QUESTION: 237 Topic Exam A: Section 1 (English)

DIRECTIONS: In the passage below, certain phrases are underlined and numbered <x>. The question will present alternatives for the underlined part. In most cases, you are to choose the one that best expresses the idea, makes the statement appropriate for standard written English, or is worded most consistently with the style and tone of the passage as a whole. If you think the original version is the best, choose "NO CHANGE".

The Glass Castle (excerpt)

By Jeannette Walls

[§1] I never believe <1> in Santa Claus. None of us kids did. Mom and Dad refused to let us. They couldn't afford expensive presents and they didn't want us to think we weren't as good as other kids who, on Christmas morning, <2> found all sorts of fancy toys under the tree that were supposedly left by Santa Claus.

[§2] Dad had lost his job at the gypsum, and when Christmas came that year, we had no money at all. On Christmas Eve, Dad took each one of we kids <3> out into the desert night one by one.

[§3] "Pick out your favorite star", Dad said. <4>

[§4] "I like that one!" I said.

[§5] Dad grinned, "That's Venus," he said. He explained to me that planets glowed because reflected light was constant and stars twinkled because their light pulsed.

[§6] "I like it anyway" I said. <5>

[§7] "What the hell," Dad said. "It's Christmas. You can have a planet if you want."

[§8] And he gave me Venus.

[§9] Venus didn't have any moons or satellites or even a magnetic field, but it did have an atmosphere sort of similar to Earth's, except it was super-hot about 500 degrees or more. <6> "So," Dad said, "when the sun starts to burn out and earth <7> turns cold, everyone might want to move to Venus to get warm. And they'll have to get permission from your descendants first." <8>

[§10] We laughed about all the kids who believed in the Santa myth and got nothing for Christmas but a bunch of cheap plastic toys. <9>

[§11] "Years from now, when all the junk they got is broken and long forgotten," Dad said, "you'll still have your stars." <10>

<2>:

NO CHANGE
who on Christmas morning found
who on Christmas morning, found
who, on Christmas morning found

Answer(s): A

Explanation:

A is correct as the phrase "on Christmas morning" is used as an appositive so it needs to be set apart by commas to break from the main part of the sentence. You can remove it and still get the gist of the passage.

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QUESTION: 238 Topic Exam A: Section 1 (English)

NO CHANGE
us
those
these

Answer(s): B

Explanation:

B is correct. Passage is written in first person narration, so the narrator is one of the characters, thus negating C and B as options. While "we" might sound correct here, keep in mind the narrator and her siblings are receiving the action of their father. This makes them objects rather than subjects within the sentence, thus "us" is the correct word choice.

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