Extra Practice 

The following questions provide an opportunity to practice the concepts and strategic thinking covered in this chapter. While many of the questions pertain to Rhetoric questions, some touch on other concepts tested on the Reading Test to ensure that your practice is test-like, with a variety of question types per passage.

1. 1. Questions 1-11 are based on the following passage.

   2. The following passage explores the history and impact of public higher education in the United States.

      Every year, hundreds of thousands of students graduate from U.S. public universities. Many of the largest and most elite schools in the nation fall into the category of public, or state, institutions. Unlike private universities, which generally operate inde- pendently from any government influence, public higher education was established through govern- ment legislation and is sustained through state and federal involvement in various ways. A look into the history of U.S. public higher education can shed light on the changing ideals of the American story over the past century and a half. America’s earliest higher-education institutions, like Harvard, were initially developed by and for clergy, or church workers. For 17th-century Puri- tans in America, church leadership was of utmost importance. At that time, clergy was the main profession for which college degrees were offered. Later, during the 18th and 19th centuries, parallel- ing the onset of secular (and increasingly scientifi- cally inclined) modern thought, the nation and government acknowledged the need for broader higher education opportunities. Philosophers and politicians alike were aware that well-educated citizens were a vital element of a functional democ- racy. A better-informed voting population could secure a better political future. Moreover, with aims to advance the fields of technology and agriculture through higher education, legislators anticipated potential economic improvements nationwide as well. It was in the nation’s best interest to make col- lege more accessible. In 1862, President Lincoln signed the Morill Land-Grant Act. This was, in many ways, the force behind the public university system. The Morill Act ensured that public land would be set aside for the establishment of universities across the country. The coming decades saw a massive increase in the opening of universities in the nation. Hundreds of U.S. public universities began to operate. These schools received federal and state support, offered practical, accessible education, and sought, origi- nally, to advance the fields of agriculture and me- chanics. Soon these schools offered wide varieties of subjects and specialties. These universities would be operated by their respective states, but all would adhere to certain broad federal regulations. At the time, the government was seeking to mend racial injustices through legislation. To this effect, a second land act was passed in 1890 in hopes of inhibiting discrimination in public univer- sities. While at the time this did not accomplish the intended openness and diversity, it paved the way for the culture of diversity the American university system enjoys today. Many public universities are now richly diverse, with regulations in place to accept students of any race, ethnicity, or socioeco- nomic status. In a similar vein, women, who were once a minority in colleges, increasingly gained a strong presence in U.S. universities over the past 150 years. Women actually surpassed men in over- all U.S. college attendance around the turn of the 21st century. Since the legislation of the 19th century, public universities have undergone momentous growth. The system has evolved to address and accommo- date the nuances of 20th- and 21st-century Ameri- can culture and development. Offering in-state students some of the most affordable degree programs in higher education, these schools have now graduated millions of undergraduate and graduate students. Public universi- ties also manage the majority of the nation’s govern- ment-funded academic research initiatives. Featuring some of the most competitive athletic programs in the world, as well as elite scholarship and arts programs, the U.S. public universities’ accomplishments seem bound- less. With schools in Alaska, Hawaii, and even U.S. territories like Puerto Rico and Guam, public university impact reaches the farthest corners and populations of the nation. The state school system has been formative for American culture, philosophy, economics, medicine, politics, and much more. The eminence of the U.S. public university network stretches beyond the United States. Students travel from across the globe to study at top programs. Cutting- edge schools like the University of Virginia (UVA) and University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) receive continual international attention for their accomplish- ments in scholarship and research. Programs, faculty, and students from these schools participate in the global conversation in significant ways, working toward a bet- ter future for the planet. Given those early visions for a more robustly edu- cated voting population, the enormity of the system that the Morill Act launched is remarkable. U.S. public universities have both shaped and employed many of America’s greatest thinkers. Considering their time- line and their accomplishments, these schools seem to reflect the post–Civil War history of diversity, liberty, creativity, and equal opportunity that in many ways distinguishes the American cultural identity.

   1. In the second paragraph, the author uses the idea that educated citizens are necessary for a functioning democracy to

      1. show why an educated work force increased agricultural production.
      2. demonstrate the continued role of the clergy in American public life.
      3. explain why the government was playing a larger role in public education.
      4. emphasize the importance of technological innovation for the economy.

   2. Which choice provides the best evidence for the answer to the previous question?

      1. Lines 17-18 (“At that time . . . were offered”)
      2. Lines 19-23 (“Later, during . . . opportunities”)
      3. Lines 26-27 (“A better-informed . . . political future”)
      4. Lines 27-31 (“Moreover, with aims . . . nationwide as well”)

   3. The purpose of the third paragraph is to

      1. highlight an example of the government increasing access to public education.
      2. discuss initial technological advances in agriculture and mechanics.
      3. outline the effects of the Morill Land-Grant Act on the U.S. economy.
      4. explain the relationship between federal and state control of public universities.

   4. In line 42, the author’s use of the word “accessible” implies that

      1. public universities would expand course offerings to encompass a range of subjects.
      2. the likelihood that people with limited means could attend a university was increasing.
      3. agriculture and mechanics would receive the most federal and state support.
      4. President Lincoln supported passage of the Morill Land-Grant Act to expand education.

   5. As used in line 47, “adhere” most nearly means

      1. resist.
      2. notice.
      3. acquiesce.
      4. comply.

   6. Which of the following pieces of evidence would most strengthen the author’s line of reasoning throughout the passage?

      1. Information about the ways in which private and public universities differ in paragraph 1
      2. An example of how the 17th-century clergy benefited from higher education in paragraph 2
      3. Statistics showing increased enrollment numbers of minority students in paragraph 4
      4. An example of a competitive public university athletic program in paragraph 5

   7. In the fourth paragraph, the author uses the fact that more women than men now attend college to

      1. contrast the advances of women’s rights with racial injustice in public universities.
      2. provide an example of how the land acts initially failed to stop discrimination.
      3. show that public universities have grown increasingly diverse over time.
      4. illustrate the challenges many people still face to attend public universities.

   8. Which choice provides the best evidence for the answer to the previous question?

      1. Lines 49-52 (“To this effect . . . public universities”)
      2. Lines 52-55 (“While at the time . . . enjoys today”)
      3. Lines 55-58 (“Many public universities . . . status”)
      4. Lines 58-61 (“In a similar vein . . . 150 years”)

   9. As used in line 67, “nuances” most nearly means

      1. eras.
      2. categories.
      3. circumstances.
      4. variations.

   10. The passage’s primary purpose is to

       1. summarize the accomplishments of U.S. public universities since the 19th century.
       2. explain the historical influence of religion on the development of the university system.
       3. discuss the relationship between U.S. higher education and the cultural values of the nation.
       4. summarize the historical effect of the Morill Land-Grant Act on United States public universities.

   11. The fifth paragraph supports the central idea of the passage by

       1. discussing how public university athletic programs have grown increasingly competitive.
       2. providing evidence of the success of federal legislation meant to invest in public universities.
       3. explaining that in-state tuition rates have increased enrollment in United States public universities.
       4. noting that the U.S. public university system has expanded into U.S. territories.

2. 1. Questions 12-21 are based on the following passage.

   2. Adapted from “The Red House Mystery” by A.A. Milne, first published in 1922.

      Whether Mark Ablett was a bore or not depend- ed on the point of view, but it may be said at once that he never bored his company on the subject of his early life. However, stories get about. There is always somebody who knows. It was understood— and this, anyhow, on Mark’s own authority—that his father had been a country clergyman. It was said that, as a boy, Mark had attracted the notice, and patronage, of some rich old spinster of the neigh- bourhood, who had paid for his education, both at school and university. At about the time when he was coming down from Cambridge, his father had died; leaving behind him a few debts, as a warning to his family, and a reputation for short sermons, as an example to his successor. Neither warning nor example seems to have been effective. Mark went to London, with an allowance from his patron, and (it is generally agreed) made acquaintance with the money-lenders. He was supposed, by his patron and any others who inquired, to be “writing”; but what he wrote, other than letters asking for more time to pay, has never been discovered. However, he at- tended the theatres and music halls very regularly— no doubt with a view to some serious articles in the “Spectator” on the decadence of the English stage. Fortunately (from Mark’s point of view) his pa- tron died during his third year in London, and left him all the money he wanted. From that moment his life loses its legendary character, and becomes more a matter of history. He settled accounts with the money-lenders, abandoned his crop of wild oats to the harvesting of others, and became in his turn a patron. He patronized the Arts. It was not only usurers who discovered that Mark Ablett no longer wrote for money; editors were now offered free contributions as well as free lunches; publish- ers were given agreements for an occasional slender volume, in which the author paid all expenses and waived all royalties; promising young painters and poets dined with him; and he even took a theatri- cal company on tour, playing host and “lead” with equal lavishness. He was not what most people call a snob. A snob has been defined carelessly as a man who loves a lord; and, more carefully, as a mean lover of mean things—which would be a little unkind to the peer- age if the first definition were true. Mark had his vanities undoubtedly, but he would sooner have met an actor-manager than an earl; he would have spoken of his friendship with Dante—had that been possible—more glibly than of his friendship with the Duke. Call him a snob if you like, but not the worst kind of snob; a hanger-on, but to the skirts of Art, not Society; a climber, but in the neighbour- hood of Parnassus, not Hay Hill. His patronage did not stop at the Arts. It also in- cluded Matthew Cayley, a small cousin of thirteen, whose circumstances were as limited as had been Mark’s own before his patron had rescued him. He sent the Cayley cousin to school and Cambridge. His motives, no doubt, were unworldly enough at first; a mere repaying to his account in the Record- ing Angel’s book of the generosity which had been lavished on himself; a laying-up of treasure in heaven. But it is probable that, as the boy grew up, Mark’s designs for his future were based on his own interests as much as those of his cousin, and that a suitably educated Matthew Cayley of twenty-three was felt by him to be a useful property for a man in his position; a man, that is to say, whose vanities left him so little time for his affairs. Cayley, then, at twenty-three, looked after his cousin’s affairs. By this time Mark had bought the Red House and the considerable amount of land which went with it. Cayley superintended the necessary staff. His duties, indeed, were many. He was not quite secretary, not quite land-agent, not quite business-adviser, not quite companion, but something of all four. Mark leant upon him and called him “Cay,” objecting quite rightly in the circumstances to the name of Matthew. Cay, he felt was, above all, dependable; a big, heavy-jawed, solid fellow, who didn’t bother you with unnecessary talk—a boon to a man who liked to do most of the talking himself.

   12. What is most likely true about Mark’s father’s successor?

       1. He made more money than Mark’s father had.
       2. He was more popular than Mark’s father.
       3. His sermons were long and boring.
       4. He took a great deal of interest in Mark’s life.

   13. Which choice provides the best evidence for the answer to the previous question?

       1. Lines 4-7 (“There is . . . clergyman”)
       2. Lines 5-11 (“It was . . . university”)
       3. Lines 11-15 (“At about the time . . . successor”)
       4. Lines 15-16 (“Neither . . . been effective”)

   14. What can be inferred from the author’s choice to place the word “writing” in quotation marks in line 20?

       1. People doubted that Mark was actually writing.
       2. Mark’s writing was understood by many to be terrible.
       3. Mark’s writing more closely resembled philosophy than entertainment.
       4. Mark was writing in secret but his acquaintances knew about his talent.

   15. Why is the death of Mark’s patron “fortunate” for him (line 26)?

       1. Mark becomes wealthy as a result.
       2. Mark and his patron do not like each other.
       3. Mark’s patron disapproved of his writing.
       4. Mark felt pressure from his patron to start a career.

   16. As used in line 34, “usurer” most nearly means

       1. employer.
       2. lender.
       3. relative.
       4. supporter.

   17. As used in line 42, “lavishness” most nearly means

       1. diplomacy.
       2. enthusiasm.
       3. melodrama.
       4. skill.

   18. Mark’s acquaintances probably consider stories of his later life

       1. less respectable than when he had to work for his money.
       2. more interesting because of the lessons he has learned.
       3. less exciting than those of his earlier life in London.
       4. more scandalous than he is willing to admit.

   19. Which choice provides the best evidence for the answer to the previous question?

       1. Lines 19-22 (“He was . . . discovered”)
       2. Lines 28-30 (“From that . . . of history”)
       3. Lines 47-52 (“Mark had . . . the Duke”)
       4. Lines 52-55 (“Call him . . . Hay Hill”)

   20. “Parnassus” (line 55) is included in the passage to illustrate the idea of

       1. a place where the wealthy gather.
       2. an artistic community.
       3. a myth to which Mark can be compared.
       4. a place that does not really exist.

   21. The tone of the last paragraph serves to

       1. suggest parallels between Matthew and Mark.
       2. surprise the reader with Matthew’s capabilities.
       3. demonstrate the dramatic changes in Mark’s character.
       4. mock Mark for the way he sees Matthew.