exam study
In "What Makes a Good Life? Lesson from the Longest Study of Happiness," the presenter, Robert Waldinger, states, "Good relationships keep us happier and healthier." Which excerpt from the video does not directly support Waldinger's statement?
"Relationships are messy and they're complicated and the hard work of tending to family and friends, it's not sexy or glamorous. It's also lifelong. It never ends."
Read the dictionary entry. cosmopolitan adj. 1. marked by appreciation of many parts of the world; not regional 2. marked by sophistication arising from urban life 3. composed of persons or elements from all parts of the world. 4. a person who lives in a city Read the sentence. Columnist Mark Snow of the Greenville Times grew up in Manhattan, providing him with a cosmopolitan viewpoint that is unusual in a small-town writer. Which definition of cosmopolitan best fits the meaning and part of speech used in the sentence?
2
Which sentence best states the central idea of "What Makes a Good Life? Lessons from the Longest Study on Happiness"?
A good life is achieved through good relationships.
Which sentence uses a dash correctly?
After a short drive down the rutted lane, we reached the end of the road—a locked gate.
Read the excerpt from the article "How to Make Sure the Next Generation Is Better Off Than We Are." As parents, we must play a greater role in equipping our children for a more challenging future. We should also care for those members of society who are marginalized. Our wellbeing is intrinsically interconnected with theirs. If we are not all much more attentive, further disparities in wealth and income inequality will seriously tear the fabric of our society. Explain the metaphorical statement from this sentence in the excerpt: "If we are not all much more attentive, further disparities in wealth and income inequality will seriously tear the fabric of our society."
Answers will vary. An appropriate response is as follows: The author claims that the parents in his reading audience need to offer help and care to those who are needy in order to keep the social fabric strong. Through the metaphorical comparison of society to a piece of fabric, he emphasizes that each individual impacts every other individual—as does each thread in a piece of fabric. The author feels that if attention is not given to all members of a society, the fabric will tear beyond repair.
Read the excerpt from the article "How to Make Sure the Next Generation Is Better Off Than We Are." Unlike prior generations, they will not be able to rely on market appreciation and compensation growth to overcome the debt legacies that they will inherit. Responsive asset-liability management will be a constant requirement for them. This is a skill-set that we have not emphasized enough as part of core educational curriculum to date. Why does the author use diction like "market appreciation," "compensation growth," "debt legacies," and "responsive asset-liability management" in the excerpt?
Answers will vary. An appropriate response is as follows: The author wants the diction that he uses in the excerpt to represent the vocabulary of the curriculum that he argues should be included in education. His purpose for incorporating the vocabulary into his article is to persuade the audience that such curriculum (with the accompanying vocabulary) is necessary for the next generation to thrive financially.
Read the excerpt from the article "How to Make Sure the Next Generation Is Better Off Than We Are." What I am referring to here is the real risk that, for the first time in nearly a century in most western countries, our children's generation may end up worse off than that of their parents. This sad state of affairs is the result of a number of multi-year developments. Explain how the rhetoric in the excerpt reveals the author's perspective.
Answers will vary. An appropriate response is as follows: The author wants to draw the audience's attention to two things that he sees as important for them to understand: that something must be done immediately to help the next generation, and that the problem has been brewing for a long time. His use of the idioms this sad state of affairs and may end up worse off combines with the use of the inclusive pronouns I and our to create his desired conversational tone. That tone puts the audience on equal footing with the author so that he can then persuade them to accept his perspective on the situation: that they must share the blame and accept his solution.
Describe the purpose of "Supreme Court Case: Tinker v. Des Moines." Write your response in the space provided.
Answers will vary. An appropriate response is as follows: The purpose of "Supreme Court Case: Tinker v. Des Moines" is to convey the majority and dissenting opinions of two different Supreme Court justices, one of whom ruled in favor of the Tinkers and one of whom ruled in favor of the Des Moines public schools.
Read the paragraph from "Excerpt from Joseph Galloway Speech, September 28, 1774." If we sincerely mean to accommodate the difference between the two countries, and to establish their union on more firm and constitutional principles, we must take into consideration a number of facts which led the Parliament to pass the acts complained of, since the year 1763, and the real state of the Colonies. A clear and perfect knowledge of these matters only can lead us to the ground of substantial redress and permanent harmony. I will therefore call your recollection to the dangerous situation of the Colonies from the intrigues of France, and the incursions of the Canadians and their Indian allies, at the commencement of the last war. None of us can be ignorant of the just sense they then entertained of that danger, and of their incapacity to defend themselves against it, nor of the supplications made to the Parent State for its assistance, nor of the cheerfulness with which Great-Britain sent over her fleets and armies for their protection, of the millions she expended in that protection, and of the happy consequences which attended it. Write an idea that is implied, but not directly stated, in the paragraph.
Answers will vary. An idea that is implied, but not directly stated, in the paragraph is that Joseph Galloway feels that the American colonies are unable to defend themselves and need the British to help the Americans defend the colonies. He implies this by referring to the last war where the colonies could not defend themselves from the French and the Canadians and their Indian allies. It was the British, which Galloway calls the "Parent State," who could help the colonies.
Read the statement from "What Makes a Good Life? Lesson from the Longest Study of Happiness." And the third big lesson that we learned about relationships and our health is that good relationships don't just protect our bodies, they protect our brains. Locate and write a piece of textual evidence from the transcript that best supports the statement.
Answers will vary. Several pieces of textual evidence support the statement:"It turns out that being in a securely attached relationship to another person in your 80s is protective, that the people who are in relationships where they really feel they can count on the other person in times of need, those people's memories stay sharper longer." "And the people in relationships where they feel they really can't count on the other one, those are the people who experience earlier memory decline." "Some of our octogenarian couples could bicker with each other day in and day out, but as long as they felt that they could really count on the other when the going got tough, those arguments didn't take a toll on their memories."
Read the excerpt from "What Makes a Good Life? Lessons from the Longest Study on Happiness." we've learned three big lessons about relationships. The first is that social connections are really good for us, and that loneliness kills. It turns out that people who are more socially connected to family, to friends, to community, are happier, they're physically healthier, and they live longer than people who are less well connected. And the experience of loneliness turns out to be toxic. People who are more isolated than they want to be from others find that they are less happy, their health declines earlier in midlife, their brain functioning declines sooner and they live shorter lives than people who are not lonely. And the sad fact is that at any given time, more than one in five Americans will report that they're lonely. The central idea of the excerpt is that social connections are good for people and that loneliness is bad. Locate and write two pieces of textual evidence from the excerpt that help analyze and support the central idea of the excerpt.
Answers will vary. Two statements from the excerpt that support its central idea are "people who are more socially connected to family, to friends, to community, are happier, they're physically healthier, and they live longer than people who are less well connected" and "People who are more isolated than they want to be from others find that they are less happy, their health declines earlier in midlife, their brain functioning declines sooner and they live shorter lives than people who are not lonely."
Which sentence from the article "How to Make Sure the Next Generation Is Better Off Than We Are" does not contain parallelism?
As parents, we must play a greater role in equipping our children for a more challenging future.
Read the excerpt from Shirley Chisholm's speech "Equal Rights for Women." Let me note and try to refute two of the commonest arguments that are offered against this amendment. One is that women are already protected under the law and do not need legislation. Existing laws are not adequate to secure equal rights for women. Sufficient proof of this is the concentration of women in lower paying, menial, unrewarding jobs and their incredible scarcity in the upper level jobs. Which element in the chain of legal reasoning is Shirley Chisholm identifying in this part of the speech?
Chisholm is identifying the issue: Is the current law violating women's rights by not doing enough to adequately protect them?
Which sentence does not contain parallel structure?
During the summer holidays, the family went to the lake, the beach, and to the park.
In which sentences are semicolons used correctly? Select all that apply.
Effective bosses are active listeners; they take responsibility for their mistakes. Effective bosses actively listen; they take responsibility; they provide constructive feedback.
Which sentences contain examples of contested language usage? Select all that apply.
Either Jeremy or someone else in the biology class didn't clean up their workstation. Students received color-coded badges indicating which team they were assigned to. I checked and the coffee bar isn't open. But there is an all-night diner on Elm Street.
Read the Dissenting Opinion section of the "Tinker v. Des Moines" court case. Which excerpt best explains Justice Black's perspective about the rights associated with the First Amendment?
I have never believed that any person has a right to give speeches or engage in demonstrations where he pleases and when he pleases.
Read the two sentences about introverts and extroverts, two personality types. Introverts can be quiet at parties and are often energized by spending time alone. Extroverts can be the life of the party and can find themselves feeling lonely when alone. Which option includes the best transitional word or phrase to connect the two sentences?
Introverts can be quiet at parties and are often energized by spending time alone. On the other hand, extroverts can be the life of the party and can find themselves feeling lonely when alone.
Read the sentence from "Tinker v. Des Moines: Majority Opinion of the Supreme Court." The school officials banned and sought to punish petitioners for a silent, passive expression of opinion, unaccompanied by any disorder or disturbance on the part of petitioners. Which options best analyze the impact of Justice Fortas's use of diction as a rhetorical feature in the sentence? Select all that apply.
Justice Fortas's use of the words silent and passive emphasizes his perception of the Tinkers' expression of their right of free speech. Justice Fortas's use of the words banned and punish emphasizes the violation of the Tinkers' constitutional rights.
Read the claim. Blogs that offer health-related solutions should be banned because they endanger the welfare of their readers. Which option presents the strongest counterclaim from parents who have young children and who regularly turn to blogs to gather medical information?
Many bloggers use reputable online sources to gather information about current health issues and concerns affecting people of all ages, including young children.
Read the excerpt from the article "How to Make Sure the Next Generation Is Better Off Than We Are." And this evolution needs to be made more global, interactive and engaging, thus fueling the type of intellectual curiosity that anchors mental agility that is so helpful in today's fluid world. What rhetorical feature does the author use in the excerpt?
Metaphor
Read the excerpt from the Barack Obama speech "Remarks by the President at the 50th Anniversary of the Selma to Montgomery Marches." As we commemorate their achievement, we are well-served to remember that at the time of the marches, many in power condemned rather than praised them. Back then, they were called Communists, or half-breeds, or outside agitators, sexual and moral degenerates, and worse—they were called everything but the name their parents gave them. Their faith was questioned. Their lives were threatened. Their patriotism challenged. And yet, what could be more American than what happened in this place? What could more profoundly vindicate the idea of America than plain and humble people—unsung, the downtrodden, the dreamers not of high station, not born to wealth or privilege, not of one religious tradition but many, coming together to shape their country's course? What greater expression of faith in the American experiment than this, what greater form of patriotism is there than the belief that America is not yet finished, that we are strong enough to be self-critical, that each successive generation can look upon our imperfections and decide that it is in our power to remake this nation to more closely align with our highest ideals? The First Amendment states this: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances. How effectively do the principles of the First Amendment apply to Obama's perspective that people came together to fight racism?
Obama effectively applies the First Amendment because he focuses on the rights of freedom of speech and assembly to highlight the power of coming together for a single cause.
Read the excerpt from the Barack Obama speech "Remarks by the President at the 50th Anniversary of the Selma to Montgomery Marches." How can that be? The Voting Rights Act was one of the crowning achievements of our democracy, the result of Republican and Democratic efforts. President Reagan signed its renewal when he was in office. President George W. Bush signed its renewal when he was in office. One hundred members of Congress have come here today to honor people who were willing to die for the right to protect it. If we want to honor this day, let that hundred go back to Washington and gather four hundred more, and together, pledge to make it their mission to restore that law this year. That's how we honor those on this bridge. Which statement most accurately explains Obama's use of constitutional principles in the excerpt?
Obama points out the need for checks and balances to encourage the members of the Legislative branch to make sure the Voting Rights Act is renewed as law.
Which claim is the best option to write about in an argument essay?
Parents need to consider the long-term effects of head injuries before allowing their children to play football.
Read the paragraph from "Excerpt from Patrick Henry Speech, March 23, 1775." It is in vain, sir, to extenuate the matter. Gentlemen may cry, Peace, Peace but there is no peace. The war is actually begun! The next gale that sweeps from the north will bring to our ears the clash of resounding arms! Our brethren are already in the field! Why stand we here idle? What is it that gentlemen wish? What would they have? Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death! Based on the paragraph, which option best conveys Patrick Henry's underlying message?
Patrick Henry implies that he would rather fight the British and die trying than be controlled by the domineering British colonial rule.
Read the sentence from the article "How to Make Sure the Next Generation Is Better Off Than We Are." We got seduced by financial engineering, even believing that "finance" was the next (natural) stage of capitalistic economic development. Explain how the author uses nuance in the sentence to persuade his audience.
Read the sentence from the article "How to Make Sure the Next Generation Is Better Off Than We Are." We got seduced by financial engineering, even believing that "finance" was the next (natural) stage of capitalistic economic development. Explain how the author uses nuance in the sentence to persuade his audience.
Read the sentence from the article "How to Make Sure the Next Generation Is Better Off Than We Are." Our generation also overdosed on debt and credit entitlement. How does the author use metaphor in the sentence to influence his audience? Select all that apply.
The author uses the metaphor overdosed to express the addictive quality of credit. The author uses the metaphor overdosed to express the toxic effect that debt and credit entitlement can have on a society. The author uses the metaphor overdosed to express the large quantity of debt accumulated by his generation.
In which sentence is passive voice used appropriately?
The bank was robbed at midnight.
Read "Tinker v. Des Moines: Majority Opinion of the Supreme Court." What two amendments were argued in this Supreme Court case? Write your response in the space provided.
The correct answers are the First Amendment and the Fourteenth Amendment.
Read the excerpt from the article "Gun Debate? What Gun Debate?" by Mark O'Mara. Reasonable restrictions on guns will not lead to totalitarianism and anarchy. Suffering 30,000 gun deaths annually is not a reasonable sacrifice to make in order to blindly maintain our unrestricted gun culture, particularly when the rallying cry is an outdated reference concerning infringement which, known to anyone who has actually studied the Constitution and our founding fathers who drafted it, was a reference to the then-existing reality that young men, when called upon to defend the state and the laws of the state, were expected to provide their own arms. A warrant stated by the author in the excerpt is that gun restrictions will not result in lawlessness and disorder. Which option most effectively evaluates how this warrant supports the author's argument?
The warrant is highly effective; the warrant helps persuade the audience to understand that the Constitutional right to bear arms is outdated and does not apply to modern society.
Which option best explains the constitutional principle of limited government?
There is a balance between the liberty of citizens and the authority of government.
Read the excerpt from the article "Gun Debate? What Gun Debate?" by Mark O'Mara. What this means is that we've accepted school shootings and other random mass shootings as a normal part of life in America, no matter how they affect the life, liberty and pursuit of happiness that was first announced in the Declaration of Independence, some 13 years before our oft-quoted Constitution and the Bill of Rights. I guess that's not surprising: We accept collateral damage for other privileges we enjoy. We tolerate a certain number of drunk driving deaths, more than 10,000 in 2012, and there's little public outcry for greater restrictions. We've been willing to sacrifice nearly 7,000 soldiers (and tens of thousands wounded) in two wars to maintain our political influence in the Middle East. About 400 children drown each year in pools and spas, but we're not scrambling to outlaw summer fun. Which answers most effectively describe what analogical reasoning in the excerpt allows O'Mara to do? Select all that apply.
This reasoning lets O'Mara compare school shootings to drunk-driving and combat deaths because we accept them as the norm This reasoning lets O'Mara imply that school shootings are no different than drunk-driving and combat deaths in America's eyes.
Which sentence from the article "How to Make Sure the Next Generation Is Better Off Than We Are
We sacrificed safety for the allure of the unquestioned efficiency of unfettered markets.
Reread Shirley Chisholm's speech "Equal Rights for Women." Which excerpt best identifies a conclusion of Chisholm's argument?
What we need are laws to protect working people, to guarantee them fair pay, safe working conditions, protection against sickness and layoffs, and provision for dignified, comfortable retirement.
Read the sentences. Because the members of the employee committee wanted the party for their manager to be a surprise, they were forced to use subterfuge to keep him away from the party area. One member of the committee distracted him by asking him to sit in on her meeting. What is the meaning of subterfuge as used in the sentence?
a strategy of deception
Read the sentence. In the chain of legal reasoning, the of a case is the interpretation and evaluation of how the facts fit the rule. Which option correctly completes the sentence?
analysis
Read the sentence. The green eyed black kitten was playing a pounce on the string game with one of the preschoolers. Which modifiers should be hyphenated for clarity? Select all that apply.
green-eyed pounce-on-the-string
Read the thesaurus entry. innate adj. 1. built-in 2. essential 3. inborn 4. elemental Read the sentence. Salmon swim thousands of miles in response to the innate urge to migrate to breeding grounds. Which synonym best matches the meaning of innate as it is used in the sentence?
inborn
Read the excerpt from Abraham Lincoln's "Second Inaugural Address." On the occasion corresponding to this four years ago all thoughts were anxiously directed to an impending civil war. All dreaded it, all sought to avert it. While the inaugural address was being delivered from this place, devoted altogether to saving the Union without war, insurgent agents were in the city seeking to destroy it without war—seeking to dissolve the Union and divide effects by negotiation. Both parties deprecated war, but one of them would make war rather than let the nation survive, and the other would accept war rather than let it perish, and the war came. Which word from the excerpt best describes being rebellious?
insurgent
Read the sentence. "I don't like staying out late, however, I will make an exception tonight," said Loretta. What syntax problem appears in the sentence
it is a comma splice
Read the excerpt from John F. Kennedy's "Moon Speech" at Rice University. Those who came before us made certain that this country rode the first waves of the industrial revolutions, the first waves of modern invention, and the first wave of nuclear power, and this generation does not intend to founder in the backwash of the coming age of space. Which kind of figurative language does Kennedy use in the excerpt?
metaphor
Read the sentence. After Lacey's admirer sent her a box of chocolates, she decided to by giving him an anonymous gift of movie tickets. Which word would complete the sentence with the most precise meaning?
reciprocate
Read the sentence. Due to reduced profits, the investment company made a pragmatic decision to postpone its costly move into a new building. Which words and phrases in the sentence provide clues to the meaning of pragmatic? Select all that apply.
reduced profits costly
Read the sentence. Elena did not have cash to pay for her latte. Which word form correctly completes the sentence?
sufficient
Read the excerpt from "Tinker v. Des Moines: Majority Opinion of the Supreme Court." It is also relevant that the school authorities did not purport to prohibit the wearing of all symbols of political or controversial significance. ... Instead, a particular symbol—black armbands worn to exhibit opposition to this Nation's involvement in Vietnam—was singled out for prohibition. Clearly, the prohibition of expression of one particular opinion, at least without evidence that it is necessary to avoid material and substantial interference with schoolwork or discipline, is not constitutionally permissible. Which option best identifies the rhetorical feature used in the excerpt?
syntax
Which option best describes the purpose of "Tinker v. Des Moines: Majority Opinion of the Supreme Court"?
to convey the viewpoint of the Supreme Court justices who ruled in favor of the Tinkers
Read the excerpt from Shirley Chisholm's speech "Equal Rights for Women." It is obvious that discrimination exists. Women do not have the opportunities that men do. And women that do not conform to the system, who try to break with the accepted patterns, are stigmatized as ''odd'' and "unfeminine." The fact is that a woman who aspires to be chairman of the board, or a Member of the House, does so for exactly the same reasons as any man. Basically, these are that she thinks she can do the job and she wants to try. Which option most accurately describes the purpose of this statement?
to express that women should have the right to pursue the same opportunities as men
Read the sentence. When Jason and Erica rented equipment at the ski resort, they had to sign an agreement that stipulated what items they were leasing and what penalties there were for damage or late returns. In this sentence, stipulated functions as a(n) and means . Which option correctly completes the sentence?
verb; "to specify as a condition"