AP English Language + Composition - MCQ

(The following passage is excerpted from an article published in 2011.)

1

(The following passage is excerpted from an op-ed published by a Colombian American actor in 2014.)

2

(The following passage is excerpted from an essay by a twentieth-century American author.)

3

Which of the following statements most directly expresses the author's thesis in the passage? A. "Americans are afraid of naps." (paragraph 3) B. "Napping is too luxurious." (paragraph 4, sentence 1) C. "[Napping] seems to be a natural inclination." (paragraph 4, sentence 2) D. "Fighting off natural inclinations is a major Puritan virtue." (paragraph 4, sentence 4) E. "[T]he process of falling asleep in the afternoon is quite different from bedtime sleep." (paragraph 5, sentence 2)

A. "Americans are afraid of naps." (paragraph 3)

In the tenth paragraph, the author appeals twice to "our values" in order to A. claim that her family's experiences run counter to shared national ideals B. dispel doubts surrounding her own status as an American citizen C. suggest that her audience's values might differ from those of her parents D. distinguish between groups who have adopted similar values for different reasons E. show that two sets of values are more similar than they might appear to be

A. claim that her family's experiences run counter to shared national ideals

In the passage as a whole, the author recounts her and her family's experiences to support the thesis that A. improving the immigration system would benefit the entire country B. the complicated nature of the immigration system makes immigrants vulnerable to scams C. immigrants with strong family connections are more likely to succeed than those without them D. the education system can help provide the support that children of immigrants require E. the foster care system is underprepared for the needs of immigrant families

A. improving the immigration system would benefit the entire country

In the first sentence of the sixth paragraph, the author describes her "rocky existence" during high school in order to A. support the claim that her parents' absence affected her during her adolescence B. show how her experiences were typical of teens in the United States C. highlight the hospitality offered to her by the parents of her friends D. suggest that her high school was not sufficiently supportive of students in her situation E. balance a discussion of her high school triumphs with an acknowledgement of her challenges

A. support the claim that her parents' absence affected her during her adolescence

Which of the following best describes the function of the first paragraph? A. It previews the author's line of reasoning by listing the main points of the argument. B. It engages the audience's sympathies by suggesting parallels between Rowling and her fictional hero. C. It contextualizes the argument by explaining the challenges that Rowling faced as a woman author. D. It enhances the author's credibility by relating a little known anecdote about Rowling's early interest in fantasy fiction. E. It captures the audience's attention by presenting an imaginary scenario about how Rowling created Harry Potter.

B. It engages the audience's sympathies by suggesting parallels between Rowling and her fictional hero.

Which of the following best describes the author's exigence in the passage? A. The increasing number of people seeking asylum in the United States B. The impact of government policies on undocumented immigrant families C. The lack of positive role models for children of undocumented immigrants D. Widespread ignorance of the poor quality of legal representation available to undocumented immigrants E. The author's desire to acknowledge her parents' efforts to support her despite their immigration status

B. The impact of government policies on undocumented immigrant families

The author sets off the passage's final phrase with an em dash primarily to A. express doubt about the phrase B. heighten the impact of the phrase C. highlight the ambiguity of the phrase D. separate a judgment from a statement of fact E. rephrase a previous conclusion

B. heighten the impact of the phrase

In the first sentence of the passage, the clause set off by dashes ("she adopted . . . sell") serves primarily to explain A. Rowling's reversal of gender stereotypes in her writings B. the origins of Rowling's pen name C. the economic hardships faced by Rowling's family D. why Rowling did not expect her novels to be financially successful E. why Rowling was drawn to writing young adult fiction

B. the origins of Rowling's pen name

In sentence 15 (reproduced below), which version of the underlined text produces a logical comparison between Hale and Roulstone in the controversy surrounding "Mary Had a Little Lamb"? Whereas Hale was a widowed mother of five, Roulstone was a ten-year-old boy who never published anything. A. (as it is now) B. was a prolific author who wrote both novels and poems C. successfully petitioned for Thanksgiving to be a national holiday D. never knew of Roulstone until Sawyer claimed he was the author of the poem E. delivered a moral message at the end of the poem about being kind to animals

B. was a prolific author who wrote both novels and poems

The writer wants to support the line of reasoning in the fifth paragraph (sentences 13-16) with a comment that reflects the complexity of the historical narrative in the passage's earlier paragraphs. Which version of the underlined text in sentence 14 (reproduced below) most effectively accomplishes this goal? However, the Sawyer homestead burned to the ground in 2007. A. (as it is now) B. Sawyer first made the claim at a fund-raiser, where she sold strands of wool from her pet lamb C. 60 years after her lamb's visit inspired Roulstone to write a poem, it is likely Sawyer conflated Roulstone's poem with Hale's D. Roulstone was visiting Sawyer's school that day and returned later to give her the poem E. Sawyer sincerely believed she was the Mary of "Mary Had a Little Lamb" until her death in 1889

C. 60 years after her lamb's visit inspired Roulstone to write a poem, it is likely Sawyer conflated Roulstone's poem with Hale's

In sentence 6 (reproduced below), the writer is considering deleting the underlined text. However, strong evidence indicates that this event did not inspire the poem and that the author was in fact Sarah Josepha Hale, not Roulstone. Should the writer keep or delete the underlined text? A. Keep it, because it indicates why the story of Roulstone's composition is described as "charming" in sentence 5. B. Keep it, because it deepens the discussion in the passage by leading the reader to consider different ways a poem may be inspired. C. Keep it, because it previews the way the rest of the passage will support the thesis about Hale's authorship with evidence. D. Delete it, because it contains unimportant information that distracts from the statement of the thesis. E. Delete it, because it contradicts the discussion of Roulstone's childhood in the first paragraph.

C. Keep it, because it previews the way the rest of the passage will support the thesis about Hale's authorship with evidence.

In the passage, the author presents a narrative of her parents' deportation in order to A. imply that her audience would find it difficult to imagine her predicament B. contrast her perspective as a child with her adult understanding of an issue C. illustrate her point that existing immigration policy is broken D. express regret over decisions she made subsequent to that experience E. clarify why the actions taken against her parents were unlawful

C. illustrate her point that existing immigration policy is broken

In order to strengthen her argument, the author references which of the following contemporary circumstances? A. Legislation that has recently been passed by Congress B. The backlog of cases for immigration hearings C. Significant changes in the number of immigrants to the United States D. An unfulfilled pledge by a political leader E. Widespread abuses in the criminal justice system

D. An unfulfilled pledge by a political leader

In the eighth paragraph, the author's statement that "My story is all too common" serves which of the following purposes? A. It shows that the author was luckier than most adolescents in her situation. B. It summarizes an experience that was previously depicted through anecdotes. C. It anticipates an objection about the legality of her parents' deportation. D. It asserts the relevance of her personal experience within a wider political debate. E. It concedes that the author's opinions about deportation were shaped by her own experiences.

D. It asserts the relevance of her personal experience within a wider political debate.

The author introduces her essay by relating an anecdote from her vacation in France (paragraphs 1 and 2) primarily to A. praise the widespread custom of European napping B. confirm her audience's suspicion that napping is inefficient C. offer advice to Americans traveling in rural France D. establish a cultural comparison for her argument about napping E. explain the daily routine of a French lockkeeper

D. establish a cultural comparison for her argument about napping

In the context of the final paragraph, the author uses phrases such as "dull, distracted adults" and "soulless environment" primarily to A. explain why adults may be less perceptive readers of Rowling's books than children are B. respond to the objection that Rowling often misrepresents the adult world C. urge his audience to devote more time to reading children's literature D. remind his audience of the very different perspective that children might have of the adult world E. suggest that his audience might be projecting their own dissatisfaction with the adult world onto Rowling's work

D. remind his audience of the very different perspective that children might have of the adult world

In the third paragraph, which of the following best describes the author's perspective regarding orphan characters such as Harry Potter and Oliver Twist? A. While orphan characters share many literary influences, they ultimately owe their distinctive identities to their respective creators. B. Regardless of the different worlds inhabited by orphan characters, they are often equally popular with readers. C. Despite the unusual challenges faced by many orphan characters, they typically overcome them. D. Whereas many orphan characters have ideal qualities, modern readers no longer admire such perfection. E. Although orphan characters share a marginal social status, they may not be equally complex.

E. Although orphan characters share a marginal social status, they may not be equally complex.

The writer wants to avoid expressing the argument of the passage in absolute terms. Which of the following changes should the writer make? A. In sentence 2, deleting "according to popular lore" and adjusting the punctuation as needed B. In sentence 4, adding "almost" before "everywhere" C. In sentence 5, changing "purported" to "talented" D. In sentence 10, deleting "which she no longer possessed, incidentally" and adjusting the punctuation as needed E. In sentence 16, changing "impossible" to "improbable"

E. In sentence 16, changing "impossible" to "improbable"

In the ninth paragraph, the author relates the story of her niece ("When my . . . support her") primarily to A. express regret for the author's failure to support her family B. cite a factor that inspired her to take on a particular screen role C. identify one aspect of her family's situation that is atypical D. urge the government to increase financial support for single-parent households E. illustrate the negative effects of family fragmentation on children

E. illustrate the negative effects of family fragmentation on children

In the second paragraph, the sentences "Throughout my childhood . . . never helped" primarily serve to appeal to the audience's A. sense of compassion: these lines show that undocumented immigrants are overwhelmed by having to appear before judges without legal representation B. faith in legal professionals: these lines show that proper representation in court would have helped the author's family to legalize their immigration status C. sense of charity toward others: these lines show that the author's family lacked the financial means to work within the legal system D. trust in justice: these lines show that more regulation of immigration attorneys is necessary to make the system fair E. respect for the rule of law: these lines show that the author's parents made a genuine effort to legally navigate a burdensome immigration process

E. respect for the rule of law: these lines show that the author's parents made a genuine effort to legally navigate a burdensome immigration process