Test Prep ACT Test Exam Questions
American College Testing: English, Math, Reading, Science, Writing (Page 23 )

Updated On: 5-Mar-2026

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".

A K.Rowling [§1] While many people may get frustrated with train delays, Joanne Rowling turned her experience into a life- changing story. She began writing about a young wizard while delayed at a Manchester station stop, and brought Harry Potter to life <1> over the next five years. The Philosopher's Stone was the first of seven children's books published under her pen name J.K.. The Harry Potter series has sold over 447 million copies worldwide and been translated into seventy-three languages, including Latin and Ancient Greek. <2> [§2] When the Philosopher's Stone was published <3> in 1997, the book industry had given up on young readers. It's <4> first edition was a mere 500 books, and most copies were sent to public libraries across England. By the time Rowling's seventh Harry Potter novel was published in 2007, Rowling had already become the woman who put a new face on children's literacy. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows, the final installation, has <5> a word count of nearly 1.1 million words, and sold 11 million copies in the first 24 hours of its release.

<6>

[§3] Today, Rowling spends much <7> of her time working with her foundation, Lumos, which is named after a spell in the Potter series that brought light into darkness. <8> She founded <9> the nonprofit organization after seeing a photograph of a child in a caged bed who appeared to be screaming through its chain links. Rowling was overcome by the image that she <10> vowed to use her money and popularity to raise awareness of the 8 million children who live in such institutions globally. According to research, over 80 % of orphaned children have living relatives which <11> cannot care for them because of poverty or disability. The staff at Lumos equip families with necessary resources to provide for their children rather than leaving them institutionalized. Lumos' long-term goal is the closure of every orphanage around the world, by returning all children to live with its <12> families, either biological or adoptive.

[§4] Rowling once said, "Happiness can be found in the darkest places if one only remembers to turn on the light". <13> J.K.Rowling has created happiness for millions of children through make-believe stories of triumph and real-life stories of hope. <14>
The underlined portion <1> most likely means:

  1. Rowling gave birth to a child who she named Harry Potter
  2. Rowling created a story about a boy named Harry Potter
  3. Rowling was the puppeteer for a marionette called Harry Potter
  4. Rowling resuscitated a child named Harry Potter who was riding a train

Answer(s): B

Explanation:

B is the correct answer because of idioms. Idioms are phrases with meanings that are not apparent based on dictionary definitions. A, C, and D are incorrect because their answers do not fit with the context.



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".

A K.Rowling [§1] While many people may get frustrated with train delays, Joanne Rowling turned her experience into a life- changing story. She began writing about a young wizard while delayed at a Manchester station stop, and brought Harry Potter to life <1> over the next five years. The Philosopher's Stone was the first of seven children's books published under her pen name J.K.. The Harry Potter series has sold over 447 million copies worldwide and been translated into seventy-three languages, including Latin and Ancient Greek. <2> [§2] When the Philosopher's Stone was published <3> in 1997, the book industry had given up on young readers. It's <4> first edition was a mere 500 books, and most copies were sent to public libraries across England. By the time Rowling's seventh Harry Potter novel was published in 2007, Rowling had already become the woman who put a new face on children's literacy. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows, the final installation, has <5> a word count of nearly 1.1 million words, and sold 11 million copies in the first 24 hours of its release.

<6>

[§3] Today, Rowling spends much <7> of her time working with her foundation, Lumos, which is named after a spell in the Potter series that brought light into darkness. <8> She founded <9> the nonprofit organization after seeing a photograph of a child in a caged bed who appeared to be screaming through its chain links. Rowling was overcome by the image that she <10> vowed to use her money and popularity to raise awareness of the 8 million children who live in such institutions globally. According to research, over 80 % of orphaned children have living relatives which <11> cannot care for them because of poverty or disability. The staff at Lumos equip families with necessary resources to provide for their children rather than leaving them institutionalized. Lumos' long-term goal is the closure of every orphanage around the world, by returning all children to live with its <12> families, either biological or adoptive.

[§4] Rowling once said, "Happiness can be found in the darkest places if one only remembers to turn on the light". <13> J.K.Rowling has created happiness for millions of children through make-believe stories of triumph and real-life stories of hope. <14>
Which of these sentences would most logically be added to the end of paragraph 1 <2>?

  1. Even though children do not speak Latin or Ancient Greek, it is important that the book be translated into classical languages.
  2. These numbers show how incredibly successful J.K.Rowling really is!
  3. Rowling's international success has made her one of the most prolific writers of all time.
  4. Rowling is a great example of how successful one can be when they use their time wisely, even when waiting for a train.

Answer(s): C

Explanation:

C is the correct answer because of writing strategy. The author's purpose in paragraph 1 is to highlight the success of Rowling's books. A and D are incorrect because the answers do not fit with the author's purpose. B is incorrect because of tone.



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".

A K.Rowling [§1] While many people may get frustrated with train delays, Joanne Rowling turned her experience into a life- changing story. She began writing about a young wizard while delayed at a Manchester station stop, and brought Harry Potter to life <1> over the next five years. The Philosopher's Stone was the first of seven children's books published under her pen name J.K.. The Harry Potter series has sold over 447 million copies worldwide and been translated into seventy-three languages, including Latin and Ancient Greek. <2> [§2] When the Philosopher's Stone was published <3> in 1997, the book industry had given up on young readers. It's <4> first edition was a mere 500 books, and most copies were sent to public libraries across England. By the time Rowling's seventh Harry Potter novel was published in 2007, Rowling had already become the woman who put a new face on children's literacy. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows, the final installation, has <5> a word count of nearly 1.1 million words, and sold 11 million copies in the first 24 hours of its release.

<6>

[§3] Today, Rowling spends much <7> of her time working with her foundation, Lumos, which is named after a spell in the Potter series that brought light into darkness. <8> She founded <9> the nonprofit organization after seeing a photograph of a child in a caged bed who appeared to be screaming through its chain links. Rowling was overcome by the image that she <10> vowed to use her money and popularity to raise awareness of the 8 million children who live in such institutions globally. According to research, over 80 % of orphaned children have living relatives which <11> cannot care for them because of poverty or disability. The staff at Lumos equip families with necessary resources to provide for their children rather than leaving them institutionalized. Lumos' long-term goal is the closure of every orphanage around the world, by returning all children to live with its <12> families, either biological or adoptive.

[§4] Rowling once said, "Happiness can be found in the darkest places if one only remembers to turn on the light". <13> J.K.Rowling has created happiness for millions of children through make-believe stories of triumph and real-life stories of hope. <14>

<3>:

  1. NO CHANGE
  2. had published
  3. was publishing
  4. had been publishing

Answer(s): A

Explanation:

A is the correct answer because of verb tense. A demonstrates simple past tense, which is completed action in the past. B is incorrect because the answer is past perfect. C is incorrect because the answer is past progressive. D is incorrect because the answer is past perfect progressive.



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".

A K.Rowling [§1] While many people may get frustrated with train delays, Joanne Rowling turned her experience into a life- changing story. She began writing about a young wizard while delayed at a Manchester station stop, and brought Harry Potter to life <1> over the next five years. The Philosopher's Stone was the first of seven children's books published under her pen name J.K.. The Harry Potter series has sold over 447 million copies worldwide and been translated into seventy-three languages, including Latin and Ancient Greek. <2> [§2] When the Philosopher's Stone was published <3> in 1997, the book industry had given up on young readers. It's <4> first edition was a mere 500 books, and most copies were sent to public libraries across England. By the time Rowling's seventh Harry Potter novel was published in 2007, Rowling had already become the woman who put a new face on children's literacy. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows, the final installation, has <5> a word count of nearly 1.1 million words, and sold 11 million copies in the first 24 hours of its release.

<6>

[§3] Today, Rowling spends much <7> of her time working with her foundation, Lumos, which is named after a spell in the Potter series that brought light into darkness. <8> She founded <9> the nonprofit organization after seeing a photograph of a child in a caged bed who appeared to be screaming through its chain links. Rowling was overcome by the image that she <10> vowed to use her money and popularity to raise awareness of the 8 million children who live in such institutions globally. According to research, over 80 % of orphaned children have living relatives which <11> cannot care for them because of poverty or disability. The staff at Lumos equip families with necessary resources to provide for their children rather than leaving them institutionalized. Lumos' long-term goal is the closure of every orphanage around the world, by returning all children to live with its <12> families, either biological or adoptive.

[§4] Rowling once said, "Happiness can be found in the darkest places if one only remembers to turn on the light". <13> J.K.Rowling has created happiness for millions of children through make-believe stories of triumph and real-life stories of hope. <14>

<4>:

  1. NO CHANGE
  2. It is
  3. Its'
  4. Its

Answer(s): D

Explanation:

D is the correct answer because of possessive pronouns. Its is the correct form of the third person singular possessive pronoun. A is incorrect because it is the contraction for "it is." B is incorrect because the sentence does not require the third person singular with the "to be" verb. C is incorrect because the apostrophe is unnecessary.



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".

A K.Rowling [§1] While many people may get frustrated with train delays, Joanne Rowling turned her experience into a life- changing story. She began writing about a young wizard while delayed at a Manchester station stop, and brought Harry Potter to life <1> over the next five years. The Philosopher's Stone was the first of seven children's books published under her pen name J.K.. The Harry Potter series has sold over 447 million copies worldwide and been translated into seventy-three languages, including Latin and Ancient Greek. <2> [§2] When the Philosopher's Stone was published <3> in 1997, the book industry had given up on young readers. It's <4> first edition was a mere 500 books, and most copies were sent to public libraries across England. By the time Rowling's seventh Harry Potter novel was published in 2007, Rowling had already become the woman who put a new face on children's literacy. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows, the final installation, has <5> a word count of nearly 1.1 million words, and sold 11 million copies in the first 24 hours of its release.

<6>

[§3] Today, Rowling spends much <7> of her time working with her foundation, Lumos, which is named after a spell in the Potter series that brought light into darkness. <8> She founded <9> the nonprofit organization after seeing a photograph of a child in a caged bed who appeared to be screaming through its chain links. Rowling was overcome by the image that she <10> vowed to use her money and popularity to raise awareness of the 8 million children who live in such institutions globally. According to research, over 80 % of orphaned children have living relatives which <11> cannot care for them because of poverty or disability. The staff at Lumos equip families with necessary resources to provide for their children rather than leaving them institutionalized. Lumos' long-term goal is the closure of every orphanage around the world, by returning all children to live with its <12> families, either biological or adoptive.

[§4] Rowling once said, "Happiness can be found in the darkest places if one only remembers to turn on the light". <13> J.K.Rowling has created happiness for millions of children through make-believe stories of triumph and real-life stories of hope. <14>

<5>:

  1. NO CHANGE
  2. Hollows, the final installation has
  3. Hollows the final installation, has
  4. Hollows (the final installation) has

Answer(s): A

Explanation:

A is the correct answer because of commas. Commas separate modifying elements that establish a qualification. B is the incorrect answer because it is missing the second comma. C is the incorrect answer because it is missing the first comma. D is the incorrect answer because parentheses are used to enclose nonessential data. This passage includes information about The Harry Potter series, and therefore the fact that the final installation was a successful edition to the entire series is essential.



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