AP Lang: MCQ practice for midterm
The writer wants to clearly demonstrate the relationship between ideas in the third paragraph. Which version of sentence 8 (reproduced below) most successfully supports this goal? "Other issues may be more troublesome." a) (As it is now) b) Experts from NASA note that technology does, indeed, solve many of the problems. c) It is important to do additional research to determine how to keep astronauts healthy during long-term missions. d) One experiment, sponsored by the Italian Space Agency (ASI), is measuring brain activity to track and hopefully diminish the harmful effects of space travel. e) NASA has initiated something called the Human Research Program (HRP), which has already funded over 300 grants to teams of scientists working to solve these problems.
a) (As it is now)
In the context of the second paragraph, which of the following versions of the underlined portion of sentence 8 (reproduced below) best expresses the writer's attitude toward the courses offered at Chaffey College? Chaffey College, for instance, in Rancho Cucamonga, California, has started offering cutting-edge courses in construction and logistics, two of the fastest growing industries in the region. a) (as it is now) b) questionable c) fascinating d) optional e) popular
a) (as it is now)
Which of the following choices creates the most logical transition within sentence 2 (reproduced below)? "It may be too soon to start planning your Martian vacation, however: there are good reasons to doubt that humans will be able to undertake long-distance space flights in the foreseeable future." a) (as it is now) b) therefore c) in other words d) instead e) meanwhile
a) (as it is now)
"(8) Chaffey College, for instance, in Rancho Cucamonga, California, has started offering cutting-edge courses in construction and logistics, two of the fastest growing industries in the region." After sentence 8, the writer wants to cite a source that supports the claim that Chaffey College successfully models the type of education reform needed to adapt to automation. Which of the following sources would best accomplish this goal? a) A quote from a recent college graduate who was hired by a technology firm that recruits at Chaffey College b) An article that provides an overview of the growth in California college attendance rates c) A list of the most recent job postings in the technology industry in California d) A research study that analyzes the long-term effects of education reform e) An overview of the most recent course offerings at Chaffey College
a) A quote from a recent college graduate who was hired by a technology firm that recruits at Chaffey College
"(3) For example, the body loses muscle mass and bone density in low-gravity environments because the pressure of Earth's atmosphere is removed. (4) Astronauts struggle to walk after six months in space; the effects of a three-year flight and a stay on Mars would be far greater. (5) Nevertheless, humans have a natural cycle of wakefulness and sleep attuned to daytime and nighttime on Earth. (6) Anyone who has experienced jet lag can attest to the mental and physical effects of disrupting this cycle, but we can only imagine the consequences of disrupting it for years." The writer wants to add a sentence immediately before sentence 3 to connect the evidence and commentary provided in the second paragraph to the overall argument of the passage. Which of the following choices most effectively accomplishes this goal? a) While NASA astronauts are already experienced with the difficulties humans experience in outer space, these problems would be intensified on long-term missions. b) Many people dream of space travel from a young age, but only a small number of applicants for astronaut training have the technical knowledge and physical traits needed to succeed as an astronaut. c) A mission to Mars would entail three distinct gravitational conditions: first, Earth's gravity; then, the low gravity of outer space; and finally, the gravity of Mars, which is about 38 percent as strong as Earth's gravity. d) Astronauts face extraordinary dangers when they travel into space. e) It is important to conduct medical research under low-gravity conditions.
a) While NASA astronauts are already experienced with the difficulties humans experience in outer space, these problems would be intensified on long-term missions.
The writer is considering changing the underlined word in sentence 12 (reproduced below) to "skeptical." Some business and labor union leaders are dismissive of this new social safety net, suggesting that it discourages people from working, but tech industry leaders argue persuasively that BI can provide workers with needed resources and flexibility to take jobs in the freelance or "gig" economy. Should the writer make this change to sentence 12 ? a) Yes, because the tone of the underlined word suggests that the writer is hostile toward the business and labor union leaders' attitudes. b) Yes, because the change replaces a vague word with a more precise one and clarifies the meaning of the sentence. c) No, because the underlined word objective represents the attitudes of the business and labor union leaders. d) No, because replacing the underlined word would require the writer to revise the line of reasoning in the rest of the paragraph. e) No, because the underlined word appeals to the likely beliefs of the audience and therefore helps make the writer's perspective more appealing.
a) Yes, because the tone of the underlined word suggests that the writer is hostile toward the business and labor union leaders' attitudes.
"I have come to realize how much I have, throughout my life, bought into the narrative of this alluring myth of personal responsibility and excellence. I realize how much I believe that all good things will come if I—if we—just work hard enough. This attitude leaves me always relentless, always working hard enough and then harder still. I am ashamed that sometimes a part of me believes we, as a people, will be saved by those among us who are exceptional without considering who might pay the price for such salvation or who would be left behind." In the second paragraph, the author draws on evidence from her personal experience primarily to a) explain a change in her assessment of a particular idea b) affirm the value of striving to live up to a particular ideal c) express regret for having compromised her integrity d) illustrate how forms of discrimination based on race and gender tend to overlap e) establish a key distinction between her work ethic and that of Obama's
a) explain a change in her assessment of a particular idea
"(13) Former chair of the National Endowment for the Arts Jane Chu explains how playing the piano connected her to others at a time when, as a child of immigrants, she felt out of step with her parents and community. (14) "I felt as though I belonged," she says of her performances, "because I had an avenue of expression beyond just the linear use of everyday words." The writer wants to develop the discussion of Jane Chu's performance experiences in sentences 13 and 14. Which of the following, if added after sentence 14, would best accomplish this goal? a) A narrative about how Chu first became interested in music and why she started playing the piano b) Contrasting descriptions of how Chu felt when she played music and how she felt when she interacted with people in nonmusical contexts c) An explanation of why Chu's family decided to move from China to the United States d) A detailed description of the National Endowment for the Arts, including when and why it was founded and the scope of its mission today e) The definition of "linear" as it is used in the quotation from Chu
b) Contrasting descriptions of how Chu felt when she played music and how she felt when she interacted with people in nonmusical contexts
The writer is considering deleting sentence 3 (reproduced below). A 2018 article in the Los Angeles Times reported that 63 percent of tasks performed by workers in three California cities—Riverside, San Bernardino, and Ontario—could be automated in the future. Should the writer keep or delete sentence 3 ? a) Keep it, because it sets up the idea of California exploring the basic income program detailed later in the passage. b) Keep it, because it provides evidence from a credible source that supports the writer's line of reasoning in the passage. c) Delete it, because it fails to show how the author of the Los Angeles Times article obtained the information that is summarized in the sentence. d) Delete it, because it offers irrelevant information that distracts from the passage's concern with younger generations of workers. e) Delete it, because it fails to provide enough details about the kinds fo tasks that are not likely to be automated in the future.
b) Keep it, because it provides evidence from a credible source that supports the writer's line of reasoning in the passage.
"Without calculus the work of Isaac Newton would have been impossible. Yet great scientific work in other fields, performed by men like Pasteur, Darwin, and Pavlov (with whose names pasteurization, evolution, and conditioned response in psychology are associated), has used little or no mathematics." The authors discuss different scientists in the last two sentences of the passage primarily to a) explain why some sciences have advanced further than others b) correct a misconception about the nature of scientific rationality c) underscore that all scientific thought ultimately rests on observation d) resolve an apparent contradiction between empiricism and experimentalism e) prove that their definition of science accurately represents the work of past scientists
b) correct a misconception about the nature of scientific rationality
"These instances are not adduced with a view of proving that it is desirable to open such professions to women, but merely in support of my proposition that sex does not extend to mind." At the end of the second paragraph, the author claims that "these instances are not adduced with a view of proving that it is desirable to open such professions to women" primarily to a) suggest a more inclusive approach toward gender in the military b) distance herself from a perspective that could be supported by the evidence she cites c) acknowledge a weakness in her argument about gender d) undercut an argument she feels compelled to acknowledge e) extend her argument about equality of mind to equality of physical capabilities
b) distance herself from a perspective that could be supported by the evidence she cites
"I know there are those who believe that peace will not be attained until some super-tribunal is established to punish the violators of such treaties, but I believe that in the end the abolition of war, the maintenance of world peace, the adjustment of international questions by pacific means will come through the force of public opinion, which controls nations and peoples—that public opinion which shapes our destinies and guides the progress of human affairs." Which of the following best captures how the author presents the relationship between public opinion and peace in the third paragraph? a) Peace enables public opinion to regulate human behavior effectively. b) Peace allows the free expression of public opinion. c) Public opinion is the most effective means of safeguarding peace. d) Public opinion historically tends to favor peace. e) Public opinion safeguards international peace more effectively than it does domestic peace.
c) Public opinion is the most effective means of safeguarding peace.
Which choice provides the best transition to the subject of sentence 5 (reproduced below)? "Nevertheless, humans have a natural cycle of wakefulness and sleep attuned to daytime and nighttime on Earth." a) (As it is now) b) Clearly c) Similarly d) Subsequently e) Although
c) Similarly
"This would make cookbooks, Sears, Roebuck catalogues, and telephone books science, which they are not." In the second sentence of the first paragraph, the authors mention cookbooks, catalogues, and telephone books primarily to a) illustrate the broad array of objects that are organized by scientific principles b) concede that rational argumentation can sometimes lead to absurd conclusions c) demonstrate that a particular definition of science is overly inclusive d) condemn those who erroneously regard such works as forms of science e) highlight the inherent difficulty of distinguishing science from other types of knowledge
c) demonstrate that a particular definition of science is overly inclusive
"Even paranoiacs may be thought of as rationalists, for they are commonly most rigorous in reasoning. But their premises, which they cling to in spite of all evidence, are absurd." In the final sentence of the first paragraph, the authors choose to use the word "absurd" in order to a) demonstrate that even sound premises can lead to irrational conclusions b) argue that evidence that seems illogical should not be considered by scientists c) emphasize a previous distinction between rationality and reasonableness d) imply that too much rigor can lead to nonsensical inferences e) convey disdain for those who display uncertainty about their premises
c) emphasize a previous distinction between rationality and reasonableness
In sentence 12 (reproduced below), which version of the underlined word best conveys the writer's perspective on long space missions? "With NASA's attention directed to the problems of long space missions, it is certain that scientists will come up with creative solutions to the elevated risks to human well-being in space much as they have addressed dangers associated with shorter missions." a) (as it is now) b) likely c) possible d) assured e) inconceivable
c) possible
"(14) Hopefully, as automation disrupts more industries, public acceptance of BI will increase in the United States as well." The writer is considering adding the following sentence after sentence 14 to strengthen the case that basic income should be more widely accepted. Some news outlets suggest that since the trend is growing, it is only a matter of time before BI becomes a reality. Should the writer add this sentence after sentence 14 ? a) Yes, because this sentence shows that the writer is addressing an objection that the audience is likely to have to basic income programs. b) Yes, because a similar idea is stated earlier in the passage and the writer needs to provide support. c) Yes, because the writer cannot support the line of reasoning in the paragraph without stating that the basic income trend is growing. d) No, because the absence of specific sources or statements from those sources makes the claim of the sentence seem unsupported. e) No, because these ideas were already developed earlier in the passage and do not need to be repeated.
d) No, because the absence of specific sources or statements from those sources makes the claim of the sentence seem unsupported.
In sentence 4 (reproduced below), the writer wants to integrate the discussion of the piece Passin' on to Others into the passage's line of reasoning about how art can affirm and strengthen community bonds. "Artworks created by artists outside of a particular community often do not appeal to members of that community because of a lack of connection between the artists and their intended audience." Which of the following versions of sentence 4 best accomplishes this goal? a) (As it is now) b) Works of art from a variety of different genres can play a role in fostering communication. c) The communicative function of art can change when a piece or performance moves from one physical space to another. d) Recognizable themes from a particular social setting can quickly establish a connection between the artwork and its audience. e) Art can play a unique role in starting conversations and cultivating group pride by representing communities to themselves.
e) Art can play a unique role in starting conversations and cultivating group pride by representing communities to themselves.
"Warned by the disaster of the last great war, the statesmen of all nations have been taking measures to prevent the return of another such calamity. These measures may not constitute an absolute guarantee of peace, but, in my opinion, they constitute the greatest preventive measures ever adopted by nations. It is not to be expected that human nature will change in a day; perhaps it is too much to expect that the age-old institution of war, which has, through the centuries, been recognized by international law as a sovereign right and has darkened the pages of history with the story of blood and destruction, will be at once abolished, but people of all nations should be encouraged by the great progress which has been made since the war in the furtherance of international peace. I cannot in this brief address discuss these measures beyond enumerating them. There is the League of Nations, which has been functioning for ten years and which, I am sure, has been most beneficial in adjusting many difficult international problems; the Pact of Paris; arbitration treaties; conciliation treaties; and the Court of International Justice; and I might add that commendable progress has been made toward reduction of armament. Each one of these treaties is a step for the maintenance of peace, an additional guarantee against war. It is through such machinery that the disputes between nations will be settled and war prevented. It is not my intention today to discuss the Pact of Paris, which has passed into history; perhaps I should not say it has passed into history, but has been cemented in the foundations of the nations' organic law, as a solemn pledge not to go to war for the settlement of their disputes—a pledge which was entered into voluntarily and backed by the united sentiment of the peoples of the world and one which I am convinced the nations intend to carry out in absolute good faith. It was inspired by the determination of peoples not to be again afflicted with the horrors of such an appalling catastrophe. It was inspired by the memory of devastated lands, ruined homes, and the millions of men and women sacrificed in that awful struggle. It was not an ordinary treaty entered into by nations to serve some temporary advantage, like treaties of amity or alliances; it was a sacred promise between all nations and to all peoples of the world not to go to war for the settlement of their differences; to use a common phrase, to "outlaw" war; to make it a crime against the law of nations so that any nations which violate it should be condemned by the public opinion of the world." Which of the following best characterizes the relationship between the first and the second paragraphs? a) The first paragraph states the disadvantages of engaging in war to settle international disagreements; the second paragraph discusses an alternative method of resolving such disagreements. b) The first paragraph offers a generalization about the darker aspects of human nature; the second paragraph identifies a possible counterexample. c) The first paragraph highlights the destructive impact of war on societies; the second paragraph elaborates on how a certain mindset mentioned in the first paragraph increases the likelihood of war. d) The first paragraph lists the benefits of international cooperation; the second paragraph highlights the role of religious institutions in promoting such cooperation. e) The first paragraph describes a trend in international relations; the second paragraph expands on how a specific example mentioned in the first paragraph contributes to that trend.
e) The first paragraph describes a trend in international relations; the second paragraph expands on how a specific example mentioned in the first paragraph contributes to that trend.
"In some sciences, like astronomy, we do not sufficiently control the subject matter to experiment on it—although we do control the conditions of observation—and we distinguish those sciences from others, like chemistry, in which experiment is possible, by calling the latter 'experimental sciences."' In the final sentence of the third paragraph, the clause "although we do control the conditions of observation" functions as a transitional element that a) explains the role of observation in scientific work b) suggests that astronomy is less rigorous than experimental sciences c) refutes a claim regarding the status of astronomy among the sciences d) suggests that the definition of "experiment" has changed over time e) clarifies the reasons astronomy meets the standards for scientific rigor
e) clarifies the reasons astronomy meets the standards for scientific rigor
"On the contrary, instances are by no means uncommon of the natural taste of a woman leading her so decidedly to one or other of these professions that she has overcome all obstacles and actually engaged in them." The author's statement that "instances are by no means uncommon" (paragraph 2, sentence 4) contributes to a tone that is a) defensive and indignant b) poetic and evocative c) brusque and dismissive d) plainspoken and direct e) measured and objective
e) measured and objective
