english language arts -...

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SHSAT ELA Exam 4 (full-length)

ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS

Suggested Time - 90 Minutes

57 Questions

IMPORTANT NOTE

The Revising/Editing section (Questions 1-9) is in two parts: Part A and Part B.

REVISING/EDITING Part A

DIRECTIONS: Read and answer each of the following questions. You will be asked to recognize and correct errors in

sentences or short paragraphs. Mark the best answer for each question.

1. Read this paragraph.

(1) While rearranging furniture, Bill advised Chris, "You should be more careful because the chest is top-heavy." (2) "It feels light to me," replied Chris, Bill's roommate. (3) Chris, who is usually very careful, wassurprised Bill had said anything. (4) At that moment, Chris dropped the antique chest onto the televisionset and severely damaged it.

Which sentence should be revised to correct a vague pronoun?

A. sentence 1

B. sentence 2

C. sentence 3

D. sentence 4

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2. Read this paragraph.

(1) The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency has awarded contracts to several organizations for the development of neural implants that could enable brains to communicate with computer interfaces to restore sensory performance — primarily speech, hearing, and sight. (2) The contracts will investigate the capacity of neural networks to operate within specific regions of the brain — down to the level of individual neurons — to understand better how brains process sensory input. (3) The scientists developing these projects had also developed technologies and algorithms capable of both interpreting and generating signals in the brain. (4) The research will work to create implantable technologies that act as translators between the electrochemical "language" of firing neurons and the numerical code that powers computers' "brains."

Which sentence should be revised to correct an inappropriate shift in verb tense?

A. sentence 1

B. sentence 2

C. sentence 3

D. sentence 4

3. Which of the following sentences makes proper use of commas in punctuation?

A. The swords which were dented and nicked hung on the wall among the other blades.

B. The returning knights hung their swords, which were dented and nicked, in battle on the main wall.

C. The returning knights hung their swords, that saw battle, in a place of honor on the far wall.

D. The swords that saw battle were dented and nicked; however, the rest looked as if they had just been made.

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REVISING/EDITING Part B

DIRECTIONS: Read the passage below and answer the questions following it. You will be asked to improve the writing quality of

the passage and to correct errors so that the passage follows the conventions of standard written English. You may reread the

passage if you need to. Mark the best answer for each question.

EVOLUTION

(1) Evolution is a fact. (2) Life on earth undergoes evolution, and that cannot be disputed based on observation. (3) The best

explanation, and arguably the only hypothesis that is thoroughly verified by results, is the Theory of Evolution. (4) It has survived

the test of time and improved since the age of Darwin in lockstep with our understanding of the world in which we live. (5) In

science, a theory is not just speculation or mere hypothesis. (6) It is the pinnacle of the scientific method. (7) Theories are the result

of testing and verification, and they are capable of providing repeatable, predictive results. (8) Among theories, evolution stands

shoulder to shoulder with atomic theory, cell theory, the theory of gravity, the germ theory of disease and more. (9) While each

continues to be revised and often improved, it is no longer realistic to assert that none are real. (10) Numerous fields of study

including paleontology confirm the Theory of Evolution. (11) Despite uninformed claims that there are missing links in the fossil

records, science has today produced a reasonably conclusive set of fossils of human ancestors including a succession of hominid

creatures between modern humans and early ancestors stretching back millions of years. (12) Various creatures from finches to

lizards, moths, crabs, and even bacteria have demonstrated evolution or speciation (the formation of new species) in the lab. (13)

Did you know that birds, not lizards, are the living descendants of dinosaurs? (14) Unknown at the time of Darwin, the

development of molecular biology and the advent of genetics has provided profound, independent verification of the Theory of

Evolution. (15) DNA evidence permits identification of ancestry and inherited traits previously not possible by other means. (16) It

not only coincides with the observed changes in fossil records, but it provides a wealth of additional discoveries about our ancestors

and biodiversity in general that improve our understanding of evolution. (17) It is disingenuous to discount evolution as just a

theory, or claim it has never been observed, or to suggest there are still missing links in the fossil records. (18) Additional arguments

like the assertion that the complexity of life could not have sprung up by chance, mutations cannot produce new features, or

evolution cannot explain how life first appeared, demonstrate the ignorance of evolution deniers. (19) Mutations do create new

features, often by chance, but evolution is not a random process. (20) Furthermore, evolution is no more a theory of creation than

germ theory is an explanation for gravity. (21) Evolution is a wonderfully accurate explanation of the biodiversity of life on Earth

supported by the evidence and confirmed countless times over the last century and a half.

4. Which of the following restatements of sentence 2 best develops the thesis for the passage?

A. The theory of change and continuous diversification of life cannot be disputed based on observation.

B. Life on Earth indisputably undergoes a recognizable process of change and continuous diversification.

C. Evolution of life on Earth results in survival of the strongest.

D. The fossil records indicate that human ancestors have undergone an inevitable process of change.

5. Which combination of sentences 6 and 7 best captures the appropriate transition from one idea to the next?

A. A theory is the pinnacle of the scientific method, so it is tested and verified to provide repeatable, predictive

results.

B. A theory is the pinnacle of the scientific method, yet it is tested and verified to provide repeatable, predictive

results.

C. A theory is the pinnacle of the scientific method, it is tested, verified, and capable of providing repeatable,

predictive results.

D. A theory is the pinnacle of the scientific method: tested, verified, and capable of providing repeatable, predictive

results.

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6. Which sentence below best follows sentence 11 and reinforces the same line of argument?

A. In fact, transitional fossils exist and are complete for many species.

B. Microevolution has been observed, but there is no support for macroevolution.

C. Speciation has been observed in complex organisms.

D. Molecular biology provides independent evidence that evolution is a fact of life on our planet.

7. Which transition at the start of sentence 12 best conveys the relationship between the ideas presented in sentence 12

and surrounding sentences?

A. As a result,

B. However,

C. Moreover,

D. Indeed,

8. What is the purpose of including sentence 17 in the passage?

A. To indicate the thesis that evolution is fact is arguably incorrect

B. To engage and refute possible counterarguments to the thesis

C. To transition to different ideas in support or denial of evolution

D. To attack the character of anyone who doubts evolution

9. Which of the following provides the best concluding sentence at the passage end?

A. Today, evolution is as sure as the fact that the Earth revolves around the sun.

B. The Theory of Evolution is today indisputable.

C. Denial of evolution is a fundamental denial of science and the scientific method.

D. Evolution has been observed firsthand.

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READING COMPREHENSION

Questions 10-57

DIRECTIONS: Read the passage below and answer the questions following it. Base your answers on information

contained only in the passage. You may reread a passage if you need to. Mark the best answer for each question.

Passage 1:

Born into slavery as Araminta "Minty" Ross on a plantation in Maryland, Harriet Tubman would go on to become a brave humanitarian known to many as "Moses."

5. Historians believe she was born in the early 1820s, but most slave owners didn't keep birth records. Araminta took the name of her mother, Harriet when she was thirteen.

Life as a slave was arduous. As a child, 10. Harriet resided in a small cabin with nearly

one dozen siblings. When she was still a young girl, Harriet was offered out to another family where she helped take care of an infant, and when the baby awoke to

15. cry as babies often do, the family whipped Harriet. Harriet continued working various jobs on the plantation throughout her youth such as plowing fields and carrying heavy loads. She gained strength as a result of the

20. hard farm labor. By the time Harriet became a teenager, she had incurred a terrible head injury while visiting the market. A slave owner tried to throw a two-pound weight at one of his fleeing slaves, and instead, he

25. struck Harriet. The severe wound nearly killed her and caused her to have dizzy spells and blackouts for the rest of her life.

At that time, fortunately, there existed some northern states where slavery was illegal.

30. Slaves frequently attempted to escape north using the Underground Railroad. The Underground Railroad wasn't a real railroad. It was a collection of safe homes called

"stations" that hid slaves as they escaped 35. north. Individuals who assisted the slaves en

route were known as conductors. Slaves would hide in the woods or sneak onto trains at night taking refuge at various stations along the way northward until they

40. reached freedom. In 1849, Harriet escaped on the Underground Railroad. After a frightening, difficult trip she made it to Pennsylvania and was free. However, the risk for Harriet and those like her did not go

45. away. Congress passed the Fugitive Slave Law in 1850, which severely punished anyone helping a slave escape and forced law enforcement in the north to return escaped slaves to the south.

50. This law meant that slaves could be taken from free states and returned to their owners. The only salvation was even further north, and Harriet wanted to help her family and others like her to flee to safety in Canada. She soon

55. became a conductor on the Underground Railroad with a stellar record of success. Harriet led nineteen different escapes from the south and helped around 300 slaves to escape. She became known as "Moses" because, like the

60. Moses in the Bible, she risked her life and led her people to freedom. Also, Harriet helped her mother, father, and siblings escape slavery, and she was never caught and never lost a slave. Harriet later helped to nurse injured soldiers

65. during the Civil War, she spied for the northern army, and she even participated in a military campaign that led to the rescue of over 750 slaves. After the Civil War, Harriet lived in Auburn, New York with her family. She helped

70. underprivileged and sick people and spoke out on equal rights for blacks and women.

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10. Which of the following best tells what this passage is

about?

A. The history of the Fugitive Slave Law and its impact on

the north

B. A great female historical figure in the civil rights

movement

C. Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad

D. The biography of Harriet Tubman and her rise above

slavery to help others

11. Which of the following is not a name given to or used

by Harriet Tubman?

A. Moses

B. Araminta

C. Minty

D. Conductor

12. Why according to the passage were escaped slaves not

necessarily safe in the northern states?

A. Many northern states still held slavery legal at the time.

B. The Underground Railroad was not present in many

states.

C. Federal laws forced police to capture any known slaves.

D. Discrimination remained a daily part of life for blacks

in the north.

13. Which of the following is not true of Harriet Tubman

according to the passage?

A. Harriet served as a secret agent for the Union and cared

for wounded men during wartime.

B. She began the Underground Railroad to help slaves

escape to freedom in the north.

C. Harriet achieved a 100% success rate of conducting

slaves to freedom in the north.

D. She became known to many as "Moses."

14. Frederick Douglass once wrote of Harriet Tubman,

"the midnight sky and the silent stars have been the

witness of your devotion to freedom and of your

heroism."

Which of the following does the passage suggest Frederick

Douglass meant by the above statement?

A. Harriet Tubman's plight was a lonely pursuit in support

of freedom.

B. Harriet Tubman worked for freedom with little public

encouragement and often at night.

C. Only God understands the struggles that Harriet

Tubman faced.

D. Harriet Tubman conducted her battle to free slaves in

public with support from abolitionists.

15. What is the purpose the author included lines (14-16)

"and when the baby awoke to cry as babies often do, the

family whipped Harriet"?

A. to suggest Araminta was a good caretaker as a young

girl

B. to explain that slavery is an unfair practice

C. to provide an example of how difficult life as a slave

could be

D. to explain why Harriet began to work other jobs at the

plantation

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Passage 2:

Two populations, Native Americans and aboriginal

Siberians, may have both originated from communities

living on the land bridge now submerged under the

Bering Strait, a new language analysis suggests. The

5. language analysis is consistent with the idea that the

Bering Strait served as home to ancestors of modern-day

Native Americans unable to make their way into North

America during the ice age. The exact method of entry

into North America has been subject to debate.

10. According to one hypothesis, natives rapidly crossed the

Bering Strait to colonize North America about 15,000

years ago. Another model called the Beringia Standstill

hypothesis, suggests that communities settled on the

Bering land bridge between 15,000 to 25,000 years ago

15. when glaciers covered most of North America and the

region remained above water. In that storyline, the bushy

trees, giant mammoths, and other large animals

permitted humans to source food and stay warm for

millennia during the last glacial maximum when trees for

20. making fires were scarce everywhere else in the far

north. Only when the glaciers in North America melted

did people colonize the continent's interior via ice-free

passageways, according to the theory.

A team of linguists reviewed sounds and word structure

25. from languages spoken on both sides of today's Bering

Strait. Yeniseian, one language family, encompassed two

languages spoken along the Yenisei River in central

Siberia. The second group, Na-Dene languages, includes

37 languages spoken mainly on the west coast of North

30. America, including various Navajo and Alaskan

languages. Some of these dialects are extinct, and others

severely threatened: the Yeniseian language known as

Ket, for example, is thought to have only fifty speakers.

With the aid of computer technology, researchers

35. modeled how the various languages related to one

another and compared that with different models of

how the dialects might have dispersed. The ancestral

homeland for both groups likely originated somewhere

in Beringia, the region in and around the Bering Strait,

40. the analysis found. By contrast, a model in which

speakers moved out of central or western Asia, which

would mean that Yeniseian branched off from earlier

languages before Na-Dene speakers dispersed in North

America, didn't fit the data nearly as well. The language

45. tree suggested that Na-Dene speakers likely emerged

early in North America and spread out later on, with

Yeniseian speakers likely back-migrating westward into

Siberia later. Combined with ecological and genetic

evidence, the results favor the idea that the predecessors

50. of Native Americans lived in the Bering Strait region for

millennia before migrating into North America.

16. Which of the following best tells what this passage is

about?

A. The introduction of Native Americans to North

America

B. Linguistic origins of life on the land bridge

C. Linguistic evidence supporting Beringian Standstill

D. The development of Yeniseian and Na-Dene language

families

17. According to the passage, the Yeniseian language

family

A. is thought to have only 50 remaining speakers

B. developed over a period of 15,000 years

C. formed the basis of the Navajo language

D. consists of only 2 Siberian languages

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18. Which of the following best describes the Beringian

Standstill Hypothesis?

A. A theory that settlers lived on the Bering Strait for

thousands of years before migrating to North America

B. A thesis that European ocean navigators first populated

North America

C. A theory of the influence of language on the first Native

Americans

D. A theory suggesting the first North Americans crossed

the Bering Strait from Asia 15,000 years ago

19. Which of the following evidence does not support the

Beringian Standstill Hypothesis?

A. Linguistic analysis of the Na-Dene and Yeniseian

language families

B. Linguistic similarities between Navajo and Alaskan

tribal dialects

C. Studies of interactions between organisms and their

environment

D. DNA evidence

20. How would the author most likely characterize both

theories of migration across the Bering Strait presented in

the passage?

A. Different hypotheses, each opposed to the other on all

points.

B. The evidence supports the Beringian Standstill

hypothesis, not the alternative.

C. Both theories suggest people first populated North

America roughly 15,000 years ago.

D. Both hypotheses have become obsolete based on new

evidence.

21. The author suggests people lived on the land bridge

because

A. Glaciers blocked access to food and other resources.

B. Ice age climates were more temperate near the water

versus inland.

C. The melting glaciers restricted their access to further

migration.

D. Access to food and wood were more readily available.

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Passage 3:

Between 1816 and 1824, the United States had

only one political party, the Jeffersonian

Republicans. Within the party, however,

differences arose among various groups that

5. had distinct views and interests. In 1824 James

Monroe was finishing his second term as

president but declined to run for a third term.

Four candidates from the Republican Party

competed for the presidency. The four

10. candidates did not agree on the role of the

federal government. Each spoke for a different

part of the country.

The Republican Party nominated William H.

Crawford, a former congressman from

15. Georgia. However, Crawford's poor health

weakened him as a candidate. The other three

Republicans in the presidential race were

favorite son candidates, which means their

home states rather than the national party

20. supported their candidacy. Two of these

candidates—Henry Clay and Andrew

Jackson—came from what was then known as

the West. Henry Clay hailed from Kentucky,

and he was Speaker of the House of

25. Representatives. He fought for his program of

internal improvements, higher tariffs, and a

powerful national bank. On the other hand,

General Andrew Jackson, a hero of the War of

1812, was not a Washington regular but rather

30. a Tennessee native raised in poverty and

popular among the regular Americans who felt

removed from politics. John Quincy Adams of

Massachusetts, son of former president John

Adams, received support from merchants of

35. the Northeast.

Jackson received the most substantial

number of popular votes in the election.

However, no candidate received a majority,

or more than half, of the electoral votes.

40. Jackson won 99 electoral votes, which gave

him a plurality, the largest single share.

According to the Twelfth Amendment to the

Constitution, if no presidential candidate

receives a majority of electoral votes, the

45. House of Representatives selects the

president. Before the House officially voted

on the next president, Henry Clay met with

Adams. Clay decided to use his influence as

Speaker of the House to defeat Jackson. In

50. return, Clay may have hoped to gain the

position of secretary of state. With Clay's

help, Adams was elected president in the

House. Adams quickly named Clay as

Secretary of State, traditionally the stepping

55. stone to the presidency. Jackson's supporters

accused the two men of making a "corrupt

bargain" and stealing the election.

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33. Which of the following best tells what this

passage is about?

22. Which of the following best tells what this

passage is about?

A. The history of American presidential elections

from the revolution to the Civil War

B. How electoral votes operate in presidential

elections

C. The influence of party politics on the 1824

presidential election

D. The underhand dealings of the Jeffersonian

Republicans

23. What is the most likely reason Henry Clay sought

the role of Secretary of State?

A. Clay envisioned Secretary of State as a means to

gain the presidency.

B. Clay did it for the sole purpose of winning the

1824 election.

C. The Jeffersonian Republicans pressured Clay into

the position.

D. Clay was a longtime ally of presidential candidate

John Adams.

24. What is the most likely meaning of the phrase

"favorite son" in line 17?

A. Politicians favored by the Jeffersonian

Republicans

B. The most popular candidates for president

C. Candidates who receive national support for their

campaign in the primaries

D. Candidates who are supported by their home

state, not by a national party

25. Which of the following policies would Henry

Clay likely not have supported in his platform for

U.S. President?

A. Government funds to develop canals and improve

transportation

B. Higher tariffs

C. Support for expansion of western territories

D. Raising taxes on goods imported from Europe

26. What does the passage suggest about the "corrupt

bargain"?

A. The House of Representatives elects presidents

and not the people.

B. Making deals is part of politics.

C. John Adams was a better leader than Andrew

Jackson.

D. Henry Clay and the House cheated the will of

the people.

27. What does the author suggest is the primary

reason that a one-party system fractured into several

parties in the 1824 period?

A. Some members of the House wanted to subvert

the will of the people.

B. Different members had vastly different views

about the future of the United States.

C. Candidates had different opinions of slavery in the

north and the south.

D. Varied incentives and opinions drove different

members of the party.

28. If the 12th Amendment presidential run-off

includes only the top three electoral vote winners,

then according to the figure, which candidate was not

in the run-off for President in 1824?

A. Andrew Jackson

B. John Q. Adams

C. Henry Clay

D. William Crawford

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29. Which idea from the passage is supported by the

figure?

A. The House thwarted the will of the people.

B. Jackson did not get elected because he failed to

gain a majority of the votes.

C. Jackson was cheated out of the Presidency in 1824.

D. Jackson won the popular vote in a landslide.

30. The map suggests which of the following.

A. Northern voters had different economic interests

than southern voters

B. Henry Clay was the most popular candidate in the

West.

C. Every presidential candidate in 1824 won the

popular vote in their home state.

D. The South overwhelmingly favored Jackson and

the Northeast unanimously favored Adams.

31. The figure suggests Jackson could have won the

1824 election if he

A. convinced Henry Clay to become his Secretary of

State.

B. won the support of the majority of Crawford’s

electoral votes.

C. accused John Q. Adams and Henry Clay of a

corrupt bargain before the House vote.

D. won 32 more electoral college votes.

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Passage 4:

Walt Whitman, O Captain! My Captain!, published 1865 at the end of the Civil War

1. Captain! my Captain! our fearful trip is done,

The ship has weather’d every rack, the prize we sought is won, The port is near, the bells I hear, the people all exulting, While follow eyes the steady keel, the vessel grim and daring;

But O heart! heart! heart! O the bleeding drops of red, Where on the deck my Captain lies, Fallen cold and dead.

2. Captain! my Captain! rise up and hear the bells;

Rise up—for you the flag is flung—for you the bugle trills, For you bouquets and ribbon’d wreaths—for you the shores a-crowding, For you they call, the swaying mass, their eager faces turning; Here Captain! dear father! This arm beneath your head! It is some dream that on the deck, You’ve fallen cold and dead.

3. My Captain does not answer, his lips are pale and still, My father does not feel my arm, he has no pulse nor will, The ship is anchor’d safe and sound, its voyage closed and done, From fearful trip the victor ship comes in with object won; Exult O shores, and ring O bells! But I with mournful tread, Walk the deck my Captain lies, Fallen cold and dead.

32. The title O Captain! My Captain! sets the tone by

A. revealing the author’s enthusiasm upon arriving home

B. calling out urgently to someone very dear to the author

C. demonstrating the degree of respect the author has for

his captain

D. indicating the author and the captain are good friends

33. What is the setting of this poem?

A. A whaling vessel returning home after months at sea

B. A ship returning home to fanfare after a dangerous

journey

C. A military vessel returning from victory at war

D. A merchant ship carrying its booty to port

34. The speaker’s attitude toward his captain most likely

demonstrates

A. amorous love and surprise

B. deep respect and melancholy

C. scorn and unhappiness

D. mourning and resentment

35. Read line 4 in stanza 1.

While follow eyes the steady keel, the vessel grim and

daring;

The words “vessel grim” serve to

A. describe a weathered ship at the end of its journey

B. change the tone of the poem from optimism to sorrow

C. contrast the unsmiling state of mind on the ship with

the mood on the shore

D. foreshadow better circumstances lay ahead for the

crew.

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36. What is the tone of the poem?

A. demeaning

B. light-hearted

C. melancholy

D. ghoulish

`

37. The period in which the poem was published and the

details of the poem suggest the captain symbolizes

A. Abraham Lincoln dying shortly after winning the Civil

War.

B. The author’s father at the end of a battle with illness.

C. The narrator’s mentor murdered on deck for the prize

before reaching the safety of port.

D. George Washington returning to applause after the

Revolutionary War.

38. The slanted text in stanza 1 lines 5-8 serves mainly to

A. emphasize the narrator’s emotional response to finding

his captain dead.

B. illustrate the bloody circumstances on deck.

C. imitate the action described in those lines of text.

D. transition from one idea in the poem to the next.

39. Synedoche is a figure of speech where a part of

something represents a whole. Which is the best example

of synecdoche in stanza 2?

A. his lips are pale and still

B. this arm beneath your head

C. all hands on deck

D. their eager faces turning

40. Apostrophe, unlike the punctuation mark, occurs when

a speaker addresses someone not present in the poem.

Which is the best example of apostrophe in stanza 3?

A. Exult O shores, and ring O bells! B. My Captain does not answer, his lips are pale and still C. My father does not feel my arm D. But I with mournful tread

41. Read the following lines from stanza 3.

The ship is anchor’d safe and sound, its voyage closed and done, From fearful trip the victor ship comes in with object

won;

If the ship’s journey represents the Civil War, then the

above lines suggest

A. the American people are out of harm’s way.

B. the narrator experiences remorse about the outcome.

C. the narrator feels victorious because his side won the

War.

D. peace is preferable to war.

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Passage 5:

This passage is excerpted from the Bill of Rights, which: went into effect in 1791.The Bill of Rights is a list of the first ten changes (amendments) to the Constitution of the United States.

1. THE Conventions of a number of the States, having at the time of their adopting the Constitution, expressed a desire, in order to prevent misconstruction or abuse of its powers, that further declaratory and restrictive clauses should be added: And as extending the ground of public confidence in the Government, will best ensure the beneficent ends of its institution....

2. Amendment 1 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.

3. Amendment 2 A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep

and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

4. Amendment 3 No Soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered in any house, without the consent of the Owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law.

5. Amendment 4 The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable

searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

6. Amendment 5 No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment

or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offence to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.

7. Amendment 6 In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an

impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defense.

8. Amendment 7 In Suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial

by jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by a jury, shall be otherwise re-examined in any Court of the United States, than according to the rules of the common law. ·

9. Amendment 8 Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments

inflicted.

10. Amendment 9 The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.

11. Amendment 10 The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States,

are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.

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42. According to paragraph 1, Congress included the Bill of Rights primarily to?

A. ensure freedom of speech. B. restrict the new government's abilities to control

the people C. ensure that people approve of the government. D. reduce spying on its own citizens. 43. Based on Amendment 1, the authors wanted to prevent Congress from passing laws that?

A. require people to respect established religions. B. ban people from grieving publicly.

C. ban individuals from owning guns.

D. ban or establish some religions or religious practices.

44. As used in line 15, "grievances" most nearly means

A. indignities.

B. sorrows.

C. rights.

D. injustices.

45. In paragraph 5, the authors refer to "Warrants" primarily to

A. specify the conditions under which a local judge can

authorize a search. B. state that official documents must justify and limit

searches and seizures beforehand. C. emphasize the privacy of homes and belongings, and

that authorities should enter respectfully. D. propose a new method for police to keep track of

particular searches and seizures. 46. Amendment 5 strongly suggests that the authors wanted to prevent

A. civil courts from judging military cases.

B. arbitrary imprisonment, execution, and confiscation of goods.

C. government malfunctioning, including mistrials in court cases.

D. attorneys and bureaucrats from having too much political power.

47. Between Amendment 5 and Amendment 6, the authors' focus shifts from A. limits on bringing charges to rights of the accused. B. how to form grand juries to the right to have a defense

attorney. C. exceptions regarding land or naval forces to the

importance of juries. D. seizing the property of individuals to criminal

prosecutions.

48. In Amendment 8, the authors use the words "excessive," "cruel," and "unusual" primarily to A. emphasize their strong humanitarian values. B. indicate their intent without creating specific rules. C. give courts the authority to set bail as well as to fine and

punish people. D. imply that the new government would be more

beneficent than the old.

49. The passage strongly suggests that the founding document of the new government should A. serve as a rough draft to be frequently rewritten. B. primarily describe limitations. C. suggest that an elected government can be trusted. D. explicitly resolve future grievances.

50. As used in paragraph 10, "construed" most nearly means

A. restated.

B. altered.

C. interpreted.

D. deciphered.

51. Amendment 10 suggests the powers of the

Constitution

A. apply to the federal government but not the states

B. are reserved for the citizens of the United States

C. can forbid certain state’s rights.

D. are not delegated to the United States.

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Passage 6:

Barbara W. Tuchman, skilled at writing histories of men at war and on the brink of war, was once described in the paper as a fifty-year-old housewife and mother of three. In truth, she was also a famous historian, author,

5. winner of two Pulitzer Prizes and described as a national treasure. Tuchman found it difficult to be a writer simply because she was a woman. "If a man is a writer," she once said, "everybody tiptoes around past the locked door of the breadwinner. But if you're an

10. ordinary female housewife, people say, ‘This is just something Barbara wanted to do; it's not professional.'” It was Mrs. Tuchman's fourth book, "The Guns of August," a study of the opening month of World War I, that made her famous after it came out in 1962,

15. winning her the first of two Pulitzer Prizes.

Barabara Tuchman could have settled for a comfortable, conventional life as the wife of a prominent physician. She was born in New York in a family eminent in finance and public service. However,

20. Tuchman took up the historian's profession when her three daughters grew older. She had a unique skill for researching not just factual details but immersing herself and ultimately her readers side by side with the personalities in history. Before Tuchman wrote "The

25. Guns of August," she rented a Renault sedan and toured the appropriate battlefields in Europe. When she

took notes, it was always on index cards measuring 4 by 6 inches, a convenient size, she said, for storing in shoeboxes and carrying in her purse. It was just this

30. down to earth style that helped her convey the range of thoughts and emotions of historical characters as well as the factual detail. She did not have an academic title or even a graduate degree. ”It’s what saved me,” she later said. ”If I had taken a doctoral degree, it would

35. have stifled my writing capacity.” She confessed the secret to her success was “being in love with the subject matter.”

"How can it interest others if it doesn't interest you?"

she declared. At the National Portrait Gallery in 1978,

40. she told an audience, "the writer's object should be to

hold the reader's attention. I want the reader to turn the

page and keep on turning to the end.” She added, "This

is accomplished only when the narrative moves steadily

ahead, not when it comes to a weary standstill,

45. overloaded with every item uncovered in the research."

Onward, the readers, turned, until this housewife from

New York City became a best-selling author, respected

historian, and authored a second Pulitzer Prize winning

book, Stillwell and the American Experience in China:

1911-1945.

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52. Which of the following is the best title for this

passage?

A. The Complete Biography of Barbara Tuchman

B. The Art of Recording History at War

C. Barbara Tuchman: From NYC Housewife to

Prize-Winning Historian.

D. Barbara Tuchman, Her Influence on History

53. According to the passage, which of the

following is an accurate assessment of Barbara

Tuchman's research?

A. She failed to graduate from college, so writing,

not research, was her strength.

B. She focused only on character development.

C. She stored her research in small boxes and

bags.

D. She won the Pulitzer Prize for her research

efforts.

54. Which of the following is not a quote from

Barbara Tuchman in the passage?

A. "If I had taken a doctoral degree it would have

stifled my writing..."

B. "Everybody tiptoes around the past..."

C. "be in love with the subject matter."

D. "I want the reader to turn the page and keep

on turning to the end."

55. For what purpose did the author mention

Barbara Tuchman "was once described in the

paper as a fifty-year-old housewife and mother of

three" in lines (2-4)?

A. to contrast one idea with another.

B. to provide an example of an earlier point

C. to examine a detail in the life of the subject

D. to highlight that Tuchman's path to

professional acclaim was unusual

56. Barbara Tuchman is most likely to offer which

of the following lessons to authors of history?

A. Always research and double check the facts.

B. Engage the reader more like a novelist than a

dry historian.

C. Approach each topic with the same high level

of professionalism.

D. It is critical to live at the heart of the publishing

world in Manhattan to achieve success.

57. What advice might the author of this passage

have for the columnist in the paper referenced on

line 3?

A. Don't judge a book by its cover.

B. Writing history is serious business.

C. Barbara Tuchman is a national treasure.

D. You can be anything you want to be if you put

your mind to it.

END EXAM

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