ACT Bellringer ACT Bellringer Monday, November 16, 2009Monday, November 16, 2009

Ever since Bessie Coleman saw Ever since Bessie Coleman saw her first her first airplane—the wobbly, biplane kind—airplane—the wobbly, biplane kind—when she was a little girl, shewhen she was a little girl, she had known had known that someday, somehow, she would fly. that someday, somehow, she would fly.

A. NO CHANGEA. NO CHANGE

B. her first airplane when she was a B. her first airplane when she was a little girl, shelittle girl, she

C. her first airplane when she was a C. her first airplane when she was a little girl of small stature, she little girl of small stature, she

D. The first flying object she—at age D. The first flying object she—at age seven or eight—would ever see, an seven or eight—would ever see, an

airplane, sheairplane, she

Now that the Navajo code is no Now that the Navajo code is no longer used, the code talkers, whose longer used, the code talkers, whose secret worksecret work saved American lives, saved American lives, can finally receive public recognition can finally receive public recognition for their actions. for their actions.

A. NO CHANGEA. NO CHANGE

B. hush-hush actionsB. hush-hush actions

C. concealed, hidden effortsC. concealed, hidden efforts

D. doings, secretly kept under D. doings, secretly kept under wraps, wraps,

Go Short!Go Short!• ACT generally loves concise, ACT generally loves concise,

clear writing.clear writing.

• Review answer choices from Review answer choices from shortest to longest.shortest to longest.

• Go Short! Go Short! helps us understand helps us understand and delete answer choices that and delete answer choices that are wordy, redundant, or are wordy, redundant, or irrelevant.irrelevant.

What do we do?What do we do?

• Read the passage that Read the passage that includes the includes the underlined textunderlined text..

• Go to the Go to the answer choice.answer choice.

What do we do?What do we do?

• If that choice doesn’t If that choice doesn’t work, go to the next work, go to the next shortest choice, and so shortest choice, and so on. on.

What do we do?What do we do?

• Watch for Watch for synonymssynonyms in the in the answer choices that answer choices that repeatrepeat what is said in the passage. what is said in the passage.

• This is called This is called redundancy.redundancy.–It makes the answer longer It makes the answer longer –It is very often wrong... It is very often wrong...

Now go to the Now go to the examples…examples…

Ever since Bessie Coleman saw Ever since Bessie Coleman saw her first her first airplane—the wobbly, biplane kind—airplane—the wobbly, biplane kind—when she was a little girl, shewhen she was a little girl, she had known had known that someday, somehow, she would fly. that someday, somehow, she would fly.

A. NO CHANGEA. NO CHANGE

B. her first airplane when she was a B. her first airplane when she was a little girl, shelittle girl, she

C. her first airplane when she was a C. her first airplane when she was a little girl of small stature, she little girl of small stature, she

D. The first flying object she—at age D. The first flying object she—at age seven or eight—would ever see, an seven or eight—would ever see, an

airplane, sheairplane, she

What to do now? What to do now? • Eliminate at Eliminate at

least two least two answer answer choiceschoices

• C and DC and D

• Where are we Where are we now? now?

Ever since Bessie Coleman saw Ever since Bessie Coleman saw her first her first airplane—the wobbly, biplane kind—airplane—the wobbly, biplane kind—when she was a little girl, shewhen she was a little girl, she had known had known that someday, somehow, she would fly. that someday, somehow, she would fly.

A. NO CHANGEA. NO CHANGE

B. her first airplane when she was a B. her first airplane when she was a little girl, shelittle girl, she

C. her first airplane when she was a C. her first airplane when she was a little girl of small stature, she little girl of small stature, she

D. The first flying object she—at age D. The first flying object she—at age seven or eight—would ever see, an seven or eight—would ever see, an

airplane, sheairplane, she

ThenThen Go Short!Go Short!

•B is correct.B is correct. but then you but then you probably knew probably knew that already if that already if you usedyou used Go Short!Go Short!

Do the next one…Do the next one…

• This one This one also has also has some some dictiondiction aspects to aspects to the question, the question, so be so be careful.careful.

Now that the Navajo code is no Now that the Navajo code is no longer used, the code talkers, whose longer used, the code talkers, whose secret worksecret work saved American lives, saved American lives, can finally receive public recognition can finally receive public recognition for their actions. for their actions.

A. NO CHANGEA. NO CHANGE

B. hush-hush actionsB. hush-hush actions

C. concealed, hidden effortsC. concealed, hidden efforts

D. doings, secretly kept under D. doings, secretly kept under wraps, wraps,

Now that the Navajo code is no longer used, the code talkers, Now that the Navajo code is no longer used, the code talkers, whose whose secret worksecret work saved American lives, can finally saved American lives, can finally receive public recognition for their actions. receive public recognition for their actions.

A. NO CHANGE A. NO CHANGE

This is short, so this might be good…This is short, so this might be good…

B. hush-hush actions B. hush-hush actions

The ACT doesn’t do baby talk, so I don’t think so…The ACT doesn’t do baby talk, so I don’t think so…

C. concealed, hidden effortsC. concealed, hidden efforts

““Concealed” and “hidden” mean the same thing! Concealed” and “hidden” mean the same thing! Don’t try to fool me!Don’t try to fool me!

D. doings, secretly kept under wraps,D. doings, secretly kept under wraps, ““under wraps?” That’s being “secret” isn’t it? And under wraps?” That’s being “secret” isn’t it? And

who talks like that anyway? who talks like that anyway?

It’s got to be…It’s got to be…A.A. NO CHANGENO CHANGENow that the Navajo Now that the Navajo

code is no longer code is no longer used, the code used, the code talkers, whose talkers, whose secret worksecret work saved saved American lives, can American lives, can finally receive finally receive public recognition public recognition for their actions.for their actions.

Brilliant! Brilliant!