Comprehension Test 24 – 30 minutes (#35) D.

The author will explain why people write less

Passage 1: Type vs. Write often.
Crisp abrupt type 4. Which statement about handwritten pages is
Clicked out on a keyboard supported most by the poem?
Sprinkled like confetti. A. Handwritten pages are often difficult to read.
Coming to rest from its silent free fall B. Handwritten pages are the best to read.
Landing in speckled rows—A strict order C. Handwritten pages are personal to each author.
Authors’ emotional autographs are D. Handwritten pages are best for stating facts.
Masqueraded at first sight
To be revealed, the words must be read—said out 5. According to the poem, what must be
loud completed after words are typed out on paper?
Allowed to float and fill the air A. The words should be left to rest.
In order to comprehend and witness B. The words should be scribbled out often.
Their weight—their rhythm C. The words should be read out loud.
Their meaning—their truth D. The words should be marked with ink spots.

But the handwritten word 6. What is the meaning of the word masqueraded
The personal touch of pen to paper in the poem?
Provides a fingerprint—an introduction A. Introduced
Into authors’ deepest identities B. Understood
Scratching out their thoughts C. Touched
With flourished windswept strokes D. Disguised
Jagged edges
Crossed out scribbles Passage 2
Ink spots marking the starts and stops I remember it vividly. We were fighting for our
Of fluid ideas flowing from the mind freedom. There was a battle at Lexington, and the
The reader can see their serenity news of Lexington spread everywhere, producing
Feel their frenzy wild excitement. My father and I got ready to join
the new army. It was as if the world was different
A conversation is had. that day. Everyone would go to Boston to join the
army. Imagine you were there.
1. “Type vs. Write” is an example of which type Every village and every farmhouse helped to
of poetry? swell the number. Men came from all over, even
A. Haiku from tiny towns. In Connecticut, an old man was
B. Ballad plowing his field and proclaimed, “This is my
C. Limerick fight, too.” He unyoked his oxen, left his plow in
D. Free verse the furrow, and, leaping to his saddle, raced to
join the army. Just picture what that was like.
2. What is the main idea of the poem? Fiery Ethan Allen, at the head of his Green
A. Conversations between poets who both type Mountain Boys, was eager to join us, but he
and write are shared. stopped with his Green Mountain Boys to take
B. Readings are from both typed and written over a fort. The soldiers did not expect them at all.
messages. Despite the fact that the Green Mountain Boys
C. Opinions regarding typewritten and had not fought before, they were extremely brave,
handwritten words are given. and the British gave up without a fight.
D. Ideas for poets who are searching for words to Day by day the army grew, until thirty
write or type are offered. thousand men were encamped around Boston,
from Charlestown Neck to Dorchester. We were
3. What will the reader most likely predict about all terribly excited and determined. I was afraid,
the poem after reading the title? too, but I decided that I needed to remain strong
A. The author will compare typing and writing. and brave. Just imagine what it was like then.
B. The author will discuss changes in typing and The patriot leaders were beginning to grow
writing. impatient. It was now the middle of June, and they
C. The author will provide steps about learning to had decided the time had finally come to fight.
type. They chose a place for the battle; the location

1
selected was the highland on the Charlestown People have been riding bikes for almost two
peninsula known as Bunker Hill. They chose the centuries. Baron Karl de Drais de Sauerbrun of
date of June 16th. How do you think we felt? Germany is credited with creating the first bike, a
The battle of Bunker Hill was a great fight. draisienne, back in 1817. However, the idea of a
Never in my life had I witnessed such bravery on bike with pedals did not occur until the velocipede
behalf of so many men. No one gave up, everyone in the 1860s. Most people rode their bikes on level
fought hard, and we all worked together. Although surfaces and paved roads, but some bikers had the
it was a struggle, we remained strong. I really idea of playing around a little.
believe that with that one battle, our nation was In the early 1970s, a group of bike enthusiasts,
born. We all felt different after the battle of known as the Klunkers, began modifying
Bunker Hill. We were Americans. I hope you can “clunky” old bikes for off-road use. This soon
experience the feelings that I felt then. caught on, and ever since, people have been doing
I can recall that great battle clearly, and I tricks and stunts on their bikes, riding them over
remember the ones after that as well. Although it challenging terrain, and generally competing to be
took much longer than I had initially anticipated, the fastest, the most daring, and the best. It’s not
it was well worth it. It was difficult, and I became surprising, then, that most people had no problem
exhausted, but then we won and freed our country. recognizing this style of biking as a sport and off-
We were a new nation. Now, each year on the road biking, or BMX, as an extreme sport. It’s no
Fourth of July, I remember those days and smile. I surprise, either, that, since biking is one of the two
hope you do, too. most widely recognized and respected extreme
sports (the other being skateboarding), its
7. Whose voice do you hear in this story? champions are also well known and very popular.
A. a soldier And one of the biggest stars in the world of BMX
B. George Washington is Dave Mirra.
C. Ethan Allen Dave has been biking professionally for almost
D. a farmer a decade now and is still one of the most
successful athletes in the sport—he holds more X
8. How does the author help you feel as if you Games gold medals than any other X Games
are part of the story? competitor. His success can also be attributed to
A. He writes it with battles. his approach both to the sport and to its fans. In
B. He talks to the reader. many ways, Dave has demonstrated that he has
C. He writes about a young soldier. what it takes to be a real star.
D. He tells about Americans. His success comes not just from his biking
ability but also from his personality. Dave has
9. Why does the writer end with the last sentence? consistently fostered his relationship with his fans
Aa. so you know what happened and continues to inspire future generations of
B. so you know why it was important BMX stars. His popularity has translated into
C. so the story ends clearly endorsements, video games, and other areas that
D. so it tells why the person fought have turned Dave into a superstar in his sport.
Much like BMX and extreme sports in general,
10. How does the writer keep you interested in there seems to be no limit to Dave Mirra’s
the story? popularity.
A. Many things happen.
B. The story follows one person’s history. 11. Read the sentence from the passage.
C. It is about the United States. Some athletes have fought uphill battles, trying
D. It has important heroes in it. to get their athletic activities recognized as
legitimate sports.
Passage 3 What is the meaning of the word legitimate as it is
Dave Mirra: BMX Superstar by Aaron used in the sentence?
Rosenberg A. challenging
Some athletes have fought uphill battles, trying B. authentic
to get their athletic activities recognized as C. organized
legitimate sports. Others have had less difficulty, D. profitable
quickly grabbing attention around the nation.
Bicyclists have had, perhaps, the easiest time of it.

2
12. According to the passage, Dave Mirra will B. I admire Mary for her influence, a strong role
continue to build his reputation as a BMX model, on Colin and her uncle.
superstar by C. I admire Mary for her influence on Colin and
A. beginning to design his own line of bikes. her uncle, a strong role model.
B. winning competitions against younger riders. D. I admire Mary, a strong role model, for her
C. coaching BMX athletes for the X Games in the influence on Colin and her uncle.
future.
D. remaining loyal to his fans and receiving more Passage 4 : Hearing Voices by Sherrill Kushner
endorsements. Would you like to be an actor, but aren’t the
right age or physical type for the part? Don’t give
up: There may be a place for you in the world of
13. Why does the author include information voice-acting.
about the Klunkers in the passage? Twenty-year-old Rickey D’Shon Collins brings
A. to illustrate the difficulty of BMX competition Tucker Foley to life in the cartoon Danny
B. to contrast early contests with modern BMX Phantom. In addition to many appearances on
C. to explain the origins of BMX competition television and in movies, Rickey is a voice-over
D. to describe the skills needed for success at actor, someone we hear but don’t see. Rickey has
BMX acted since he was 6, both on and off camera.
After school, his grandmother—a manager and
14. Which statement best presents the central idea acting coach— helped him develop his skills by
of the passage and the way in which it is doing voice exercises and reading aloud.
developed? Voice-over actors do many kinds of acting.
A. The place of BMX among other sports is They are the voices of cartoon characters on
developed by recounting the history of the sport. television, in movies and video games, and for
B. The thrill of stunt riding on bicycles is interactive toys. In films, they dub conversations,
developed through details about early riders and a replacing foreign languages with English. They
contemporary BMX star. create crowd noises, make commercials, act in
C. The changes in bicycle features is developed radio plays, and record telephone instructions and
through comparisons of early bicycles to the public announcements. They narrate books on
bicycles used for BMX. tape, television documentaries, and even recorded
D. The importance of BMX as a recognized sport museum tours.
is developed through details about its most Like other actors, voice-over actors need to
famous rider. understand scripts, interpret characters, and
breathe correctly. They have to master voice
The following questions are not based on any techniques, such as pacing (how fast or slow to
passage. speak), volume (how loud or soft), and range
(how high or low). Sometimes they use their
15. How should the underlined phrase in the normal voices; other times they change their
sentence below be correctly written voices to create different characters or noises.
Colin is busy using his time for physical Rickey’s manager receives his Danny Phantom
therapy, eventually he learns to walk again. scripts a few days before he tapes each episode.
She writes helpful notes on the script to guide
A. therapy; and eventually Rickey on speaking his part. Rickey practices,
B. therapy, and eventually then tapes at the recording studio. He and the
C. therapy: and eventually other cast members sit in a soundproof booth,
D. There is no error. acting out their characters as they read their lines
into the microphones.
16. How should the following sentence be written “The cartoon gets created after we record the
to correct the misplaced phrase? words, so we have to imagine everything in our
A strong role model, I admire Mary for her mind,” says Rickey. Later, the recorded words,
influence on Colin and her uncle. music, and sound effects are combined with the
cartoon art to create the cartoon we enjoy on TV.
A. I, a strong role model, admire Mary for her Sound interesting? Maybe you can have a
influence on Colin and her uncle. “voice” in acting after all!

3
17. According to the article, Rickey Collins brings Park gets 9 US cents per click. She earns more
the character Tucker Foley “to life.” This means than 9,000 US dollars a month doing this and has
that Rickey quit her job at a consulting firm. Park says
A. draws the character "People enjoy the vicarious pleasure with my
B. names the character online show when they can't eat that much, or
C. makes the character seem real don't want to eat food at night, or are on a diet."
D. decides the future of the character There are about 3,500 people in South Korea
doing such online programmes, some sponsored
18. Which sentence from the article best supports by restaurants. Some viewers say it makes eating
the fact that Rickey has been involved with acting alone feel less awkward. A 26 year old viewer of
most of his life? the Diva’s online dining show says "It feels as if I
A. “Twenty-year-old Rickey D’Shon Collins am eating that much food with her. I think that's
brings Tucker Foley to life.” what the show is about. And probably, it's
B. “In addition to many appearances on television comforting for people who eat alone."
and in movies, Rickey is a voice-over actor.” In South Korea, one-person households could
C. “Rickey has acted since he was 6, both on and comprise one-third of the population in 15 years,
off camera.” the fastest growing rate among developed
D. “Rickey practices, then tapes at the recording countries. Thus Park, and others with online
studio.” dining shows, appear to be providing a benefit to
society by filling a necessary gap in the Korean
19. Information in this article would be most society, which is increasingly dependent on
valuable to readers who technology yet socially fragmenting at the same
A. need to practice voice exercises time.
B. want to understand scriptwriting
C. need to develop their stage-acting skills 21. In paragraph 1, “gastronomic” could be
D. want to build a career around their voices replaced with the word:
A. Dining
20. Which sentence from the article best supports B. Fashion
the idea that being a voice-over actor requires C. Internet
skill? D. Popular
A. “Rickey is a voice-over actor, someone we
hear but don’t see.” 22. In paragraph 2, “vicarious” probably means:
B. “They are the voices of cartoon characters on A. experienced by watching someone rather than
television, in movies and video games,and for by doing something yourself
interactive toys.” B. guilty of disobedience or misbehavior
C. “Like other actors, voice-over actors need to C. increasing or rising suddenly and quickly to a
understand scripts, interpret characters, and very high level or amount
breathe correctly.” D. recognized and enjoyed with thankfulness
D. “She writes helpful notes on the script to guide
Rickey on speaking his part.” 23. The article mentions all of the following as
reasons why people might watch online dining
Passage 5 programs, EXCEPT:
Park Seo-yeon, a 34 year old Korean woman, A. It calms people who cannot afford to buy food.
lays a Korean feast in front of her computer. Then B. It encourages people who must eat alone.
she turns on a webcam, she eats, and thousands of C. It lets viewers feel they are also eating a lot of
viewers watch her. Gaining pleasure by watching food.
others’ gastronomic adventures is the latest fad in D. It makes eating alone less uncomfortable.
South Korea, a country with one of the best
internet connectivities in the world. 24. The phrase “society [is] increasingly
Park, who runs an online dining show, with the dependent on technology yet socially fragmenting
show name of "The Diva," broadcasts herself at the same time” (paragraph 4) probably means:
eating in her apartment for up to three hours every A. People are depending on technology to
day. Viewers can chat with her, or send virtual improve their social networks.
balloons, that also translate into cash. In addition, B. People are using technology more and more but
when viewers click “like” on her facebook page, are less connected socially.

4
C. People cannot live without technology so they Booth’s style had a notable affect on the
introduce it to their friends and family. theatre and many considered him to be the
D. Society is using more technology and people’s greatest actor of his time.
relationships are also becoming closer.
A. Change Booth’s to Booths.
25. According to the article, South Korea differs B. Change had to has.
from other developed countries in which way: C. Change affect to effect.
A. The amount of time people spend eating is D. Change his to their.
longer.
B. The number of people living alone is increasing Passage 6: The ASPCA: A Brief History
more rapidly. The American Society for the Prevention of
C. The society is depending more and more on Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) is the oldest humane
technology. organisation in America. It was founded in 1866
D. The speed of internet is faster. by Henry Bergh, a wealthy resident of New York
City. Bergh was horrified by the cruelty toward
26. During her daily show, which one of the animals that he observed daily on city streets,
following things does Park Seo-yeon not do? particularly with respect to the large number of
A. Eats in front of the webcam. working horses in New York City, as well as its
B. Displays her meal in front of the camera. many stray cats and dogs.
C. Talks with viewers. Bergh decided to act. He enlisted the support of
D. Translates balloons to cash. some of New York City’s wealthiest and most
elite citizens. Together they wrote and signed the
charter that stated their mission: to alleviate pain,
fear, and suffering among all animals. The newly
founded ASPCA realized they needed more than
kind words to confront what they saw as a
growing problem. Therefore, the organization,
through its founding members, persuaded the New
The following questions are not based on any York State legislature to pass the country’s first
passage. effective animal anti-cruelty law.
From a small organization of a few concerned
27. Read the following sentence: citizens, the ASPCA has developed into a
He swung wide around an anonymous heap of nationally-recognized force in protecting animals.
metal being swallowed by a greedy mound of In New York City, the ASPCA continues to
blackberry brambles and came to an abrupt rescue and shelter animals and to educate school
halt. children and the general public about animals and
their care. It now runs a full-service veterinary
The above sentence conatains an example of hospital in the city as well. Beyond New York
A. Apostrophe City and State, the ASPCA has led many national
B. Metaphor movements to help animals by informing the
C. Symbolism public about animal welfare issues and asking for
D. Personification changes in federal laws.
And what of Henry Bergh? His vision lives on
28. How should the underlined phrase in the today at the ASPCA. For over 135 years, the
sentence below be correctly written? ASPCA has taken a leading role in promoting the
Melvin gave the free concert tickets to him, humane treatment of animals. In carrying on the
her, and me. work started by Bergh, the ASPCA promotes both
the spirit and the letter of the law. Henry Bergh
A. To him, her, and I would be amazed.
B. To he, she, and I
C. To he, she, and me 30. The author most likely wrote this passage to
D. As is A. persuade readers to propose new state laws
B. ask readers to support veterinary hospitals
29. Read the following sentence and identify C. show readers how to found a national
which correction should be made. organization

5
D. inform readers about an organization and its The following questions are not based on any
history passage.

31. The mission of the ASPCA is “to alleviate 36. How could this sentence be rewritten correctly
pain, fear, and suffering among all animals.” The with the same meaning?
word “alleviate” means about the same as Jenny said that she hoped Jack’s mother had
A. advertise recovered from the virus.
B. identify
C. reduce A. Jenny said,”that she hoped Jack’s mother had
D. study recovered from the virus.”
B. “Jenny said that she hoped Jack’s mother had
32. According to the passage, the ASPCA was recovered from the virus”
most likely created to C. Jenny said, “I hope your mother has recovered
A. find new homes for animals from the virus.”
B. start a hospital for animals D. Jenny said, “I hope your mother has recovered
C. protect animals from mistreatment from the virus, Jack.”
D. educate the public about animal diseases
37. My brother is ________ to taking long walks
33. Read this sentence from the passage. after dinner.
The ASPCA promotes both the spirit and the A. accustomed
letter of the law. B. acustomed
“Spirit” as it is used in this sentence means about C. acusstomed
the same as D. accustommed
A. ideas and attitude
B. a feeling of anger 38. Which sentence has the correct punctuation?
C. rules and procedures A. With his, heart beating fast, Andy pulled open
D. a sense of power the door.
B. With, his heart beating fast, Andy pulled open
the door.
C. With his heart beating fast, Andy pulled open
the door.
D. With his heart beating fast, Andy, pulled open
the door.

34. Read this excerpt from the passage.

The American Society for the Prevention of
Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) is the oldest Passage 7: The Beagle Brigade
humane organisation in America. Return to the United States from a trip abroad,
and your luggage will get inspected by the U.S.
“Humane organisation” in this context most likely Department of Agriculture’s Beagle Brigade.
means that the organization Working with human canine officer partners, the
A. was founded by individuals beagles sniff out potential threats to American
B. has been accepted by most people agriculture.
C. is run on kind-hearted principles An orange or apple, for example, might
D. has existed for a long time harbour a Mediterranean fruit fly. Ham could
carry a disease such as hog cholera. These and
35. The last line of the passage says, other pests could devastate farmers’ crops and
“Henry Bergh would be amazed.” What livestock. “Once we introduce something that is
probably would amaze Bergh most? not part of the environment, there may not be any
A. the mission of the ASPCA controls for it in the environment,” notes USDA’s
B. the growth and spread of the ASPCA Lisa Davis at the National Dog Detector Training
C. the passage of the first effective animal anti- Center in Orlando, Florida. “The best thing for us
cruelty law to do is to prevent it from coming across the
D. the creation of a veterinary hospital for animals border and becoming established.”

6
 When a beagle sniffs specific food odors, it C. pointing out that good homes are found for the
signals its partner by sitting. The human officer dogs when they retire
then investigates. When the dog is right—which D. praising the fact that the dogs work for a
happens 90 percent of the time—it gets an edible government agency
treat.
“The dog is not out there working,” explains Passage 8
Davis. “It’s out there playing. It’s a game to the Three Branches
dog.” The handlers give the beagles plenty of food The United States federal government consists
and loving. They make sure they get first-class of three branches: the legislative branch, the
medical attention, too. When the dogs finally executive branch, and the judicial branch. Each
retire after 9 to 11 years, the USDA finds caring branch has its own set of powers and
homes for them. It’s a dog’s life indeed! responsibilities to ensure the success of the
Their people partners work and study country’s democracy. Each of these branches is
somewhat harder. As specialized quarantine also responsible for checking the decisions and
officers, most hold degrees in the biological practices of the other branches. This system is
sciences or related sciences. called "checks and balances." It exists to ensure
How well does the Beagle Brigade do its job? that no individual branch becomes too dominant.
“On the average,” notes Davis, “each year our 54 The legislative branch is also called Congress.
teams intercept around 75,000 prohibited, Congress is made up of two separate groups of
restricted items.” Since even one infested item elected officials from each of the 50 states: the
could cause widespread destruction, that’s a great Senate and the House of Representatives. Both
result for America’s agricultural environment. groups work together to make laws. In order for
Let’s hear it for Snoopy! Congress to make a law, a bill must be passed by
Congress and then approved by the executive
39. According to the article, what is a problem branch. This is one way the president, a member
with agricultural products brought into the United of the executive branch, can "check" Congress’
States by passengers traveling from abroad? power.
A. They generate similar types of food odors. The executive branch is made up of the
B. They are difficult to identify, even with trained president, vice president, and the presidential
dogs. cabinet. The president has the power to veto any
C. They must be quarantined before being allowed laws that Congress may propose. However, if
to enter the country. Congress strongly desires a particular bill to be
D. They may carry something that could harm the passed, they have the power to override the
agricultural environment. president's rejection. This requires a majority vote,
and in this case two thirds of the members must
40. According to the article, how does the beagle agree. Here, "balance" is maintained in the law-
signal that it has found a suspicious food product? making process.
A. by barking at its partner The judicial branch is made up of federal
B. by begging for a treat judges. It is responsible for ensuring that the laws
C. by sitting next to the item of the United States are constitutional. If a law is
D. by playing a game in question, it will go through a process called
judicial review. During this review, the judges
41. How is the beagle congratulated for finding a will analyze the law and determine if it is
specific food product? consistent with the country’s constitution. If a law
A. The handler praises it with a hug. is determined to be unconstitutional, it will be
B. The beagle gets to play for a few hours. thrown out. Congress then has the task of making
C. The beagle gets to retire to a caring home. a new law. As the judicial branch checks the laws,
D. The handler gives it an edible reward. it too is helping maintain the balance of power
between branches.
42. In the article, the author supports the use of With the process of checks and balances
the Beagle Brigade by between the three branches of federal government,
A. showing that the dogs enjoy discovering a clear and precise method exists for the formation
prohibited items of United States laws. Though this system was
B. providing statistics about the number of items created over 200 years ago, it is still successful in
detected by the dogs facilitating a democratic society today.

7
 A. Don't cross a bridge till you come to it.
43. Which of the following statements accurately B. The darkest hour is that before the dawn.
exemplifies the United States federal C. A bad workman always blames his tools.
government’s system of “checks and balances” as D. All roads lead to Rome.
it is described in the passage?
A. The president can veto a bill passed by 49. Read this sentence.
Congress. The class decided that a picnic not a dance
B. Congress is made up of two separate groups of would be more fun.
elected officials from each of the 50 states.
C. Bills must pass through both the Senate and How should a picnic not a dance be correctly
the House of Representatives before they are written?
submitted to the president. A. a picnic, not a dance,
D. Decisions by federal judges can be appealed, B. a picnic, not a dance
and cases can be tried again in a higher court. C. a picnic not a dance,
D. As it is
44. Based on its use in paragraph 3, it can be
understood that the word veto belongs to which of 50. Which sentence has the correct punctuation?
the following word groups? A. “I am thoroughly impressed by the level of
A. resume, continue, proceed competition? exclaimed Catherine.”
B. edit, revise, modify B. I am thoroughly impressed by the level of
C. reject, disallow, stop competition! exclaimed Catherine.
D. accept, grant, uphold C. “I am thoroughly impressed by the level of
competition!” exclaimed Catherine.
45. According to the passage, which branch of D. “I am thoroughly impressed by the level of
government is responsible for ensuring that the competition!,” exclaimed Catherine.
laws
of the United States are constitutional?
A. the legislative branch
B. the executive branch
C. the judicial branch
D. all of the above

46. This overall message put forth in this passage

is best described as
A. persuasive
B. informative
C. scientific
D. fictional

47. Which of the following statements from the

passage expresses an opinion as opposed to a fact?
A. “In order for Congress to make a law, a bill
must be passed and then approved by the
executive branch.”
B. “Though this system was created over 200
years ago, it is still successful in facilitating a
democratic society today.”
C. “If a law is determined to be unconstitutional,
it will be thrown out.”
D. “The United States federal government
consists of three branches.”
48. Which proverb means the following:
A person with deficiencies finds excuses for his
lack of skill.

8
9