Reasoning Through Language Arts Diagnostic Test

Questions 1–4 refer to the following excerpt written by Dale Shuttleworth (originally printed in the Toronto Star, January 2008).

What Is the History of the Social Enterprise Movement?

The Center for Social Innovation, a renovated warehouse in the Spadina Ave. area of Toronto, houses 85 “social enterprises,” including organizations concerned with the environment, the arts, social justice, education, health, technology, and design. Tribute has been paid to the “social enterprise movement” in Quebec and Vancouver for providing the impetus for this very successful venture.

Toronto, Ontario, also has provided leadership in the areas of community education and community economic development — essential components in the creation of social enterprises. In 1974, the Toronto Board of Education assisted in the establishment of the Learnxs Foundation Inc. as part of its Learning Exchange System.

The foundation represented an additional source of support for the burgeoning “alternatives in education” movement. In 1973, the Ontario government had imposed ceilings on educational spending and, together with reduced revenue due to declining enrollment, the Toronto board had limited means to fund innovative and experimental programs. The Learnxs Foundation was an independent “arms-length” nonprofit charitable enterprise, which could solicit funds from public and private sources and generate revenue through the sale of goods and services to support innovative programs within the Toronto system.

What followed during the 1970s was a series of Learnxs-sponsored demonstration projects as a source of research and development in such areas as: school and community programs to improve inner-city education; a series of small enterprises to employ 14- to 15-year-old school leavers; Youth Ventures — a paper recycling enterprise employing at-risk youth; Artsjunction — discarded material from business and industry were recycled for use as craft materials for visual arts classes; Toronto Urban Studies Centre — a facility to encourage the use of the city as a learning environment; and Learnxs Press — a publishing house for the production and sale of innovative learning materials.

The York Board of Education and its school and community organizations jointly incorporated the Learning Enrichment Foundation (LEF), modeled on Learnxs. Originally devoted to multicultural arts enrichment, LEF during the 1980s joined with parental groups and the school board to establish 13 school-based childcare centers for infants, pre-school and school-age children.

In 1984, LEF was asked by Employment and Immigrant Canada to convene a local committee of adjustment in response to York’s high rate of unemployment and plant closures. Outcomes of the work of the Committee included:

York Business Opportunities Centre: In 1985, with support from the Ontario Ministry of Industry, Trade & Technology, LEF opened the first small business incubator operated by a nonprofit charitable organization.

Microtron Centre: This training facility was devoted to micro-computer skills, word and numerical processing, computer-assisted design, graphics and styling, and electronic assembly and repair.

Microtron Bus: This refurbished school bus incorporated eight workstations from the Microtron Centre. It visited small business, industry and service organizations on a scheduled basis to provide training in word and numerical processing for their employees and clients.

In 1996, the Training Renewal Foundation was incorporated as a nonprofit charity to serve disadvantaged youth and other displaced workers seeking skills, qualifications and employment opportunities. Over the years, TRF has partnered with governments, employers and community organizations to provide a variety of services including job-creation programs for: immigrants and refugees, GED high school equivalency, café equipment technicians, coffee and vending service workers, industrial warehousing and lift truck operators, fully expelled students, youth parenting, construction craft workers and garment manufacturing.

1. The Learnxs Foundation supported

(A) homeless people

(B) scholarships for computer studies students

(D) art programming

2. The Center for Social Innovation is

(A) a social housing enterprise

(B) a center housing social enterprises

(D) a small enterprise to employ school leavers

3. The Microtron bus helped

(A) provide transportation for the Microtron Center

(B) provide training in word and numerical processing to employees and clients

(D) the center establish social enterprises

4. The Training Renewal Foundation serves

(A) as a social innovator for youth

(B) as a patron of the center

(D) as a business incubator

Questions 5–7 refer to the following excerpt.

How Must Employees Behave?

It is expected that employees behave in a respectful, responsible, professional manner. Therefore, each employee must do the following:

Wear appropriate clothing and use safety equipment where needed.

Refrain from the use and possession of alcohol and/or illicit drugs and associated paraphernalia throughout the duration of the workday.

Refrain from associating with those who pass, use, and are under the influence of illicit drugs and/or alcohol.

Address all other employees and supervisors with courtesy and respect, using nonoffensive language.

Accept the authority of supervisors without argument. If an employee considers an action unfair, he or she should inform the Human Resources department.

Respect the work environment of this company and conduct oneself in a manner conducive to the growth and the enhancement of this business.

To keep the premises secure, refrain from inviting visitors to the workplace.

Promote the dignity of all persons, regardless of gender, creed, or culture and conduct oneself with dignity.

If the employee chooses not to comply, the following will occur:

On the first offense, the employee meets with his or her supervisor. A representative from Human Resources may choose to attend.

On the second offense, the employee meets with the Vice President of Human Resources before returning to work.

On the third offense, the employee is dismissed.

5. Which requirement relates to employee appearance?

(A) The employee must refrain from using alcohol.

(B) The employee must not use associated paraphernalia.

(D) The employee must use courtesy and respect.

6. Which requirement is concerned with the growth and enhancement of the business?

(A) conducive to growth

(B) enhancement of self

(D) personal conduct

7. What are the penalties for continued noncompliance?

(A) The employee meets with the president of the company.

(B) The employee must avoid his or her supervisor.

(D) The employee is fired.

Questions 8–15 refer to the following business letter.

CanLearn Study Tours, Inc., 2500 Big Beaver Road, Troy, MI 70523

Dr. Dale Worth, PhD Registrar BEST Institute of Technology, 75 Ingram Drive Concord, MA 51234

Dear Dr. Worth:

Our rapidly changing economic climate has meant both challenges never before known. It has been said that only those organizations who can maintain loyalty and commitment among their employees, members, and customers will continue to survive and prosper in this age of continuous learning and globalization.

Since 1974, CanLearn Study Tours, Inc., have been working with universities, colleges, school districts, voluntary organizations, and businesses to address the unique learning needs of their staff and clientele. These have included educational travel programs that explore the following, artistic and cultural interests, historic and archeological themes, environmental and wellness experiences, and new service patterns. Professional development strategies have been organized to enhance international understanding and boost creativity. Some organizations’ have used study tours to build and maintain their membership or consumer base. Other organizations discover a new soarce of revenue in these difficult economic times.

The formats have varied from a series of local seminars to incentive conferences or sales promotion meetings. Our professional services, including the best possible transportation and accommodation at the most reasonable rates, have insured the success of these programs.

We would appreciate the opportunity to share our experiences in educational travel and discuss the ways we may be of service to your organization.

Yours sincerely, Todd Croft, MA, President, CanLearn Study Tours, Inc.

8. Sentence 1: Our rapidly changing economic climate has meant both challenges never before known.

Which improvement should be made to Sentence 1?

(A) insert and opportunities between challenges and never

(B) change has meant to have meant

(D) insert comma after climate

9. Sentence 2: It has been said that only those organizations who can maintain loyalty and commitment among their employees, members, and customers will continue to survive and prosper in this age of continuous learning and globalization.

Which change should be made to Sentence 2?

(A) insert a comma after commitment

(B) change has been to had been

(D) change those to these

10. Sentence 3: Since 1974, CanLearn Study Tours, Inc. have been working with universities, colleges, school districts, voluntary organizations, and businesses to address the unique learning needs of their staff and clientele.

Which is the best way to write the underlined portion of Sentence 3?

(A) had been working

(B) has been working

(D) shall be working

11. Sentence 4: These have included educational travel programs that explore the following, artistic and cultural interests, historic and archeological themes, environmental and wellness experiences, and new service patterns.

Which correction should be made to Sentence 4?

(A) insert a comma after have included

(B) change the comma after following to a colon

(D) no changes required

12. Sentence 6: Some organization’s have used study tours to build and maintain their membership and consumer base.

Which correction should be made to Sentence 6?

(A) change organization’s to organizations

(B) change Some to All

(D) change have used to has used

13. Sentence 7: Other organizations discover a new soarce of revenue in these difficult economic times.

Which change should be made to the underlined portion in Sentence 7?

(A) discovering a new soarce of revenue in these

(B) discover a new source of revenue in these

(D) recover a new soarce of revenue in these

14. Sentence 8: The formats has varied from a series of local seminars to incentive conferences or sales promotion meetings.

Which revision should be made to Sentence 8?

(A) add a comma after seminars

(B) add an apostrophe after sales

(D) add a period after seminars

15. Sentence 9: Our professional services, including the best possible transportation and accommodation at the most reasonable rates, have insured the success of these programs.

Which correction should be made to Sentence 9?

(A) change services to service

(B) replace insured with ensured

(D) replace the comma after rates with a semicolon

Questions 16–18 refer to the following excerpt from Washington Irving’s “Rip Van Winkle” (1819).

Whoever has made a voyage up the Hudson must remember the Kaatskill Mountains. They are a dismembered branch of the great Appalachian family, and are seen away to the west of the river, swelling up to a noble height, and lording it over the surrounding country. Every change of season, every change of weather, indeed, every hour of the day, produces some change in the magical hues and shapes of these mountains, and they are regarded by all the good wives, far and near, as perfect barometers. When the weather is fair and settled, they are clothed in blue and purple, and print their bold outlines on the clear evening sky; but, sometimes, when the rest of the landscape is cloudless, they will gather a hood of gray vapors about their summits, which, in the last rays of the setting sun, will glow and light up like a crown of glory.

At the foot of these fairy mountains, the voyager may have described the light smoke curling up from a village, whose shingle-roofs gleam among the trees, just where the blue tints of the upland melt away into the fresh green of the nearer landscape. It is a little village of great antiquity, having been founded by some of the Dutch colonists, in the early times of the province, just about the beginning of the government of the good Peter Stuyvesant (may he rest in peace!), and there were some of the houses of the original settlers standing within a few years, built of small yellow bricks brought from Holland, having latticed windows and gablefronts, surmounted with weather-cocks.

16. How would you set out to find the Kaatskill Mountains?

(A) Ask directions.

(B) Journey up the Hudson.

(D) Notice fresh green.

17. According to the passage, wives tell the weather

(A) with perfect barometers

(B) by the clear evening sky

(D) with magical hues and shapes

18. What clues might you look for as a sign that you are close to the village?

(A) fairy mountains

(B) shingle-roofs

(D) blue tints

Questions 19–22 refer to the following excerpt from Richard Wright’s “The Man Who Was Almost a Man,” from Eight Men (1961).

Dave struck out across the fields, looking homeward through paling light…One of these days he was going to get a gun and practice shooting, then they couldn’t talk to him as though he were a little boy. He slowed, looking at the ground. Shucks, Ah ain scareda them…even ef they are biggern me! Aw, Ah know whut Ahma do. Ahm going by ol Joe’s sto n git that Sears-Roebuck catlog n look at them guns. Mebbe Ma will lemme buy one when she gits mah pay from ol man Hawkins. Ahma beg her t gimme some money. Ahm ol ernough to hava gun. Ahm seventeen. Almost a man. He strode, feeling his long loose-jointed limbs. Shucks, a man oughta hava little gun aftah he done worked hard all day.

He came in sight of Joe’s store. A yellow lantern glowed on the front porch. He mounted steps and went through the screen door, hearing it bang behind him. There was a strong smell of coal oil and mackerel fish. He felt very confident until he saw fat Joe walk in through the rear door, then his courage began to ooze.

“Howdy, Dave! Whutcha want?”

“How yuh, Mistah Joe? Aw, Ah don wanna buy nothing. Ah jus wanted t see ef yuhd lemme look at tha catlog erwhile.”

“Sure! You wanna see it here?”

“Nawsuh. Ah wants t take it home wid me. Ah’ll bring it back termorrow when Ah come in from the fiels.”

“You plannin on buying something?”

“Yessuh.”

“Your ma lettin you have your own money now?”

“Shucks. Mistah Joe, Ahm gittin t be a man like anybody else!”

19. Dave wanted “to get a gun” to

(A) show he wasn’t “scareda” the others

(B) prove he wasn’t unemployed

(D) impress Joe

20. From where did Dave hope to get a gun?

(A) from “Joe’s sto”

(B) from “ol man Hawkins”

(D) from the Sears-Roebuck “catlog”

21. How would you find Joe’s store at night?

(A) by the smell of mackerel

(B) by a yellow lantern glow

(D) by the smell of coal oil

22. Why do you think Dave asked to take the catalog home?

(A) He lost his nerve.

(B) It was too dark to read.

(D) He makes his own money.

Questions 23–29 refer to the following excerpt, which is adapted from Customer Service For Dummies by Karen Leland and Keith Bailey (Wiley).

(1) This step requires you to listen to each customers assessment of the problem. (2) Your job when she explains the situation from her perspective is to fully absorb what she is saying about her unique set of circumstances. (3) After you identify the customer’s problem, the next step, obviously, is to fix it. (4) Sometimes, you can easily remedy the situation by changing an invoice, redoing an order, waving or refunding charges, or replacing a defective product. (5) At other times fixing the problem is more complex because the damage or mistake cannot be repaired simply. (6) In these instances, mutually exceptable compromises need to be reached.

(7) Whatever the problem, this step begins to remedy the situation and gives the customer what she needs to resolve the source of the conflict. (8) Don’t waste time and effort by putting the horse before the cart and trying to fix the wrong problem. (9) Its easy to jump the gun and think that you know what the customer is about to say because you’ve heard it all a hundred times before. (10) Doing so loses you ground on the recovery front and farther annoys the customer. (11) More often than not, what you think the problem is at first glance, is different from what it becomes upon closer examination.

23. Sentence 1: This step requires you to listen to each customers assessment of the problem.

Which correction should be made to the underlined portion in Sentence 1?

(A) you to listen each customers assessment

(B) you to listen to each customers’ assessment

(D) you to listen to each customer’s assessment

24. Sentence 4: Sometimes, you can easily remedy the situation by changing an invoice, redoing an order, waving or refunding charges, or replacing a defective product.

Which correction should be made to Sentence 4?

(A) change redoing to re-doing

(B) change invoice to invoise

(D) change defective to defected

25. Sentence 6: In these instances, mutually exceptable compromises need to be reached.

What one word is misspelled or misused in Sentence 6?

26. Sentence 7: Whatever the problem, this step begins to remedy the situation and gives the customer what she needs to resolve the source of the conflict.

Which is the best way to begin Sentence 7? If the original is the best way, choose Choice (A).

(A) Whatever the problem,

(B) This step begins to remedy,

(D) To remedy the situation,

27. Sentence 8: Don’t waste time and effort by putting the horse before the cart and trying to fix the wrong problem.

Which change should be made to Sentence 8?

(A) change waste to waist

(B) revise to read the cart before the horse

(D) change Don’t to Doesn’t

28. Sentence 9: Its easy to jump the gun and think that you know what the customer is about to say because you’ve heard it all a hundred times before.

What word(s) is/are used incorrectly in Sentence 9?

29. Sentence 10: Doing so loses you ground on the recovery front and farther annoys the customer.

Which change should be made to the underlined portion in Sentence 10?

(A) with the recovery front and farther

(B) on the recover front and farther

(D) on the recovery, and farther

Questions 30–34 refer to the following business letter.

GED Enterprises LLC,1655 Elizabeth Drive, Ajax, England 51221

To Whom It May Concern:

(1) We are delighted to provide a refference for Michael Jaxon. (2) He was employed by the training division of our company for six years, he provided excellent services, both recruiting and training clients to participate in our coffee vending machine repair division for the period of June 2010 to October 2014.

(3) As part of that programme, he

prepared PowerPoint presentations for new recruits

reviewed, revised, and upgraded training procedures

prepared a repair manual for the graduating technicians

organizes communications with other companies in the industry

(4) Mr. Jaxon has always been an excellent representative for our company, which has trained some 45 new repair personnel in the past year. (5) Mr. Jaxon’s concerted efforts to network with others in the coffee industry contributed greatly to his success. (6) He has showed a high level of commitment to his job; and he will pursue his work with both competence and efficiency.

(7) I have developed a great respect for Mr. Jaxons’ personal communication skills and dedication to his work and our program. (8) I wish him all the best for the future.

Jules Klaus, PhD

President

30. Sentence 2: He was employed by the training division of our company for six years, he provided excellent services, both recruiting and training clients to participate in our coffee vending machine repair division for the period of June 2010 to October 2014.

What revisions should be made to Sentence 2?

(A) break the sentence into two sentences after the word services by replacing the comma with a period and capitalizing both

(B) replace was employed with had been employed

(C) break the sentence into two sentences after the word years, replacing the comma with a period and capitalizing the word he

(D) capitalize Coffee Vending Machine Repair Division

31. Sentence 3: As part of that programme, he

prepared PowerPoint presentations for new recruits
reviewed, revised, and upgraded training procedures
prepared a repair manual for the graduating technicians
organizes communications with other companies in the industry

What change should be made to Sentence 3?

(A) change programme to program

(B) change organizes to organized

(D) change procedures to proceedures

32. Sentence 4: Mr. Jaxon has always been an excellent representative for our company, which has trained some 45 new repair personnel in the past year.

What is the best rewording for the underlined portion of this sentence?

(A) had always been

(B) always had been

(D) no change required

33. Sentence 6: He has shown a high level of commitment to his job; and he will pursue his work with both competence and efficiency.

What change should be made to this sentence?

(A) change shown to showed

(B) change commitment to comitment

(D) remove the semicolon before and

34. Sentence 7: I have developed a great respect for Mr. Jaxons’ personal communication skills and dedication to his work and our program.

What correction does this sentence require?

(A) move the apostrophe from Jaxons’ to Jaxon’s

(B) change personal to personnel

(D) No change required

Questions 35–38 refer to the following excerpt from Saul Bellow’s “Something to Remember Me By” (1990).

It began like any other winter school day in Chicago — grimly ordinary. The temperature a few degrees above zero, botanical frost shapes on the windowpane, the snow swept up in heaps, the ice gritty and the streets, block after block, bound together by the iron of the sky. A breakfast of porridge, toast, and tea. Late as usual, I stopped for a moment to look into my mother’s sickroom. I bent near and said, “It’s Louie, going to school.” She seemed to nod. Her eyelids were brown, her face was much lighter. I hurried off with my books on a strap over my shoulder.

When I came to the boulevard on the edge of the park, two small men rushed out of a doorway with rifles, wheeled around aiming upward, and fired at pigeons near the rooftop. Several birds fell straight down, and the men scooped up the soft bodies and ran indoors, dark little guys in fluttering white shirts. Depression hunters and their city game. Moments before, the police car had loafed by at ten miles an hour. The men had waited it out.

This had nothing to do with me. I mention it merely because it happened. I stepped around the blood spots and crossed into the park.

35. What do you find out about the state of Louie’s home life?

(A) He ate porridge, toast, and tea.

(B) He carried books on a strap.

(D) His mother was sick.

36. What were the men doing in the doorway?

(A) hunting for game

(B) having target practice

(D) hiding from police

37. What is the importance of the term depression hunters in this passage?

(A) It tells you the state of mind of the men.

(B) A lot of people hunted in the Depression.

(D) The fact that people had to hunt pigeons for food in the cities reinforces the image of great hardship.

38. Why didn’t Louie tell the police about what he saw?

(A) He was in a hurry to get to school.

(B) His mother was sick.

(D) The guys were his friends.

Questions 39 and 40 refer to the following excerpt from Russell Hart’s Photography For Dummies, 2nd Edition (Wiley).

If you’ve ever had to figure out where to stick batteries in your child’s latest electronic acquisition, then loading batteries in your point-and-shoot shouldn’t be a challenge. Turn off your camera when you install them; the camera may go crazy opening and closing its lens. (Some cameras turn themselves off after you install new batteries, so you have to turn them back on to shoot.)

With big point-and-shoot models, you typically open a latched cover on the bottom to install batteries. More compact models have a battery compartment under a door or flap that is incorporated into the side or grip of the camera. You may have to pry open such doors with a coin.

More annoying are covers on the bottom that you open by loosening a screw. (You need a coin for this type, too.) And most annoying are battery covers that aren’t hinged and come off completely when you unscrew them. If you have one of these, don’t change batteries while standing over a sewer grate, in a field of tall grass, or on a pier.

Whether loading four AAs or a single lithium, make sure that the batteries are correctly oriented as you insert them. You’ll find a diagram and/or plus and minus markings, usually within the compartment or on the inside of the door.

If your camera doesn’t turn on and the batteries are correctly installed, the batteries may have lost their punch from sitting on a shelf too long. Which is where the battery icon comes in.

If your camera has an LCD panel, an icon tells you when battery power is low.

39. What is the easiest model in which to replace the batteries?

(A) compact models

(B) big point-and-shoots

(D) covers not hinged

40. Why should you avoid locations such as sewer grates and tall grass when changing batteries?

(A) Water can get in the camera.

(B) Your lens may get dirty.

(D) The battery cover may be lost.

Reviewing Answers and Explanations

After you take the diagnostic test, you’re ready to check your answers to see how well or how poorly you did. We strongly encourage you to read the answer explanations. Doing so will help you understand why some answers were correct and others not, especially when the choices were really close. In addition, the answer explanations shed light on which skills you need to work on most. Your wrong answers can pinpoint areas where you need further study. One wrong answer may indicate you need to review common spelling mistakes, while a different error may mean you need to look up punctuation rules. You can discover just as much from your errors as from the correct answers.

(C) innovative programs. The column states that the Learnxs Foundation supports innovative programs, which you can deduce from the second paragraph. All the other answers except for Choice (A) are mentioned or implied in the column; however, they aren’t correct answers to the question. You have to read carefully and double-check the facts. Just because something is mentioned or is familiar doesn’t mean it’s the right answer to the question. See Chapter 5 for more about improving reading and comprehension skills.
(B) a center housing social enterprises. The column specifically states that the center houses 85 social enterprises. Choice (A) is totally wrong and can be instantly eliminated on first reading. The other answers have a ring of correctness because the column is about social enterprises, charities, and school leavers. For example, the column states that the center is located in a renovated warehouse, and houses various kinds of enterprises, but these answers have nothing to do with the question or what the center is and thus are wrong. This question is an example of one requiring careful reading. For more about improving reading and comprehension skills, turn to Chapter 5.
(B) provide training in word and numerical processing to employees and clients. The column is very specific about the purpose of the Microtron bus. It provided services to employees and clients of small businesses in word and numerical processing. The other answers sound as though they may be right, but after rereading the column, you can see that they aren’t.

When you’re trying to answer these questions under time constraints, try to remember exactly what was stated in the passage. If you only think you remember, go back as quickly as you can and skim the piece for key words. In this case, the key word is Microtron. Sometimes, reading the question first before reading the passage is a more effective approach. See Chapter 5 for suggestions on how to improve reading and comprehensions skills.
(D) as a business incubator. The passage very precisely spells out the mandate of the Training Renewal Foundation: to serve disadvantaged youth and displaced workers seeking skills, qualifications and employment opportunities. Choices (A) and (B) may be worthy activities for any charity, but they aren’t stated as part of the mandate and, thus, are wrong answers. Choice (C) is just wrong and is a play on another meaning of serves. You can immediately exclude this answer and have only three others to consider. Chapter 5 covers reading and comprehension.
(C) The employee must wear appropriate clothing. Employees must wear appropriate clothing to project a professional appearance and maintain safety standards. The other requirements, such as refraining from alcohol use, not associating with paraphernalia, being respectful, and using nonoffensive language, don’t relate to appearance. As you read the source text, you have to remember the key wording of the question—in this case, appearance. See Chapter 5 for more about improving reading and comprehension skills.
(D) personal conduct. The key wording states that employees must conduct themselves professionally so that the business grows and improves. Choice (A) sounds good but is really a meaningless phrase in this context because it merely restates “leading to growth” without referring to the clear requirement to “conduct oneself in a manner conducive to growth.” Choices (B) and (C) may or may not help the business grow. The only answer that is specifically linked to the question is Choice (D). To improve your reading and comprehension skills, see Chapter 5.
(D) The employee is fired. Read the three stages of action for noncompliance. The question asks for penalties for continuing noncompliance. Only one option is correct: repeated instances of noncompliance lead to dismissal. The other options aren’t backed up by the passage, nor do they answer the question. See Chapter 5 for more about improving reading and comprehension skills.
(A) insert and opportunities between challenges and never. Although the word both refers to two options, the text you’re given here offers only one option — challenges. If you insert and opportunities between challenges and never, you include a second option and correct the sentence. Choice (B) introduces a new a subject-verb agreement error. Choice (C) changes words that sound alike (a homonym error) and adds the wrong word. Choice (D) introduces a punctuation error. This sentence doesn’t require a comma. For guidance in detecting and eliminating grammar, punctuation, and usage errors, turn to Chapter 7.
(C) change who to that. An organization is never a who; only people can be referred to as who. An organization is a collective noun made up of people, but the collective noun itself is an impersonal entity and doesn’t qualify as a who. Although the sentence may appear long and therefore may benefit from rewriting, the sentence is technically correct. Although commas do serve to make sentences clearer, as demonstrated in Choice (A), you don’t want to insert them unless punctuation rules make them correct. Choice (B) introduces a tense error. The sentence refers to a statement made and completed in the past, so the present perfect tense (has been) is appropriate. The suggestion is to replace that with the past perfect (had been), but that wording requires that the action happened in the past before something else also in the past. That is incorrect in this case. Chapter 7 covers verb tenses.
(B) has been working. This is a subject-verb agreement error. CanLearn Study Tours is a single entity because it’s one company. Therefore, it’s a singular noun and needs the singular verb has rather than the plural have. A company is always an it. Even though a company is made up of a lot of people, or several different components, it’s still a singular entity. Choices (A), (C), and (D) merely change the tense, which in this case is also wrong. Choice (A) suggests the past perfect, but that tense requires this statement to have taken place in the past before something else, which isn’t the case. There is no time comparison here. Choices (C) and (D) are future tenses, which are also inappropriate because the sentence talks about what the company has done, not what it will do. To find out more about correcting errors in subject-verb agreement, turn to Chapter 7.
(B) change the comma after following to a colon. You need to insert a colon before the list to introduce it. Choice (A) asks for a comma in an incorrect location. Choice (C) asks you to change one comma to a semicolon. Semicolons are typically used to join two closely related sentences into one, but these sentences don’t need that treatment. Choice (D) asks you to change spelling, but its revised spelling in fact introduces a spelling error; the existing word is correct. Chapter 7 covers common punctuation errors.
(A) change organizations’ to organizations. A stray apostrophe has landed on this sentence. The one after organizations’ is unnecessary because you’re not trying to show possession here. Choice (B) is incorrect because the passage doesn’t refer to all organizations. Choice (C) would introduce a homonym error, and Choice (D) inserts the wrong tense. Get comfortable with the uses of apostrophes — especially those used for possession — before taking the GED RLA test. For more about using apostrophes correctly, turn to Chapter 7.
(B) discover a new source of revenue in these. You need to correct the spelling error by changing soarce to source. Choice (A) changes the verb to a participle, an incorrect verb form in this case. Choice (C) inserts an unnecessary comma. Choice (D) suggests substituting a word, which is simply wrong for this sentence. Turn to Chapter 7 for guidance on correcting common errors.
(C) change formats to format. Formats is plural, but has is a singular verb. Verbs and their subjects must agree. You can either make formats singular or has varied plural. The only option offered is to change formats to the singular, so that is your answer. A comma isn’t required after seminar or an apostrophe after sales. The apostrophe would indicate ownership, which isn’t the case here. A period after seminars would create two sentence fragments. Study both subject-verb agreement and pronoun-antecedent agreement before taking the RLA test. To find out more about subject-verb agreement, turn to Chapter 7.
(B) replace insured with ensured. Choice (B) corrects the spelling error by changing insured to ensured. Using insure is a common error. Use insure only when you mean the service you buy to protect your car, house, health, life, and so on. This example has nothing to do with insurance, so use ensure instead. Choice (A) is wrong because the company offers more than one service. The comma after services is required to set apart the adjective phrase “including… ,” so Choice (C) is wrong. Choice (D) misuses a semicolon; adding a semicolon here would create two sentence fragments, a major grammar error. For a list of commonly confused words, see Chapter 7.
(B) Journey up the Hudson. To get to the Kaatskill Mountains, you need to journey up the Hudson. A dismembered branch and fresh green aren’t locations that can better help you locate the mountains. Although asking directions may work, this approach isn’t mentioned in the passage. See Chapter 5 for more about improving reading and comprehension skills.
(D) with magical hues and shapes. The wives use the magical hues and shapes of the mountains to forecast the weather. Other factors, such as the evening sky or gray vapors, aren’t good indicators. A barometer is an instrument to measure air pressure. Although barometers help predict the weather, that isn’t what the wives use. For tips on improving your reading and comprehension skills, check out Chapter 5.
(C) light smoke curling. To help you locate the village, you first need to look for light smoke curling from chimneys. You can’t see the other sign, shingle-roofs, until after you can see the smoke. Blue tints aren’t signs for locating villages but rather refer to the distant uplands. Chapter 5 covers reading and comprehension.
(A) show he wasn’t “scareda” the others. He wants to show the other field hands that he isn’t scared of them. Dave mentions that he isn’t afraid of them just before he first discusses buying the gun. Choice (B) may be true because the money to buy a gun implies he has a job, but this information isn’t stated in the text. Similarly, Choices (C) and (D) refer to something not stated in the text and are therefore wrong. Answering this question correctly requires a close reading; see Chapter 5 for details.
(D) from the Sears-Roebuck “catlog.” Dave had to purchase the gun through the Sears-Roebuck catalog. Joe didn’t keep guns in his store. Neither Mr. Hawkins nor Ma is a source of guns. Before you choose an answer, check the passage to make sure it’s right. For additional tips, see Chapter 5.
(B) by a yellow lantern glow. Joe kept a yellow lantern glowing on the porch. Other answer choices, such as the smell of mackerel, the banging screen door, or the coal oil smell may also help you find the store, but they aren’t the best indicators. Again, you must read the text and rank the options for best choice based on the information given. See Chapter 5 for more about improving reading and comprehension skills.
(A) He lost his nerve. Dave lost his nerve and was afraid to ask Joe to see guns in the catalog. The text states “his courage began to ooze” when Joe walked in. The other possibilities — it was too dark, he needed to convince Ma to give him the money to buy a gun, and he made his own money — aren’t the best answers. That he needed to convince Ma to let him have his own money was true, but it isn’t the main point made in the text. The issue of convincing Ma that he be allowed to get a gun isn’t mentioned. To find out more about improving reading and comprehension skills, turn to Chapter 5.
(D) you to listen to each customer’s assessment. The assessment belongs to each customer and requires a possessive form of customer: customer’s. The other answers aren’t correct, nor do they improve the sentence. Choice (C) introduces a spelling error. Because customer is singular, the apostrophe before the s in customer’s is necessary. Choice (A) offers no possessive apostrophe, while Choice (B) uses it as if customer were plural. For more about forming the possessive, turn to Chapter 7.
(C) change waving to waiving. Waving means “to motion with the hand,” while waive means “to dismiss.” It may be interesting to wave at a charge, but the proper meaning of the sentence is to dismiss (or not collect) the charge. These two words are homonyms (words that sound the same but have different spellings and meanings). Choice (B) introduces a new spelling error, and Choice (D) changes the meaning of the word by replacing it with a close but misused variation. For a list of commonly confused words, turn to Chapter 7.
exceptable. Exceptable means “able to be made an exception,” which isn’t the sentiment you need here. The correct word to use is acceptable. The more reading you do as you prepare for the test, the better you get at recognizing misspellings. Chapter 7 helps you increase your sensitivity to such errors.
(A) Whatever the problem,. A gift for you: No correction is required. If you chose Choice (D), keep in mind that this sentence has one subject and two verbs. These types of sentences don’t require a comma between the two verbs. Not sure about subjects and verbs? Here, the subject is step, and the two verbs are begins and gives. If the sentence had a second subject before the second verb, it would need a comma. For additional guidance in detecting and eliminating grammar, punctuation, and usage errors, turn to Chapter 7.
(B) revise to read the cart before the horse. If you live anywhere near Amish country, you know that the horse comes before the cart. Or you may have heard the idiomatic expression “Don’t put the cart before the horse.” In either case, the proper correction is to reverse the order of horse and cart. Choice (A) is a homonym error: waste and waist. The former refers to loss, while the latter is where your belt goes. Choice (C) introduces a parallelism error — putting the cart and trying to fix must be kept as parallel structures. Choice (D) is a subject-verb agreement error: Don’t means “do not” and refers to the subject you. Doesn’t means “does not” and refers to the implicit subject he, she, or it. Because this is a command, the implied subject is you. Therefore, don’t is correct as is. See Chapter 7 for more about commonly confused words and expressions.
Its. Its is possessive (meaning that it shows that something belongs to it), whereas it’s stands for “it is.” Here, the sentence clearly means “it is.” Confusing these two words is a common error that’s usually tested in some way. Master the difference between its and it’s. For more about forming the possessive, see Chapter 7.
(C) on the recovery front and further. Farther always refers to distance. Further is a matter of degree. Here, you want degree, not distance. Think of it this way: You’d run far, not fur. If you didn’t know the answer, this question is a good example of one that you can answer by intelligent guessing. Choice (A) isn’t correct because with isn’t the proper word in this case. Choice (B) doesn’t make sense in the context of the sentence. So now you just need to guess between Choices (C) and (D). Turn to Chapter 7 for a list of commonly confused words.
(C) break the sentence into two after the word years, replacing the comma with a period and capitalizing he. Choice (A) has the right idea but the wrong location; it would create a sentence fragment after the word both. Choice (B) introduces a new error by using the wrong tense under these circumstances. The past perfect is required only when comparing an action in the past to an action in the more distant past. The capitals suggested in Choice (D) aren’t required. See Chapter 7 for additional guidance in correcting punctuation errors.
(B) change organizes to organized. This is a case of faulty parallelism. Every bullet is in the past tense except the last one. It should be in the same tense as the rest. The word programme is correctly spelled. This choice is a red herring, taking advantage of the differences between British and American English. In British English, programme is the preferred spelling, and the letter’s return address indicates that the author is from England. Both spellings are still considered acceptable in American English. The comma in Choice (C) is required, and the suggested change to proceedure in Choice (D) introduces a misspelling, so it’s wrong. We cover parallelism errors in greater depth in Chapter 7.
(D) no change required. The original wording splits the verb by inserting always between the auxiliary verb and the participle. This construction isn’t always an error and, in this case, is fine. Choices (A) and (B) introduce the wrong tense into the sentence, and Choice (C) is no improvement; the original perfect tense is preferable because the action is completed in the past. For additional guidance in detecting and eliminating grammar, punctuation, and usage errors, turn to Chapter 7.
(D) remove the semicolon before and. You can join two complete sentences with either a semicolon or a conjunction. You don’t use both a semicolon and a coordinate conjunction. Choice (A) creates a new error by using the wrong participle. Choice (B) adds a spelling error. Choice (C) introduces a new tense error. To find out more about correcting punctuation errors, turn to Chapter 7.
(A) move the apostrophe from Jaxons’ to Jaxon’s. The sentence refers to the skills Mr. Jaxon possesses. Because his name doesn’t end in s, the apostrophe needs to come before the s. The change in Choice (B) introduces a new error, the misuse of the words personal and personnel. Because the letter discusses Mr. Jaxon’s skills, they’re personal skills. Personnel refers to staff. If the sentence were dealing only with his abilities with staff, such a use may be correct. Choice (C) is wrong because no comma is needed at this point. For more about forming the possessive, turn to Chapter 7.
(D) His mother was sick. Louie was living with his mother, who was very ill and confined to bed. Other answers describing Louie’s breakfast, his books, and his complexion aren’t good descriptions of the focus of his home life. See Chapter 5 for more about improving reading and comprehension skills.
(A) hunting for game. The men were hunting pigeons (game) for food. You can see that having target practice, staying out of the weather, and hiding from the police are inappropriate answers. They aren’t the key points, and you’d know that if you’d read the passage thoroughly. We provide suggestions for improving reading and comprehension skills in Chapter 5.
(D) The fact that people had to hunt pigeons for food in the cities reinforces the image of great hardship. The term depression hunters and the other stark details help you realize the setting is the Great Depression. That timeframe then reinforces the grimness of the scene. Although the men may be depressed and the weather bad, those things have nothing to do with the question. And although Choice (B) may be true, it doesn’t answer the question either. See Chapter 5 for more about improving reading and comprehension skills.
(C) It had nothing to do with him. What Louie saw had nothing to do with him, and he didn’t want to get involved. Other possible answers — that he was hurrying to school, his mother was sick, or he was friends with the guys — don’t relate directly to why Louie wouldn’t tell the police. See Chapter 5 for more about improving reading and comprehension skills.
(B) big point-and-shoots. The easiest model in which to replace batteries is the point-and-shoot camera. The other answer choices — compact models, screw bottoms, and different types of covers — don’t relate directly to the question. The only other type of camera, the more compact model, is only mentioned as an example of one you may have to pry the battery compartment open on — a more difficult process. For more about improving reading and comprehension skills, turn to Chapter 5.
(D) The battery cover may be lost. Avoid all the locations mentioned so you don’t lose your battery cover if you drop it. Sewer grates and tall grass are places where the cover can easily be lost. The rest of the answer choices refer to issues other than losing battery covers. This type of question requires nothing more than basic careful reading skills. See Chapter 5 for more about improving reading and comprehension skills.

Essay Answer Assessment	Issue	Score
Purpose	Your style and wording reflect an understanding of the audience for which you’re writing and the purpose of your essay. You use a formal style.	Yes = 1 No = 0
Introduction	Your opening sentence/paragraph clearly identifies the topic.	Yes = 1 No = 0
Focus	Your details, arguments, and supporting evidence stay on topic, all referring to your thesis.	2 1 0
Content	Your points are factually correct. You show a clear understanding of subject-specific vocabulary. You correctly apply information from the source text. You correctly introduce your own knowledge to support ideas from the source text.	2 1 0 2 1 0 2 1 0 Yes = 1, No = 0
Quotations	You use quotes or content from the source test to support your thesis.	2 1 0
Grammar and style	You use varied sentence structure and appropriate vocabulary. You avoid colloquialisms and make no spelling mistakes. Your writing is grammatically correct.	2 1 0 2 1 0 2 1 0
Conclusion	Your conclusion restates your thesis and point of view and quickly and clearly summarizes your supporting evidence.	Yes = 1 No = 0

Uncovering Your Strengths and Weaknesses with a Diagnostic Test

Taking the Diagnostic Test

Answer Sheet for RLA Diagnostic Test

Reasoning Through Language Arts Diagnostic Test

What Is the History of the Social Enterprise Movement?

How Must Employees Behave?

CanLearn Study Tours, Inc., 2500 Big Beaver Road, Troy, MI 70523

The Extended Response

Pro

Against

Reviewing Answers and Explanations

Sample Extended Response

Scoring Your Extended Response