Tasc Reading Exam 4

Very long

A bit longer than average

A bit shorter than average

Very short

The length of a baby who is not yet 6.5 months old

The length of a baby who is closer to 6.9 months old

The length of a 6.5-month-old baby in the 97th percentile

The length of a baby who is closer to the 99th percentile

It is about average for babies her age.

It is between the 95th and 97th percentile for babies her age. 

It is above the 97th percentile for babies her age.

It is incorrect; babies her age cannot be longer than about 62.75 centimeters.

I hated the restaurant’s service.

I am displeased with the restaurant’s service.

I’m very unhappy with the restaurant’s service.

I am extremely dissatisfied with the service at the restaurant.

An analysis of literary award winners

Gender differences in author income

A description of a book reviewer’s day

Resources for increasing author income

Many young people dream of being famous writers, but authors face a difficult path to financial success with their work.

Many female authors have recently come forward with alarming stories of sexual harassment and assault by powerful members of their industry.

Very few contemporary authors are able to earn a living solely off their published works, so most rely on other sources of income to pay the bills.

Numerous studies show that both publishers and readers are more likely to buy the same book if the author has a male name rather than a female name.  

Fasting.

Obesity.

Fad diets.

Binge eating.

Only the invited guests really know who Candace is.

Her personality is irrelevant to the events of the story.

That would express a judgment about the original text.

The original text does not describe Candace’s personality.

Ideas arranged sequentially

Main ideas restated differently

Information presented visually

White space between paragraphs

Narrative

Persuasive

Description

Problem-solution

All young people face emotional and social problems.

Teens and young adults should limit their social media use.

People under age 35 have never known life without the Internet.

Disengaging to check a phone can damage real-life social interactions.

Most people under age 35 spend too much time on social media.

Statistics show that over nine out of ten teens go online using a mobile device daily.

Teens and young adults must limit their use of social media or face deteriorating relationships in real life.

Interacting online can be fun, but it never provides as much satisfaction as talking with actual human beings.

Circular statement.

Overgeneralization.

Bandwagon argument.

False statement of cause and effect.

Sentence 2

Sentence 3

Sentence 4

Sentence 5

Therefore

In contrast

Seemingly

Meanwhile

To inform

To distract

To persuade

To entertain

Things are not always what they seem.

The best things in life come in small packages.

If you try hard enough, you can achieve anything.

Working together accomplishes more than working alone.

Tone

Irony

Mood

Theme

A word or phrase that links ideas.

The reader’s emotional response.

A structural pattern in a series of words.

The author’s attitude toward the subject.

An encyclopedia

A biography

A guidebook

An interview

Very long

A bit longer than average

A bit shorter than average

Very short

A.His friend drove the car to the concert.

B.The English class used the computer lab.

C.The hotel room was cleaned by the maid.

D.Almost one hundred people came to her birthday party.

The immigration reform bill was vetoed by the president.

The president vetoed the bill concerning immigration reform

Concerning immigration reform, the bill was vetoed by the presiden

It is already in active voice.

I will see you tomorrow.

See you later.

I will come by later.

We will hang out this weekend.

Gender differences in author pay primarily result from the fact that male authors appeal to a broader audience base.

Although writers do not have fixed salaries, entrenched stereotyping results in a substantial pay gap between male and female authors.

Authors can access a wide variety of income streams including fees for new work, royalties, speaking fees for public appearances, and more.

Substantial evidence suggests that female authors simply do not produce work with the same impressive visionary quality as their greatest male peers.

But over the long term, most fad diets are harmful both to the health and to the waistline.

Many such diets advocate cutting out one major nutrient, such as fats or carbohydrates.

It is perhaps unsurprising that fad diets are so common given the level of obesity in American society.

Most of these diets are highly impractical, and many lead directly or indirectly to binge eating and other unhealthy behaviors.

A main idea

A topic sentence

A supporting detail

An off-topic sentence

It does not directly support the main idea that fad diets are harmful.

Readers might feel hopeless to solve the problem the author identifies. 

Statistics should never be used as supporting details in persuasive writing.

It would act as a second topic sentence and confuse readers about the main idea.

A girl named Candace arrives at a party.

The invited guests feel the urge to be cruel.

The invited guests pretend to welcome Candace.

Candace is pink with pleasure when she goes home.  

It describes Candace looking “pink with pleasure.”

It states that “well-bred kids should never be unkind.”

It says the invited guests “showed Candace a good time.”

It mentions “poor Gladys” who “had to” be near Candace.

Candace looks pink with pleasure, people’s smiles look plastic, Candace leaves.

 Candace arrives, Candace leaves, Gladys mocks Candace’s “donkey bray laugh.”

Candace arrives, Gladys accepts her fate with good grace, people’s smiles look plastic.

Gladys pretends to welcome Candace, Gladys mocks Candace’s “donkey bray laugh,” Candace leaves.

A diary of a politician

A biography of a politician

A study guide on a politician’s speech

An encyclopedia article about a politician

A summary makes a judgment about the original text.

A summary leaves out the main idea of the original text.

A summary restates implicit ideas from the original text.

A summary copies words and phrases from the original text

Technical

Expository

Cause/effect

Compare/contrast

Suggests that an idea is good because everyone is doing it.

Claims that there are only two ways to solve a complex problem.

Restates the argument in different words instead of providing evidence.

Assumes that people socialize because they want to feel happy and fulfilled.

Reflects a belief, not a verifiable fact.

Does not say how much is too much.

Restricts its statement to people under 35.

Lumps all people under 35 into one category.

Arriving in America, overworking, escaping physical poverty.

Coming to America, escaping physical poverty, stepping into a poverty of the soul.

Knowing how difficult America would be, leaving home, stepping into a poverty of the soul.

Expecting to miss friends, knowing how difficult America would be, arriving in America.

A detail describing emotional events in the life of author J.K. Rowling 

A quotation that shows Harry feeling surprised by another character’s choices

An example of how the author’s word choice makes the setting scene magical  

A short summary of an exciting scene in which a character encounters a dragon

That is

Moreover

In contrast

Thereafter

This fact is surprising since the characters are supposed to be magical, so they should be able to read each other’s minds.

When readers share a character’s knowledge and perspective in this way, they are more likely to connect emotionally with his story.

You have probably had the real-life experience of wondering what friends were thinking and feeling worried about their opinions.

Readers must wonder whether author J.K. Rowling feels socially anxious when she is unable to read her friends’ thoughts.

To inform

To distract

To persuade

To entertain

Telling humanizing stories.

Relying on facts and logic.

Pointing to expert sources.

Using fear tactics and manipulation.

Stated a reason for choosing H.D.’s poetry as a topic.

Identified the source of the quotation in the second sentence.

Explained the connection between the point and the evidence.

Defined the word “metaphor” to prove an understanding of the term.

The poet is using apostrophe when she addresses the sea directly as she would a person.

The repetition of p sounds in this phrase is an example of a poetic technique called alliteration.

H.D. does not call the waves by their real name because she wants the reader to think she is describing a forest.

By comparing waves to trees, H.D. blurs the distinction between the wild ocean and the solid shore. 

A Rice University study of chimpanzee behavior suggests that the preoccupation with jealousy and fairness is not unique to man.

A Rice University study of chimpanzee behavior suggest that the preoccupation with jealousy and fairness is not unique to mankind.

Studies of chimpanzee behavior suggest that the preoccupation with jealousy and fairness is not unique to human beings.

No change.

It is not accurate; the author of the paragraph is stating facts, not opinions.

It is not objective; the person summarizing the main idea is adding a judgment.

It is not accurate; the author of the paragraph does not argue against fad diets.

It is not objective; the person summarizing the main idea ignores a sentence about the benefits of dieting.

Primary

Secondary

Tertiary

None of the above

Either/or fallacy

Circular reasoning

Bandwagon argument

False statement of cause and effect