2016 AP Lang Practice Exam: Multiple Choice

30. Which statement best sums up the central argument of the passage? (A) Genres(B) Women used(C) Diary (D) Women modified(E) Women's correspondence

(A) Genres defined as feminine gave women the chance to assert their influence and express themselves.

47. In the third paragraph (lines 36-62), the author is principally occupied with (A) defining obscure terms(B) exemplifying a claim(C) refuting a hypothesis (D) creating a sustained metaphor(E) recounting personal anecdotes

(B) exemplifying a claim

19. In lines 26-35 ("Whatever . . . 1870s"), the author suggests that (A) diaries helped (B) girls were punished (C) girls exchanged(D) girls became(E) diary keeping

(A) diaries helped girls experiment privately with different personas

45. In the first paragraph (lines 1-21), the author is mainly concerned with (A) distinguishing (B) defining (C) establishing (D) presenting(E) describing

(A) distinguishing between two frames of reference

54. According to the author, we know that a decision we have made is right largely through our (A) individual intuition(B) moral certitude(C) philosophical training(D) use of logic(E) educated taste

(A) individual intuition

24. The third paragraph (lines 36-49) asserts that letter writing was significant because it (A) provided women (B) caused women(C) kept women (D) presented women (E) gave women

(A) provided women with a means of exercising power as individuals

16. The author uses the "not only" construction in line 1 to (A) minimize (B) convey(C) recommend(D) suggest(E) argue

(B) convey a heightened degree of involvement in shared literary activities during a period

23. In line 41, the "pattern" refers to the (A) disapproval (B) responsibility (C) expectation(D) tendency(E) admiration

(B) responsibility women had for maintaining family connections

31. The author's overall tone is best described as (A) arch and witty(B) whimsical and irreverent(C) assured and informative(D) strident and polemical(E) emotional and apologetic

(C) assured and informative

48. The questions the author poses in lines 41-44 are used to (A) reveal(B) suggest (C) illustrate (D) oblige (E) indicate

(C) illustrate the difficulty of making a decision based on one's values

29. In lines 66-70 ("In creating . . . converged"), the author describes the relationship between (A) diaries intended(B) female writers (C) the artistic freedom(D) literature (E) writing

(D) literature that inspired women and the diaries and letters women produced

27. The author uses the word "obligations" in line 51 to expand on the meaning of (A) "charged" (line 38) (B) "tolerated" (line 43) (C) "detached (line 44) (D) "constituted" (line 45) (E) "demonstrated" (line 48)

(A) "charged" (line 38)

28. In the last paragraph (lines 50-70), the author mentions Alice Hamilton and Harriet Beecher Stowe because they (A) made (B) illustrate(C) wrote letters that proved(D) wrote letters that women studied (E) continue

(B) illustrate how the art of letter writing nurtured literary achievement

55. Which of the following is LEAST applicable to describe the author's presentation of ideas in the passage? (A) Judicious(B) Questioning(C) Dogmatic(D) Intellectual(E) Rational

(C) Dogmatic

53. For the author, our decision making is most influenced by (A) philosophical principles(B) moral imperatives(C) personal taste(D) suggestions about criteria(E) particular circumstances

(E) particular circumstances

49. The series of parallel clauses in lines 51-56 ("if you thought . . . break it") is used to (A) outline a solution(B) dismiss an objection(C) question a theory(D) resolve a dilemma(E) reinforce an idea

(E) reinforce an idea

46. With regard to decision making, the author views admonitions like "Order what you feel like eating" (lines 17-18) and "Do the right thing" (line 25) as (A) rhetorically reassuring(B) promoting decisiveness(C) morally orbjectively (D) lacking logical support(E) ultimately unhelpful

(E) ultimately unhelpful

21. Which of the following best describes the rhetorical function of the last sentence of the second paragraph ("Perhaps . . . 1870s") ? (A) It rejects (B) It endorses(C) It ironically acknowledges(D) It disputes (E) It suggests

(C) It ironically acknowledges the perceptiveness of "critics" (line 33) while implicitly criticizing their efforts to regulate female conduct.

51. In the third paragraph (lines 36-62), the author emphasizes which of the following aspects of thinking? (A) Its amorality(B) Its opaqueness(C) Its complexity(D) Its irrationality(E) Its consistency

(C) Its complexity

20. What is the effect of putting the word "presumably" (line 30) in parentheses? (A) To indicate (B) To acknowledge (C) To raise doubts(D) To underscore(E) To draw attention

(C) To raise doubts about whether an assumption is warranted

17. Which statement best describes the main idea of the first paragraph (lines 1-10) ? (A) Literary (B) Children's (C) Writing (D) Creative (E) Women

(C) Writing tasks featured prominently in children's lives.

50. By calling rightness "the compliment you give" (lines 57-58), the author suggests that rightness is (A) derived (B) almost(C) rarely (D) contingent (E) largely

(D) contingent on personal choices

18. Lines 12-15 ("If women . . . performance") state that women were (A) viewed (B) judged (C) entrusted(D) regarded(E) considered

(E) considered to have a particular facility for writing letters and diary entries