Chapter 18 Reading Practice Test 4 Answers and Explanations

1. B While a number of other people, including Kealoha’s family, customers, and Santos, are all mentioned in the passage, they are all described from Kealoha’s point of view, and only as she remembers them.

2. H The Moana Hotel is described as world-famous (lines 27–28), so it would have been well-known on the island as well, as choice (A) states. The passage mentions her working there as a chambermaid (lines 32–33) and the variety of people, from the obscure to the famous, (line 34) who stayed there. However, the number of rooms at the Moana is never given, making (H) the only choice not supported by the passage, and therefore correct.

3. B Kealoha worked at her parents’ market stall (line 8). When Kealoha and Santos listened to radio programs, Pup is described as sitting and staring at the radio (lines 64–65), and the passage states that Kealoha met Santos when she began working at the Quartermaster Corps (lines 49–50). The only question of the four not answered by the passage is choice (B); Santos was raised in Tacoma (line 67), but no mention is made of the age at which he moved there from the Philippines, making (B) the correct choice.

4. J The paragraph lists the different jobs she held and relates them each to her personality, but there is no evidence to support the fact that this was due to her growing bored with them, as stated in choice (F). Choice (G) is supported by the passage but only talks about one of the jobs she held, so it’s not a main idea. There is no mention of whether Kealoha lost the opportunity to spend holidays with her family, as choice (H) states, or how she may have felt about it.

5. A The third paragraph (lines 32–38) mentions Kealoha working as a chambermaid, seeing famous people, and being promoted for her work, supporting choices (B), (C), and (D). The fifth paragraph mentions her cooking meals in their tiny kitchen, not at the Moana, but in her own home. Since (A) is the choice that is unsupported, it is the correct answer.

6. H Kealoha, thinking about the first time she met Santos, remembers that he was slightly-built and fair-skinned, which made him look even younger than he was (lines 69–70). There is no dialogue in the passage as stated in choices (F) and (G), and there is also no evidence for choice (J), which states that Santos may have reminded Kealoha of someone she once knew.

7. C The fourth paragraph describes Kealoha as eager to take advantage of the new opportunities citizenship offered (lines 41–42). Although her sisters and troops are both mentioned, there is no evidence given for her feeling either sadness or dismay, as in choices (A) and (D). There is no mention of the concern about the loss of her heritage in choice (B).

8. J The first paragraph describes Kealoha’s aspirations to have enough money to visit the faraway places these visitors would talk about—Los Angeles, Sydney, or even New York (lines 11–13). Kealoha worked in her parents’ market (line 8), but there is no mention in the passage of her wanting to open one of her own or of owning a farm, as in choices (F) and (G). Kealoha’s sisters chose to go to university on the mainland (lines 42–43), not Kealoha.

9. D Kealoha is described in the third paragraph (lines 32–38) as having been promoted twice while at the Moana Hotel, and there is no evidence to show she was ever given added responsibility or higher pay while working for her parents. The actual number of hours she worked at either her parents’ market stall or at the Moana is not given in the passage.

10. G When Kealoha first met Santos, he was terse, but not rude, and called her “Ms. Kealoha.” She could tell that he was trying to make his voice sound deeper than it actually was (lines 73–75) in an effort to appear older. Choices (F) and (H) both involve dialogue, of which the passage has none, and while choice (J) may seem plausible, there is no evidence given for how Santos may have felt about being promoted.

Passage II

11. C Mann accepted the position of First Secretary of Education despite…the lack of any demonstrated interest in public education prior to his appointment (lines 4–7), and carried out his duties with an almost unbelievable zeal (lines 14–15). This contradicts choices (A) and (B). The passage states that Mann continued his efforts for education reform after his wife’s death (lines 58–61), eliminating choice (D).

12. F The proposal in lines 52–55 was for the disuse of corporal punishment, which displeased a group of schoolteachers in Boston, as stated in (F). There is no support in the passage that Mann, his parents, or the biographer Younger disapproved of Mann’s proposal.

13. D The passage states that the grief Mann felt over the death of his first wife never wholly left him, and he not only lost his only brother at about the same time but also inherited substantial debt. Nonetheless, his vision for change continued unabated (lines 57–60). While he may have been angry about these events, there is no support in the passage for his feeling afraid, as in choice (A). Similarly, Mann is never described as uncaring or selfish as choice (B) states; in fact, he is consistently shown to be quite the opposite. There is evidence that Mann was quite confident but nothing to support the fact that he may have been surprised about either event, making choice (C) incorrect.

14. F The statement in lines 10–13 is talking about the positive effects Mann had on public education after he accepted the role of First Secretary of the Board of Education, not the folly of his decision to accept the role, as in choice (G). Choice (H) refers to his upbringing prior to that point, which hadn’t prepared him for the position and there is no evidence for the comparison in choice (J) between Massachusetts and other places.

15. D In the last sentence of the passage, the author states that Mann was an example to others because of his commitment not only to ideals but also to action. There is no mention in the passage of him seeking approval, as choice (A) states. While some of Mann’s reforms involved legislation, there is no evidence for the claim in choice (B) that he thought this was the only means of reform. Choice (C) is supported by the passage, but the pursuit of one’s own education isn’t what the author offers as an example for others who seek social reform.

16. G Mann’s proposal was for the disuse of corporal punishment (lines 52–55), so he must have felt it to be improper. There is no irony on the ACT, and choices (F), (H), and (J) are all reasons to keep using corporal punishment.

17. C Lines 35–38 refer to Mann’s campaign as unprecedented and daringly progressive. Duplicating an existing system would not make his campaign unprecedented, just as cautiously instituting small reforms, one at a time would not be daring, making choices (A) and (B) incorrect. Choice (D) mentions cost-saving measures and his predecessor, neither of which are talked about in the passage.

18. F Discussing Mann’s passion for education reform, the passage refers to abolition (lines 41–45) as a cause Mann would champion with equal fervor upon his election to the U.S. Senate. This contradicts choice (G), as obsessively would mean he was focused on education only. Choice (H) can be eliminated because Mann’s voting record is never mentioned. Mann certainly claimed that education was the responsibility of the state as choice (J) states, but he did so as First Secretary, not as a U.S. Senator (lines 38–41). Additionally, there is no evidence offered in the passage to support how articulate or amazing he may have been in doing so.

19. C Lines 72–75 state that the reason Mann visited every schoolhouse in the state in the first year of his administration was to assess personally the condition and quality of each. There is no mention of Mann’s desire to travel being the reason he left the state legislature, as choice (A) states; the only reason given in the passage was dependable salary (lines 7–8). There is no mention of the number of schoolhouses being sufficient or not, so you can eliminate choice (B). Choice (D) contradicts the passage, which describes Mann as successful primarily because of the energy and personal attention he put into his job.

20. G Both accounts use the same general criteria to praise Mann for his reforms and are not critical in tone—eliminate choices (F) and (H). The passage’s fourth paragraph (lines 46–61) recounts Mann facing criticism from various sources, making choice (J) incorrect.

Passage III

21. D The narrator does indeed visit a movie studio, as choice (A) states, but that is not the focus of the story; her meeting with Bergman is. The narrator never mentions wanting to become an actress like Bergman, and there is no support for adjusting to life in choice (C)—the narrator merely mentions the fact that they live in California.

22. F Speaking as an adult, the narrator feels inspired by Bergman in the final paragraph (lines 78–82). Choices (G), (H), and (J) all occur when she was a child.

23. C The narrator relates Bergman’s insistence on calling each other by their first names just like friends should (line 63) and remembers her as smiling and friendly (line 74). Bergman’s actions are not snobbish, so eliminate choice (B). The people on the movie studio lot are described as rushed (line 41). Choice (D) is contradicted by Bergman’s quote, I have no regrets (line 76).

24. H When she first meets Bergman, the narrator describes her as so strikingly tall and beautiful that I could barely think to say anything (lines 45–48). There is no evidence to show she was afraid, as choice (F) states, or felt envy or jealousy. The narrator describes herself and her sister as excited and doubtful (line 22) but not during her meeting with Bergman.

25. C The narrator says that she has seen all of Bergman’s films (line 70) and goes on to say how one film in particular makes me remember that day (lines 72–73). In the final paragraph (lines 78–82), the narrator says she was too young to fully appreciate meeting Bergman, so eliminate choice (A). There is no evidence in the passage for the sisters being too busy to think about meeting Bergman as stated in choice (B). Choice (D) is also unsupported since the photos clearly meant a great deal to the narrator and her sister. Additionally, the narrator never expresses a desire to purchase a dress of her own.

26. H The narrator mentions that many of the buildings looked nearly identical (lines 35–36) before describing the building they approach as indistinguishable from the others (line 38). A riot of noise and color in choice (F) refers to the move studio lot in general, not the buildings specifically. The narrator uses full of spectacle and wonder in choice (C) to describe her memories of the entire visit. Choice (D) is a description of Bergman herself.

27. A The narrator compares her memories of meeting Bergman to a scene in a movie, full of spectacle and wonder and emotion (lines 68–69). Performance, demonstration, and extravaganza also have similar meanings to spectacle, but marvel best fits the context of wonder and emotion.

28. G The comparison being made in the twelfth paragraph is between the tragic character Bergman portrays in the film and the smiling, friendly, generous woman I met. There is no evidence for choice (F), as the narrator is referring to only one movie. Choice (H) is unsupported since Bergman’s appeal to fans of all ages is never discussed. The narrator describes Bergman as smiling, friendly, and generous, which disagrees with choice (J).

29. D In the last paragraph, the narrator states I was only eleven when I met Ingrid Bergman (line 78).

30. H Speaking about the words Bergman used to describe her own life, the narrator states but as I read those words now…I can’t help but recognize, and be inspired by, a truly independent spirit. Choice (F) can be eliminated because it is contradicted by the narrator’s statement I was only eleven when I met Ingrid Bergman and couldn’t really understand the magnitude of her accomplishments (lines 78–79). There is no proof for the claim in choice (G) that the narrator’s aunt and sister had any influence regarding her appreciation of Bergman, and no mention is ever made of seeing Bergman in the gown Tìa Elena made—eliminate choice (J).

Passage IV

31. A The passage as a whole is a discussion of not only how scientists define life and the difficulties they encounter but also the reasons it is important for them to do so. The criteria used for defining life are discussed, but that is not the primary purpose of the passage. Similarly, the notions of philosophical and biological criteria in choice (C), and the Gaia theory and traditional systems of thought in choice (D) are discussed, but they are not the main focus of the passage.

32. G The second paragraph states with a concept as vastly complex as life itself, the use of simple terms can be problematic (lines 13–15) and offers some examples of specific criteria, as well as some examples that fit the criteria, but not the definition. However, there is no evidence that the intent is to dispute the scientific basis of this definition, as choice (F) claims. Choices (H) and (J) are incorrect, as there is no historical context given nor solutions offered in the second paragraph.

33. A In the third paragraph, the author uses humans and mules as two examples of autonomous life forms and questions whether they technically fit that criterion since both species depend on plants for survival. While the two species certainly share that trait, there is no proof in the text that a means of a comparison between the two species is being established. There is no challenge offered in the text, as choice (C) states, nor is there evidence that author is trying to persuade the reader to take any sort of action—eliminate (D).

34. H The second paragraph (lines 13–27) lists a forest fire, which self-reproduces and could be said to have a metabolism, and a computer virus, which evolves according to its “environment,” as examples of phenomena that meet at least some of the criteria for life. The Gaia theory in the fifth paragraph (lines 48–57) considers the Earth as a whole to be a living organism. The only example not offered by the passage is choice (H), an automobile, making it the correct answer.

35. B The author uses the individual cells of our bodies (lines 23–25) as an example of entities that are complex but may still not be considered strictly to be alive. There is no mention of the term complexity being either subjective or arbitrary, as choice (A) states, nor is there a discussion of its limitations. Complexity, as a defining term, is not discussed in connection with the Gaia theory, making choice (D) incorrect.

36. G The passage states that since the time of Aristotle, there have been any number of definitions of life put forth (lines 5–7). Space exploration is offered as a reason why scientists are so interested in finding a definition (lines 7–11). The debate over the Gaia theory (lines 48–57) is described as a result of the search for a definition, not the reason behind it. There is no comparison in the text between the intensity of the present-day search and that of scientists in the past, so choice (J) can be eliminated.

37. D In lines (35–38), the author uses the phrase break down to describe a chemical process. Choices (A), (B), and (C) do not fit this context.

38. J The author poses the question to emphasize his earlier point about space travel and the ability to seek life on other planets (lines 7–11). The author does not mention the many other answers sought by biologists in choice (F), and there is no mention of the investigation needing to be carried out with a certain level of precision. In the sixth paragraph (lines 58–82), the author discusses the search for a definition leading to further investigation and discovery, but that is a different point from the one he is making in the first paragraph.

39. B The author states that the Gaia theory is a system of thought that treats the Earth as a whole as a single living organism and refers to the theory as a radical departure from traditional systems of thought, so that must be the difference. The author offers the theory as an example, not a solution, so eliminate choice (A). The universe being composed of only four elements is mentioned later in the passage (line 66), but not in conjunction with the Gaia theory, making choice (C) incorrect. Monumental discoveries (lines 71–72) and alternative biochemistries (44–45) are also mentioned in the passage, but also not in connection with the Gaia theory, so choice (D) is incorrect.

40. F It is reasonable to infer that the author of this passage would attach the same importance of finding a definition for love to philosophers as he would that of a definition of life to biologists, and anticipate the same benefits, which directly contradicts choice (G). He gives several examples of the complexities of finding a single definition, saying the use of simple terms can be problematic and the answer…won’t really be an answer but rather a whole series of new questions. This is the opposite of straightforward, so eliminate choice (H). There is no support in the passage for the notion that the author would find such an investigation arbitrary, which eliminates choice (J). The author would agree that such an investigation was interesting, as choice (F) states, and he also makes it very clear that an objective definition is unrealistic by suggesting several times that a single answer won’t be found. Perhaps in the end, rather than leading us to an answer, it will be the search itself…shows that he doesn’t expect there to be a clear answer at the end of the search. Both parts of choice (F) are supported, leaving it as the best answer.