2020 Practice Exam 1 MCQ
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?
"Know yourself" is a well-known maxim, but the latest findings in social psychology suggest
In the first paragraph, the speaker introduces an argument that criticizes
"intellectual aloofness" (sentence 5)
Hotspur represents an example of
"the men who quell the storm and ride the thunder" (paragraph 2, sentence 7)
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.
(As it is now)
The passage is most likely excerpted from which of the following?
A Lakota author's account of his ancestral culture's history and values
In the first sentence of the passage, the speaker engages the attention of the audience with which of the following types of statement?
A cautionary recommendation
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?
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."
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?
According to a recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Americans are not getting enough sleep.
Which observation best counters the speaker's argument about action in the passage?
Action without discretion can incur disastrous results.
In describing Crazy Horse as "painfully shy" near the beginning of the seventh paragraph, the author offers which of the following?
An attribution of an emotional quality to explain Crazy Horse's humble demeanor
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?
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."
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?
Before sentence 11
Which of the following choices accurately describes a strategic stylistic decision that the speaker makes in the first two sentences of the second paragraph ("It is not . . . nor defeat") ?
Clauses beginning with "who" are used repeatedly to emphasize engaging images of the men under discussion.
Which of the following is a logical conclusion that can be derived from the final two paragraphs of the passage?
Crazy Horse displayed ferocity and courage in battle and modesty in dress and speech.
In the sixth paragraph, the author uses the story of the name His Horse Stands in Sight to illustrate which of the following?
Crazy Horse's combination of recklessness and calculating calm
In the last sentence of the fourth paragraph, the author's focus shifts from
Euro-American history to Lakota cultural memory
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.
Even if the measurements are not exact,
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?
Granted, fitness trackers are not perfect tools.
Which of the following best describes how the author represents "western American history, written by Euro-Americans" (paragraph 4, sentence 4) ?
He acknowledges it while suggesting Lakota stories offer a different perspective.
Which of the following statements best summarizes the main claim about Crazy Horse's cultural legacy that is developed in the passage?
He embodies the virtue of humility in Lakota society.
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?
If the researchers' conclusions are correct, careful attention to your behavior is an important tool for ensuring smooth interactions with others.
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?
Keep it, because it offers a contrasting position that helps rebut the counterargument presented in the third paragraph.
According to the fourth paragraph, the battles of June 1876 established Crazy Horse's reputation for which of the following?
Leadership skill on the battlefield
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?
No, because it creates an inappropriate shift in tone at the beginning of the passage's final paragraph.
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 ?
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.
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?
No, because it offers information that may be helpful to the audience in understanding a potentially unfamiliar term.
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
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?
The author does not attempt to provide a detailed scientific account of how such a transformation could happen.
Which of the following best explains the author's use of the qualifier "probably" in the first sentence of the seventh paragraph?
The author has credible evidence of only two public speeches by Crazy Horse.
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?
These self-ratings were then compared to the assessments of researchers who listened to the subjects' audio recordings.
Which of the following characteristics does the author anticipate may be true of some members of the audience?
They are more familiar with Euro-American accounts of Crazy Horse than with Lakota accounts.
Sitting Bull's example in the fifth paragraph illustrates which feature of Lakota culture?
Warrior societies offered a path of entry into political power structures.
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?
Whether the audience is likely to regard Frankenstein as a science fiction novel
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?
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.
In the first paragraph, the speaker suggests that "the man of lettered leisure" (sentence 1) has a
choice regarding his attitude toward involvement
The passage as a whole claims that the learned cynic's core failings are
cowardice and inauthenticity
The speaker's tone in the passage is best described as
critical
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. Which of the following versions of the underlined portion of sentence 5 best accomplishes this goal?
designed
In the context of the first paragraph, the speaker uses the word "temptation" in the first sentence to convey disapproval of the tendency to
disengage from moral responsibility
The primary purpose of sentences 4 and 5 of the second paragraph ("Among . . . actually are") in the speaker's line of reasoning is to
distinguish different types and degrees of uselessness
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?
epidemic
The relationship between the first and second paragraphs is best characterized as
the juxtaposition of two contrasting personality types
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?
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
In his description of the United States Army's plan "to capture and herd all the Lakota onto reservations once and for all" toward the end of the fourth paragraph, the author's tone conveys which of the following?
Disapproval of the Army's dehumanizing treatment of the Lakota
The passive constructions "he became known" (paragraph 6, sentence 2) and "he was known" (paragraph 7, sentence 2) suggest that the author holds which of the following beliefs about Crazy Horse?
Stories by his contemporaries offer a credible record of Crazy Horse's life.
