Make no change.

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2. What is the best change, if any, to make to the sentence marked B? A. Change way to ways. B. Change questioning to questionably. C. Change mom’s to moms. D. Make no change.

3. What is the best change, if any, to make to the sentence marked C? A. Delete comma after mother. B. Delete colon after both. C. Delete comma after times. D. Make no change.

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READING 18

DIRECTIONS Read the passage below. Then read each question that follows the passage. Decide which is the best answer to each question. Mark the letter for that answer.

“A Poison Tree” by I was angry with my friend: I told my wrath, my wrath did end. I was angry with my foe: I told it not, my wrath did grow.

And I water’d it in fears, Night and morning with my tears; And I sunnéd it with smiles, And with soft deceitful wiles.

And it grew both day and night, Till it bore an apple bright; And my foe beheld it shine, And he knew that it was mine,

And into my garden stole, When the night had veil’d the pole: In the morning glad I see My foe outstretch’d beneath the tree.

1. What grew in the speaker? A. anger B. fear C. resentment D. sadness

2. At the end of the poem, the foe A. makes up with the speaker of the poem B. gardens in the middle of the night C. falls asleep under a tree D. dies from eating a poisoned apple

3. The most likely theme in this selection is to A. define anger so that you understand it B. hide anger and it will be easier to deal with C. deal with anger or it will fester D. ignore anger and it will go away

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READING 19

DIRECTIONS Read the passage below. Then read each question that follows the passage. Decide which is the best answer to each question. Mark the letter for that answer.

from “Crazy Quilt” by Roger Jansky She slowly set herself down on the striped couch and then softly touched her short brown hair. That afternoon she had had her first beauty shop permanent in 12 years; it had been wonderful. Earlier that morning she had walked down for breakfast and seen the announcement that three beauticians would be set up in the commons area. The cost was ten dollars. Without thinking she had put her name on the sign-up list and then sat down for breakfast. (A) Within two minutes Harold, the old guy from across the hall whom always wore a bowtie, was sitting down beside her. “Care if I join you, Marie?” he asked, but he was already setting his tray down. “That would be nice,” Marie responded. Harold had eaten every meal with her for the last three days. She didn’t know where he came from; she had looked around the dining room and hadn’t seem him, but then, suddenly, there he was. At first she was somewhat nervous about eating with him. After all, she was still a married woman, but after the first couple times she decided that he was just a friendly man who was probably lonely. “You should go with us this afternoon dancing,” he said. “It’s great fun, and I bet you are a jewel of a dancer.” Every Tuesday the center’s bus took interested people to the Elks lodge for a couple of hours of dancing. Marie smiled. “That sounds like fun,” she said, “but I’m getting my hair done.” Now she breathed deeply, and looked out the large picture window. (B) The view wasn’t much, across the lawn of the retirement home was another wing, exactly like the one her two-bedroom apartment was in. Low, one story, red brick, flat roof; very functional, but it wouldn’t win any archi- tectural awards. Still, Marie smiled contentedly. It was her first apartment by herself in 62 years, the first time she had been in charge of her own life since she had gotten married back in 1937. (C) It had been a wonderful 62 years: four good children, the beautiful farm, the strong handsome husband, the good friends out in the country, the card parties, and the church circle meetings. It had all been won- derful, but now it was time for a new chapter in her life and Marie looked forward to that, too.

1. What is the best change, if any, to make to the sentence marked A? A. Add a comma after hall. B. Change whom to who. C. Change beside to besides. D. Make no change.

2. What is the best change, if any, to make to the sentence marked B? A. Change the comma after much to a colon. B. Change retirement to retirment. C. Delete the comma after wing. D. Make no change.

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3. What is the best change, if any, to make to the sentence marked C? A. Change the colon after years to a comma. B. Change four to for. C. Change beautiful to beutiful. D. Make no change.

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READING 20

DIRECTIONS Read the passage below. Then read each question that follows the passage. Decide which is the best answer to each question. Mark the letter for that answer.

“The Courage That My Mother Had” by Edna St. Vincent Millay The courage that my mother had Went with her, and is with her still: Rock from New England quarried; Now granite in a granite hill.

The golden brooch my mother wore She left behind for me to wear; I have no thing I treasure more: Yet, it is something I could spare.

Oh, if instead she’d left to me The thing she took into !— That courage like a rock, which she Has no more need of, and I have.

1. “The courage that my mother had / Went with her, and is with her still: / Rock from New England quarried; / Now granite in a granite hill” is an example of A. hyperbole B. personification C. metaphor D. simile

2. The phrase “courage like a rock” is an example of A. hyperbole B. personification C. metaphor D. simile

3. How does the speaker most likely feel about her mother? A. she despises her B. she loves and misses her C. she doesn’t understand her D. she envies her

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READING 21

DIRECTIONS Read the passage below. Then read each question that follows the passage. Decide which is the best answer to each question. Mark the letter for that answer.

from “Live for Tomorrow” by Cheryl Mackrory I’ve heard it said that there are three types of people in this world—those who make things happen, those who watch things happen, and those who wonder what happened. Growing up in South Africa, I was just a watcher. At times I wondered about things, but I never wanted to figure anything out. Then, it was like the world went into a tailspin! Apartheid was over and I had to cope with everything around me changing. I had no control. At first everyone, including me, was insecure. (A) But slowly I learned to take advantage of each opportunity that came along by learning as much as possible from it. Now I’m a person who makes things happen. I lived in South Africa when I was a young child. I was unaware of the fear that haunted both blacks and whites. I was very content with the way we were. I thought that everyone and everything was just fine. That changed the night our house was robbed. That was my first taste of the deep and danger- ous divisions in the real world. It gave me a sick, sinking feeling to think about it. (B) I knew that had the intrudar been armed with a knife or gun, my life could have ended even as I slept. When I was older, we moved to New Zealand. I became even more timid. I was afraid of what peo- ple thought of me because of the problems in South Africa. I spent a lot of time looking down at my shoes. Then I realized that if I wanted to make anything of myself, I had to stop watching and start making things happen. Though at first it made me tremble, I joined committees at school. I worked part time in the customer service division of a supermarket. (C) There I began to help people make decisions and appreciated their points of view. I made friends and I became more confident.

1. What is the best change, if any, to make to the sentence marked A? A. Change advantage to advantege. B. Change opportunity to oppourtunity. C. Change came to come. D. Make no change.

2. What is the best change, if any, to make to the sentence marked B? A. Change intrudar to intruder. B. Delete the comma after gun. C. Change slept to sleeped. D. Make no change.

3. What is the best change, if any, to make to the sentence marked C? A. Change There to Their. B. Change appreciated to to appreciate. C. Change their to they’re. D. Make no change.

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READING 22

DIRECTIONS Read the passage below. Then read each question that follows the passage. Decide which is the best answer to each question. Mark the letter for that answer.

“Edith Wharton” Edith Wharton, American novelist and short story writer, was born into a wealthy and socially promi- nent old New York City family. Educated privately in New York and Europe, Wharton became an expatriate who resided permanently in France. In 1915 she was awarded the Cross of the Legion of Honor by the French government for her services during World War I. In her fiction Wharton depicted the suffering of characters caught in the grip of shifting economic forces and restrictive social codes that often encouraged selfish and cruel behavior in the name of respectability. She was also concerned with the subtle interplay of emotions in a society that did not allow the free expression of passion. Her literary reputation was established by The House of Mirth (1905). In 1920 she was awarded a Pulitzer Prize for The Age of Innocence (1920), which was made into a motion picture starring Daniel Day-Lewis, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Winona Ryder in 1994. Her novella, Ethan Frome (1911), one of her most critically acclaimed writings, depicts the tragic fate of three people against the stark background of rural New England. Wharton was also the author of travel books, literary criticism, and poetry.

1. This selection is written in the form of a(n) A. a diary entry B. a speech C. an autobiography D. an essay

2. The author’s main purpose for writing this passage is probably to A. entertain B. persuade C. inform D. reflect

3. Which of the following statements is not true about The Age of Innocence? A. it was her most critically acclaimed writing. B. it was published in 1920. C. it won Wharton a Pulitzer Prize. D. it was made into a motion picture.

36 TEST PREPARATION RESOURCE EXPERIENCING LITERATURE © EMC Name______Class______Date ______

READING 23

DIRECTIONS Read the passage below. Then read each question that follows the passage. Decide which is the best answer to each question. Mark the letter for that answer.

from “The Clone Basketball Game” by Neil Rosen On video: Picture of a basketball team wearing masks of the same face and another team without masks. Anchor: Headlining the news today: High school students in Redmond, California, made history last night. (A) In a stunning first for young athletes, human students were allowed to challenge a clone team from nearby Marino Academy on the basketball court. Stay tuned for this amazing story. Video fades to black. Spotlight on anchor. Anchor: Since the first human clones came on the scene twenty years ago, human children have not been allowed to compete with clones in either academics or sports. Last night that all changed. Sara Sequent has the story. Spotlight on girl reporter at a desk to the right of anchor. Reporter: Thanks, Amy. So much for the notion that human children cannot compete with hand- picked clones. (B) Last night in a demonstration game between clones and human, the human stu- dents surprised everyone. Video: Picture of young man. He is the same face that we saw earlier on all the team members. Reporter: Marino Academy is an exclusive, private school with a basketball team that has been cloned almost entirely from Sam Waterman, one of the century’s finest players. The Marino Comets have never lost a game since the school opened ten years ago… Video: Picture of regular basketball team—all sizes and shapes. Reporter: On the other hand, the human students from Redmond attend public school and represent a mix of sizes and abilities. Video: Picture of clone team again—all with identical “Sam” masks and all about the same size and build. Reporter: The clones were given telepathic blockers and told to refrain from astral projection. But these rules didn’t appear to cause the Comets any worries. They laughed at their opponents when they came onto the floor. The clones flew into action at the whistle, taking the ball and sinking four baskets in a row with the human students unable to stop them. (C) Fifteen minutes into the game, human Jaguar, Mike Salens, was tossed off the court for argu- ment with the referee.

1. What is the best change, if any, to make to the sentence marked A? A. Change stunning to stuning. B. Change challenge to challange. C. Change Academy to academy. D. Make no change.

2. What is the best change, if any, to make to the sentence marked B? A. Change demonstration game to Demonstration Game. B. Add a comma after clones. C. Change human to humans. D. Make no change.

© EMC EXPERIENCING LITERATURE TEST PREPARATION RESOURCE 37 Name______Class______Date ______

3. What is the best change, if any, to make to the sentence marked C? A. Delete the comma after Jaguar. B. Change was to were. C. Change argument to arguing. D. Make no change.

38 TEST PREPARATION RESOURCE EXPERIENCING LITERATURE © EMC Name______Class______Date ______

READING 24

DIRECTIONS Read the passage below. Then read each question that follows the passage. Decide which is the best answer to each question. Mark the letter for that answer.

from “Nightmare Number Three” by Stephen Vincent Benét

We had expected everything but revolt And I kind of wonder myself when they started thinking— But there’s no dice in that now. I’ve heard fellows say They must have planned it for years and maybe they did. Looking back, you can find little incidents here and there, Like the concrete-mixer in Jersey eating the chap Or the roto press that printed “Fiddle-dee-dee!” In a three-color process all over Senator Sloop,

Just as he was making a speech. The thing about that Was, how could it walk upstairs? But it was upstairs, Clicking and mumbling in the Senate Chamber. They had to knock out the wall to take it away And the wrecking-crew said it grinned. It was only the best Machines, of course, the superhuman machines, The ones we’d built to be better than flesh and bone, But the cars were in it, of course…. and they hunted us Like rabbits through the cramped streets on that Bloody Monday, The Madison Avenue buses leading the charge. The buses were pretty bad—but I’ll not forget The smash of glass when the Dusenberg left the show-room And pinned three brokers to the Racquet Club steps, Or the long howl of the horns when they saw the men run, When they saw them looking for holes in the solid ground….

1. The phrase “hunted us / Like rabbits” is an example of A. metaphor B. simile C. personification D. hyperbole

© EMC EXPERIENCING LITERATURE TEST PREPARATION RESOURCE 39 Name______Class______Date ______

2. “Howl of the horns” is an example of A. simile B. personification C. alliteration D. metaphor

3. Who was pinned to the Racquet Club steps? A. rabbits B. brokers C. the senator D. Benét

40 TEST PREPARATION RESOURCE EXPERIENCING LITERATURE © EMC Name______Class______Date ______Test Preparation Resources

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Achievement Data, Inc. http://www.achievementdata.com Online testing and management systems for schools and organizations.

Advanced Placement Program [email protected] Information on the Advanced Placement Program sponsored by the College Board, giving students an opportu- nity to take college-level courses and exams, and earn credit, advanced placement, or both for college.

American Book Company http://www.americanbookcompany.com State exit exam and preparation books and software for middle and high school graduation, assessment training, and proficiency development in all major subjects.

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The Educational Testing Service Network http://www.ets.org Educational Testing Service is the world’s largest private educational testing and measurement organization and a leader in educational research.

Edutest.com–Online Assessment http://www.edutest.com Practice tests for state-mandated K–12 assessment tests. Immediate scoring and feedback available.

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©41 EMC TEST PREPARATION RESOURCEEXPERIENCING LITERATURE TEST PREPARATION RESOURCE © EMC41 Name______Class______Date ______

ETS Global Institute www.ets.org.etsglobal Source for information and training on testing and assessment issues, policies, techniques, and standards. fatbrain.com http://www.fatbrain.com Study and test guides for ACT: American College Test, AP: Advanced Placement, GED: General Equivalency Diploma, SAT & PSAT, TOEFL: Test Of English As A Foreign Language, and various other exams.

LearningPlus http://www.teachingandlearning.org/licnsure/praxis/learn.html Interactive computer-delivered instructional program with accompanying handbooks for students who want to improve their reading, writing, mathematics, and critical thinking skills.

Preliminary Test of English as a Foreign Language Institutional Program (Pre-TOEFL) www.toefl.org Measures the same language skills as the regular TOEFL test, but is shorter and less difficult.

SAT Program http://www.collegeboard.org College Board SAT program consisting of the SAT I: Reasoning Test and SAT II: Subject Tests.

Secondary Level English Proficiency Test (SLEP) http://www.toefl.org/edslep.html Measures English language ability in two primary areas: listening comprehension and reading comprehension.

Test Professor.Com http://www.testprofessor.com Provides online content to help teachers, parents, schools, and students to better prepare students to pass state assessment exams.

©42 EMC TEST PREPARATION RESOURCEEXPERIENCING LITERATURE TEST PREPARATION RESOURCE © EMC42 Answer Key

READING 1 READING 9 1. D 1. C 2. A 2. C 3. B 3. B

READING 2 READING 10 1. B 1. B 2. D 2. D 3. D 3. A

READING 3 READING 11 1. B 1. D 2. B 2. C 3. C 3. A

READING 4 READING 12 1. C 1. A 2. A 2. A 3. B 3. C

READING 5 READING 13 1. B 1. D 2. A 2. C 3. A 3. C

READING 6 READING 14 1. A 1. C 2. C 2. D 3. C 3. B

READING 7 READING 15 1. B 1. B 2. A 2. A 3. D 3. B

READING 8 READING 16 1. C 46. A 2. B 47. B 3. C 48. B

© EMC EXPERIENCING LITERATURE TEST PREPARATION RESOURCE 43 READING 17 1. D 2. D 3. B

READING 18 1. A 2. D 3. C

READING 19 1. B 2. A 3. D

READING 20 1. C 2. D 3. B

READING 21 1. D 2. A 3. B

READING 22 1. D 2. C 3. A

READING 23 1. D 2. C 3. C

READING 24 1. B 2. C 3. B

44 TEST PREPARATION RESOURCE EXPERIENCING LITERATURE © EMC