ACT 2 Explanatory Answers - English

5/21/2018 ACT 2 Explanatory Answers - English

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EXPL N TORY NSWERSPassage I

uestion 1. T he best answer is A because it provides punctuation (in this case, a period)th at approp ri ately sepa rates these two complete thoughts or statcmen t My grandfather is notknown fo r embracing technological change and He still d.rives his '59 Chevy Impala. The best ansvyer is NOT:B because it creates a run-on, or fused, sentence. There is no punctuation or conjunction (connecting word)between the two statements.C because the phrase still drivi ng his '59 Chevy Impa la is not a complete statement (because there isno stated su bject). It could work in this sentence if it were set off from the main clause with a comma. lrwould then modify My grandfather, the subject of the main clause. But this answer doesn't provide thatpunctuation.D because the con junction nd that connects the phrase still driving his '59 Chevy Impala to the mainclause creates confusion by link ing gro ups o f words that are not grammatically parallel.

uestion 2. The best answer is G because it correctly punctua tes th is sentence, which sactua ll y a fa irly simple subjecr-verb-direct object se ntenCe except that the direct object is a nounclause. Th e sentence could al so be written with rhe word that introducing the clause .The best answer is NOT;F because it inserts an unnecessary comma between the verb says and the direct object, which is what hesays ( he can't imagine needing frivolous options lik e automatic transmission or power steering ). It's worthpointing out that the comma would be correct if what fo llowed the verb were a direct quotation, as inspeech: He says, I can't imagineneeding frivolous options.H because it inserts an unnecessary comma between the verb and the direc t object clause.Jbecause it adds the same unnecessary comma as H does, plus it places an unnecessary comma between thepronoun that and the clause it introduces.

uestion 3. The best answer is C because it provides the correct past tense fo rm of theirregular verb go.The best answer is NOTA because the verb has went is grammatically incorrect. It should be has gone (which would still be incorrect here because it would create an awkward tense sh ift.B because the verb had went is gram matica lly incorrect. It should be had goneD bccause ir is in rhe present tense, creating a shift in verb tense in this sentencc. The three ve rbs that follow this one in the sentence are all in the past tense-had quit tried and resisted.

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Question 4. The best answer is H because rhe coordinating word bec use clearly and c o ncisely links this parenrhetical clause ( beca use his old b l a c k ~ a n d w h i t e model had finally quit ) tothe preceding clause ( he went to buy a new colo r television ). .The best answer is NOTF because it is excessively wo rdy and clunky. The phrase owing to th e knowledge that his old black-andwhite model had fi nally quit doesn't express anything that the clause because his old b l a c k a n d h i t emodel had finally quit doesn't express more clearl y and more precisely.G because it is unnecessarily wordy. The clause du e to the understa ndable fact that his old bla ck-a nd -whitemodel had fi nally quit see ms on first glance, impressive. But it is empty, pretentious language, and not consistent with the style of the rest of th is essay.J because th e coordinating word so do es not logica lly link this parenthetical clause to the preceding clause.Question 5. The best answer is because it adds an ap propriate and relevant deta il here.In this sentence, the writer is expressing that the grand father believed he was sti ll healthy and hadno need of a remote control for bis television- He sa id that he had two good legs and wa s perfectly capable of getting out of his chai r. The addition of when he wanted to change the chan-nel fits with the point of the rest of the sentence. .The best answer is NOTA because th e fact that th e chair was made of black lea ther is irrelevant to the writer's purpose here.e because the fact that the chair is located by the south window in the fami ly room is a pointless d i e s ~sian in this sentence. .o because, again, th e fact that the grandfather liked to si t in his chair is an insignificant deta il here. Sinceit was his chai r, he would presumably like to sit there.Question 6. The best answer is J because, here, no adverb or phrase is needed to make aconnection between these two se ntences. Th e essay works fine here without t lla [ kind of help.The best answer is NOTF because the adverb howefler as it is used here, indicates that this se nte nce is go ing to contradict or contrast with the statement in the preceding sentence . This se ntence does not do that.G because the adverb ddition lly indicates that this sentence is going to add a point that builds on the statement in the preceding sentence. This sentence does not do that.H because th e adverb c llflerse y expresses the sa me ge neral idea that howeller does. This sentence does notprovide a contrast to th e statement in the precedin g se ntence.

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PR CTICE TEST EXPL N TORY NSWERSuestion 7. The best answer is C because rhe absence of commas here creates the clearestand most understandable sentence. This is another case (like question 6) where less is more.

The best answer is NOTA because it inserts a comma that confounds you r ability to understand the sentence. The comma after theword time makes you think that Grandpa punched in the time and then he punched in the channel of hisfavorite news program, when actually he punched in the time that the program came on and the channel itwas on.B because it also inserts ; Il unnecessary and confusing comma, this time after the conjunction aud ratherthan just before ie.D because the comma after the word chOllnel indicates that th e phrase of his favorite daily news programis not essential. It's set off frOIll the rest of the sentence with commas, as if it we re parenthetical-a nice pieceof information but not necessary to the meaning of the sentence. Bu t if you try reading the sentence without this phrase, the meaning of the sentence is no longer clear.uestion 8. The best answer is] because the phrase n the other hand signa ls that this sentence is going to provide a contrasting po int or a different perspect ive. Grandpa s logic goes likethis: The remote control's volume button is great for drowning out someone he doesn t want tohear; on the other hand (from anothe r perspective), rhe mute button is great ~ H silencing the television when he doesn t want to hea r it.

The best answer is NOTF because the phrase For example indicates that th is sentence will offer an example of the statement-expressed in the sentence before it. This sentence does not provide that payoff.G because it is incorrect for the sam e reason that F is. The phrase To illustrate is fairly close in meaning toFor example.H because the ph rase 011 the one hand sugges ts that the writer is going to make a point here and then makeanother point. Bu t the other point never gets made here; this is the last sentence in this paragraph.uestion 9. The best answer is B because advertisers is a spcc.ific noun that clearly communicates who Grandpa wants to be able to cut off in midsentencc.

The best answer is NOTA because the pronoun them does not have a clear antecedent (a noun that it refers to .and stands in for).e because the pronoun it seems to refer back to the noun sound but that is nonsensical. How do you cutsound off in midsentence ?D because the possessive pronoull its might refer back to the noun sound or to the noun button but bothof those would be nonsensical. What do you make of the button that mutes the sound lets him cut the button s function off in midsentence ?

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Question 10. The best answer is F because it ap propr iately punctuates this complexre nce. A complex semence, by definition, contains an independent cla use ( This op tion automat-icall y turns TV off after a preset amount of time ) and on e or more dependent clauses ( whichis very convenient and when he fa lls asleep whi le watching a show ).The best answer is NOTG because by inserri ng a comma before the clause when he falls as leep while watching a show and settingit o ff from the rest of the sentence, the writer is signaling th at the clause is not essential to th e mea ning ofthe rest of the sentence. But tha t is not so. Try read ing the sen tence without tha t final clause. The op tion ofautomaticall y turn ing off the TV is not always convenient, but it's sure handy when Grandpa falls aslee p inthe middle of a show.H because it creates a sentence fragme nt. When he fa lls asleep while watchi ng a show cannot stand alone.It's not a complete thought. Readers want to know more.J because it is incorrect for the same reason that H is wrong. As it is used here th e se mico lon is signalingthat the statements on either side of the semicolon should be independent clauses (complete th oughts).Question 11 . The best answer is D. T hi nk of thi s sentence as a jigsaw puzzle. Each puzz lepiece is a phrase o r clause. In thi s version, a ll the pieces of th is sentence fi t together we ll. And thepi ccure tha t resul ts looks li ke something that we ca n understand .The best answer is NOTA beca use the parts of this complex sentence are poorly arranged-to the point of nonsense. Perhaps thebest way of answe ring this ques tion is to listen ca refully to each wo rding as you read it out loud to y u r ~self. The clause what he wants his TV doing . . . is to know a source of both pleasure and power is p r t ~ty funny, but it's probably not what the writer mea nt to say here.B because of a simila rly flawed arra ngeme nt of the elements of this sentence. Placing the introduc tory clauseEven when he sleeps directly before the statement Grandpa says gives readers th e wrong impressionthat Grandpa is ta lking in his sleep.e because of its clu msiness . The following ma kes little or no sense at all: Doi ng what he wants . . . is toknow his TV is a source of both pl easure and power for him. Question 12. T he bes t answer is F because it prov ides a l l1ai n clause for thi s sentence:

Grandpa points hi s finger a t the TV and . . . seemi ngly turns it on . Notice that the phrase n t r o ~duc ing the sentence (which is often called a pa rticipia l phrase) cannot be a ma in clause because ithas no stated su bject.The best answer is NOT:G because it creates a sentence frag ment. There. is no stated subject and no mai n clause.H because it is incorrect for the same reason that G is incorrect-no su bject, no mai n clause.J not because of a fragment problem but because of a tense shift problem. Both the verb in the precedingsentence uses) and the second verb in the compound predicate in this sentence tums) express action in thepresent. It doesn't make sense to place a verb here has poillted) th at expresses action that began in the pastand continues in the present.


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PRACTICE TEST EXPLANATORY ANSWERSuestion 13. The best answer is A becau se it provides a fjtting ending for th is personalessay because it refers CO Grandpa's cont inuing discovery of creative ways-of using his new televi

sion remote control.The best answer is NOTB because it provides a tlescription of Grandpa as u n i n t e ~ s t e d in learning how to use his remote control.That's inconsistent with the rest of the essay 's portraY


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PR CTICE TEST 2 EXPL N TORY NSWERSPassage II

uestion 16. The best answer is F beca use it provides a correct supe rlative adjective fO(1)1(liveliest) as well as a singular subject (One) to match the predicate fOl;lnd later in this sentence (is).The best answer is NOT:G because the superlative adjective most liveliest is redundant. T he word most and the ending -est both signal a comparison of more than two items.H because it creates a plural sll bj'ect The most lively fo lk music forms -which does not agree with thesingular predicate is.J because it also creates a plural u j e c t liveliest folk music forms.Question 17. The best answer is B because it provides the correct for m of the possessivepronou n its. The p ronoun is s tanding in for Tejano music s .The best answer is NOT:A beca use it proposes using the contraction it s (which means it is ) where the possessive pronoun its isrequired. If we take it s as a contraction he re, then the clause reads as a sentence structure error: becauseof it is having origins on both ~ i d e of the Texas-Mexico harder.C because it proposes using the contractic;m ts where the. possessive pronoun its is ca lled for.D because it proposes using its where the possessive pronoun its is called for.Question 18 The best answer is F because adding this parenthetical phrase does fu r therthe description of the dance music that the German immigrams brought to south Texas and nor thern Mex.ico. Maybe some readers might al ready know that the dance music of late-nineteenthcentury German iminigranrs was polkas and wa ltzes. Probably many readers wou ldn 't know that.Stating it here does give most readers a better sense of this in fluence on Tejano music .The best answer is NOTG because this brief addition does not in any way explain why German dance music became popular insouth Texas and northern Mexico in the late nineteenth century.H because this phrase is a relevant addition to the sentence. It does not explain the connection between theGe rman dance mus ic and the button accordion; however, that explanation is irrelevant to the essay.J because this phrase is a releva nt addition to the sentence. The essay does refe r to other musical forms,besides Tejano 'of course, so this add ition would not be inconsistent with the rest of the essay.

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PR CTICE TEST Question 19. T he best answer is B because it correctly uses a comma to set off the appositive noun phrase huapangos and rmlcheras from the preceding noun phrase that it describesand renames, their own dance music.The bes t answer is NOT:A because it inserts an unnecessary comma between the noun accordiOIl and th e prepositional phrase if theirown dance music. This comma creates a confusing pause or brea k WhCftj none is needed.C beca use it fails to place 'a comma between those two noun phrases. Occasionally appositive nouns or nounphrases arc lI ot set off by comm as but only if they arc essential to th e basic meaning of th e sentence , Thatis no t the case here.D because it also fai ls to place a comma be tween th e noun ph rase and thc;apposi ti ve phrase that furtherdescribes it

Question 20. The best answer is G becau se it offers the most appropriate punctuat ion forthis sentence . It might help you to think about words in this sentence that are not expressed eventhough thei r mea ning is understood . We co uld also write this se ntence as fo llows: Eventua lly aun ique musical sryle developed that was based on du et singing and an instrumentation of accordion, drums, erc.The best answer is NOTF because it places a semicolon between the main clause- a unique nnisica l style developed -and a modify ing phrasc- based on duet si ngi ng and an instrumentation , A semicolon is normally placed onlybetween independent clauses (that is clauses that express complete thoughts).H beca use it places an unnecessary and distracting comma between the preposition on and the object of thatpreposition, duct singing.J because it pl aces an un necessa ry and distracting comma between the subject-a unique musical style andthat subject's pr icate-delle/oped.Question 21 '. The best answer is B because it provides a wording that is clea r and unambiguous. This style clea rl y refers the reader back to th e phras,e a unique mu sica l style at thebeginn ing of the preceding sentence. The clause know n as cOlljunto (whi ch co uld also have beenwritten wh ich is known as conjlm to ) mod ifies the noun that precedes it.The best answer is NOTA beca use the pronoun It has no clear antecedent. What noun is It standing in for? Spanish twelve-string bassguimr? Upright bass? Accordion? Instrumenta tion? Du et singi ng? Musical style? The reader is forced to guess.On top of th at, th e se ntence itse lf is rather clumsy: It was con;unto and became th e heart of Tejano music.C because of th e unclear pronoun antecedent, The fact that it is known as c01l;unto doesn't help th ereader. The Spanish twelve-string guitar is a ba o sexto. Maybe the upright bass is a cOlli/mto? We rea llydon't know.D beca use of that sa me pronou n a\ltecedent problem, In addition, the sen ten ce It being conjunto becamethe hea rt of Tejano music doesn't work well, raising lUore questions for the reader tha n it, answers.

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PR CTICE TEST 2Question 22. The best answer is H. You need to pay close attention to the sta ted question,because it tells you that the best answer iil thi s case is the worst answer-the alrcrnative to theund erlined portion that is not acceptable. The preposition on in the clause The Mendoza familymade t h ~ i r living on working is si mp ly the wrong wo rd to use here.The best answer is NOTF beca use it is an accepwble alternative. The phrase earned their living means the sa me thing as madetheir living. The word by sounds fine in the clause The Mendoza fami lYmade their livin g by working.G because it is an acceptable alternative. The word {rom so unds fine in th e clause The Me ndoza familymade their living from working.J because it is an acceptable alternative to the underl ined portion. As wa s stated ear lier, the phrase earnedtheir living means the same thing as made their living.

Question 23. The best answer is D beca use rhe preposition as provides rhe parallel o nsrruction rhat is ca ll ed for by the ad verb alternately (mean ing simp ly by turn s ) and the o n ~neeting word and, resulting in the phrase uworking alternately as field hand s and as touringmusicians.The best answer is NOTA because of the lac k of parallelism of as field han ds and they were touring musicians. For th is sentenceto flow smoothly and to make sense, the phrases on either side of the conjunction mz should mirror or near-ly mir ror each other in ter ms of sentence structure.B because of this same lac k of para llelism. The phrase as field hands and as we ll touring mu sicians isclunky and raises doubt about w h e t h e ~ the fa mil y worked l t ~ r n t l in these two roTes.C because it is, likewise, incorrect beca use of lack of parallelism: wo rki ng alternately as field hands andbeing touring musicians.Question 24. The best answer is H because th is cla use sho uld be kepr in th e essay. Althoughthi s information about music publishers print in g song lyrics on bubble gum wrappets as a way topromote the songs seems irreleva nt to this essay about Tejano music, it sllre helps to ex plain thatpreceding statement: Mendoza learned the words to many of her songs from bubble gum w r p ~pers.The best answer is NOTF because this clause should lOt be del eted from the essay. It's [rue that this information is rather un relatedto the main topic of the paragraph, but it is crucial to this particular sentence. Wit hout this clause, the sen-tence would mystify most of us. Have you ever seen a bubble gum wrapper with entire song lyrics printedon it?G because this clause should lot deleted from the essay, and bes ides, the info rm at ion irl this clause does notdimin ish the musical accom plishments of Lyd ia Mendoza.J because it's true that th is clause shou ld be kept in the essay. but the information preseuted in th e clausedoes lot show that the songs that Lydia Mendoza perfo rmed were popular, only that mu sic publishers hadhopes of popularizing many of the songs that she performed.

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PR CTICE TEST 2 EXPL N TORY NSWERSuestion 25 The best answer is D because it creates a complete sentence. When we deletethe underl ined por tion, t he sentence reads, In 1928 in San Antoni o, Texas, Me ndoza and her fam-

ily made their first recording. . T h ~ best answer is NOTA beca use it creates a sentence fragment. There is a dependent c1ause- where Mendoza and her fam ilymade their first recording -but no independent clause.B because it is needlessly wordy arid because it prov ides a weak link between the two in troductory p r e p o s i ~tiona I phrases and the mai n clause: it was there seems to refer only to in San Antonio, Texas and notto ''In 1928. 'C because it creates a sentence fragment. The clause lacks a subject.uestion 26 The best answer is F because it appropriately and effectively punctuates this

sentence. Sometimes, less pu nctuation is best .The best answer is NOT. .G because it places an unnecessa ry and distracting colon between the nou n phrase her wi espread popular-ity and the prepositional phrase that follows and desc ribes it .H because it places unnecessary and distracting commas between the noun phrase her widespread popul rity and the preposi tional phrase (hat fo llows it, and be tween the prepositional phrase in the Spanish-speakhlg regions and the prepositional phrase that follows it.J because it places an unnecessary and dis tracting comma be tween the noun phrase the Spanish speakingregions and the prepositional phrase that follows and describes it.uestion 27 The best answer is D beca use this addition a bout how she became widely

known as La Alondra ,de la Fronrera fi ts best af ter the sentence that states that she soon gained. . . widespread popularity (Sentence 6).The best answer is NOTA because of the f ~ n o l o g i c a l arrangement of the information in this paragraph; it doesn't make sense toinsert this sentence about Lyd ia Mendoza's popularity right after a sentence about the Me ndoza familywo rking as field hands and touring musicians (Sentence 3).B because it is incorrect for the same reason as that given for A. It doesn't make sense to inse rt this senten ceright before the sentence about the Mendoza fam ily making their first record ing (Sentence 5).C because it is incorrect for the same reason as that given for A and B. It doesn't make sense to inse rt thissentence about her established reputation right before the selltence about her singing sty le soon ga ining herwidespread popularity.

-- _ .

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PRACTICE TEST EXPLANATORY ANSWERSQuestion 28. The best answer is C because it ties together Tejano music and LydiaMendqza, wh ich a r arguab ly the two main subjects of thi s essay. With rhe wording of G, rhe se ntence reads, O thers have fo llowed Lydia Mendoza's lead and have expanded the influence ofTejano mu sic. .The best answer is NOTF because it brings in the issue of immigration from Mexico to the u s Although the immigration ofGermans to Texas and Mexico is mentioned in the second paragraph and the Mendoza family's immigration to the U. S. is mentioned in the third paragraph, im migration is not one of the main topics of the essay.H because it inttOduces Santiago and Flaco Jimenez, who are not mentioned elsewhere in this essay.J beca use it foc uses on large recording contrac ts. Although the preceding paragraph mentions that theMendoza fam ily made a recording, the essay makes no reference to large or lucrative record ing contracts.

Question 29. The best answer is D because ir provides word ing that is most consistent withthe overall style and tone of th is st raight forward informative essay.The best answer is NOTA because the sratement that Tejano music will stick around a whi le uses an informal or casual phrasingthat is unlike anything else in this essay. That phrasing also suggests a l ess respectful attitude toward Tejanomu sic than is expressed elsewhere in this piece.8 bec:luse it is unnecessa ri ly wordy, vague, and repetitive. The phrase causes it to be cou ld be more succinctly expressed by results in , for example. Do we know what the writer means y enduring things ?Bes ides, someth ing that is enduring is, by definition, timeless. What is gai ned by using both of thesead jectives here?C because, like A it is more informal or casual than the rest of the essay. We might easily say lots of people really like It in conversation with friends, but wou ld we use that phrasing in a schoo l resea rch paper orin a college admi ssions essay? At the very least, we can reasonably conclude that, in light of the res t of thisessay, we would not do so here. .Question 30. The best answer is F because this essay ha s foclised on the history and deve lopment of Tejano music, in part by describing the career of one o f the ea rliest Tejano music stars.The best answer is NOT:G because alt hough the essay does describe how various Spanish, German, and English musical trad itionsinfluenced rhe development of Tejano music, the essay makes no mention of Tej:lno music's contributions toot her folk mu sic traditions.H because the essay does tell the story of Tejano music. Anyway, just because an essay mentions other folkmusic forms and traditions, that doesn 't mean the essay can't also focus on describing the hi story of one particu lar folk music. . -J because it's rrue rhat Lydia Mendoza is the only Tejano mu sicia n described in any detail, bur she's not mentioned unti l halfwa y through the es"Say. The essay does not limit its focus to Mendoza and, in fact, uses theSto ry of Mendoza's life as a way to continue the larger story of Teja no music.


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PR CTICE TESTPassage III

uestion 31. The best answer is A because it provides the punctuation a comma) that bestindicates the relationship between the introductory prepositional phrases ("Duri ng the early morn-ing hours of October 28, 1965 ') and the main clause ( engineers stationed 630 feet above theground made careful measurements").The best answer is NOTB because the con nec ting word and creates confusion here. A word like nd usua lly connects similar kindsof grammacical units-nouns Tom and Mary), verbs (wander and search), adverbs high and low), etc.Here, the wo rd tries to connect an introductory phrase and a main clause.C because placi ng a period here creates a sentence fragment: "During the early morning hours of October28, 1965."D because it is incorrect fo r the same reason that C is wrong. A semicolon is normally used to connect twoindependent clauses that is, clauses that could each stand alone as complete senrences).uestion 32. The best answer is H because it shows the ~ use of the apostrophe inexpressions of time. You're probably more familiar with the uses of the apostrop he to express pos-sess ion or ownership or to indicate a contraction (letters left out when words are combined ). Butyou've probably seen phrases such as "yesterday's news and tomorrow's . headlines" and anhour's delay -they all fo llow the same puncruation rule as the day's work.

T he best answer is NOTF beca use it leaves out that necessary apostrophe. Without the apostrophe, a reader might misread "thedays" as a subject and "work" as a predicate.G because it places the apostrophe in the wrong location. The rast of this sentence makes it clear that thi sis one day's work.J beca use one wou ld never use an apostrophe like this-by adding's to the end of a plural noun.uestion 33. T he best answer is A because this s tory of the la st step in the co nstruction ofrhe Gateway Arch is told in the past tense. The past tense verb threatened is consistent with theother predicate verbs used in this paragraph-statio ted made btdicated.

The best answer is NOTB because the passive voice of the verb had been threatened doesn't make sense in this sentence.C because the future perfect tense ve rb will have threatened creates an awkward and confusing shift fromthe past tense used elsewhere in thi s essay.D because the present tense verb th reatens creates a similarly awkward and confusing .shift in tense.

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PR CTICE TEST Question 34. The best answer is J because it provides the most concise wording for thissentence a nd avo ids the poi ntless repetition of tpe other choices.The best answer is NOTF because it is pointlessly repetit ive. The word delay doesn't add any information here that's not alreadyclearly expressed by the word postpone.G because the phrase postpone to a later time is pointlessly wordy. Can you postpone someth ing to anea rlier time? The information to a later time is already clearly expressed by the word postpone.H because it is incorrect for the same reason that F is The phrase postpone by delaying is another exam*pie of e r b ~ l overki ll Re aders can somet imes feel disrespected when an essay te lls them the same thing overand over.

Question 35. The best answer is B because th is sentence ex plains t ~ a t the topping*out cer*emon y be ing referred to here is the placement of the fina l section between th e two freestandinglegs of th e St. Louis Gateway Arch. Without this phrase, we wouldn't be able to figure o ut w hat

topping out meanr until we we re halfway inro the essay.T he best answer is NOTA ~ e c a l l s e the essay would tlot lose a minor detail if this phrase were deleted. This is a key piece of info rmationC becaus.e the wording of this phrase is straightforward and factual-there's nothi ng to suggest tha t thewr iter is expressing his or her opinion on the Sign ificance of anythi ngo because the phrase does not state the ceremony's importance toSt Louis residents. Readers might draw aconclusion about the ceremony's importance based on the essay as a whole, but that's something else entirelyQuestion 36. T he best answer is F because the phrase Luther Ely Sm ith is an appositive fo r (rena mes or explains) th e phrase it fo llows, attorney and civic lea der. Most ap pos itivephrases are set off by commas, bu t this one shou ld no t be, beca use it is essentia l to th e mean ingof th e Sentence. T ry rea d ing th e sentence without Luther Ely Smith o es n't it sound stra ngeo r cl un ky?The best answer is NOTG because the comma between the nouns ttomey and civic leader is unnecessary and distracti ng. The worda ld is linking up these two nouns; the comma jus t gets in the way of that.H because there should not be a com ma separating the noun phrase attorney and civic leader and thenOlln phrase that defines and specifies it, Luther Ely Smith.J because it is incorrect for the reasons i v e ~ for G and H as well as the reason that the proliferation of com-mas just tota y confuses th ings: In 1933, attorney, and civic leader startS look ing like it might be a seriesof three items.

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PR CTICE TEST uestion 37. T he bes t answer is C because this sentence sta tes, Uln 19l3, attorney and civicleader Luther Ely Smith envisioned a memorial that would recognize Sr . LOl,lis s ma jo r role in the

westward expansion of the United States. Ir does provide so me helpful background about the history leading up to the co nstruction of rhe Gareway Arch, and ie s the only place in rhe essay wheresuch background is provided.The bes t answer is NOTA because the sentence docs state that St. Lo uis played a role in t he westward expansion, but it does notex plain whY ,St. Louis played that role.B because the se ntence does state that Sm ith envisioned a memorial, but it docs not mention what the memorial that he envisioned migh t look like.D because the se.ntence does provide some biographica l facts abou t Smi th he was an attorney and a civicleader, and he had an idea about a memorial. However, this information is not pa rticularly cruciaL Theinformation that is most re leva nt and meaningful to this pa ragra ph is that a me morial to Sr. Louis s role inthe U.S. westward expansion (that is, the Gateway Arch) was first envisioned in 1933.uestion 38. The best answer is H because it iN he o nl y choice that makes thi s a completesentence.

The best answer is NOTF because it creates a se ntence fragment a noun phrase ( Architect Ecro Saari nen ) and a depend ent clausethat modifies the noun phrase ( who created the design that symbolized the memoria l's theme ).G because it too creates a sente nce fragment- th at same noun phrase and an appositive phrase that renamesthe noun phrase ( creator of the design that sym bo lized th e me moria ls th eme ).j-beca llse it too creates a sentence fragment that same noun ph rase and a participial phrase modifying thenoun ph rase ( creating the design that symbol ized th e memorial's th eme ).uestion 39. The best answer is D beca use this qu estion as ks you to decid e which word

wou ld prov ide the most logical and effective t ransition fro m one sentence to another. The bestdecision here is to use no transitional adve rb at a ll . The preced ing sentence states that Saarinendesigned the Gateway Arch. T hi s sentence is t he first of three that desc ribe the deta ils of thatdesign.The best answer is NOTA because the se nse of Meanwhile is that this even t ta kes place at th e sa me time that the preceding eventrakes place. That se nse doesn't work logica lly here.B because th e se nse of Therefore is that this cond it ion exists or event takes place as a resu lt of the preceding condition or event. That se nse wou ld work here only if we'd already been told that Saa rinen's designsalways look like the description that fo llows.C because the se nse of owever is that this cond ition exists or event takes place in contrast to the preceding condition or event. That sense would work only if we'd already been told that Saarinens designs neve rlook like the description that follows.

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PRACTICE TEST 2 Question 40_ The best answer is F All of these wo rd choices are similar in meaning, having someth ing to do with decreasing or redu ci ng in size, but they are not intercha ngeable syno nyms. The co ntext of this sen tence helps us to decide the best choice: spraying the [metal andconcrete} leg [of the Gateway Arch] with water to cool it would make it contract. Merriam-Webster s Collegiate Dictionary (11th cd.) supports the accuracy of th is ch oice, stating that CON-TRACT app lies to a drawing togetber of surfaces or particles or a reduction of area or length (p. 271).The best answer is NOT:G because reduce has more of a sense of bringing down or lowering in size or deg ree or intensity, which isno t exactly the action being described in this sentence. It 's a much less precise wo rd choice tha n contract is.H because decrease has more of a sense of decl ining in size or numbe r or amounr, which is not exactlythe action being described here. It's a much less precise word choice than contract is.. J because compress primar ily means to reduce in size by pressing or squeezing, which is not the actionbeing described here.

u ~ s t i o n 41. T he best answer is C because this phrasing uses the correct forms of th e possessive pronouns their an d its: in their attempt to reduce its expans io n.The best answer is NOT:A because it uses the contraction they re (meaning they arc ) where the possessive pJ'OIlOUIl their is ~ d for.B because it uses the conrraction they re and the contraction it s (meaning it is ) where the possessive pro-nouns their and its are called for. ' .o because i,t uses the contraction it s where the possessive pronoun its is ca lled for.Question 42. The best answer is G because it provides the most logical and fluent arrange-ment of the possible parts of this sentence: an introducrory dependent clause ( as the crowdcheered ) fo llowed by a main clause w ith a compound predicate ( the final section was hoisted upan d welded to the two legs of the arch ).The best answer is NOT:F because this arrangement of the pieces of information provides us with the nonsensica l image of the finalsection being hoisted up after it had been welded to the legs of the arch.H because this arrangement of the pieces of information provides us with the absurd image of the crowdbeing welded to the legs of the arch.J because this arrangement of the pieces of information provides us with the c9nfusing image of the crowdeither doing some of the weldi ng or be ing welded to the legs of the arch.


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PR CTICE TEST 2Question 43. The best answer is D because it offers the most co ncise wording and avoidsthe redundancy of the ot her choices. (Have you ever heard of the Department of RedundancyDepartment? That might be a handy way to remember what the word redund nt means.)The best answer is NOTA because, since a decade is ten years an d three decades are thirty years, the phrase Over three deca des andmore than thirty years is redundant.B because its phrasing is red undant and pointless, Over three decades do amount to more than thirtyyea rs, but there's no reason to inform readers of that here. C because the pa renthetical phrase over th irty years merely repeats the time span just reported in a dif-ferent measure of time (decades).Question 44. The best answer is G because this is the LEAST acceptable alternative to theunderlined portion. The sentence with the underlined portion reads, Over three decades of plan-ning and bu ilding had come to a conclusion, and the ta llest monument in the Uni ted States wasnow complete, Replacing the word conclusion with h lt creates a meaning problem in the con-text of this sentence because co ming to a halt expresses rhe idea of stopping or suspendingbefore or without completion.The best answer is NOTF because it provides an acceptable wording The phrase rcached completion works in the context of thissentence just as well as come to a conclusion docs.H because it provides an acceptable wording. The phrase come to an end works in this sentence just aswell as come to a conclusion does.Jbecause it provides an acceptable wording. The word ended works in this sentence just as we ll as comecd a conclusion does,Question 45. The best answer is C because the title of t his essay- 'Topping Out' theGateway Arch -is a fairly good summary of the piece and a ~ r helps us to arrive at theanswer. T he essay does ot do a good job of describing the entire process of designing and build-ing the Gateway Arch because it focuses instead on telling the story of this one step in the process.The best answer is NOTA because this essay does men tion the ma terials used to make the exterior and interior structural supports,but that doesn't n ~ e a n it has described the entire design and construction process.B simply b e ~ ; a u s e it presents an inaccurate desc ription of this essay An essay that did do what B claims todo would indeed fulfi ll the intended goal.D because it is incorrect for the sa me reason as B i it inaccurately describes this essay This essay devotesjust a few sentences to the early stages in the development of the arch.

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uestion 46 The best answer is F because it ptovides the word that sounds right in tlusse ntence. When we refer to periods of the day, such as the dusk of a later summer evening, wegenera lly use the preposition in: in the morning I got up; in the 'afternoon he took a nap; we wentto a movie in the evening.The best answer is NOTG because the preposition On s ~ u n wrong here, especia lly when you co;nbine this introductory phrasewith the main clause: On the dusk of a late summer eve ning, I walked. This wording makes the dusksound like some sort of hard surface that can be walked upon.H because the preposi tion With sounds wrong here. Try to imagine walking with the dusk of a late sum-mer evening -maybe hand in hand? It just doesn't work.J beoause the preposition From sounds wrong here. From the dusk of a late summer evening, I wa lkedtoward a shelter. This wording makes the dusk s{)Und like a location rather than a period of time.uestion 47 The best answer is C because it provides the correct pronouns-most andtpho in this context. The pronou n most carries the se nse of the greatest part -not all of thepeople but not merely a few of them. The pronoun lvho is a relative pronoun; in an adjective orrelative clause, it takes the place of the noun that precedes it. In this se ntence, who is standing infor the people in the clause who wal ked with me.

The best answer is NOTA because the pronoun more doe sn't fit here. It calls fo r some sort of comparison: 'more of the people thanyou met or more of the people than I knew before this evening. But those compa risons are not being ma dein this sentence. .B because the pronoun more doesn't fit here. The pronoun whom is also wrong here: this pronoun is usedonly when it is functioni ng as the direct object or the object of a preposi tion in the adjective clause. In th isclause, the pronoun is functioning as the subject.D because the pron,oun whom doesn't fit here. In this clause, the pronoun is serving as the subject. The pro-noun whom is used only when i ~ serves as the direct object or the object of a preposition in the clause. (Haveyou heard of Ernest Hemingway's war novel For Whom the ell Tolls?

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PR CTICE TEST 2 EXPL N TORY NSWERSQuestion 48. The best answer is J beca use it achieves exactly wha t the writer wants toachieve, according to the question. The clause I felt a kins hip with them balances the statementmade in the first part of th is sentence with a decai l that suggests th e unity of these people.The best answer is NOTF because, although th is cla use wo rks we ll with the first half of the sentence, it's not successful at express-ing a sense of unity among the people. It only mentions that the narrator knew a few of the people that heor she walked with.e because it not on ly fa ils to suggest a sense of unity among the people, it expresses the somewhat contra-dictory 'sense of ind ividualism: we each h ~ our own ~ o reasons for being there.H because thi s cla use expresses the na rrator's hope of making friends with some of these people, which isnot the s ~ m e as ex pressi ng a feeling of unity that actua lly exists among a group of people.

Question 49. The best answer is A beca use this word is l ot an acceptable alternative tothe underlined word. This writing issue is simi lar to the issue presented in question 46. These lit-tle prepositions can be hard to pin down and explain, but if we just liste n to how they fit in apar ticular sentence, we often know what is right. Would you ma ke this jou rney among Miami.land ? This p reposition usua lly has th e mea ning of in the mjdst of or surrounded by obj ectso r people.The best answer is NOT:B because this wo rd is an acceptable alternative to the underlined word. In thi s sen tence, the prepositionoller works JUS t about as well as across does.C because this word is an acceptable alternative to the underlined word. The preposition on does not giveas .strong a sense of traversing as across and oller do, but it still makes sense here. The bottom line is this:onc ca n travel across or over or on land, but one ca n't travel among land.o because this word is an acceptable alte rnative to the underlined word. As with oller and 011 the preposi-tion throu h works we here. When the narrator makes thi s journey across Miami land, he or she is alsoma king it throu h that lan d.Question 50. The best answer is G because, in the opening sentence of this paragraph, thereader is told that the people ~ r e wa lking toward a shelter at the edge of a field in northernIndiana. But this phrase adds some important description about the shelter hat it s made ofsaplings and earth, that it's called a longhouse, and that it has a ceremonial function or purpose.The best answer is NOTF beca use thi s phrase does not offer a comparison to the journeys made by the members of other Amer icanInd ian tribes.H beca use this ph rase does help es tablish the place of the events described in thi s paragraph, but it doesn'tcontribute anything to es tablishing the timc of those events.Jbecause this phrase provides relevant information; it introduces and explains the term longhouse wruch isused elsewhere in the essay, as a ceremonial building made of saplings and earth.

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PR CTICE TEST 2 EXPL N TORY NSWERSQuestion 51. The best answer is C because it provides t ; ckart:st and most concise word-ing in this sentence This wording ensures that the pronoun that fo llows in this sentence , them, hasa clear anrecedem other Miami) .The best answer is NOTA because this wording leads to an ambiguity late r in the sentence. The pronoun them in the phrase manyof them the ancesrors of the people wou ld seem to be referring back to the nearest noun, pictures, eventhough that n t e c e d ~ n t doesn't make sense.R because it is clunky phrasing and needlessly wordy. Nothing meaningful is gained by stati ng that otherMiami were present in the pictures that the narrator had seen for years.o because it, too, is needlessly wordy. It also has [h e sa me sense problem that choice A has- this wordingmakes pictures the most likely antecedent' for the pronoun them that appears later in the sentence.Question 52. The best answer is J because it provides the correct punctuation for thisclause. The relative clause who walked along with me to the longhouse that summer eveningmodifies or describes the noun p op . This clause is not set off from the rest of the sentence witha comma because it is restrictive, or necessary: it provides information that the reader needs toknow in order to make sense of the sentence.The best answer is NOTF because the comma setting off the relative clause from the noun it describes is wrong, and the commabetween the prepositional phrase wi th me and the prepositional phrase to the longhouse is unnecessaryand distracting.G because the comma between the relative pronoun who, which.is standing in for the noun people) and thepredicare verb of this clause walked) is ,:,rong and distracting.H because the commas setting off the relative clause from the noun ir describes is wrong, and the commabetween the adverb along and the preposirional phrase w ith me is unnecessary and distracting.

Question 53. The best answer is D because, by introducing the rooms that the narrator'sgrandmother and mother had dedicated to their tribe, this sentence effectively bridges the preced-ing sentence (about having seen pictures of the ancestors of many of the Miami walking with thenarrator that evening) and the following two sentences (about .the rooms and the framed photoslining their walls and what the grandmother and mother did there).The best answer is NOTA because it makes no mention of the rooms that are referred ro in rhe next twO sentences. If this sentencewere used here, how would we know what the wrirer meant by these rooms in the next sentence?B because it is incorrect for the same reason that A is. This sentence does a good job of explaining the pic-tures mentioned in the preceding sentence, bur it makes no mention of the rooms referred to in the follow-ing sentences.C because it is incorrect (or the same reason. This sentence also mentions the pictures and at least nares rhatrhey are displayed in the grandmorher's and mother's houses, but the sentence sti ll fails to mention any spe-cific rooms, which makes rhe reference to these rooms in the next sentence a confusing one.

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PR CTICE TEST uestion 54. The best answer is H because it provides th e most logica l referent in terms ofthe information al read y provided. Th e preceding two sentences refer to . these rooms and my

mother and grandmother each sittin g quietly in her own room. This sentence clearl y co ntinuesthat description of th ose rooms.The best answer is NOTF because we are not sure what That room refers to-the mother's room or the grandmother's room. Itcould be ei ther one, and we readers are left to wonder.G b.ecause we are not sure who er refers to-the narrator's mother or grandmo th er. Each bne has her ownspecial room, so using the plural rooms with the singular Her also makes no sense.J beca use it is incorrect for the same reason that F is. The phrase This room leaves us wondering whedlerthe writer is referring to the mother's room or the grandmother's room.

uestion 55. The best answer is D because it correctly and effectively punctuates these twoclauses as separate sentences. Sometimes, co mbining clauses into one sentence can be a good w'riting decis ion . In this case, however, the statements in these two clauses are too different from eachother-one is about the room; the other is about the tri be .The best answer is NOTA because this sentence rambles. Sometimes we might talk this way but we should try to avoid writing sen-tenCes in which clauses are randomly connected by the conjunc tion and We mig ht call this kind of sentenceproblem an on-and-on sentence.B because it creates a ,fun-on, or fused, sentence. Where does one statement end and the other begin? Asreaders, we're not really sure what to do with that prepositional phrase unlike the larger Plains tribes.

. C because it creates a comma splice. As with the punctuation decision in B this one doesn't give us a dueabout where one statement ends and the other begins.uestion 56. The best answer is H because it provides relevant information in ter ms of thefocus of this paragraph. The preceding sentence states that the M iami had not retained reservationlands. Later in the paragraph, we learn that the tribe owned no ' land where a tribal longhouse

cou ld be built or religious ceremonies held. Thus, the info rmation provided by H that the Miamialso had [ hold their powy.'ow on borrowed land builds on the poinr that the Miami were lacking because they had no tr ibal or communal land.The best answer is NOTF because the t ~ o n l that the powwow was always well attended doesn't fit here. In the context ofthis paragraph, which is bui lding a case for the tribe's need [Q own a piece of land what is the POillt of sharing this detail?G because the detail that the Miami powwow is notable for its exquisite dancing is pointless and pe ripheral in terms of the main foc lls and purpose of this paragraph.J because the detai l that the powwow lasted several days is random. As with the information provided inF and G the writer makes no attempt to link this deta il to the other statements being made in th is paragraph.

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PR CTICE TEST 2 Question 57. The best answer is A because this wording creates parallelism in verb formand clause st ructure. In this compound dependent clause, the two parts are inrroduced by theative pronoun which and linked by the conjunction and, and the auxi liary verbs are understood(not stated) in the second part: no land on which a longhouse cou ld be builr and M iami religiousceremonies [could be] conducted. Both verbs are in the passive voice. Us ing the passive a lot isoften a bad move, but here it places emphasis on that which could be built a longhouse) and conducted (religiolls ceremonies).The best answer is NOT

. B because th is wording causes the verbs in the two parts of the compound clause to shift from could bebuilt to were conducted , Also, the adverb there is confusing and unnecessary; the relative pronoun in theprepositional phrase on which has al ready communicated a sense of place or location.C because this wording is awkward and unnecessarily wordy, Here, the parts of the compound clause shiftfrom a longhouse could be built to there were Miami ceremonies conducted. As in B, the adverb thereis redundant.o because the parts of the compound clause ate not para llel in structure. The first part contains a passive voiceverb; the second part consists of the participial phrase the conducting of Miami ceremonies. n Notice, forexample, how the para llel verb forms and clause struc tures of A make it mu ch easier to understand than D.Question 58. The best answer is H because it logically connects the statements in these twosenrences. The preceding sentence states that the narrator had never attended a Miami religiousceremony, neyer danced in frOnt of a crowd of Miami. The phrase In fact communicates toreade'rs that the statement to fo llow will build on the preceding one, perhaps tak ing it one step further. The sta tement that the narrator had never known any other Mjami children outside of myown fami ly does that.The bestanswer is NOTF because the word Still, when used as a transitional adverb, generally communicates a time relat ionship ora sense of contradiction (similar to nevertheless . Neither one of those meanings logically works to connectthese two sentences.G because the tra nsitional adverb Meanwhile expresses a time relationship that doesn't make sense in termsof conn ecting the statements in these two sentences.Jbecause the transitional ph rase On the other hand expresses a sense of contrast, which doesn't work log-ically to connect the statements in these two sentences. .

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PRAC ICE TEST 2 EXPLANATORY ANSWERSQuestion 59. The best answer is D because it provides a verb form that makes th is a complete sentence. The introductory clause As we walked together through the open i eld thateve ning is a subord inate, or dependent, clause It cannot stand alone as a complete sentence. Theverb flashed enables the second clause in this sentence to be an independent clause: hundreds oftiny fireflies fla shed softly from the tall grasses. This clause can stand alone or function as themain clause of a sentence.The best answer is NOTA because inserting the participle verb flashing here makes this into a participial phrase instead of a clause.Because there is no main clause, this becomes a sentence fragment.B because it creates a sen tence fragmen t. There are two dependent clauses here- As we walked togetherthrough the open fiel d that evening and which fla shed softly from the tall grasses -but no main or independent clause.e because it is incorrect for the same reason that B is. This choice creates two dependent clauses but nomain clause.Question 60 The best answer is F beca use the preposition like fits well here because itexpresses the co mparison .of the fireflies and the ancestral spirits. In this setting, like means in themanner of or similarly to (de finition 2 in Merrial l Webster s Collegiate Dictionary, 11th edi tion).The best answer is NOTG because the phrase just as causes readers to stumbl e over various mi sreadings. The first misreadingleads one to as in its role as a conjunction meaning as if or in the way or manner chac. The second misreading leads one to the most common meaning of the preposition as- in the capac ity, character, condi tion, or role of - wbich makes no sense here. The p reposition as can also mean similarly to, but what dowe make of the adverb just meaning exactly, precisely ? Here, jus t as would mean' precisely similarlyto, which sounds overstated if not redundant:H because this combination of two prepositions ( as lik e ) is not found in standard written Engl ish.J because the phrase such as usually means for example,' which doesn't make sense in the contex t ofthis sentence.

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PR CTICE TEST EXPL N TORY NSWERSPassage V

uestion 61. The best answer is A because this choi ce provides a sentence structure thatwon't fall down on us. Here, rhe subjecr- Ho :,,ling -is followed by an appositive- 'the soundmost often associated with wolves. Do you recall that an appositive renames or describes thenoun it follows? The word howling may look morc like a verb tha n a noun, but it's what's ca lleda ge rund , a verb form being used as a noun. The verb in this sentence shows up later and is eitherperform or erfo rms , depending on how you answer question 62. You may already be thinkingthat the sentence will sound best like thi s: Howling by itself perfo rms several social functionswit hin wolf packs.The best answer is NOTB because it creates an awkwardly constructed sen tence: two verb phrases- has been the sound most oftenassociated with wolves and by itself performs severa l key social functions within wolf packs that areconnecred by a mere comma.e because it creates an introductory dependenr clause- While howling is rhe sound most often associatedwith wolves -which can serve as a wing or annex to this sentence structure. Bur the main clause is missing; rhere's no foundation .o because it results in basically the same lopsided senrence construction that B does.uestion 62. The best answer is H because we've already been thinking about this problem while answering question 61. If th e subject of this sentence is HOf.uJing then the pronoun thatrefers back to it must agree w ith it in number (the singular itseJf , and the verb of this subject mustalso be in ag reement (the th ird-person singular performs . The result, of course, is an agreeablesentence.

The best answer is NOTF because of its probl ms with pronoun-antecedent and s u b j e ~ t v e r b agreemenr. It's easier to see the problem with this sentence when we leave ol}t the apposi tive: Howling by themselves perform several keysocial function s.'C because of the same pronou n-a ntecedent and subject-verb agreement problems described in F.J because it is incorrecr for a different r e ~ t s o n . The phrase by itse lf expresses rhe meaning alone orwithout help or company, which firs well in this sentence. The phrase on itself does not have that samesense. In fact, do we know what the phrase howling on itse lf might mean?

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Practice ACT Test

PRACTICE TEST 2 Question 63. The best answer is B because it creates a complete sentence. Here, the mainclause is One of these is l f d e f e n s e , which is fo llowed by a dependent cla use that modifies thenoun s e l f ~ d e f e n s e ( which includes protecting terr itory ).The best answer is NOT:A because it s a sentence fragment. There's no verb in the main claus it feels like all the action has beensucked out of the statement One of these, s e l f ~ d e f e n s e .C beca use, like A, it creates a sentence fragment. We start off with a noun ( One ), then a partici pial phrase( bei ng s e d e f e n s e ) , then a dependent clause ( which includes protecting territory ).o because it is incorrect for the same reason that A is. Those'words posing as a main clause have now beenpared down to less than their bare essentials: One, s e l f d e f e n s e . This migh t work when taking nOes foroneself bu t not when communicating with someone else.Question 64. The best answer is J because it wraps up thi s sentence in a way that is apt andcorrect. This phrase after the comma ( usually other wolves'?) becomes an appositive that rena mesor defines the preceding noun phrase ( po tential intrude rs ). This wraps up a u n of q u e s ~tions about sentence structure (see questions 61 and 63).The best answer is NOTF because it creates a confusing comma splice. When just a com ma (without a conjunction word) connectstwo clauses, its hard to tell what that connection means. The comma normally isn't strong enough to s i g ~nal that these two clauses can each stand on their own.G because it is incorrect for the same reason that F is-that pesky comllla splice.H gecause the phrase that wraps up the sentence- and are typically other wolves is poorly attached tothe mai n trunk of the sentence. Are the po tential intruders (the closest noun) typically other wolves? Orare the packs (the main subject) typically other wolves? The struc tu re of the sentence seems to sugges t thelatter is the case, bu 't good sense s u g g ~ t s otherwise. And readers are left to scra tch their heads.Question 65. The best answer is A. This is one of those questions where you have to choosethe wording that is least or ot acceptable. The underlined word, because is a co njunction l i ning two cla uses. It expresses the idea that [he statement to follow is a reason for or cause of theot her statement in the sentence. The conjunction although expresses a re lationship between thesetwo clauses- one of counteraction or counterba lance that is not logical here.The best answer is NOT:B because it is an acceptable alternative. The conjunctive phrase in that 'expresses the same kin d of causalrelationship that the underlined word does.C because it is acceptable. The conjunction since is closely synonymous to the word becaus.e.o beca use it, too, is acceptable. One of the meanings of the conjunction s is ide ntical to the meaning

f because. .

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PR CTICE TEST 2 Question 66. The best answer is F because it states thfs action in the active voice, thus pro-viding an agent for the action Wolves"- which ensures that the pronoun tha t appears later inthe sentence (in the phrase with o ne another ) has a nou n to refer back to.The best answer is NOT:G beca use it is unnecessarily wordy and because the sentelfce that it creates offers no antecedent for th e pronoun "one another." The reader is left asking the question, One another what?"H because, like G, it is wordy and 90esn't provide a clear antecedent for the pronoun. That pronoun has tobe stand ing in for some noun. The most likely candidate would b th e subject ~ f the sentence, but ho.wling" doesn't make sense. The reader then re treats to the last sentence of the preceding paragraph--coul d itbe "mates" or "prey" or "packs"'? ,At that point, he or she is lost.J because it, too, fails to offer a no un that provides the pronoun "one another" t h a clear and logicalmeamng.Question 67. The best answer is C because the adjective acute, meaning sensitive" o r

sharp, is an appropriate word choice to describe the sense of hea ring. The context of this sentence makes it clear that the hearing of the wolves is being described as very good.The best answer is NOT:A because the adjective Intense doesn't fit here. One common meaning of this word is "deeply felt" or "profound," which doesn't make sense here. Another common meaning is "ex treme in degree or size," whichseems close but no cigar. Would it sound right to you to say that "wolves possess extreme hearing"?B because the adjective cunning, which generally means "crafty" or "sly" or "havi tg skill or keen insight,"isn't the right word to d e s r i ~ e the sense of hearing.D because the adjective vivid is usually used to describe a color or graphic image. It can also mean producing a strong impression on the senses," but this meaning wou ldn't make sense when describing hea ri ng.Question 68. The best answer is J because it provides wording tha t is succinct n ~ thatavoids he poin tless repetition of meaning that the other cho ices offer.The best answer is NOT:F because of the repetitiousness of Frequently, common activities often. Both of these adverbs meanthe same thing. It's unnecessary to use them together in this sentence to describe the same action.G because of the repetitiousness of Quite regular/y, common activities often. Repetition can occasionally be used in writing to emphasize a point, but there's no need for that ki nd of emphasis here.H because of the repetitiousness of Many times, common activities oftetl. Sometimes in w.riting, lessis more.

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Practice CT Test

PR CTICE TEST 2 EXPL N TORY NSWERSQuestion 69. The best answer is B because it describes a situation ac t ivities, such ashunting for prey, often disperse a pack over large areas of land t hat clearly and logically leadsto the act ion described later in this senrence- in order to relmite, the separated wolves howl toone another. Because the wolves become widely spread out over a hunting territory, howlingserves a spec ific role in br inging the wolves back together.The best answer is NOTA because the clau se that follows this underlined portion sta tes, in order to reunite, the separated wolveshowl fO one another. As readers, we; have to wonder why thc pack became separated in the first placc.This statemcnt activities, such as hunting for prcr, oftcn call upon ani,uals' sharp instincts -docsn'tgive us a cl ue.C bcca usc this statement that activities such as hunting often require the pa ck to travel some distancemight seem to lead readers to the second statement in this sentence; however, that first statement suggestSthat the pa ck is traveling together. If so, why wou ld they need to howl to be reunited ?o because this statement that activities such as hunting often involve the ent ire pack also seems to leadto that second statement, but it doesn't go far enough in providing a logical reason for the pack's howling.Through this Sta tement, readers learn that :he entire pack participates in activities such as hunting. But it atleast suggestS that they do these activities together. And if they do, then there's no need to reunite.Question 70. The best answer is F because the adverb Finally provides an effective and logical transition from the preceding paragraph to this one . As the title suggests, this essay is attempting to ex plain Why Wolves Howl. The second paragraph explai ns the purpose of sel fdefenseand protecting terr itory. Tne third paragraph focllses on the purpose of communication amongpack members. This paragraph addresses the role of how ling in terms of the pack's social rituals.It's the third and final reason given for why wolves howl.The best answer is NOTG because th e adverb Nevertheless creates an odd' logical shift here. Th is sentence and paragraph are notpJ Oviding a contrast O( counterbalance to what came before them. The movement of this essay is more dea rIy that of an acc umulation of points. .H because.rhe adverb Second doesn't logica lly fit here. The secon l pa ragraph begi ns with One of these [keysocial functionsJ. The third paragraph begins with Wolves also howl. If the writer wanted to count th efun ctions of howling, thcn this paragraph would begin with h ird wolves use howling.J because the adverb Tlms doesn't work logically here. This word normally introduces an effect that resultsfrom a previously stated cond ition or cause. There's no indication th at the wolves' use of howling in packsocial rituals has a cause-effect relationship with statements in the preceding paragraph about the wolfpacks use of howling to communicate with each other.

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Chapter 4

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PR CTICE TEST 2 EXPL N TORY NSWERSQuestion 71 The best answer is B because it provides a phrasing that is parallel in s t r lture with the.other two h r s e ~ in this se ries. This kind of parallel const ru ction not only results in

p l e s n t ~ s o u n d i n g prose b.ut also contributes to clear communication.The best answer is NOTA because it upsets the parallel ism suggested by the two phrases on either sid e of it wagging their tailsand engaging in mock fights. n This wording also creates a comma spl ice that makes the sentence confus-ing and difficult to read.e because it, too, upsetS the parallelism and confuses th e meaning of the se ntence. The verbs in the otherrwo phrases in thi s series have -ing endings, suggesting ongoing action, while this middle one has an -ed end-ing, which causes an odd shift to action completed in the pa st.o because it is incorrect for rhe same reason as C is. Here, the proposed wording creates a troubling shiftin this se ries of actions from ongoing to present nllzzle and then back to ongoing.Question 72. The best answer is G because it effectively uses comm as toset off the p p o sitive or dominant from the word it is explaining, alpha. The conjunction or giVes readers a cluethat this is an appositive, but the commas make it clear that the word dominant is actuaUy restat-ing what precedes it and not desc ribing a sepa rate item.The best answer is NOTF because it places the first of two commas after the conju nction rather th an before it. The commas usedwith an appositive signal that the appositive can be deleted without disturbing the senrence. Compare thesetwo versions of this phrase: Usua lly begun by the alpha pair of wolves G) an d Usua lly begun by thealpha or pair of wolves F).H because the apposilive is nor set off with commas and an unnecessary and distracting comma has beenplaced between the noun pair and the prepositional phrase o wolves.J because it places a single comma after the conjunction or, which does nor set off the appositive from theword it restates or from the r e s ~ of the senrence

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Practice ACT Test

uestion 73. The best answer is D because it provides the best arrangement of the parts ofthis sentence. The participial phrase at the beginning of this sentence- Usually begun by thealpha, or dominant, pair ofwolves -is modifying a noun. Such phrases shou ld be p laced as closeas possible to the noun they modify. By making chorus howling the subject of the main clause,and placing it d irectly after the phrase that logically modifies it, D provides a good solution to thiswriting problem.The best answer is NOT:A because it res ults in a mi splaced modifier. The prepositional phrase str ing in preparation for the bunt, placed right after th e verb phrase is excited, wea kly modifies that verb. The prepositiona l phrase thatmore effectively and more closely modifies the verb- by chorus howling is placed farther away fromthe ver bS because it results in a mi sp la ced modifier. As the sentence reads, the purp ose of chorus howling is us u-ally begun by th e alpha pair of wolves. This arrangement creates a nonsense se ntence.C because it results in misplaced modifiers. As the sentence reads, excitement in the pack is usua lly begunby the alpha pair of wolves. Furthermore, the prepositional phrase string in prepara tion for the hunt,placed right after the verb phrase is raised, weakly modifies that verb. Again, the phrase that more close-ly modifies the verb- by chorus howling -is located farther away from ituestion 74. The best answer is J because it ensures thar the verb makes agrees in num-ber with the subject the collective sound. Both are singu lar in number.

The best answer is NOT:F because the plural verb make doesn't agree with the singular subj ect th e collective sound. One wayto confirm that this is wrong is to rake ou[ all the words that come between the su bject and its verb- ofwolves howli ng in va riOliS keys also. Now read the openi ng of this sentence: The collective sound makethe pack seem large r and mo re powerful. Does that sound right to you?G because the pl ural verb have doesn't agree with the si ngu lar su bject the collective sound.H beca use the pl ural verb are intended doesn't agree with the singular subj ect the collective sound.uestion 75. The best answer is 'D because ir effectively punctuates th is sentence (by resist-ing the impulse to add a comma when one is not necessary).

The best answer is NOT:A because it inse rts an unnecessary and distracting comma between the subjec t clatlse What's already clearand the verb is .B because it inserts an unnecessary and distracting comma between th e relative pronoun that and the clauseit introduces.C because it inserts an unnecessary and distracting comma between the verb is and the predicate noun clausethat tb e stereotypical image of the lone wolf howling at the full mo on obscures the importance howling hasin the social life of these anim als. If yo u're not familiar with the term predicate noun think of is or anyother linking verb as an equal sign In stich cases, [the subject} = [the predicate noun].)

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ACT 2 Explanatory Answers - English

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