Prep Program - Reading Diagnostics Assessment

Passage 1 I recently met a fifth-grade teacher who had asked her students what they did after school. Most said they stayed inside and watched TV or spent time on the computer. Some went to a recreation center for an afterschool program—where they played computer games. A handful of students played outside, but most of those were doing organized sports. It turned out that fewer than 10% of the children were enjoying unstructured time outside rather than concentrating on electronic devices. This is a tragedy! Now more than ever, kids need opportunities to learn and develop through outdoor activities—and not just on organized teams. Parents, limit computer use and encourage your kids to get outside and play every day! Passage 2 There is almost no reliable data about the level of technological literacy among children in the United States. Our students perform relatively poorly on international tests in science and math, however, and many other Western countries teach more about technology than we do. It seems that American students are not as technologically literate as their international counterparts. This could put them at a disadvantage when it comes to their careers, because technology is everywhere, from medical facilities to farms. Obviously, it is imperative that teachers and parents make the use of technology, including computers, a more central part of children’s lives.

The narrator of this passage from a short story describes the cabin where her father worked. I wasn’t sure what this work involved, but it must have been exciting because the Lab itself was exciting. Anywhere we didn’t go often was exciting. We would get there in a heavy wooden rowboat, built in the five-house village half a mile away—our mother would row, she was quite good at it—or by following a twisty, winding footpath, over fallen trees and stumps and around boulders and across wet patches where a few slippery planks were laid across the sphagnum moss, breathing in the mildew smell of damp wood and slowly decaying leaves. It was too far for us to walk, our legs were too short, so mostly we went in the rowboat. The Lab was made of logs; it seemed enormous, though in the two photographs of it that survive it looks like a shack. It did however have a screened porch, with log railings. Inside it there were things we weren’t allowed to touch—bottles containing a dangerous liquid in which white grubs floated, their six tiny front legs clasped together like praying fingers, and corks that smelled like poison and were poison, and trays with dried insects pinned to them with long, thin pins, each with a tiny, alluring black knob for a head. All of this was so forbidden it made us dizzy. At the Lab we could hide in the ice house, a dim and mysterious place that was always bigger on the inside than it was on the outside, and where there was a hush, and a lot of sawdust to keep the blocks of ice cool. Sometimes there would be a tin of evaporated milk with holes punched in the top and wax paper stuck over them; sometimes there would be a carefully hoarded stub of butter or an end of bacon; sometimes there would be a fish or two, pickerel or lake trout, already filleted, laid out on a chipped enamel pie plate. What did we do in there? There was nothing to actually do. We’d pretend we had vanished—that nobody knew where we were. This in itself was strangely energizing. Then we’d come out, away from the silence, back into the pine-needle scent and the sound of waves plocking against the shore, and our mother’s voice calling us, because it was time to get back into the rowboat and row home.*  

Excerpt from "The Tell-Tale Heart" by Edgar Allan Poe It is impossible to say how first the idea entered my brain, but, once conceived, it haunted me day and night. Object there was none. Passion there was none. I loved the old man. He had never wronged me. He had never given me insult. For his gold I had no desire. I think it was his eye! Yes, it was this! One of his eyes resembled that of a vulture—a pale blue eye with a film over it. Whenever it fell upon me my blood ran cold, and so by degrees, very gradually, I made up my mind to take the life of the old man, and thus rid myself of the eye forever. --- If you still think me mad, you will think so no longer when I describe the wise precautions I took for the concealment of the body. The night waned, and I worked hastily, but in silence. I took up three planks from the flooring of the chamber, and deposited all between the scantlings. I then replaced the boards so cleverly so cunningly, that no human eyes—not even his - could have detected anything wrong. There was nothing to wash out - no stain of any kind - no blood-spot whatever. I had been too wary for that. --- The noise steadily increased. O God! What COULD I do? I foamed - I raved -I swore! I swung the chair upon which I had been sitting, and grated it up the boards, but the noise arose over all and continually increased. It grew louder -louder - louder! And still the men chatted pleasantly, and smiled. Was it possible they hear not?   Almighty God! -- No, no?   They heard! - They suspected - they KNEW! - They were making a mockery of my horror! - This I thought, and this I think, but anything was better than this agony! Anything was more tolerable than this derision!   I could bear those hypocritical smiles no longer! I felt that I must scream or die! - And now - again - hark! Louder! Louder! Louder! Louder! - "Villains!" I shrieked, dissemble no more! I admit the deed! - tear up the planks! - Here, here! - it is the beating of his hideous heart!"

^1.0 Literary Analysis. (Problems Number: 7, 12, 14, 26, 27, 28, 30) Identifying and analyzing idea in and elements of literary texts. ^2.0 Main ideas and supporting details. (Problems Number: 1, 6, 8, 13, 21, 23, 25, 29) Identifying the main idea of a passage. Comprehending explicit textual information in a passage. ^3.0 Inferences in a text or texts. (Problems Number: 2, 5, 10, 11, 16, 17, 18, 19) Synthesizing ideas by making a connection or comparison between two passages. Making an appropriate inference about single passages. ^4.0 Author's use of language. (Problems Number: 3, 4, 9, 15, 20, 22, 24) Identifying an author's purpose, tone and organization or rhetorical strategies and use of evidence. Determining the meaning of words in context.

_2.1 When we think of volcanoes, eruptions, lava, and smoke- filled air come to mind—all occurring on land. Most people are surprised to learn about the prevalence of underwater volcanoes on our planet. Because the lava and smoke spilling out of an active, underwater volcano is contained by the ocean, people generally do not take note of these eruptions. However, the largest underwater volcanoes are capable of creating huge tidal waves, threatening coastal communities. The main idea of the passage is that

• A.

  Traditional volcanoes and underwater volcanoes are similar

• B.

  Underwater volcanoes receive little attention but can be dangerous

• C.

  The lava and smoke from an underwater volcano is contained by the sea

• D.

  Most tidal waves are caused by underwater volcanoes

_3.2 In 2010, talk show host Oprah Winfrey and novelist Jonathan Franzen kissed and made up after a nine-year feud. In 2001, Franzen was disinvited from appearing on Winfrey's TV show to pitch his novel The Corrections after he made it clear that he was unhappy about the book's being chosen for the Oprah Book Club. Describing his work as "in the high-art literary tradition," Franzen said he didn't want to be associated with the Club, which he accused of occasionally choosing "schmaltzy, one-dimensional" novels. But Winfrey is apparently able to forgive and forget: she chose Franzen's next novel, Freedom, for her book club and said of it, "Now you haven't heard me say this word often, but this book is a masterpiece." The passage implies that Franzen's criticism of the Oprah Book Club was motivated primarily by

• A.

  Anger

• B.

  Insensitivity

• C.

  Ignorance

• D.

  Pride

_4.1  The main authors of The Declaration of Independence and the Constitution are usually thought of as America's "Founding Fathers." Other, less known personages also deserve the title, however, and Noah Webster was one of these. Through his writings, which include the still- influential dictionary that bears his name, Webster sought to legitimize an "American English" that was independent of British spelling and pronunciation. For instance, Webster removed the "u" from "colour," creating the distinct American version of the word.   What is the main purpose of this passage?

• A.

  To praise the Founding Fathers

• B.

  To define and explain "American English"

• C.

  To present information about an important American

• D.

  To distinguish American dictionaries from British dictionaries

_4.2 If you are committed to healthy, green living and want to reduce your environmental footprint, you might consider expanding your daily diet to include bugs. Supporters of the edible insect initiative rightfully argue that farming insects has a much lower environmental impact than does raising livestock since bugs are easier to harvest and require a fraction of the water and land space that cattle need. Indeed, the high-protein, low-fat health benefits of bug-eating have long been known. For hundreds of years, crickets, silkworms and even tarantulas have been served roasted, stewed and fried at the dinner tables of many cultures. Which words best describe the author’s attitude toward the “edible insect initiative”?

• A.

  Interest and support

• B.

  Awe and amazement

• C.

  Disgust and distaste

• D.

  Fear and apprehension

_3.2 Long thought to be a case of mistaken identity, the discovery of the Bornean rainbow toad by European explorers in 1924 was recently verified by scientists. The explorers had made a black-and-white sketch of an unusual toad they had found in the jungles of Southeast Asia, christening it the Bornean rainbow toad. Skeptical but curious, scientists recently went to look for the toad—and ended up finding three specimens. The passage implies which of the following about the Bornean rainbow toad?

• A.

  Scientists were confident that they would find the toad.

• B.

  The surviving toads have been relocated to Europe.

• C.

  No human being had seen the toad since 1924.

• D.

  Some people doubted the existence of the toad.

_2.1 Television has been the primary source of information and entertainment for most Americans over the last 50 years. However, with Internet use on the rise year after year, some may wonder if surfing the net will soon surpass watching television as Americans’ primary leisure activity. Indeed, some recent surveys show that time spent on the Internet is now greater than time spent in front of the television. However, this statistic may not tell the whole story, as 59% of Americans say they multitask, using the Internet and watching TV simultaneously. The main idea of the passage is that television

• A.

  Is only one of many information sources

• B.

  Is watched by more people now than ever before

• C.

  Focuses more on entertainment than on news

• D.

  May have become less popular than the Internet

_1.1 Plywood, while not the most pleasing wood to look at, has become an incredibly important building material in house construction. It is flexible, inexpensive, and strong. Its strength is due to layers of thin wood glued on top of each other with the grain of each layer making a right angle with the grain of the layer below it. This way of layering the sheets of wood makes plywood difficult to break. According to the passage, the arrangement of the layers of thin wood explains plywood’s

• A.

  Cost

• B.

  Strength

• C.

  Attractiveness

• D.

  Flexibility

_2.2 The 1922 German Expressionist film Nosferatu, directed by F. W. Murnau, is considered one of the most influential films in cinematic history—while also being a classic vampire movie. The film is closely based on Bram Stoker’s 1897 novel, Dracula; however, the villain in the film is called “Count Orlok” rather than “Count Dracula.” The reason is that the small studio that produced the film, Prana Film, was unable to secure the rights to Stoker’s novel. In fact, shortly after finishing Nosferatu, its one and only film, Prana went bankrupt in order to dodge copyright lawsuits from Stoker’s widow. Why does the author say that the vampire in Nosferatu is named “Count Orlok” and not “Count Dracula”?

• A.

  To suggest that the characters in Nosferatu were based on real people instead of literary characters

• B.

  To criticize Nosferatu for its differences from its source

• C.

  To show that the makers of Nosferatu made minor changes to Stoker’s novel

• D.

  To praise the makers of Nosferatu for their imagination in recreating Stoker’s novel

_4.2 Guillermo Gonzalez Camarena became a successful inventor at an early age. By the age of seven, he had constructed a variety of electronically-propelled toys to play with; he later designed and built his own amateur radio and a functioning telescope. In 1940, when he was only 23, Camarena obtained the world’s first patent for color television. Camarena’s early color television transmission system was the first one to be approved by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission. Other color-television technologies came after Camarena’s patented invention, but his system is still used by a number of scientists today. In sentence 2, the word “functioning” most nearly means

• A.

  Working

• B.

  Performing

• C.

  Running

• D.

  Moving

_3.1 The author of Passage 2 probably would respond to the last sentence of Passage 1 (“Parents . . . every day!”) by

• A.

  Asserting that parents should help children find a balance of indoor and outdoor activities

• B.

  Arguing that children should be spending more time using computers

• C.

  Claiming that young children often know more about computers than their parents do

• D.

  Pointing out that many children would rather use technology than play outside

_3.1 The author of Passage 1 would most likely criticize the author of Passage 2 for

• A.

  Overemphasizing the strength of the data about students’ technological literacy

• B.

  Dismissing as unimportant the development that occurs during outdoor activities

• C.

  Exaggerating the proportion of careers that require knowledge of science and math

• D.

  Overlooking the drawbacks of increasing the time children spend using technology

_1.1 In line 1, “this work” clearly refers to

• A.

  Writing

• B.

  Insect research

• C.

  Food science

• D.

  Photography

_2.2 Details in the passage suggest that the narrator is

• A.

  An adult recalling a location from childhood

• B.

  An adult remembering a recent incident

• C.

  An elderly person remembering middle age

• D.

  A child describing a frightening place

_4.1 The descriptions of the Lab and of the ice house are similar in that both descriptions

• A.

  Emphasize cheerful and light-filled surroundings

• B.

  Highlight the narrator’s misconception of size

• C.

  Contain images of hiding and concealment

• D.

  Contrast with descriptions of the narrator’s home

_4.1 When the narrator repeatedly uses the pronouns “we” and “us,” she is most likely speaking of herself and

• A.

  Her mother

• B.

  Her father

• C.

  The reader

• D.

  A sibling

_{3.2 (A+)} Walter has always been lucky. He once found $20.00 on the sidewalk, and his name is always chosen when his school has a raffle. One day, he felt lucky that he spent his lunch money on a few small toys at the corner store. He figured that he was so lucky. Some other money would surely find him. What motivated Walter to spend his lunch money?  

• A.

  He knew that someone would loan him the money.

• B.

  He thought he could share a lunch plate with a friend

• C.

  He has always been lucky

_{3.2 (A+)} As Alice rounded the corner, the sun caught the long curls on her beautiful red hair. What does the sentence communicate about the character?  

• A.

  Feelings

• B.

  Mannerism

• C.

  Appearance

_{3.2 (A+)} Chuck chewed down on the toothpick that he clenched between his teeth. "I have to win this grand prize money for the race so I can finally get the new bike!" he mumbled to himself as he round the curb. What does the sentence communicate about the character?  

• A.

  Habit

• B.

  Motive

• C.

  Appearance

_{3.2 (A+)} Rick skipped along the sidewalk, whistling his favorite tune. He knew he had done well on his exam. What does the sentence communicate about the character?  

• A.

  Habit

• B.

  Appearance

• C.

  Feeling

_{4.1 (A+)} Which point of view does the author use?  

• A.

  First Person

• B.

  Omniscient

• C.

  Limited

• D.

  Third Person

_2.2 (A+) What is the narrator's impression of the old man?  

• A.

  He doesn’t know the old man

• B.

  The old man's eye disturbs him.

• C.

  He hated the old man.

• D.

  We don't know how he feels about the old man.

_3.2 (A+) Is this statement true or false? We know for a fact that the old man doesn't like the narrator.  

• A.

  True

• B.

  False

_2.2 Members of Congress are responsive to the people, if the people make clear what they want. For example, in response to popular demands, Congress established a program in 1988 to shield the elderly against the catastrophic costs associated with acute illness. In 1989, in response to complaints from the elderly about higher Medicare premiums, Congress abolished most of what it had created the previous year. The implied main idea of this paragraph is that  

• A.

  Members of Congress respond only to their own party.

• B.

  Voters have no real say.

• C.

  Congress changed its policy about Medicare.

• D.

  Evidence demonstrates that Congress does try to listen to the American people.

_2.2 Maria is watching too much television. A toddler shouldn’t be spending hours staring blankly at a screen. Worse yet, some of her wild behavior has been inspired by those awful cartoons she watches. We need to spend more time reading books with her and pull the plug on the TV!   What is the Main idea of this paragraph?

• A.

  Books are good

• B.

  All cartoons are bad

• C.

  Watching a lot of television isn’t good for Maria

• D.

  Some cartoons are bad for Maria

_3.2 Someday we will all have robots that will be our personal servants.They will look and behave much like real humans.We will be able to talk to these mechanical helpers and they will be able to respond in kind.Amazingly, the robots of the future will be able to learn from experience.They will be smart, strong, and untiring workers whose only goal will be to make our lives easier.   Which sentence from the paragraph expresses the main idea?

• A.

  Someday we will all have robots that will be our personal servants.

• B.

  We will be able to talk to these mechanical helpers and they will be able to respond in kind.

• C.

  They will look and behave much like real humans.

• D.

  Amazingly, the robots of the future will be able to learn from experience.

_3.1 The tornado caused wide-spread devastation to property in the local area. Property insurance is much more expensive now than it was before the storm. What does the second sentence do?  

• A.

  It gives an example

• B.

  It offers a solution

• C.

  It makes a contrast

• D.

  It states the effect

_1.1 The Midwest is experiencing its worst drought in fifteen years. Corn and soybean prices are expected to be very high this year. What does the second sentence do?  

• A.

  It states an effect

• B.

  It restates the idea found in the first sentence

• C.

  It gives an example

• D.

  It analyzes the statement made in the first

_3.1 The rain froze as it touched the ground. Roads were slippery and dangerous. How are the two sentences related?  

• A.

  The second sentence contradicts the first

• B.

  The second sentence shows a direct result of the first

• C.

  The two sentences set up a comparison

• D.

  The second sentence states what dangerous means

_2.2 Unemployment was the overriding fact of life when Franklin D. Roosevelt became President of the United States on March 4, 1933.The president selected Harry L. Hopkins, who headed the New York relief program, to run FERA.A gifted administrator, Hopkins quickly put the program into high gear. He gathered a small staff in Washington and brought the state relief organizations into the FERA system. While the agency tried to provide all the necessities, food came first. FERA paid for medicine, some doctor bills, but no hospital costs, work-relief, sewing rooms, and renovated hand-me-down clothing. The paragraph is primarily about  

• A.

  Unemployment in the 1930’s

• B.

  President Roosevelt’s FERA program.

• C.

  The effect of unemployment on United States families.

• D.

  President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s presidency

_2.1 In contrast to the solemn attitude toward death so prevalent in the United States, a familiar and even ironic attitude is more common among Mexicans and Mexican Americans.In the Mexican worldview, death is another phase of life and those who have passed into it remain accessible.Ancestors are not forever lost, nor are the past dead.This sense of continuity has its roots in the culture of the Aztecs, for whom regeneration was a central theme.When the Spanish came to Mexico in the sixteenth century, their beliefs about death, along with such symbols as skulls and skeletons, were absorbed into the native culture. What does the paragraph tell us about views on death according to Mexican Culture?  

• A.

  Mexicans fear death more than Americans do.

• B.

  Ancestors are lost forever but not forgotten.

• C.

  The Aztecs generated this solemn attitude toward death.

• D.

  Death is the continuation of life