AP Lang College board MCQ Practice
40. The writer wants to illustrate the point made in sentence 2 (reproduced below) by adding historical evidence to the end of the sentence, adjusting the punctuation as needed. These fictional scenarios have sometimes become reality. Which choice best accomplishes this goal?
(B) the works of H. G. Wells, for instance, depicted voyages to the Moon and to the bottom of the ocean long before these achievements were realized
27. The writer wants to add a sentence after sentence 7 to expand on the narrative in the second paragraph and provide additional context for the third paragraph. Which of the following choices best accomplishes this goal?
(A) These self-ratings were then compared to the assessments of researchers who listened to the subjects' audio recordings.
42. Which version of the underlined portion of sentence 7 (reproduced below) creates the most logical transition from the previous sentence? Instead, it reflects the concerns of Shelley and her contemporaries about the consequences of unchecked technological development in the Industrial Revolution, such as pollution and the loss of traditional ways of life.
(A) (As it is now)
25. The writer is considering changing the beginning of sentence 1 (reproduced below) to better introduce the topic and engage the reader's attention. The latest findings in social psychology suggest that self-knowledge is a more complex phenomenon than you might think. Which of the following versions of the underlined portion of sentence 1 best accomplishes this goal?
(B) "Know yourself" is a well-known maxim, but the latest findings in social psychology suggest
33. Which of the following sentences, if placed before sentence 1, would best introduce the topic to the audience and help set up the main argument of the passage?
(B) According to a recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Americans are not getting enough sleep.
32. The writer wants to change sentence 14 (reproduced below) to qualify the passage's conclusion and express it in less absolute terms. These facts make it obvious that everyone should behave accordingly. Which of the following choices best accomplishes this goal?
(C) If the researchers' conclusions are correct, careful attention to your behavior is an important tool for ensuring smooth interactions with others.
37. The writer is considering deleting sentence 13 (reproduced below). The potential benefits of monitoring sleep patterns using a fitness tracker, however, outweigh the negatives. Should the writer keep or delete this sentence?
(C) Keep it, because it offers a contrasting position that helps rebut the counterargument presented in the third paragraph.
28. The writer is considering deleting the underlined portion of sentence 10 (reproduced below) from the sentence. Participants often reported feeling more neurotic—anxious or worried—than the observers believed. Should the writer delete the underlined text?
(D) No, because it offers information that may be helpful to the audience in understanding a potentially unfamiliar term.
29. The writer wants to add the following sentence to the third paragraph. Sun observed that this is understandable, since subjective feelings of unease are not necessarily apparent to others. Which of the following is the most logical place to insert this sentence in the paragraph?
(D) Before sentence 11
38. Which of the following changes to the underlined portion of sentence 16 (reproduced below) most effectively expresses the relationship between ideas in the sentence? The measurements are not exact, and there is a strong benefit in that people who track their sleep are apt to be more mindful of sleep in general.
(D) Even if the measurements are not exact,
44. The writer is considering adding the following sentence immediately before sentence 11. Those who believe that science fiction predicts the future are simply wrongheaded. Should the writer make this addition?
(D) No, because it creates an inappropriate shift in tone at the beginning of the passage's final paragraph.
30. The writer wants to add a new sentence at the end of the third paragraph (sentences 8-12) to show how the information in the paragraph serves as evidence for the passage's primary claim. Which of the following choices best accomplishes this goal?
(A) According to Sun and Vazire, these results suggest that "there might be some biases that prevent people from recognizing their own agreeable behaviors or disagreeable behaviors."
35. The writer is considering adding the following sentence after sentence 6. Based on movement tracking, the devices can estimate how long someone is asleep and how often the person wakes up during the night. Should the writer add this sentence?
(A) Yes, because it provides commentary that helps explain why the details presented in sentence 6 are important to the point the writer is making in the paragraph.
45. The writer wants to add a sentence after sentence 11 to conclude the passage with a quotation that effectively restates and reinforces the overall argument. Which choice best accomplishes this goal?
(C) As University of Glasgow lecturer Gavin Miller argues, "Science fiction does not invite us to be prophets, but anthropologists making sense of a complex and troubling foreign culture—which we may eventually come to recognize as our own."
43. The writer wants to ensure that sentence 9 (reproduced below) develops the parallel discussions of Frankenstein and Altered Carbon in the second and third paragraphs and logically connects the other sentences in the third paragraph. Uploaded consciousness also facilitates interstellar travel in the novel. Which version of sentence 9 best accomplishes this goal?
(D) The author does not attempt to provide a detailed scientific account of how such a transformation could happen.
34. The writer is considering changing the underlined portion of sentence 1 (reproduced below) so that it conveys the information in the sentence in the most precise way. In fact, the CDC considers lack of sleep a public health infection. Which version of the underlined portion of sentence 1 best accomplishes this goal?
(D) epidemic
36. The writer wants to add a sentence before sentence 8 (reproduced below) to introduce the main idea of the third paragraph. The data these devices provide are not as accurate as the data that come from a sleep lab. Which of the following sentences best accomplishes this goal?
(E) Granted, fitness trackers are not perfect tools.
31. The writer is considering adding the following sentence after sentence 13. Due to ethical considerations, Sun and Vazire did not release the audio files they collected, but they did make some transcripts available. Should the writer make this addition after sentence 13 ?
(E) No, because it detracts from the discussion of the implications of the study's findings and thus interrupts the flow of the passage's conclusion.
41. The writer is considering deleting the phrase "which many critics consider the first science fiction novel," in sentence 5 (reproduced below). In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (1818), which many critics consider the first science fiction novel, the scientist Victor Frankenstein creates a new form of human life, only to find his creation hideous and regret his actions. Which of the following factors is most important for the writer to consider when deciding whether to keep or delete the phrase?
(E) Whether the audience is likely to regard Frankenstein as a science fiction novel
26. The writer wants to avoid revealing any potential biases in sentence 5 (reproduced below). Sun and Vazire conspired on an experiment to study the latter category. Sun and Vazire conspired on an experiment to study the latter category. Which of the following versions of the underlined portion of sentence 5 best accomplishes this goal?
(E) designed
39. The writer wants to change this passage so that it will be appropriate for doctors and other scientists rather than a general audience. In order to make the passage appropriate for the intended audience, which sentence is most necessary for the writer to delete?
Sentence 18
