2020 Practice Exam 2 MCQ
At what point in his development of the passage's line of reasoning does the author arrive at his thesis?
The first four sentences of the third paragraph ("Not yet . . . even setbacks")
In the fourth paragraph, the author cites Thomas Friedman primarily to
acknowledge that the arguments of flat-world proponents are more complex than he has previously suggested
The writer wants sentence 10 (reproduced below) to convey the reluctant appreciation of mayflies she describes in the third paragraph. Despite these nuisances, I have come to value these somewhat unsightly creatures. Which version of the underlined portion of sentence 10 most effectively accomplishes this goal?
(as it is now)
The writer wants to avoid revealing any potential bias in sentence 3 (reproduced below). Many people are excited about these new technologies, and, as civil engineering professor and infrastructure expert Shoshanna Saxe explains, they are intended to improve infrastructure by collecting data and responding automatically. Which of the following versions of the underlined portion of sentence 3 would best accomplish this goal?
(as it is now)
In the sixth sentence of the third paragraph ("The near-global diffusion . . . opposite effect"), the author mentions the diffusion of English primarily to
acknowledge the validity of one element of an argument he generally opposes
The writer wants to add evidence to exemplify the main argument of the second paragraph. Which of the following pieces of evidence would best accomplish this goal?
A narrative about a city in which smart city technology designed to determine the best routes for garbage collection required costly repairs after three years
The writer wants to add information to the beginning of sentence 6 (reproduced below), adjusting the capitalization as needed, to help establish the credibility of the source of the information in the sentence. Middle- and upper-class teens are choosing not to work, while lower-income teens have less access to jobs. Which of the following choices most effectively accomplishes this goal?
According to Paul Harrington, a Drexel University professor of labor markets,
Which of the following sentences, if added after sentence 16, would provide the best concluding sentence for the passage?
Clearly there are both negative and positive aspects to coexisting with mayflies, but the long-lasting positives outweigh the temporary negatives.
Which of the following does the author represent as an effect of "congregat[ing] in places of high environmental risk" (paragraph 3, sentence 8) ?
Dangers that disproportionately affect certain communities
The writer is considering deleting sentence 16 (reproduced below) from the passage. Thus, it is very important for teenagers to get back into the workforce so they can develop the work ethic they need to be successful. Should the writer keep or delete sentence 16 ?
Delete it, because its conclusion does not logically follow from the line of reasoning in the passage.
After sentence 6, the writer wants to provide additional evidence to support the claim that mayflies are a nuisance to humans. Which of the following sentences would best achieve this purpose?
Furthermore, mayflies regularly disrupt activities held on or near the river, causing humans to constantly swat at their bodies to rid themselves of the expiring insects.
The writer wants to add a sentence after sentence 12 to qualify the claim made by the Center for Work Ethic Development that part-time jobs result in teens developing beneficial soft skills. Which of the following sentences best accomplishes this goal?
However, while it is true that these traits can be acquired through part-time jobs, not all work environments are conducive for this development.
Which of the following sentences, if added after sentence 1, would effectively engage the audience to want to know what prompted the writer's change of heart regarding mayflies?
I was one of those people.
The author's contrast between "persistence" and "stubbornness" (paragraph 7, sentences 7-8) advances her argument in which of the following ways?
It underscores the need for writers to continually improve their craft.
The writer is considering deleting the underlined portion of sentence 7 (reproduced below). Teens with access to part-time jobs often select what they perceive as better alternatives (e.g., community service, volunteer work, unpaid internships, and academics) that have nonfinancial benefits. Should the writer keep or delete the underlined text?
Keep it, because it exemplifies what these potentially better alternatives might be.
The writer is considering deleting the underlined portion of sentence 4 (reproduced below). Throughout a couple of weeks each summer, the nymphs (juvenile mayflies), which have developed underwater for the past few months, hatch into millions of mature mayflies with non-functioning mouths. Should the writer keep or delete the underlined text?
Keep it, because it explains a term that may be unfamiliar to some readers.
Which of the following best describes the relationship between the second paragraph and the third paragraph?
Paragraph 3 presents evidence that addresses questions raised in paragraph 2.
Which of the following sentences should be deleted from the second paragraph because it does not provide evidence that supports the main claim of the paragraph?
Sentence 9
The seventh paragraph as a whole implicitly challenges which of the following ideas?
Successful writers must be very talented.
In the final sentence of the third paragraph ("The power of place . . . thrall"), which of the following best describes the effect of removing the words "the vast majority of"?
The author's claim would be broadened by the removal of a qualification.
Which of the following statements best represents the thesis of the passage?
The key to success as a writer is consistent effort, not inherent ability.
Which of the following best describes the author's exigence in the passage?
The uncritical acceptance of an opinion that he finds problematic
The writer is considering adding the following sentence after sentence 5. Many people view teenagers as lazy, preferring to spend their summers playing video games and hanging out with friends instead of working hard to make money. Should the writer add this sentence after sentence 5 ?
The writer is considering adding the following sentence after sentence 5. Many people view teenagers as lazy, preferring to spend their summers playing video games and hanging out with friends instead of working hard to make money. Should the writer add this sentence after sentence 5 ?
In the passage, the author makes which of the following assumptions about his audience?
They are familiar with mainstream rhetoric about globalization.
Based on her discussion of the publication process (paragraph 4, sentences 1-11), the author most likely believes which of the following about her audience?
They have limited familiarity with publication and need a variety of advice.
Which of the following words should be placed at the beginning of sentence 16 (reproduced below) in order to demonstrate a connection to the previous sentence? Mayflies impact the economies of humans who live near healthy rivers and lakes—both tourists and locals spend money to enjoy activities in and near the water.
Thus,
Which of the following best describes the author's purpose in the passage?
To convince aspiring writers of the importance of hard work
The writer wants to add a sentence after sentence 5 (reproduced below) to elaborate on that sentence's description of the contrast between infrastructure with and without sensors for data collection. Adding sensors for data collection to public services such as water and electricity distribution introduces new vulnerability to urban infrastructure. Which of the following sentences would best accomplish this goal?
Water pipes, roads, and other elements of conventional infrastructure last for decades precisely because they are not "smart": they are structures with relatively simple, easy-to-replace parts.
In sentence 7 (reproduced below), the writer is considering adding the parenthetical phrase "(another hazard to humans in cars)" after the word "off." In fact, often street lights are shut off in order to decrease the number of mayflies congregating near them. Should the writer make this addition?
Yes, because it connects the evidence offered in the sentence to the paragraph's main claim.
In the fifth sentence of the fourth paragraph ("And in certain . . . true"), the author italicizes the verb "is" primarily to emphasize
an area of agreement between himself and another author whose views he has challenged
The writer wants to add language to the end of sentence 1 (reproduced below), adjusting the punctuation as needed, to help clarify the central concept of the essay. From Toronto, Canada, to Songdo, South Korea, cities around the world are promoting themselves as "smart cities." Which of the following choices would best accomplish this goal?
communities that use the latest digital technology, particularly computer systems that respond to input from networks of sensors, to deliver city services efficiently and improve urban life
In the first paragraph, the author uses the phrase "rented readers" (sentence 6) in order to
define writers' workshops in terms of their value to aspiring writers
However, while it is true that these traits can be acquired through part-time jobs, not all work environments are conducive for this development.
desirable
In the seventh sentence of the seventh paragraph, the author uses a dash primarily to
elaborate on a general claim by providing specific examples
In the last sentence of the second paragraph ("Journal writing . . . projects"), the author connects two independent clauses with the conjunction "and" primarily to
emphasize that keeping a journal has multiple benefits for writers
In the first paragraph, the author supports her claim that writers should "go to writers' workshops" (sentence 1) by
explaining how workshops can help writers learn unpleasant but valuable lessons
The author's shift in tone between the fourth and fifth paragraphs marks a transition between
offering practical advice and advocating broader principles
The quotation marks around the phrase "international community" (paragraph 3, sentence 9) serve primarily to
signal a skeptical tone that reflects the author's doubts about the existence of such a community
In the second sentence of the passage ("Ancient . . . history"), the series of short, simple clauses and the word play on "history" convey the author's sense that the claims of flat-world proponents
sound a little too superficial to be true
The author's decision to repeat the word "forget" in the sixth and seventh paragraphs primarily serves to
suggest a parallel between two distinct ideas that the author challenges
In the eighth sentence of the third paragraph, the author mentions "the absence of coordinated warning systems" to amplify his point about the
the hazards of inhabiting certain geographical areas
In sentence 3 (reproduced below), the writer wants to provide statistical information that helps contextualize the argument of the passage for the audience. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (USBLS), the state with the highest employment rate for teens is Mississippi at 77 percent, and the lowest is North Dakota at 51 percent. Which of the following versions of the underlined portion of sentence 3 most effectively accomplishes this goal?
the number of teens working summer jobs has dropped from 60 percent to 30 percent since the 1980s
In the fifth sentence of the second paragraph ("Perhaps . . . lunch hour"), the author strategically arranges clauses in a way that
underlines the variety of opportunities for those who are dedicated to improving their craft
The writer is considering deleting sentence 9 (reproduced below) from the passage. Teenagers in my neighborhood, meanwhile, must need some extra money because I see numerous signs at the local grocery store advertising personal lawn-mowing and babysitting services. Should the writer keep or delete this sentence?
Delete it, because the anecdote about local teenagers weakens the reasoning of the argument at this point of the passage.
The writer is considering adding the clause "devices that work optimally only for a few years before bugs in their programming introduce glitches and errors" to the end of sentence 6 (reproduced below), adjusting the punctuation as needed. Saxe and other experienced city planners worry that networked digital infrastructure would be more akin to a smartphone or computer. Should the writer add this clause to the end of sentence 6 ?
Yes, because the additional information clarifies a comparison to a more familiar technology that also breaks or becomes obsolete relatively quickly.
