1. In the words of Thomas DeQuincey, “It is notorious that the memory strengthens as you lay burdens upon it.” If, like most people, you have trouble recalling the names of those you have just met, try this: The next time you are introduced, plan to remember the names. Say to yourself, “I’ll listen carefully; I’ll repeat each person’s name to be sure I’ve got it, and I will remember.” You’ll discover how effective this technique is and probably recall those names for the rest of your life.

The main idea of the paragraph maintains that the memory
A. always operates at peak efficiency.
B. breaks down under great strain.
C. improves if it is used often.
D. becomes unreliable if it tires.

2. Unemployment was the overriding fact of life when Franklin D. Roosevelt became president of the United States on March 4, 1933. An anomaly of the time was that the government did not systematically collect statistics of joblessness; actually it did not start doing so until 1940. The Bureau of Labor Statistics later estimated that 12,830,000 persons were out of work in 1933, about one-fourth of a civilian labor force of more than 51 million.

Roosevelt signed the Federal Emergency Relief Act on May 12, 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. City dwellers usually got an allowance for fuel, and rent for one month was provided in case of eviction.

This passage is primarily about
A. unemployment in the 1930's.
B. the effect of unemployment on United States families.
C. President Franklin D. Roosevelt's presidency.
D. President Roosevelt's FERA program.

3. It is said that a smile is universally understood. And nothing triggers a smile more universally than a taste of sugar. Nearly everyone loves sugar. Infant studies indicate that humans are born with an innate love of sweets. Based on statistics, a lot of people in Great Britain must be smiling because on average, every man, woman, and child in that country consumes 95 pounds of sugar each year.

From this passage it seems safe to conclude that the English
A. do not know that too much sugar is unhealthy.
B. eat desserts at every meal.
C. are fonder of sweets than most people.
D. have more cavities than any other people.

4. With varying success, many women around the world today struggle for equal rights. Historically, women have achieved greater equality with men during periods of social adversity. Three of the following factors initiated the greatest number of improvements for women: violent revolution, world war, and the rigors of pioneering in an undeveloped land. In all three cases, the essential element that improved the status of women was a shortage of men, which required women to perform many of society’s vital tasks.

We can conclude from the information in this passage that
A. women today are highly successful in winning equal rights.
B. only pioneer women have been considered equal to men.
C. historically, women have only achieved equality through force.
D. historically, the principle of equality alone has not been enough to secure women equal rights.

5. In 1848, Charles Burton of New York City made the first baby carriage, but people strongly objected to the vehicles because they said the carriage operators hit too many pedestrians. Still convinced that he had a good idea, Burton opened a factory in England. He obtained orders for the baby carriages from Queen Isabella II of Spain, Queen Victoria of England, and the Pasha of Egypt. The United States had to wait another 10 years before it got a carriage factory, and only 75 carriages were sold in the first year.

Even after the success of baby carriages in England,
A. Charles Burton was a poor man.
B. Americans were still reluctant to buy baby carriages.
C. Americans purchased thousands of baby carriages.
D. the United States bought more carriages than any other country.

6. All water molecules form six-sided structures as they freeze and become snow crystals. The shape of the crystal is determined by temperature, vapor, and wind conditions in the upper atmosphere. Snow crystals are always symmetrical because these conditions affect all six sides simultaneously.

The purpose of the passage is to present
A. a personal observation.
B. a solution to a problem.
C. actual information.
D. opposing scientific theories

Directions for questions 7–10
For the questions that follow, two underlined sentences are followed by a question or statement. Read the sen­tences, then choose the best answer to the question or the best completion of the statement.

7 The Midwest is experiencing its worst drought in 15 years.
Corn and soybean prices are expected to be very high this year.

What does the second sentence do?
A. It restates the idea found in the first.
B. It states an effect.
C. It gives an example.
D. It analyzes the statement made in the first.

8. Social studies classes focus on the complexity of our social environment. 
The subject combines the study of history and the social sciences and promotes skills in citizenship.

What does the second sentence do?
A. It gives an example.
B. It makes a contrast
C. It proposes a solution.
D. It states an effect.

9. Knowledge of another language fosters greater awareness of cultural diversity among the peoples of the world.
Individuals who have foreign language skills can appreciate more readily other peoples’ values and ways of life.

How are the two sentences related?
A. They contradict each other.
B. They present problems and solutions.
C. They establish a contrast.
D. They repeat the same idea.

10. Serving on a jury is an important obligation of citizenship.
Many companies allow their employees paid leaves of absence to serve on juries.

What does the second sentence do?
A. It reinforces what is stated in the first.
B. It explains what is stated in the first.
C. The second expands on the first.
D. It draws a conclusion about what is stated in the first.

Directions for questions 1–6
Select the best version of the underlined part of the sentence. The first choice is the same as the original sentence. If you think the original sentence is best, choose the first answer.

A. hot, then Sam did
B. hot. Sam did
C. hot; Sam, therefore, did
D. hot; Sam, trying to do

2. She hoped to find a new job. One that would let her earn money during the school year.

A. job. One that
B. job. The kind that
C. job, one that
D. job, so that it

3. Knocked sideways, the statue looked as if it would fall.

A. Knocked sideways, the statue looked
B. The statue was knocked sideways,   looked
C. The statue looked knocked sideways
D. The statue, looking knocked sideways,

4. To walk, biking, and driving are Pat’s favorite ways of getting around.

A. To walk, biking, and driving
B. Walking, biking, and driving
C. To walk, biking, and to drive
D. To walk, to bike, and also driving

5. When you cross the street in the middle of the block, this is an example of jaywalking.

A. When you cross the street in the middle   of the block, this
B. You cross the street in the middle of the block, this
C. Crossing the street in the middle of the block
D. The fact that you cross the street in the middle of the block

6. Walking by the corner the other day, a child, I noticed, was watching for the light to change.

A. a child, I noticed, was
B. I noticed a child watching
C. a child was watching, I noticed,
D. there was, I noticed, a child watching

Directions for questions 7–12
Rewrite the sentence in your head following the directions given below. Keep in mind that your new sentence should be well written and should have essentially the same meaning as the sentence given you. .

7. In his songs, Gordon Lightfoot makes melody and lyrics intricately intertwine.
Rewrite, beginning with

Melody and lyrics...

Your new sentence will include

A. Gordon Lightfoot has
B. make Gordon Lightfoot’s
C. in Gordon Lightfoot’s
D. does Gordon Lightfoot

8. It is easy to carry solid objects without spilling them, but the same cannot be said of liquids.
Rewrite, beginning with

Unlike liquids,

The next words will be

A. it is easy to
B. we can easily
C. solid objects can easily be
D. solid objects are easy to be

9. Excited children ran toward the loud music, and they told others about the ice cream truck outside.
Rewrite, beginning with

The excited children, who had run toward the loud...

The next words will be

A. music, they told
B. music told
C. music, telling
D. music and had told

10. If he had enough strength, Todd would move the boulder.
Rewrite, beginning with

Todd cannot move the boulder...

The next words will be

A. when lacking
B. because he
C. although there
D. without enough

11. The band began to play, and then the real party started.
Rewrite, beginning with

The real party started...

The next words will be

A. after the band began
B. and the band began
C. although the band began
D. the band beginning

12. Chris heard no unusual noises when he listened in the park.
Rewrite, beginning with

Listening in the park,...

The next words will be

A. no unusual noises could be heard
B. then Chris heard no unusual noises
C. and hearing no unusual noises
D. Chris heard no unusual noises