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Test Prep CLEP Composition and Literature Exam
CLEP Composition and Literature: American Literature, English Literature, Humanities (Page 2 )

Updated On: 30-Jan-2026
Page 2 of 44
PDF with 213 Questions

Which of the following was NOT common in early Puritan literature?

  1. Poetry
  2. Sermons
  3. Theological tracts
  4. Short stories
  5. Histories

Answer(s): D

Explanation:

Puritan writing reflected their disapproval of lighthearted amusement. Short stories were not common in early Puritan literature.



(1) If your favorite rock star asked you to jump off a bridge, would you do it?
(2) Of course not; no way!
(3) You would tell the rock star to take his money.
(4) Then go back to his mansion, and stuff it.
(5) You make your own decisions; the idea of risking your life on the whim of a famous singer is just plain nonsense.
(6) Even if you truly adore music, it is not a factor that dictates your every move.
(7) Some young people would do anything for a particular music performer.
(8) They would flock to jump off the bridge if their favorite music icon asked them to do so.
(9) Because popular music, more than any other aspect of youth culture, holds an extremely powerful clutch on its very impressionable audience.
(10) Occasionally that clutch can have a positive effect.
(11) For example, some artists put forth positive messages.
(12) More often, however, the messages in popular songs are destructive.
(13) Children require guidance, and they are easily fooled by music that provides either false hope or hopelessness.
(14) Adults need to learn about popular music to know which performers preach a positive (or at least harmless) message and those that can be truly destructive to a young person’s life.
(15) This is a tough job.
(16) But it is an important job.

Which of the following is the best way to revise sentence 9 (reproduced below)?

Because popular music, more than any other aspect of youth culture, holds an extremely powerful clutch on its very impressionable audience

  1. Popular music, more than any other aspect of youth culture, holds an extremely powerful clutch on its very impressionable audience.
  2. It is popular music, more than any other aspect of youth culture, the one that holds an extremely powerful clutch on its very impressionable audience.
  3. More than any other, popular music holds an extremely powerful clutch on its very impressionable audience, when it comes to youth culture.
  4. Because popular music holds an extremely powerful clutch on its very impressionable audience, more than any other aspect of youth culture.
  5. Holding an extremely powerful clutch on its very impressionable audience, popular music more than any other aspect of youth culture

Answer(s): A

Explanation:

Like choice D, the original version of sentence 9 is not a complete sentence. A simply removes the word “because,” which does not serve a function, and the sentence becomes complete. B and E are extremely long sentence fragments. C is a complete sentence, but it is awkward by splitting the first dependent clause (“more than any other”) from the last dependent clause (“when it comes to youth culture”).



(1) If your favorite rock star asked you to jump off a bridge, would you do it?
(2) Of course not; no way!
(3) You would tell the rock star to take his money.
(4) Then go back to his mansion, and stuff it.
(5) You make your own decisions; the idea of risking your life on the whim of a famous singer is just plain nonsense.
(6) Even if you truly adore music, it is not a factor that dictates your every move.
(7) Some young people would do anything for a particular music performer.
(8) They would flock to jump off the bridge if their favorite music icon asked them to do so.
(9) Because popular music, more than any other aspect of youth culture, holds an extremely powerful clutch on its very impressionable audience.
(10) Occasionally that clutch can have a positive effect.
(11) For example, some artists put forth positive messages.
(12) More often, however, the messages in popular songs are destructive.
(13) Children require guidance, and they are easily fooled by music that provides either false hope or hopelessness.
(14) Adults need to learn about popular music to know which performers preach a positive (or at least harmless) message and those that can be truly destructive to a young person’s life.
(15) This is a tough job.
(16) But it is an important job.

Which of the following would be appropriate to add at the end of the second paragraph?

  1. An example of a musical artist who puts forth negative messages
  2. An example of a musical artist who puts forth positive messages
  3. A statement that music can be have both positive and negative messages
  4. A sentence that highlights the author’s favorite popular musician
  5. An observation of how impressionable young children can be

Answer(s): B

Explanation:

The second paragraph ends with a statement about how some artists put forth positive messages through their music. The logical addition would be B, an example of such a musical artist. A. is the opposite of B. and belongs more so in the third paragraph. C muddles the second and third paragraphs. D is not appropriate here or anywhere else in the essay. E was stated earlier in the second paragraph, so an observation of this would not be appropriate at the end of the paragraph.



(1) If your favorite rock star asked you to jump off a bridge, would you do it?
(2) Of course not; no way!
(3) You would tell the rock star to take his money.
(4) Then go back to his mansion, and stuff it.
(5) You make your own decisions; the idea of risking your life on the whim of a famous singer is just plain nonsense.
(6) Even if you truly adore music, it is not a factor that dictates your every move.
(7) Some young people would do anything for a particular music performer.
(8) They would flock to jump off the bridge if their favorite music icon asked them to do so.
(9) Because popular music, more than any other aspect of youth culture, holds an extremely powerful clutch on its very impressionable audience.
(10) Occasionally that clutch can have a positive effect.
(11) For example, some artists put forth positive messages.
(12) More often, however, the messages in popular songs are destructive.
(13) Children require guidance, and they are easily fooled by music that provides either false hope or hopelessness.
(14) Adults need to learn about popular music to know which performers preach a positive (or at least harmless) message and those that can be truly destructive to a young person’s life.
(15) This is a tough job.
(16) But it is an important job.

Which of the following is the best way to revise and combine sentences 15 and 16 (reproduced below)? This is a tough job. But it is an important job.

  1. (No change)
  2. This is a tough job and a very important one.
  3. A tough job this is, yet important.
  4. This is a tough but important job.
  5. However tough this may be, this job is an important one.

Answer(s): D

Explanation:

The two short sentences are related, so they ought to be combined, eliminating A. B changes “but” to “and,” which does not highlight the contrast between this being a tough but important job. C and E highlight the contrast, but both of these choices are awkward. D is the simplest and most effective revision.



(1) If your favorite rock star asked you to jump off a bridge, would you do it?
(2) Of course not; no way!
(3) You would tell the rock star to take his money.
(4) Then go back to his mansion, and stuff it.
(5) You make your own decisions; the idea of risking your life on the whim of a famous singer is just plain nonsense.
(6) Even if you truly adore music, it is not a factor that dictates your every move.
(7) Some young people would do anything for a particular music performer.
(8) They would flock to jump off the bridge if their favorite music icon asked them to do so.
(9) Because popular music, more than any other aspect of youth culture, holds an extremely powerful clutch on its very impressionable audience.
(10) Occasionally that clutch can have a positive effect.
(11) For example, some artists put forth positive messages.
(12) More often, however, the messages in popular songs are destructive.
(13) Children require guidance, and they are easily fooled by music that provides either false hope or hopelessness.
(14) Adults need to learn about popular music to know which performers preach a positive (or at least harmless) message and those that can be truly destructive to a young person’s life.
(15) This is a tough job.
(16) But it is an important job.

All of the following strategies are used by the author EXCEPT

  1. asking a rhetorical question
  2. encouraging readers to imagine themselves in a situation
  3. explaining the pros and cons of an issue
  4. providing an opinion
  5. including statistics as evidence

Answer(s): E

Explanation:

The author does not include any statistics in the essay. The author does ask a rhetorical question in sentence 1 A. Also in sentence 1, the author asks readers to imagine themselves in the situation of a rock star telling them to jump off a bridge B. In the second and third paragraphs, the author explains the pros and cons of the hold that popular music has on impressionable children D. In the third paragraph, the author provides an opinion of what adults should do about the situation E.



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