Knowing what time it was as one traveled across the vast North American continent
before 1883 was more art than science. Most towns had their own local time, generally
based on the sun's position at its zenith, which wreaked havoc on the railroad industry.
Imagine having to plan shipping and transportation across thousands of miles of tracks
spanning an entire continent. Now imagine doing this when no one could even agree on
what time it was! The powerful railroad companies solved this conundrum by dividing the
continent into four different time zones, creating the universal time-keeping system in use
today.
What technique often used in fiction helps the reader better understand the need for
uniform time zones?
alluding to the railroads as if they were protagonists in an adventure
employing imagery to establish the setting before describing the conflict
asking the reader to put him or herself in the situation of a character
employing imagery to establish the setting before describing the conflict
Mahatma Gandhi once said, "The greatness of a nation can be judged by the way
its animals are treated." Municipal officials who propose cutting funding for animal
shelters and agencies should be ashamed. Many such facilities struggle to provide care
for the countless needy cats, dogs, and other vulnerable animals. Yet heartless
government officials often zealously cut that funding from municipal budgets in favor of
less urgent programs. It is time that government officials demonstrate greater decency
and provide those urgent funds. If our officials do not, then they must be replaced by
people more in the mold of Gandhi.
Which of the following is true of the argument made by the author in the passage?
It is likely to alienate readers who are not familiar with Mahatma Gandhi and his accomplishments.
It clarifies the issue by focusing readers' attention on the most important aspects of municipal spending.
It attacks the character of decision makers rather than analyzing specific issues related to municipal spending.
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It attacks the character of decision makers rather than analyzing specific issues related to municipal spending.
Specific conditions must be met for a plant or animal to fossilize. For example,
almost no fossil record exists for jellyfish or worms. This is because soft tissues
were rarely preserved, but hard tissues, like bones and shells, fossilized much
more frequently. Also, while fossils can form in a number of ways, most are formed
when a plant or animal dies in a watery environment and is buried in mud and silt.
Plants and water creatures are thus more often fossilized than land creatures.
Which factor likely contributed most to limiting the number of fossils of land
creatures?
Most land creatures were almost entirely made up of softer tissues that decayed too quickly to fossilize.
Plants and water creatures fossilized in the most common way, while land creatures fossilized in other ways.
Most land creatures probably died away from watery environments where they would be covered in silt.
Most land creatures probably died away from watery environments where they would be covered in silt.
Anne paused to study her reflection in the mirror. She ran her fingers through her
curly auburn hair, a trait she had inherited from her mother. She peered closely at
her emerald-green eyes and her freckled cheekbones. Then she stepped back to
gaze at her dress. Her mother and friends all had encouraged her to choose it, and
now, standing before the mirror, Anne was grateful she had taken their advice. The
dress was gorgeous and complemented her features perfectly.
Which describes the point of view of the underlined sentence?
It is the narrator indirectly voicing Anne's thoughts about her dress.
It is the narrator commenting objectively on Anne's appearance.
It is Anne directly stating her thoughts about her dress.
It is the narrator indirectly voicing Anne's thoughts about her dress.
This renewable energy project promises to provide numerous benefits to our
state. These include an increase in jobs and a secure and sustainable source of
energy. This project will make dollars and make sense for all of us.
What effect is the underlined phrase meant to have on the argument?
It intends to show how important jobs in renewable energy will become.
It emphasizes humor to help make the subject more interesting to readers.
The pun on sense helps call attention to the economic soundness of the project.
The pun on sense helps call attention to the economic soundness of the project.
The word philanthropy combines the prefix phil- with the root -anthropy. Phil-
comes from the Greek philos, meaning "loving." -Anthropy comes from the Greek
anthrōpos, meaning "humanity."
What is philanthropy?
good deeds done to benefit other people
acts of kindness that reflect human wisdom
caring for and serving oneself before others
philanthropy is good deeds done to benefit other people.
Many people have heard of Johnny Appleseed, but not everyone realizes he was
the real deal, an eccentric and energetic pioneer named John Chapman. However, the
authentic story can't hold a candle to the mythology of the oddball who sowed apple
seeds out of sheer benevolence. Chapman was actually a savvy businessman, traipsing
around the American Midwest planting seeds like they were going out of style. Good
things come to those who wait, and the trees flourished like there was no tomorrow. More
significantly for Chapman, they established his claim to frontier land and brought him a
degree of prosperity.
Why are the analogies used in the passage ineffective in contributing to the author's
message?
They use snobbish language that is not appropriate for this subject matter.
They carry a message that is nearly opposite of what the author intended.
They are clichés that don't contribute depth or understanding to the passage.
They are clichés that don't contribute depth or understanding to the passage.
The involuntary twitching of a sleeping dog's paw can make us suspect that
animals dream just like we do. Indeed, research monitoring the brain activity of rats
confirms that animals have complex dreams. The experiment's data indicated that
rats who learned to run a maze while awake dreamed about running the maze later.
These findings suggest that dreams may play an important role in learning and
memory, for both animals and humans.
Why does the author include the detail about watching a sleeping dog's paw?
to prove that animal dreams are as complex as human dreams
to help stimulate reader interest in the subject of animals' dreaming
to show how dreams play an important role in learning and memory
to help stimulate reader interest in the subject of animals' dreaming
Detective Allen Sliver squinted through his taped-up glasses at the forensic
evidence from the heist, and agreed it seemed to be an open-and-shut case. The bank
manager's shifty son's fingerprints were all over the safe, and his night-at-the-symphony
alibi wasn't checking out. Sliver knocked a stack of papers onto the floor as he leaned
over the desk, drawing stares from the nattily dressed bank employees. Sliver loved
uncomplicated cases, but as for those that were too easy . . . they gave him indigestion.
Sliver plucked an antacid pill from his overcoat pocket, scratched his rumpled hair, and
failed to suppress a burp, drawing more stares. The rumpled detective pondered what his
gut was trying to tell him.
What aspect of this passage is common to much crime/detective fiction?
A number of potential suspects are alluded to who will be further developed later on.
The use of dark imagery paints a sense of imminent danger around the detective.
It presents an unlikely main character who appears to be clumsy and unqualified.
It presents an unlikely main character who appears to be clumsy and unqualified.
The idea of electronic books, or e-books, has an indisputable allure. In reality,
however, e-book technology is still too immature to be practical for most people.
With only a few thousand titles available as of 2001, those who want to read
electronically have very little to choose from. According to PC Magazine, "the
likelihood of people reading novels or even magazines digitally in the future is low."
What undermines the credibility of this argument?
The author supports the argument with a figure that is outdated.
The author demonstrates a clear bias against electronic books.
The author cites a magazine that does not appear to be credible.
The author cites a magazine that does not appear to be credible.
Creating a law to restrict the personal use of cars and requiring everyone to use
public transportation would be as unthinkable as revising the laws of gravity. There
are some forces so fundamental that we have no control over them.
What makes this analogy unsound?
Societies do have control over the laws they make.
Controlling personal car use takes minimal effort.
Rules and laws always have some exceptions.
Societies do have control over the laws they make.
Scientists have often debated about whether animals have the capacity for
human-like emotional connection. One possible example of such connection is
elephants that have been observed apparently paying homage to their dead. In a
study conducted in Kenya, researchers placed three objects—a piece of wood, a
piece of elephant ivory, and an elephant skull—a short distance from a herd. The
elephants showed a marked preference for the ivory and the skull. They repeated
the experiment with the skulls of an elephant and two other animals. As they
predicted, the elephants showed a preference for the elephant skull.
Which generalization can be made based on the passage?
Elephant responses to different objects indicate a human-like emotional connection to other elephants.
All animals have emotional responses to the deaths of others of their species.
Elephants respond to the remains of other elephants in an apparently emotional fashion.
Elephants respond to the remains of other elephants in an apparently emotional fashion.
Jefferson should move forward with its plan to build storm-water storage tanks
underground beneath Becker Boulevard. These tanks will allow sewer overflow
during storms to be safely stored until it can be properly treated. Currently, sewer
overflow runs directly into Jefferson Bay, where it wreaks havoc on the water quality.
This is not only detrimental to fish and other wildlife in the bay, but also causes the
water to emit offensive odors. Opponents of the plan complain that it will shut down
traffic on Becker Boulevard for several months. But what's a little traffic headache
compared to a cleaner environment?
Why is the author's response to potential objections inadequate?
It answers the traffic concern with a flippant rhetorical question rather than meaningfully addressing the issue.
It does not sufficiently emphasize the environmental benefits of the plan to build underground storm-water storage tanks.
In favoring the environment, the response betrays the author's bias against the community's use of automobiles.
It answers the traffic concern with a flippant rhetorical question rather than meaningfully addressing the issue.
Carlos desperately searched his pockets and his backpack, but there could be no
doubt that he'd lost the key to his father's car. He and Gabriel were stranded deep in the
remote mountain wilderness, where they'd ventured three days previously for an epic
backpacking excursion. Now, with no way to get home, a frustrated Carlos ambled
toward the brook to ponder the dilemma, when he suddenly stumbled awkwardly.
Reaching out to catch his fall, Carlos felt a metal object deep in the detritus that was
piled up along the banks, and expectantly retrieved it from the leaves. Miraculously, it
was exactly what he'd hoped for—the errant car keys . . . everything had worked out
magnificently!
How does the author's method of resolving the conflict affect the quality of the story?
The resolution is dependent upon an unlikely and illogical coincidence, which is often a quality of poorly written fiction.
The resolution is described with sensory details, which provide readers with a realistic impression of the situation.
The resolution provides the necessary positive outcome, but neglects to include Gabriel's impressions and attitude.
The resolution is dependent upon an unlikely and illogical coincidence, which is often a quality of poorly written fiction.
The pliable and nimble antelope sped across the open grassland.
In this sentence, why would lithe be a better synonym for "flexible" than pliable is?
Lithe can also refer to graceful movement.
Lithe implies greater flexibility than pliable does.
Lithe can refer to mental flexibility as well as physical agility.
In this sentence, lithe would be a better synonym for "flexible" than pliable because lithe implies greater flexibility than pliable does.
After years of taking exclusively academic electives, Rehana finally registered for a
painting class, which made her feel both nervous and excited. She felt excited to attempt
something new, but she fretted that she would violate some important art rule she'd never
known before. However, Rehana's art teacher told her on the first day, "You can do
anything in art, as long as it works." Liberated by this simple instruction, Rehana's
creativity soared, unshackled by the chains of self-consciousness and unburdened by
the weight of expectations. She produced many unique and stunningly beautiful paintings
in that class, which became one of her favorites ever.
How do the underlined words contribute to the passage's meaning?
They help the reader imagine how Rehana's unique and stunningly beautiful paintings looked.
They suggest how Rehana's academic abilities helped her succeed in the painting class.
They allow the reader to understand the effect of the teacher's instructions on Rehana.
They allow the reader to understand the effect of the teacher's instructions on Rehana.
Feminist and suffragette Amelia Bloomer began publishing a newspaper, The
Lily, in 1849. One thing Bloomer promoted in her paper was her style of dress. She
liked to wear loose pants, which tapered at the ankles, under short skirts. Soon, the
fashion became popular with suffragettes. Unfortunately, the public reacted with
ridicule, so the majority of suffragettes abandoned the pants, fearing their message
would be taken less seriously. Bloomer, however, clung to the fashion. She
continued to publish the newspaper to support women's suffrage and education,
and saw The Lily become a model for other suffrage publications.
What conclusion might be drawn about the validity of the other suffragette's fears?
Their fears were unfounded because other suffrage publications promoted loose pants as well.
Their fears were valid because the fashion soon fell out of favor with the public.
Their fears were unfounded because her newspaper continued to be taken seriously.
Their fears were valid because the fashion soon fell out of favor with the public.
When Maureen picked up her little brother from day care, she couldn't believe
how many activities were happening simultaneously. In one corner, children were
alternately constructing a house out of cardboard blocks and knocking it down
again. In another, a group was pretending to run a store and pushing around small
shopping carts. In yet another, a boy attempted to give a gymnastics lesson to a
friend, all but careening into nearby onlookers. Then Maureen noticed the day care
instructors, calmly giving instructions and issuing casual warnings to the boisterous
bunch.
How does the author reveal the theme?
The construction and knocking down of the cardboard house helps to convey the theme of our attraction to demolition.
The number of activities going on at once contributes to the theme of the importance of new experiences for children.
The contrast between the active children and the calm day care providers helps develop a theme of the beauty of controlled chaos.
The contrast between the active children and the calm day care providers helps develop a theme of the beauty of controlled chaos.
No moment symbolized a country's greatness better than when the first Americans
walked on the moon. In 1969, our entire nation, as well as countless others, watched in
stupefied wonder as three astronauts performed their mission flawlessly. It was a triumph
that united a nation embroiled in many divisive issues that were pitting neighbor against
neighbor. Today we find ourselves divided as a nation once again, but fortuitously,
history has given us the solution. We must learn from the past and renew the program to
send astronauts to the moon.
Why is the argument weak?
It fails to consider numerous other more-recent space missions.
It is based upon an obviously biased statement that people are divided.
It likely overstates how much the moon landings solved divisive issues.
It likely overstates how much the moon landings solved divisive issues.
The actors' guild was able to put on a spectacular theatrical production. This is
truly impressive, since the guild operates on a shoestring.
What is the meaning of the expression on a shoestring?
out of the public eye
up on a tightrope
with very little money