Question 1

Instructions: Read the passage and then answer the question(s) that follow. Nail polish dates back to about 3000 B.C. In China, it was made from beeswax, egg whites, gelatin, vegetable dyes, and Arabic gum. In ancient Egypt, the cosmetic was made from henna, a reddish-brown dye from the leaves of a henna tree or shrub. In both societies, fingernail colors depended upon one s social and economic class. A royal woman was allowed to wear gold and silver polish. ____________, a lower-ranking woman could wear only pale tones. If she wore royal colors, she was punished with death. What synonym refers to the subject of this passage?
A) cosmetic
B) class
C) woman

Accepted Answer

The passage is about the history and cultural practices related to nail polish, which is considered a cosmetic product.

Question 2

Instructions: Each question below is a plan for a narrative paragraph. Events in each plan are not in correct chronological order. For each plan, select the letter of the answer that numbers the events in the proper time sequence. Since its establishment over 150 years ago, Steinway Sons has become known for making some of the world s most innovative and highest quality pianos. ____ Today, the Steinway company still dominates the piano industry, crafting about 5,000 pianos a year for appreciative musicians all over the world. ____ Instrument maker Henry Steinway established his business in Germany but then moved to America in 1850, bringing with him his vision of building a piano better and stronger than any made before. ____ In 1854, Henry and his sons embarked upon a forty-year period of revolutionizing and perfecting the modern piano, patenting 114 innovations in the process. ____ Henry Steinway Jr. was awarded in 1859 the patent for the overstrung scale, a significant development that helped the grand piano rise to the demands of leading composers such as Chopin and Liszt.
A) 2, 1, 3, 4
B) 1, 4, 4, 2
C) 4, 1, 2, 3

Accepted Answer

The answer of Instructions: Each question below is a plan...

Question 3

Instructions: Each general statement is followed by several examples. Select the letter of the example that does not clearly illustrate the generalization. In 1900, about 1.8 million children under the age of 16 were employed full time in the United States.
A) Girls twelve years old worked on spinning machines in the textile mills of the South.
B) Small children swept up metal scraps in machine shops.
C) Boys as young as 8 worked as breakers in the coal mines, handpicking slate from coal in filthy, frigid sheds.
D) Some children and teens in South America belong to unions that support child labor.

Accepted Answer

The statement specifies that the examples should be about child labor in the United States in 1900, but the example given in option D mentions child labor in South America, which is not relevant.

Question 4

Instructions: Read the paragraph below and answer the question(s) that follow. (1) It would be difficult to imagine a more stifling and uncomfortable outfit than one favored by the fashionable, well-to-do lady of the Elizabethan era. (2) Atop her dyed and styled hair, she wore an often elaborate headdress. (3) Her face was covered with a base coat of white lead and sulfur makeup, with additional layers of dye for cheeks and lips. (4) Around her neck was either a heavy necklace of large jewels or a ruff, a stiff ring made of starched lace. (5) A bodice with long, detachable sleeves covered her to her waist. (6) Beneath this bodice, a corset functioned as a girdle to flatten her chest and decrease the size of her waist. (7) Underneath her skirt, or kirtle, she wore a stiff frame made of wire or whalebone, which was designed to make the skirt balloon out from the body. (8) On her legs and feet, knee-length stockings made of wool or silk and leather shoes completed her many-layered costume. Select the number of the topic sentence that states the overall impression of the subject.
A) Sentence 1
B) Sentence 2
C) Sentence 3

Accepted Answer

Sentence 1 presents the overall impression that the outfit worn by fashionable, well-to-do ladies during the Elizabethan era was stifling and uncomfortable.

Question 5

Instructions: Select the letter of the correct answer for each of the following questions. From the group below, select the letter of the sentence that is limited enough to be the topic sentence of a good paragraph.
A) This paragraph will be about helping homeless people.
B) Listening to music can help relieve stress.
C) Binge drinking on college campuses is an important topic to consider.

Accepted Answer

Sentence B is limited enough to be the topic sentence of a good paragraph because it addresses a specific action, Listening to music, and its effect on a specific condition, relieving stress. Sentence A is too broad as it only states the general topic and does not provide any specific direction for the paragraph. Sentence C is also too broad and does not give any indication of what aspect of binge drinking on college campuses the paragraph will focus on.

Question 6

Instructions: Number the sentences 1, 2, 3, and so on, as if you were preparing to write a paragraph. ____ She started her new work with the poor by teaching the street children of Calcutta arithmetic and reading. ____ Mother Teresa was rightly and lovingly named the Saint of the Gutters. ____ After several years at the school, she decided that her calling lay with the poor. ____ After her efforts in India, she aided relief agencies in Lebanon and Ethiopia, caring for the displaced and the starving. ____ With help from local authorities, she opened and staffed free clinics in the worst sections of Calcutta. ____ Soon she realized that what these poor people needed most was adequate medical facilities. ____ She began her career working at a Catholic school for the wealthy in Calcutta. What type of order did you use to arrange the sentences?
A) time order
B) space order
C) order of importance

Accepted Answer

The sentences are arranged in chronological order, starting with Mother Teresa's early work with street children and concluding with her later work with relief agencies in Lebanon and Ethiopia.

Question 7

Instructions: Select the letter of the correct answer for each of the following questions. Study the body of the following paragraph. Then, select the letter of the topic sentence that is most accurate. When two people discuss complex or serious issues, they need to be able to explain themselves fully. An exchange of brief text messages forces them to limit their vocabulary and the length of their statements, so they are less likely to express their complete meaning to one another. In a conversation about an important matter, people also need to be able to convey their moods and emotions to each other. Communicating via text messages eliminates the nonverbal channels facial expressions, tone of voice, and body language that express feelings, so texting often inhibits emotional connection. If the conversation becomes an argument, the deficiencies of text messaging can not only prevent a resolution of the conflict but also make it worse.
A) Text messaging is not appropriate for engaging in serious discussions or arguments.
B) Texting can be a very effective, efficient way for people to communicate.
C) Text messaging has both advantages and disadvantages.

Accepted Answer

The paragraph discusses the limitations of text messaging for serious discussions, making A the most accurate topic sentence.

Question 8

Instructions: Each question below is a plan for a narrative paragraph. Events in each plan are not in correct chronological order. For each plan, select the letter of the answer that numbers the events in the proper time sequence. Alexander Fleming s discovery of the first antibiotic was accidental. ____ By 1939, researchers had figured out how to get penicillin to kill bacteria inside the body, a discovery that would help many wounded soldiers in World War II. ____ In 1928, Fleming, who kept a messy laboratory, left a Petri dish contaminated with bacteria in his sink. ____ Studying the mold, he noticed that bacteria would not grow near it. ____ Although Fleming stopped studying penicillin after 1931, researchers at Oxford University continued his work. ____ The next day, he discovered that airborne spores had invaded the dish and grown a blue-green fungus, or mold. ____ He named the bacteria-inhibiting substance penicillin after the Penicillium notatum fungus that produced it.
A) 6, 1, 3, 5, 2, 4
B) 2, 1, 4, 3, 4, 6
C) 5, 6, 3, 1, 2, 4

Accepted Answer

The first event is Fleming leaving a contaminated dish in his sink in 1928. Then, he noticed the mold and saw that bacteria wouldn't grow near it. Next, he discovered airborne spores invaded the dish and grew the mold. He named the substance penicillin after the fungus that produced it. By 1931, he stopped studying penicillin. However, by 1939, researchers had figured out how to get penicillin to kill bacteria inside the body, which would play a role in treating wounded soldiers during World War II. So, the correct order is 6, 1, 3, 5, 2, 4.

Question 9

Instructions: Each question below is a plan for a narrative paragraph. Events in each plan are not in correct chronological order. For each plan, select the letter of the answer that numbers the events in the proper time sequence. In late 2004, an earthquake in the Indian Ocean sent a destructive tsunami, or huge waves, racing toward many countries. ____ That Indonesian quake displaced a massive volume of water, pushing it outward in all directions. ____ On December 26, 2004, at 2:59 p.m., a powerful earthquake shook the Indian Ocean floor off the coast of Sumatra, an Indonesian island. ____ High tides surged onshore as late as sixteen hours after the earthquake occurred in South Africa and other countries thousands of miles away. ____ At 4:45 p.m., waves began pounding the coasts of Sri Lanka, Thailand, and India. ____ At 3:15 p.m., gigantic waves slammed into the northern coast of Sumatra.
A) 2, 1, 5, 4, 3
B) 1, 3, 2, 4, 5
C) 5, 4, 2, 3, 1

Accepted Answer

The correct sequence starts with the earthquake (Event 2), followed by the displacement of water (Event 1), then the waves hitting Sumatra (Event 5), followed by the coasts of Sri Lanka, Thailand, and India (Event 4), and finally the high tides reaching South Africa and other distant countries (Event 3).

Question 10

Instructions: Select the letter of the correct answer for each of the following questions. Check the following paragraph for unity. Then select the number of the sentence that does not belong in the paragraph. (1) The first batch of one of the world s most popular soft drinks was mixed in a backyard kettle over a hundred years ago. (2) On May 6, 1886, Dr. John Styth Pemberton heated a mixture of melted sugar, water, coca leaves, kola nuts, and other ingredients. (3) He planned to make one of the home-brewed medical syrups so popular at that time. (4) However, this one tasted so good that Dr. Pemberton decided to sell it as a soda fountain drink for five cents a glass. (5) The first glass of this new drink was sold at Jacob s Pharmacy in Atlanta, Georgia. (6) Atlanta was and still is a wonderful place to live. (7) Pemberton s tasty invention, Coca-Cola, caught on. (8) Today, Coca-Cola is consumed by 140,000 people every minute.
A) Sentence 2
B) Sentence 4
C) Sentence 6

Accepted Answer

Sentence 6 does not belong in the paragraph as it does not relate to the topic of Coca-Cola's history and instead talks about Atlanta being a wonderful place to live. All other sentences discuss the history and development of Coca-Cola.

Question 11

Instructions: Read the paragraph below and answer the question(s) that follow. (1) Rulers and governments have a long history of censoring or destroying books and other forms of expression that they find objectionable. (2) A book dictated by the prophet Jeremiah was burned by King Jehoiakim of Judah in 603 B.C.; and in the third century B.C., the Chinese emperor Shih Hwang-ti, who did things in a big way (he built the Great Wall), ordered the burning of all books, with the exception of those dealing with science, medicine, or agriculture. (3) Even philosophers have been in favor of censorship. (4) In the Republic , for example, Plato proposed to censor the writers of fiction in order to keep bad works away from children. Arthur Miller, Miller s Court , Published April 1, 1983 by Plume, p. 71 Select the number of the topic sentence in the paragraph above.
A) Sentence 1
B) Sentence 2
C) Sentence 4

Accepted Answer

The topic sentence is the first sentence in the paragraph which states that rulers and governments have a history of censoring or destroying objectionable books and forms of expression.

Question 12

Instructions: Each general statement is followed by several examples. Select the letter of the example that does not clearly illustrate the generalization. The United States is actually behind the times when it comes to electing a woman for president, for several other countries have had at least one female leader.
A) Voters in both Brazil and Thailand elected their first female leaders to begin terms in 2011.
B) In the United States, actresses have played the president of the United States on the popular television shows 24 and Commander in Chief .
C) Angela Merkel was elected the first female Chancellor of Germany in 2005.
D) Women have been elected to the top leadership position in Jamaica, Argentina, India, Ireland, Finland, and New Zealand.

Accepted Answer

The statement about actresses playing the president on television shows does not illustrate the generalization about countries electing a female leader for actual political office.

Question 13

Instructions: Number the sentences 1, 2, 3, and so on, as if you were preparing to write a paragraph. ____ She started her new work with the poor by teaching the street children of Calcutta arithmetic and reading. ____ Mother Teresa was rightly and lovingly named the Saint of the Gutters. ____ After several years at the school, she decided that her calling lay with the poor. ____ After her efforts in India, she aided relief agencies in Lebanon and Ethiopia, caring for the displaced and the starving. ____ With help from local authorities, she opened and staffed free clinics in the worst sections of Calcutta. ____ Soon she realized that what these poor people needed most was adequate medical facilities. ____ She began her career working at a Catholic school for the wealthy in Calcutta. Select the letter of the answer that lists this set of sentences in logical order.
A) 2, 3, 4, 1, 7, 6, 5
B) 4, 1, 3, 7, 6, 5, 2
C) 7, 5, 4, 3, 2, 6, 1

Accepted Answer

The paragraph follows a chronological order of Mother Teresa's life and work. It starts with her work with street children in Calcutta, followed by her title as "Saint of the Gutters," then her decision to work with the poor after several years in the Catholic school for the wealthy. The paragraph then goes on to describe her aid in other countries before returning to Calcutta where she realized the need for medical facilities and opened clinics with help from local authorities. Therefore, the sentences should be ordered as 4, 1, 3, 7, 6, 5, 2.

Question 14

Instructions: Read the passage and then answer the question(s) that follow. Nail polish dates back to about 3000 B.C. In China, it was made from beeswax, egg whites, gelatin, vegetable dyes, and Arabic gum. In ancient Egypt, the cosmetic was made from henna, a reddish-brown dye from the leaves of a henna tree or shrub. In both societies, fingernail colors depended upon one s social and economic class. A royal woman was allowed to wear gold and silver polish. ____________, a lower-ranking woman could wear only pale tones. If she wore royal colors, she was punished with death. What transitional expression belongs in the blank?
A) Next
B) For instance
C) However

Accepted Answer

The transitional expression "However" indicates a contrast between the privileges of a royal woman and the restrictions placed on a lower-ranking woman.

Question 15

Instructions: Read the paragraph below and answer the question(s) that follow. (1) Rulers and governments have a long history of censoring or destroying books and other forms of expression that they find objectionable. (2) A book dictated by the prophet Jeremiah was burned by King Jehoiakim of Judah in 603 B.C.; and in the third century B.C., the Chinese emperor Shih Hwang-ti, who did things in a big way (he built the Great Wall), ordered the burning of all books, with the exception of those dealing with science, medicine, or agriculture. (3) Even philosophers have been in favor of censorship. (4) In the Republic , for example, Plato proposed to censor the writers of fiction in order to keep bad works away from children. Arthur Miller, Miller s Court , Published April 1, 1983 by Plume, p. 71 Select the transitional expression in the paragraph that introduces an illustration:
A) even
B) for example
C) away from
D) with the exception

Accepted Answer

The transitional expression "for example" introduces an illustration of Plato proposing censorship in the Republic.

Question 16

Instructions: Read the passage and then answer the question(s) that follow. Nail polish dates back to about 3000 B.C. In China, it was made from beeswax, egg whites, gelatin, vegetable dyes, and Arabic gum. In ancient Egypt, the cosmetic was made from henna, a reddish-brown dye from the leaves of a henna tree or shrub. In both societies, fingernail colors depended upon one s social and economic class. A royal woman was allowed to wear gold and silver polish. ____________, a lower-ranking woman could wear only pale tones. If she wore royal colors, she was punished with death. What pronoun refers to the subject of this passage?
A) it
B) she

Accepted Answer

The subject of the passage is nail polish, which is referred to by the pronoun "it" in the question.

Question 17

Instructions: Read the paragraph below and answer the question(s) that follow. (1) Horace Bristol might be the only photographer to owe his fame to his child s book report. (2) Before he became an architect, Bristol had been a documentary journalist. (3) One day his teenage son was writing a report on The Grapes of Wrath , John Steinbeck s novel about an Oklahoma farm family forced off their drought-stricken land during the 1930s. (4) He asked his father if he d ever read the book. (5) Not only had he read it, Bristol replied, he had dreamed up the idea for it, recruited Steinbeck to write it, and photographed thousands of real farm families forced to leave their homes. (6) After revealing his past to his son, Bristol the photographer came out of hiding. (7) Hoping to sell a few of his photographs, he was soon astounded by the prices they commanded. (8) Encouraged, he took up his camera once again. (9) Since then, the photographs of Horace Bristol have become famous. (10) His images of despair during the Depression, heroism in the Pacific during World War II, and postwar poverty and hope in rural Korea are among the greatest photographs of the twentieth century. Select the number of the topic sentence that tells the point of the story.
A) Sentence 1
B) Sentence 2
C) Sentence 10

Accepted Answer

Sentence 1 introduces the main idea of the paragraph, which is that Horace Bristol became famous because of his child's book report.

Question 18

Instructions: Read the paragraph below and answer the question(s) that follow. (1) Horace Bristol might be the only photographer to owe his fame to his child s book report. (2) Before he became an architect, Bristol had been a documentary journalist. (3) One day his teenage son was writing a report on The Grapes of Wrath , John Steinbeck s novel about an Oklahoma farm family forced off their drought-stricken land during the 1930s. (4) He asked his father if he d ever read the book. (5) Not only had he read it, Bristol replied, he had dreamed up the idea for it, recruited Steinbeck to write it, and photographed thousands of real farm families forced to leave their homes. (6) After revealing his past to his son, Bristol the photographer came out of hiding. (7) Hoping to sell a few of his photographs, he was soon astounded by the prices they commanded. (8) Encouraged, he took up his camera once again. (9) Since then, the photographs of Horace Bristol have become famous. (10) His images of despair during the Depression, heroism in the Pacific during World War II, and postwar poverty and hope in rural Korea are among the greatest photographs of the twentieth century. In the paragraph above, transitional expressions that indicate time include all of the following except :
A) before
B) one day
C) since then
D) not only

Accepted Answer

"Before" and "since then" indicate time, while "one day" is a transition of topic. "Not only" is a transitional expression indicating addition, not time.

Question 19

Instructions: Read the paragraph below and answer the question(s) that follow. (1) Rulers and governments have a long history of censoring or destroying books and other forms of expression that they find objectionable. (2) A book dictated by the prophet Jeremiah was burned by King Jehoiakim of Judah in 603 B.C.; and in the third century B.C., the Chinese emperor Shih Hwang-ti, who did things in a big way (he built the Great Wall), ordered the burning of all books, with the exception of those dealing with science, medicine, or agriculture. (3) Even philosophers have been in favor of censorship. (4) In the Republic , for example, Plato proposed to censor the writers of fiction in order to keep bad works away from children. Arthur Miller, Miller s Court , Published April 1, 1983 by Plume, p. 71 How many examples does the writer use to develop the topic sentence?
A) one
B) two
C) three

Accepted Answer

The answer of Instructions: Read the paragraph below and answer...

Question 20

Instructions: Select the letter of the correct answer for each of the following questions. The group of sentences below can be unscrambled and written as a paragraph. Select the letter of the topic sentence in this group of sentences.
A) Roaches can hold their breath for more than 30 minutes.
B) A roach can live for a week without its head.
C) A roach can withstand radiation equivalent to that generated by a nuclear explosion.
D) Roaches are very tough, hardy creatures.

Accepted Answer

The other three sentences give specific examples of how tough and hardy roaches are, but the topic sentence, "Roaches are very tough, hardy creatures," provides an overarching statement about their resilience.

Quiz 1: Writing Effective Paragraphs

Instructions: Each general statement is followed by several examples. Select the letter of the example that does not clearly illustrate the generalization. In 1900, about 1.8 million children under the age of 16 were employed full time in the United States.

Instructions: Select the letter of the correct answer for each of the following questions. From the group below, select the letter of the sentence that is limited enough to be the topic sentence of a good paragraph.

Instructions: Select the letter of the correct answer for each of the following questions. The group of sentences below can be unscrambled and written as a paragraph. Select the letter of the topic sentence in this group of sentences.