ACT & College Preparation Course for the Christian Student

By my estimation I have preached 35 Easter sermons. This year, wishing to be different, I chose to preach on Romans 8. I alluded to the Easter narrative, but I preached on Romans 8. Why? Because everything about this chapter screams “He is risen!”

The truth is, I bet the disciples were suffering that morning. Certainly the ladies who visited the grave were suffering. They had come to prepare the body for burial, not to meet a risen Lord.

When Paul speaks of the spiritual life in Romans 8 he speaks much of suffering. We who are in Christ need not suffer from guilt or fear, for our sins have all been forgiven. There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Rom. 8:1–4). When we sin as Christians, we need never doubt that we are justified by faith because God’s Spirit dwells within us, bearing witness that we are God’s sons. Further, because the Spirit of God indwells us, He not only leads us to do the will of God, but He empowers our dead bodies to do so (Rom. 8:5–17).

But the best thing I like about Romans 8:15 is when we are invited to call God “Abba” or “Daddy.” I don’t know about you, but beyond age four or five, I never called my dad “Daddy.” It was not cool. In fact, I wanted to be extra cool, so I tried calling Dad “Father,” but that only got a scowl from my mother. I compromised and called him “Dad.” I know my son-in-law, who is really cool, calls me “Jim.” Coolness not withstanding, that is too much. I would like to be called “Dad” or at least “Big Daddy,” but Karen refuses to be a “Big Momma” and how can you have a Big Daddy without a Big Momma? But I digress.

Can you imagine, the pedantic, choleric, ex-Pharisee Paul, who until recently did not even pronounce the name of God — YHWH — now invited the Roman Church to call God “Daddy”? Imagine the old stuffed shirt Jewish Christians in the congregation praying “Our Daddy, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name!” Ha! It is embarrassing.

“For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, ‘Abba! Father!’ ” The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.

“For you did not receive the spirit of slavery leading again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry, ‘Abba, Father.’ The Spirit himself bears witness to our spirit that we are God’s children. And if children, then heirs (namely, heirs of God and also fellow heirs with Christ) if indeed we suffer with him so we may also be glorified with him” (Romans 8:15–17; Net Bible).1

But it is true. He is our Daddy, Abba, Father. It is not cool, but it is true. God, the Creator of the universe, is so intimate, so wonderful, so loving, that He invites us to call Him Daddy. Wow! Now that is an Easter message. And that really is cool!

Test-Taking Insight

The Reading Test

There will be four passages. The topics will include:

Prose Fiction: These passages are based on readings in classical, fictional literature of all genres — novels, plays, poetry. Remember! The single most important preparation that you can do for the ACT is to read great books! If you need a guide, consult my book, Companion to 50 Classics.2 Also, it wouldn’t hurt to use my literature books in your regular English courses (Encouraging Thoughtful Christians to be World Changers for Christ Series). My courses will teach you how to do literary analysis, the single most important skill that you will bring to the ACT.

Social Sciences: The social science passages will include sociology, history, antropology, political science, and economics. Again, the content of these courses is unimportant — these passages are measuring your reading/comprehension ability — but it doesn’t hurt to be familiar with some of the terminology in the passages.

Humanities: I generally find these passages to be daunting, tedious, and generally boring. And reading something boring decreases one’s comprehension! Humanities includes music, theater, art, and architecture. If you share my aversion to these subjects, it would benefit you to read some secondary sources — even encyclopedias — on these subjects.

Pure Science: These passages are based on science, including chemistry, biology, physics, and other physical sciences. Try to take chemistry, biology, and physics in your regular class work around and during taking the ACT. Again, the best time to take the ACT is in the spring of your junior year (so you can retake it in the fall of your senior year if you need to do so).

When you read a passage, or a literary work, it is critical that you notice details. These “details” reveal the essence, the purpose, of the passage or literary work. For example, details about the physical environment or the social, cultural, and moral influences affect the outcome of a character. You need to discern these.

CIENCE

Data Analysis

Analyze the two orchids — a warm environment orchid and a colder environment orchid. What conclusions can you draw?

Warm Weather Orchid

Cold Weather Orchid

Harsh, warm climates cause the orchids to have less foliage but a more sturdy stem structure to store water.
Colder weather orchids naturally have large flowers to attract bees. They have less time for pollination.
Warm weather orchids do not live as long as cold weather orchids.

I
II
III
None
I and II
II and III

EADING

Main Concept

No one knows for sure if there really was a King Arthur. Most historians, however, believe there really was a Briton king named Arthur, or a combination of Briton kings whose exploits were summed up in the life of one man.

Arthur was allegedly the son of King Pendragon, a Briton Welsh king during the Roman occupation. Legend states that the departing Roman army asked Arthur to protect Britons from the warring Anglo-Saxons pouring into England.

Inevitably, like all national heroes (e.g., Roland, Siegfried, El Cid, George Washington), King Arthur became more of a myth than a historical man. In apocryphal stories Arthur manifests superhuman strength and abilities. In fact, legends suggest that Arthur is not dead but only sleeping in one of numerous caves waiting to return and lead his people.3

Serving with King Arthur were the Knights of the Round Table. The knights themselves were the heroes of many of the stories. The most important ones are Sir Bedivere, Sir Gawain, and Sir Kay. Later surpassed by Sir Lancelot.

According to early legends, Excalibur was the name of the famous sword of King Arthur. According to this account, King Arthur obtains a sword called “Caliburn,” which was made on the Isle of Avalon. Later legends have the sword being returned to the Lady of the Lake on the mortal wounding of King Arthur at Camlann. It was not until Robert de Boron created the character Merlin (c. 1200) that the story of the young King Arthur drawing the sword Excalibur from a rock emerged.

Arthur’s knights perennially embark on quests for the Holy Grail. The Holy Grail is the cup from which Christ drank at the Last Supper and which was used by Joseph of Arimathea to catch Christ’s blood as he died on the Cross.

English 19th century poet Alfred Lord Tennyson had the greatest influence on the conception of the Holy Grail quest through his Idylls of the King, and his short poem “Sir Galahad.”

How did Arthur die? In some accounts, King Arthur was taken to the Isle of Avalon to be healed, and what happened to him after reaching the island is a mystery. Some say he lies in a cave awaiting the day he is needed again by his country; others say King Arthur died at Avalon. Apart from the somewhat dubious claim by some medieval monks to have found King Arthur’s grave, no real evidence has emerged for an Arthurian grave.

In summary, King Arthur was probably a folk tale, based roughly on a historic, figure. He was portrayed as a “Protector of Britain” who wanders across Britain with his band of chivalrous knights. Perhaps there was a great king who saved Briton from Saxon hands for a time. Perhaps not.4

Based on this passage which is true? The author:

strongly believes that King Arthur was a historical figure.
is fairly certain that King Arthur was only a folk tale.
has found historical evidence to prove King Arthur was a real historical figure

I
II
III
All
None

How did Arthur die?

No one knows.
In a sword fight.
In some accounts, King Arthur was taken to the Isle of Avalon to be healed, and what happened to him after reaching the island is a mystery.

ATH

A courier who travels at the rate of 6 miles an hour is followed 5 hours later, by another who travels at the rate of 8½ miles an hour. In how many hours will the second overtake the ﬁrst?

RITING

Evaluating Essays

Score the following ACT essay using the criteria from the next two pages and then rewrite it at a higher score level.

The prompt is: “Choices are costly. Agree or disagree and give some examples.”

L29-Kory_Stansbury_SAT_T%232S.tif

Scoring Guidelines

These are the descriptions of scoring criteria that the trained readers will follow to determine the score (1–6) for your essay. Papers at each level exhibit all or most of the characteristics described at each score point.

Score = 6: Essays within this score range demonstrate effective skill in responding to the task.

The essay shows a clear understanding of the task. The essay takes a position on the issue and may offer a critical context for discussion. The essay addresses complexity by examining different perspectives on the issue, or by evaluating the implications and/or complications of the issue, or by fully responding to counterarguments to the writer’s position. Development of ideas is ample, specific, and logical. Most ideas are fully elaborated. A clear focus on the specific issue in the prompt is maintained. The organization of the essay is clear: the organization may be somewhat predictable or it may grow from the writer’s purpose. Ideas are logically sequenced. Most transitions reflect the writer’s logic and are usually integrated into the essay. The introduction and conclusion are effective, clear, and well developed. The essay shows a good command of language. Sentences are varied and word choice is varied and precise. There are few, if any, errors to distract the reader.

Score = 5: Essays within this score range demonstrate competent skill in responding to the task.

The essay shows a clear understanding of the task. The essay takes a position on the issue and may offer a broad context for discussion. The essay shows recognition of complexity by partially evaluating the implications and/or complications of the issue, or by responding to counterarguments to the writer’s position. Development of ideas is specific and logical. Most ideas are elaborated, with clear movement between general statements and specific reasons, examples, and details. Focus on the specific issue in the prompt is maintained. The organization of the essay is clear, although it may be predictable. Ideas are logically sequenced, although simple and obvious transitions may be used. The introduction and conclusion are clear and generally well developed. Language is competent. Sentences are somewhat varied and word choice is sometimes varied and precise. There may be a few errors, but they are rarely distracting.

Score = 4: Essays within this score range demonstrate adequate skill in responding to the task.

The essay shows an understanding of the task. The essay takes a position on the issue and may offer some context for discussion. The essay may show some recognition of complexity by providing some response to counterarguments to the writer’s position. Development of ideas is adequate, with some movement between general statements and specific reasons, examples, and details. Focus on the specific issue in the prompt is maintained throughout most of the essay. The organization of the essay is apparent but predictable. Some evidence of logical sequencing of ideas is apparent, although most transitions are simple and obvious. The introduction and conclusion are clear and somewhat developed. Language is adequate, with some sentence variety and appropriate word choice. There may be some distracting errors, but they do not impede understanding.

Score = 3: Essays within this score range demonstrate some developing skill in responding to the task.

The essay shows some understanding of the task. The essay takes a position on the issue but does not offer a context for discussion. The essay may acknowledge a counterargument to the writer’s position, but its development is brief or unclear. Development of ideas is limited and may be repetitious, with little, if any, movement between general statements and specific reasons, examples, and details. Focus on the general topic is maintained, but focus on the specific issue in the prompt may not be maintained. The organization of the essay is simple. Ideas are logically grouped within parts of the essay, but there is little or no evidence of logical sequencing of ideas. Transitions, if used, are simple and obvious. An introduction and conclusion are clearly discernible but underdeveloped. Language shows a basic control. Sentences show a little variety and word choice is appropriate. Errors may be distracting and may occasionally impede understanding.

Score = 2: Essays within this score range demonstrate inconsistent or weak skill in responding to the task.

The essay shows a weak understanding of the task. The essay may not take a position on the issue, or the essay may take a position but fail to convey reasons to support that position, or the essay may take a position but fail to maintain a stance. There is little or no recognition of a counterargument to the writer’s position. The essay is thinly developed. If examples are given, they are general and may not be clearly relevant. The essay may include extensive repetition of the writer’s ideas or of ideas in the prompt. Focus on the general topic is maintained, but focus on the specific issue in the prompt may not be maintained. There is some indication of an organizational structure, and some logical grouping of ideas within parts of the essay is apparent. Transitions, if used, are simple and obvious, and they may be inappropriate or misleading. An introduction and conclusion are discernible but minimal. Sentence structure and word choice are usually simple. Errors may be frequently distracting and may sometimes impede understanding.

Score = 1: Essays within this score range show little or no skill in responding to the task.

The essay shows little or no understanding of the task. If the essay takes a position, it fails to convey reasons to support that position. The essay is minimally developed. The essay may include excessive repetition of the writer’s ideas or of ideas in the prompt. Focus on the general topic is usually maintained, but focus on the specific issue in the prompt may not be maintained. There is little or no evidence of an organizational structure or of the logical grouping of ideas. Transitions are rarely used. If present, an introduction and conclusion are minimal. Sentence structure and word choice are simple. Errors may be frequently distracting and may significantly impede understanding.

No Score: Blank, off-topic, illegible, not in English, or void. (ACT Website)6

OCABULARY

The Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court

Mark Twain7

Hank Morgan finds himself transported back to England’s Dark Ages — where he is immediately captured and sentenced to death at Camelot. Fortunately, he’s quick-witted, and in the process of saving his life he turns himself into a celebrity — winning himself the position of prime minister as well as the lasting enmity of Merlin. The introduction of modern technology into medieval England is intriguing and keeps the reader spellbound.

Suggested Vocabulary Words

Camelot — Camelot,” said I to myself. “I don’t seem to remember hearing of it before. Name of the asylum, likely.”
It was a soft, reposeful summer landscape, as lovely as a dream, and as lonesome as Sunday.
She walked indolently along, with a mind at rest, its peace reflected in her innocent face.
She was going by as indifferently as she might have gone by a couple of cows; but when she happened to notice me, then there was a change! Up went her hands, and she was turned to stone; her mouth dropped open, her eyes stared wide and timorously, she was the picture of astonished curiosity touched with fear. And there she stood gazing, in a sort of stupefied fascination.
I couldn’t make head or tail of it. And that she should seem to consider me a spectacle, and totally overlook her own merits in that respect, was another puzzling thing, and a display of magnanimity, too, that was surprising in one so young.
As we approached the town, signs of life began to appear. At intervals we passed a wretched cabin, with a thatched roof, and about it small fields and garden patches in an indifferent state of cultivation.
In the town were some substantial windowless houses of stone scattered among a wilderness of thatched cabins; the streets were mere crooked alleys, and unpaved; troops of dogs and nude children played in the sun and made life and noise; hogs roamed and rooted contentedly about, and one of them lay in a reeking wallow in the middle of the main thoroughfare and suckled her family. Presently there was a distant blare of military music; it came nearer, still nearer, and soon a noble cavalcade wound into view, glorious with plumed helmets and flashing mail and flaunting banners and rich doublets and horse-cloths and gilded spearheads; and through the muck and swine, and naked brats, and joyous dogs, and shabby huts, it took its gallant way, and in its wake we followed.