Test Prep ACT Test Exam
American College Testing: English, Math, Reading, Science, Writing (Page 18 )

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>

<9>:

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>

What statement most closely fits the sentiment of what the author's father is telling her in this sentence? <10>

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 Difference Between a Llama and an Alpaca

Excerpted from KnowledgeNuts

[§1] One of the most obvious differences between the two species is their wool or (more accurately) their fiber. Both the llama and the alpaca have been raised <1> for their fiber, which is shorn once a year in both cases. The alpaca is much more prized for their <2> fiber, and for many farmers, that's the only reason they are raised.

[§2] There are two types of alpacas, each defined by their fiber; both types are soft and hypoallergenic. The Huacaya has a sheep-like appearance, with short, soft fiber. The Suri has a longer coat, with a fleece that gathers like ropes and hangs from the body. The fleece of both types of alpaca is very, very soft, and is usually used to make clothing. <3> There are 22 different "recognized" <4> colors for an alpaca, ranging from black to white and including every shade of brown, cream, and gray in between. Alpacas are typically one color, with white markings only on the face and legs, making their fleece uniform in color.

[§3] The llama, on the other hand, has two layers to their fleece. The inner coat is soft; on the animal, it keeps them warm while their outer coat, made of stiffer guard hairs, keeps them dry. <5>The undercoat is soft enough to use for clothing, while the outer coat is more often used to make more utilitarian items like rugs and ropes. <6> Before anything can be done with the fiber, the two coats have to be separated. Llamas come in fewer colors then alpacas, <7> and can be spotted.

[§4] Llamas are much larger than alpacas, and because of their size they can also be used as pack animals. <8> An adult llama usually stands around 1.8 meters (6 ft) tall and weighs anywhere between 125 and 200 kilogram <9> (280 and 450 lbs), while an average alpaca only stands about 0.9 meters (3 ft) tall at the shoulder and weighs between 45 and 80 kilograms (100 and 175 lbs).

[§5] While alpacas are mainly kept for their fleece, llamas can serve a few different purposes on a farm. When kept with other animals such as sheep, llamas can serve as guard animals against predators and intruders, although not all llamas have the personality for guard duty. Both are easy to train, and because of their size and strength, <10> llamas can be taught to pull carts and small carriages. Llamas can also be trained to accept a rider, although that rider needs to be fairly lightweight.

<1>:

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 Difference Between a Llama and an Alpaca

Excerpted from KnowledgeNuts

[§1] One of the most obvious differences between the two species is their wool or (more accurately) their fiber. Both the llama and the alpaca have been raised <1> for their fiber, which is shorn once a year in both cases. The alpaca is much more prized for their <2> fiber, and for many farmers, that's the only reason they are raised.

[§2] There are two types of alpacas, each defined by their fiber; both types are soft and hypoallergenic. The Huacaya has a sheep-like appearance, with short, soft fiber. The Suri has a longer coat, with a fleece that gathers like ropes and hangs from the body. The fleece of both types of alpaca is very, very soft, and is usually used to make clothing. <3> There are 22 different "recognized" <4> colors for an alpaca, ranging from black to white and including every shade of brown, cream, and gray in between. Alpacas are typically one color, with white markings only on the face and legs, making their fleece uniform in color.

[§3] The llama, on the other hand, has two layers to their fleece. The inner coat is soft; on the animal, it keeps them warm while their outer coat, made of stiffer guard hairs, keeps them dry. <5>The undercoat is soft enough to use for clothing, while the outer coat is more often used to make more utilitarian items like rugs and ropes. <6> Before anything can be done with the fiber, the two coats have to be separated. Llamas come in fewer colors then alpacas, <7> and can be spotted.

[§4] Llamas are much larger than alpacas, and because of their size they can also be used as pack animals. <8> An adult llama usually stands around 1.8 meters (6 ft) tall and weighs anywhere between 125 and 200 kilogram <9> (280 and 450 lbs), while an average alpaca only stands about 0.9 meters (3 ft) tall at the shoulder and weighs between 45 and 80 kilograms (100 and 175 lbs).

[§5] While alpacas are mainly kept for their fleece, llamas can serve a few different purposes on a farm. When kept with other animals such as sheep, llamas can serve as guard animals against predators and intruders, although not all llamas have the personality for guard duty. Both are easy to train, and because of their size and strength, <10> llamas can be taught to pull carts and small carriages. Llamas can also be trained to accept a rider, although that rider needs to be fairly lightweight.

<2>:

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 Difference Between a Llama and an Alpaca

Excerpted from KnowledgeNuts

[§1] One of the most obvious differences between the two species is their wool or (more accurately) their fiber. Both the llama and the alpaca have been raised <1> for their fiber, which is shorn once a year in both cases. The alpaca is much more prized for their <2> fiber, and for many farmers, that's the only reason they are raised.

[§2] There are two types of alpacas, each defined by their fiber; both types are soft and hypoallergenic. The Huacaya has a sheep-like appearance, with short, soft fiber. The Suri has a longer coat, with a fleece that gathers like ropes and hangs from the body. The fleece of both types of alpaca is very, very soft, and is usually used to make clothing. <3> There are 22 different "recognized" <4> colors for an alpaca, ranging from black to white and including every shade of brown, cream, and gray in between. Alpacas are typically one color, with white markings only on the face and legs, making their fleece uniform in color.

[§3] The llama, on the other hand, has two layers to their fleece. The inner coat is soft; on the animal, it keeps them warm while their outer coat, made of stiffer guard hairs, keeps them dry. <5>The undercoat is soft enough to use for clothing, while the outer coat is more often used to make more utilitarian items like rugs and ropes. <6> Before anything can be done with the fiber, the two coats have to be separated. Llamas come in fewer colors then alpacas, <7> and can be spotted.

[§4] Llamas are much larger than alpacas, and because of their size they can also be used as pack animals. <8> An adult llama usually stands around 1.8 meters (6 ft) tall and weighs anywhere between 125 and 200 kilogram <9> (280 and 450 lbs), while an average alpaca only stands about 0.9 meters (3 ft) tall at the shoulder and weighs between 45 and 80 kilograms (100 and 175 lbs).

[§5] While alpacas are mainly kept for their fleece, llamas can serve a few different purposes on a farm. When kept with other animals such as sheep, llamas can serve as guard animals against predators and intruders, although not all llamas have the personality for guard duty. Both are easy to train, and because of their size and strength, <10> llamas can be taught to pull carts and small carriages. Llamas can also be trained to accept a rider, although that rider needs to be fairly lightweight.

Identify the one word that could most easily be removed from this sentence without altering the meaning: "very, very soft, and is usually used to make clothing". <3>