56- ] Model SAT Tests - Test Fifty Six

56- ] Model SAT Tests

Test Fifty Six

For each question in this section , select the best answer from among the choices given and fill in the corresponding oval on the answer sheet

The following sentences test correctness and effectiveness of expression . Part of each sentence or the entire sentence is underlined ; beneath each sentence are five ways of phrasing the underlined material . Choice (A) repeats the original phrasing ; the other four choices are different . If you think the original phrasing produces a better sentence than any of the alternatives , select choice (A) ; if not , select one of the other choices .

In making your selection , follow the requirements of standard written English : that is , pay attention to grammar , choice of words , sentence construction , and punctuation . Your selection should result in the most effective sentence - clear and precise , without awkwardness or ambiguity .

1 . Every apple in the baskets are ripe and labeled according to the date it was picked .

(A) are ripe and labeled according to the date it was picked .

(B) is ripe and labeled according to the date it was picked .

(C) are ripe and labeled according to the date they were picked .

(D) is ripe and labeled according to the date they were picked .

(E) are ripe and labeled s to the date it was picked .

2 . The pizza from New York Pizza Depot are better than Guido’s .

(A) are better than Guido’s .

(B) are better than those from Guido’s .

(C) compared to Guido’s .

(D) are better than like Guido’s .

(E) better than those from Guido’s .

3 . With ambition reminiscent of his idols , the already successful artist hopes making many great masterpieces .

(A) hopes making  

(B) hopes to make

(C) hopes it can make

(D) has hope to make

(E) is having hope of making  

4 . Richard Nixon , one of the only presidents impeached during his term , and eventually to resign and leave office .

(A) and eventually to resign and leave office

(B) eventually resigned  and left office

(C) he eventually resigned and left office

(D) he eventually having resigned and left office

(E) having eventually resigned and left office

5 . Richard Avedon was celebrated by the New Yorker not only as a great photographer but also he documented brilliantly decades of history of America and the world .

(A) he documented brilliantly decades of history

(B) having documented decades of history brilliantly

(C) documenting brilliantly decades of history

(D) being brilliant documenter of decades of history

(E) as a brilliant documenter of decades of history

6 . Although the Chicago White Sox win more often than the Chicago Cubs , Chicago residents , who are historically avid baseball fans , prefer the Cubs .

(A) Although the Chicago White Sox win more often than the Chicago Cubs , Chicago residents , who are historically avid baseball fans , prefer the Cubs .

(B) The Chicago White Sox winning  more often than the Chicago Cubs , Chicago residents , who are historically avid baseball fans , prefer the Cubs .

(C) Although not winning as often as  the Chicago White Sox , the Chicago Cubs are preferred  by Chicago residents , who are historically avid baseball fans.

(D) Historically avid baseball fans in  Chicago , who prefer the Cubs to the Chicago White Sox .

(E) Although more games are won by the Chicago White Sox than the Chicago Cubs , Chicago residents , who historically avid baseball fans , prefer the Cubs .

7 . Because the lenses have UV protection , nearly all UV rays are prevented from reaching the wearer’s eyes .

(A) protection , nearly all UV rays are prevented from reaching the wearer’s eyes

(B) protection : nearly all UV rays are prevented from reaching the wearer’s eyes

(C) protection is the reason why they prevent nearly all UV rays from reaching the wearer’s eyes

(D) protection , they prevent nearly all UV rays are from reaching the wearer’s eyes

(E) protection , it prevents nearly all UV rays are from reaching the wearer’s eyes

8 . Having plenty of training , my errors in judgment during my first day on the job were few .

(A) my errors in judgment during my first day on the job were few .

(B) I made few errors in judgment during my first day on the job .

(C) there were few errors in the judgment I used during my first day on the job.

(D) my first day on the job , I made few errors in judgment.

(E) the judgment I used during my first day on the job had few errors .

9 . Jean-Jacques is so busy with work and thus has no time for leisure activities .

(A) so busy with work and thus

(B) so busy with work and therefore

(C) so busy with work than he

(D) busy so much with work that he

(E) so busy with work ,  and so he

10 . Despite their unanimous love of Hemingway , the authors read by the members of the book club range from Danielle Steele to J.R.R. Tolkien .

(A) the authors read by the members of the book club range from Danielle Steele to J.R.R. Tolkien .

(B) authors ranging from Danielle Steele to J.R.R. Tolkien are read by the members of the book club

(C) authors ranging from Danielle Steele to J.R.R. Tolkien being read by the members of the book club .

(D) the members of the book club read authors ranging from Danielle Steele to J.R.R. Tolkien .

(E) a range of authors from Danielle Steele to J.R.R. Tolkien are read by the members of the book club

11 . The issue the economists considered which was whether a tax decrease will cause an increase in consumer spending or simply an increase in consumer savings .

(A) considered which was whether a tax decrease would this cause an increase

(B) considered was if they  would  decrease taxes  will cause an increase

(C) considered was that a decrease of taxes would result in an increase

(D) considered was will decreasing taxes  mean an increase

(E) considered was whether a tax decrease would cause an increase

12 . After shopping all day in crowded department stores , Kathy and Erica were as tired as if running a marathon .

(A) if running

(B) having run

(C) if from running

(D) if they had run

(E) if they would have run

13 - New Year’s Day is traditionally when people make resolutions to improve themselves in the future , the renewal the new year provides is a natural time for self-reflection .

(A) future , the renewal the new year provides

(B) future ;  the renewal the new year provides

(C) future , the new year , and the renewal it provides

(D) future , the new year provides renewal that

(E) future ; because the renewal the new year provides

14 . The hills in Santa Barbara County , like neighboring San Luis Obispo County , is home to some of California’s best vineyards .

(A) neighboring San Luis Obispo County , is

(B) the hills of neighboring San Luis Obispo County , is

(C) the hills of neighboring San Luis Obispo County , are

(D) those in neighboring San Luis Obispo County , is

(E) neighboring San Luis Obispo County , are

15 . Nurses and anesthesiologists are both essential in the operating room , and the anesthesiologists would keep the patient sedated while the nurses would assist and support the surgeon .

(A) and the anesthesiologists would keep the patient sedated while the nurses would assist and support

(B) the anesthesiologists keep the patient sedated and the nurses are assisting and supporting

(C) the anesthesiologists to keep the patient sedated and the nurses to assist and support

(D) and the anesthesiologists keep the patient sedated while the nurses would assist and support

(E) the anesthesiologists keeping  the patient sedated while the nurses would assist and support

16 . Roberto attempted to lose weight , tried various diets , including one which required him only to eat raw foods .

(A) weight , tried

(B) weight , he tried

(C) weight : and tried

(D) weight by trying

(E) weight with the trying of

17 . The floods displaced many people , forcing them to find new homes , to find new sources of drinking water , and new supplies of food .

(A) to find new sources of drinking water

(B) new sources of drinking water

(C) new sources of drinking water to find

(D) the drinking water at new sources

(E) new sources of water that could be drunk

18 . The monkeys grew agitated very quickly and the havoc it wrought was nearly unbelievable .

(A) very quickly and the havoc it wrought was nearly unbelievable 

(B) very quick and the havoc they wrought was nearly unbelievable 

(C) very quickly , the havoc they wrought was nearly unbelievable 

(D) very quick and the havoc it wrought was nearly unbelievable 

(E) very quickly and the havoc they wrought was nearly unbelievable 

19 . The food critic from Cuisine magazine found  as to the likeability of the new chef’s dishes as surprising and thorough .

(A) as to the likeability of the new chef’s dishes as surprising and thorough

(B) as to the new chef his dishes are surprisingly and  thoroughly likeable

(C) that the new chef’s surprisingly and thoroughly likeable dishes

(D) that in regards the new chef’s dishes ,  they are surprisingly and thoroughly likeable

(E) that the new chef’s dishes are surprisingly and thoroughly likeable

20 . The animal shelter reported fewer stray dogs than ever before this year , this is because an ever-growing percentage of dogs are sprayed or neutered and there are fewer unwanted puppies consequently .

(A) year , this is because an ever-growing percentage of dogs are sprayed or neutered and there are fewer unwanted puppies consequently .

(B) year , an ever-growing percentage of dogs being sprayed or neutered means fewer unwanted puppies consequently .

 (C) year , as a result of the fact that an ever-growing percentage of dogs are sprayed or neutered and there are fewer unwanted puppies consequently .

(D) year because an ever-growing percentage of dogs are sprayed or neutered and there are consequently fewer unwanted puppies .

(E) year because of  the spraying or neutering of an ever-growing percentage of dogs and therefore fewer unwanted puppies .

21 . The sausage served at the end of the meal was more flavorful than any of the other pastas I had tasted , probably because it was roasted in its own juices .

(A) was more flavorful than any of the other pastas I had tasted , probably because

(B) tasting more flavored than any of the other pastas I had , probably because

(C) than any of the other pastas I had tasted was more flavorful, probably because

(D) was more flavorful than any of the other pastas I had tasted , as a result most likely of the fact that

(E) was more flavorful than any of the pastas I had tasted , probably because

22 . Similar to William Shakespeare were the works of Christopher Marlowe , which included  plays , poetry , and translations of ancient works into English .

(A) Similar to William Shakespeare were the works of Christopher Marlowe , which

(B) Similar to William Shakespeare’s works were those of Christopher Marlowe , which

(C) Similar to William Shakespeare was Christopher Marlowe , who

(D) Similarly  to William Shakespeare’s works were those of Christopher Marlowe , which

(E) Similar to William Shakespeare’s works were those of Christopher Marlowe , where they

23 . When a bacterial culture is handled in an environment that is not appropriately sterilized , they can be introducing new organisms , ruining the culture .

 (A) When a bacterial culture is handled in an environment that is not appropriately sterilized , they can be introducing new organisms , ruining

(B) a bacterial culture when handled in a not appropriately sterilized environment can introduce new organisms ,and this ruins

(C) When a bacterial culture is handled in an environment that is not appropriately sterilized , new organisms can be introduced , ruining

(D) If you handle a bacterial culture in an environment that is not appropriate sterilized , it can introduce new organisms , ruining

(E) a bacterial culture when handled in an environment that is not appropriately sterilized , can introduce new organisms and ruins

24 . The internet is becoming an indispensable part of everyday life , but there is not much use in the developing world .

(A) life , but there is not much use in the developing world .

(B) life , but in the developing world there is not much use.

(C) life but there is not used much in the developing world .

(D) life , but use in the developing world is not much.

(E) life , but using it is not done much in the developing world .

25 . The computer repair course emphasized the importance of using a properly connected grounding wire to prevent a static electric charge that could damage fragile computer components .  

(A) the importance of using a properly connected grounding wire to prevent a static electric charge

(B) the importance of using a properly connected grounding wire preventing  a static electric charge

(C) to prevent a static electric charge it is important to use a properly connected grounding wire

(D) the importance of using a properly connected grounding wire and to prevent a static electric charge

(E) why it is important using a properly connected grounding wire to prevent a static electric charge

26 . The hawks’ nest , wedged into an apartment building’s façade , was a rather unique sight in Chicago ; they became such an attraction that several books were written about them and tourists came from all over the country to see them .

(A) they became such an attraction that several books were written about them and

(B) several books were written about them and they became such an attraction that

(C) they had become such an attraction that several books were written about them and

(D) it became such an attraction ,  writing several books and

(E) the hawks , after  several books were written about them ,  became such an attraction that

Answer Key

1 . B 2 . B 3 . B 4 . B 5 . E 6 . A 7 . D 8 . B 9 . C 10 . D 11 . E 12 . D 13 . B 14  . C 15 . C 16 . D 17 . B 18 . E 19 . E 20 . D 21 . E 22 . B 23 . C 24 . C 25 . A 26 . E  

55- ] Model SAT Tests - Test Fifty Five

55- ] Model SAT Tests 

- Test Fifty Five 

The definition of aesthetic pleasure is a popular subject for many different fields . In the following , adapted from an article found in a science journal , a physicist discusses the unique perspective that his discipline allows him .

            Since time immemorial , countless scholars have asked the question : What is beauty ? As philosophers engage in weighty discourses , designers update the latest fashions , and artists create their masterpieces , what is considered beautiful changes at an alarming pace . Fifty years ago , the full-figured Marilyn Monroe embodied the American aesthetic value ; today , a legion of Hollywood actresses vastly different in appearance from Marilyn’s have taken her place . However , aesthetic values not only differ from generation to generation , but do so along cultural lines as well . The conventions that govern painting and music vary greatly from East to West . Often , what is considered repellent to one civilization is the pinnacle of aesthetic appeal in another . Thus , when left to the sphere of human design , the search for an absolute definition of beauty remains an elusive one at best .

            As fundamental physicists , my colleagues and I like to believe that we are involved in a search for a beauty that does not remain impervious to definition . The beauty that we search for is not that which is laid down through the work of people and subject to ephemeral tastes , but rather that which has been established by Nature . Those not involved with physics tend to think of it as a precise and predictive science - certainly not a field of study fit for the contemplation of the beautiful . Yet , one of physics’ greatest gifts is that it allows its students to look past extrinsic appearances , into a more overwhelming beauty . As a human being , I am captivated by the visual appeal of a wave crashing on the beach . As a physicist however , I possess the ability to be captivated by the much deeper beauty of the physical laws that govern such a phenomenon . Where the non-physicist sees a lovely but inexplicable event , the well-schooled physicist is able to perceive a brilliant design .

            In truth , since the day that Albert Einstein first proposed the notion that there might be one over-aching physical theory that governs the universe , aesthetics have become a driving force in modern physics . What Einstein and we , as his intellect6ual descendants , have discovered is this : Nature at its most fundamental level , is beautifully constructed . The remarkable simplicity of the laws that govern the universe is , at times , nothing short of breath-taking . And at every step , as new discoveries and technologies allow us to examine the physical world on deeper and deeper levels , we find that the beauty itself becomes more profound . As Einstein himself said , it would seem more likely that we should find-ourselves living in a “chaotic world , in no way graspable through thinking .” Yet here we are , closer than ever to a full understanding of the universe’s beautiful clockwork .

1 . The reference to “Marilyn Monroe” in line 4 primarily serves to        

(A) provide an example of today’s standards of beauty

(B) discuss her abilities as an actress

(C) demonstrate how susceptible aesthetics are to change

(D) compare traditions of East and West

(E) illustrate that the standard definition of beauty remains constant

2 . The author’s assertion in lines 8 - 9 (“what is considered repellent…. in another”) suggests that

(A) cultures are naturally destined to clash

(B) many civilizations are prone to disgusting behavior

(C) different societies are tied together by an appreciation for physics

(D) it is nearly impossible to say what is truly beautiful

(E) individuals tend to disagree on what they find beautiful

3 . As used in paragraph two the underlined phrase “laid down” most nearly means

(A) rested (B) slept (C) created (D) set (E) secured

4 . The author uses the underlined words “ephemeral” and “Nature” in order to  

(A) contrast the concept of impermanent beauty with the beauty for which physics searches (B) evaluate the effectiveness of physics as an art form 

(C) discuss how physics visualize beauty

(D) argue against the relevance of traditional forms of beauty

(E) criticize people who don’t understand physics

5 . In the course of outlining the various gifts of physics , the author cites all of the following EXCEPT

(A) the ability to look for a beauty that is unchanging

(B) appreciating the visual beauty of a wave crashing

(C) understanding both extrinsic and intrinsic beauty

(D) a greater comprehension of Nature’s ways

(E) seeing a deeper design in natural events

6 . In the third paragraph , Albert Einstein’s proposal of an “overarching …. theory” suggests that

(A) the author believes that there is beauty in simplicity

(B) the universe is infinitely complex

(C) aesthetics has no place in physics

(D) the physical world will never be understood rationally

(E) the discovery of a full understanding of the universe is imminent

7 . As used in paragraph three the underlined word “driving” most nearly means

(A) leading (B) controlling (C) traveling (D) escaping (E) pounding

8 . The author quotes Albert Einstein at the end of the passage in order to  

(A) detail the way physical laws affect chaos

(B) emphasize the scope of Einstein’s influence

(C) suggest that Einstein might have doubted the beauty of physics .

(D) stress just how remarkable the order of the universe really is

(E) cast doubt upon Einstein’s abilities

9 . The passage is primarily concerned with

(A) discussing the way various cultures assess beauty

(B) explaining the beauty that is unmasked through an understanding of physics

(C) demonstrating the way concepts of beauty change over time

(D) recounting the achievements of Albert Einstein

(E) finding new relevance for different physical laws

Answer Key

1 . C 2 . D 3 . C 4 . A 5 . B C . A 7 . A 8 . D 9 . B

54- ] Model SAT Tests - Test Fifty Four

54- ] Model SAT  Tests

Test Fifty Four

The passage below is based upon an introduction to the memoirs of the grandson of Great Depression-era immigrants .

            So often in America , we tend to take for granted the freedoms and liberties that we enjoy : it is only by revisiting our past and discovering the places that we are from that we are able to attain an awareness of our good fortune . I grew up in a middle-class neighborhood just outside Hartford , Connecticut , a mere two hours’ journey to Ellis Island , where only 40 years earlier my grandparents had concluded their trans-Atlantic journey . Yet the sacrifices that such and endeavor necessitated were lost upon me . As a young man , I had neither the time to spend nor any interest in delving into my family’s recent -- and what was sure to be a very boring -- history . The first college-bound member of my family , I was far too arrogant and conceited to allow that my grandparents had accomplished anything truly impressive . Had it not been for a chance discovery , I never would have realized how sorely mistaken I was .

            One day during the summer before I was to leave for college , I was home alone , rummaging through my father’s old trunk . As I pawed through the old books and pamphlets and clothes , I uncovered an old , tattered photograph . It was of a young , handsome man sitting on the boardwalk at what appeared to be Coney Island . Though the passage of time had aged the face , I instantly recognized the figure in the picture as my grandfather . After taking a moment to scan the old black-and-white , I placed it back in the trunck , and would not have given it anymore thought except the doorbell rang , and I heard the voice of the old man himself . He had stopped by to say hello on his way hme from the bakery . Such a fortuitous appearance , I thought , and with the photograph in hand , I went to greet him and show him my find .

            My grandfather took the photo and looked it over for a long time , his mind’s eye wandering to some far-off place . He was normally quite garrulous , so to see him silenced for so long caught me a it off-guard . After what seemed like an age , and a little lost for words , I asked him when the photograph was taken . I was certainly not prepared for the answer I received . He sat me down and launched me into the story of the journey that had brought him and his young wife to America . From fleeing death and persecution in the programs of Russia , to changing his last name to secure safe passage across Eastern Europe , to the voyage across the Atlantic , to his arrival in New York City , he laid down the most mesmerizing story I had ever heard . The hardships that he , my grandmother , and untold numbers of immigrants like them had overcome had been unknown , and more significantly , unimportant to me , until that very instant . In the span of two hours , my grandfather had endowed me with a new knowledge , one that would forever alter my perspective on the privileges and opportunities that his actions had afforded me .

1 . The primary purpose of the passage is to show how the author         

(A) developed an arrogant attitude towards the rest of his family

(B) came to view the sacrifices of immigrants as mundane and mediocre

(C) discovered a new outlook on his prospects through a chance conversation with his grandfather

(D) learned to appreciate his grandfather at last

(E) overcame his shame from being the only educated individual in his family

2 . The underlined word “endeavor” most nearly means

(A) pursuit (B) effort (C) ship (D) goal (E) drudgery

3 . The first paragraph suggests that the author’s “awareness” ( line 3) initially was

(A) very broad

(B) very limited

(C) misdirected

(D) in line with that of his parents

(E) non-existent

4 . The author implies that he had adopted an arrogant attitude towards the rest of his family because he

(A) believed that they were not intelligent

(B) was the first person in the family to go to college

(C) thought that anyone who left their home country must be foolish

(D) was disappointed with his family’s financial situation

(E) wad the first family member to be born in America

5 . The author describes his grandfather as “normally” quite garrulous” in order to

(A) illustrate why he would be so eager to tell the story of his journey from Europe

(B) explain his decision to talk about the photograph

(C) show his desire to teach the author about his heritage

(D) provide a reason for the grandfather’s reticence

(E) emphasize his reaction to the photograph

6 . The author’s tone throughout the passage can best be described as

(A) appreciative and nostalgic

(B) regretful and gloomy

(C) angry and admonishing

(D) patriotic and exasperated

(E) reflective and indifferent

Answer Key

1 . C 2 . B 3 . B 4 . B 5 . E 6 . A 

53- ] Model SAT Tests - Test Fifty Three

53- ] Model SAT Tests

Test Fifty Three

The passages below are followed by questions based on their content ; questions following a pair of related passages may also be based on the relationship between the paired passages.  Answer the questions on the basis of what is stated or implied in the passages and in any introductory material that may be provided .

Questions 1 - 2 are based on the following passage .

Passage 1                                                                                                 

            In their heyday during the first half of the 19^th century , hydroelectric schemes were regarded as a proven technology with extremely high energy-conversion efficiencies and a seemingly limitless source of low-cost power . It has been roughly 70 years since the most ambitious American implementation of hydroelectric technology resulted in the massive Hoover Dam , yet the public is only just beginning to grasp the significant tradeoffs inherent in this type of power generation . While dams add to domestic water supplies , provide employment and flood control , and create recreational water parks in the form of reservoirs , the ratio of people displaced to wattage generated is surprisingly high .

Passage 2

            Hydroelectric dams have long been considered the cleanest , most environmentally friendly source of electricity . Unlike fossil-fueled plants , hydroelectric facilities themselves do not emit harmful atmospheric pollutants , such as carbon dioxide , that have been shown to cause global warming and acid rain . However , recent studies have begun to demonstrate convincingly that hydroelectric power is not quite as benign as many once thought . While the large reservoirs and flood plains that are a direct result of damming can be valuable resources the decaying of vegetation submerged by these watersheds creates gases largely equivalent to those generated from the burning of fossil fuels .

1 . The author of Passage 1 refers to The Hoover Dam to make the point that  

(A) the construction of this particular facility failed to provide much employment

(B) this dam is the most impressive American realization of energy-conversion technology

(C) this project became the catalyst for reducing the use of hydroelectric power in America

(D) it has taken decades for the public to grasp the costs of hydroelectric power

(E) large constructions like this dam have an unexplainably high displacement to wattage ratio

2 . The underlined word “benign” most nearly means

(A) kind (B) gentle (C) harmless (D) useful (E) effective

3 . The central focus of the two passages suggest that

(A) the environmental damage caused by hydroelectric dams is often overlooked

(B) the proliferation of hydroelectric technology cross America was unfortunate

(C) hydroelectric dams generate power more efficiently than fossil fuel plants

(D) the social tradeoffs presented by hydroelectric facilities must be considered

(E) some consequences of hydroelectric technology were previously overlooked

4 . The last sentence of each passage

(A) summarizes the author’s arguments

(B) provides conclusive evidence to support the author’s theory

(C) presents positive and negative effects

(D) introduces opposing opinions

(E) narrows the author’s statements to a single conclusion

Answer Key

1 . D 2 . C 3 . E 4 . C 

 

52- ] Model SAT Tests - Test Fifty Two

52- ] Model SAT Tests

The questions below are based on the following passages

Author 1 describes herself in relation to her friends in high school . In Passage 2 , a different narrator describes the behavior of her college roommate Jessie .

Passage 1

            It was puzzling to me that my one real advantage was the agent of my “uncoolness” , and yet at the time I was cowed into believing that it was perfectly just . I adored my friends ; they were smart , funny , beautiful , counterculture , and -- as a rule - utterly depressed . As the “happy” one , I was the butt of most of the jokes . They had devised a ranking system among themselves that meant that the more emotionally fragile one was , the higher one rose on the totem pole . I asserted my independence from them by valuing mental stability and laughing cheerfully , yet I secretly , desperately wanted something to be wrong with me so that they would see me with new eyes . I would be deep . I would be twisted . I would turn out to have been the most wounded one of all , but so stoic abut it that no one would know until years later .

            Unfortunately for my social aspirations , I had had a happy childhood , surrounded by the comforts of the upper-middle class and two loving parents , the only set of parents among my friends who were not divorced or separated . I had grown up a sensible child ; my parents were fairly permissive , and I repaid their trust y taking few risks . I would drift into other parts of the store while my friends shoplifted , or turn the other way while they gave themselves tiny homemade tattoos with ink and a sewing needle , but never did I condemn them or tattle ; I accepted what they did , and in turn , they accepted my presence among them .

            I wasn’t until years after high school , traveling with another friend who had had a good bit of horror in her life already , that I was impressed by the folly of my thinking . I expressed to her , after hearing her litany of misfortune and truly awful circumstance , my strange desire to have had something terrible happen to me so that I could be more complicated . She flew into a rage . How could I treat her misfortune so lightly as to express even a hint of longing for it ? I finally realized that the only way to show true respect for the terrible things that happen to other people was to be deeply grateful for , not dismissive of , my own good fortune .

Passage 2

            Jessie could never get very far into a conversation with somebody new before she would blurt out some reference to the lithium pills she was taking for the manic phase she had just been through . Her battle with bipolar disorder was simultaneously the thing she was most proud of and the thing she was most ashamed of ; she would tell people about it , I think , partly to show off and partly to get the worst over with . She could never bring herself to say something as straightforward as “Just so you know  I’m manic depressive” ,                                                                                                                             but it was always something like “Oops ! I forgot to take my pills today- better take care of that , followed immediately by a calculatedly embarrassed sideways glance that both invited inquiry and made one feel inexpressibly awkward .

            And yet I couldn’t help but like her . She feigned being a wide-eyed blank slate , she would go up to our professors after class and ask “dumb” question after “dumb” question , each one betraying a sharp insight into the topic and a weirdly sophisticated analysis of what was going on . She was always the first to ask the chemistry professor a question he couldn’t answer . She played her intellect the same way she played her disorder ; she would pretend to be trying to hide it , all the while proudly displaying it , framed in carefully constructed “accidental” scenarios . I forgave her each time ; her transparent manipulation was so clearly a product of a true discomfort with who she really was that I could not feel inferior around her .

            In this way , Jessie surrounded herself with a coterie of exceptional misfits . We were all going about the process of learning how to be adults in radically different ways from those of or peers ; that was the thing that held our odd group together , and Jessie was at the center of it , flattering us with her insecurity .

1 . The first sentence of Passage 1 implies that

(A) the narrator has difficulty understanding personal motivations

(B) the narrator failed to recognize the crucial difference between herself and her friends

(C) the narrator is intolerant of her friends’ depression

(D) the narrator’s perspective on the implications of her emotional nature changed over time

(E) the narrator’s friends were unaware of their effect on others

2 . The underlined word “agent” most nearly means

(A) spy (B) active ingredient (C) destroyer (D) secret (E) cause

3 . In line 8 , the underlined phrase “I would be deep” indicates that the narrator

(A) was not deep during the time described in the passage , but later became so

(B) is hiding the terrible things that happened to her in the past

(C) thinks that being happy is more profound than being depressed

(D) believes that developing spiritually is the most important way to grow

(E) thinks her friends would respect her more if she had something to be depressed about

4 . The underlined words “impressed by” paragraph 3 most nearly means

(A) admiring of (B) forced into (C) made aware of (D) shown the good side of

(E) surprised by

5 . In the last four lines of Passage 1 , the narrator’s perspective changes from

(A) admiration of her friends to disapproval of them

(B) isolation to a sense of closeness

(C) optimism to pessimism

(D) dissatisfaction to gratitude

(E) self-satisfied to solicitous

6 . In the context of Passage 2 the underlined word “played” suggests that

(A) Jessie made a conscious effort to portray her illness in a particular way

(B) Jessie did not take her disorder seriously

(C) the narrator was fooled into thinking that Jessie was different from her

(D) Jessie has lost the ability to distinguish between deception and reality

(E) the narrator believes Jessie’s behavior is entertaining

7 . The statement at the end of Passage 2 , paragraph 2 [ “her transparent ----------around her” ] suggests that the narrator  

(A) is uncomfortable with who she really is

(B) is an “exceptional misfit”

(C) looks up to Jessie

(D) pretends that she knows more about Jessie than she really does

(E) might not forgive Jessie f Jessie made her feel inferior

8 . Passage 2 indicates that the narrator feels as she does about Jessie because

(A) she feels confident around Jessie’s apparent insecurity

(B) she admires Jessie’s skill at manipulation

(C) Jessie makes her uncomfortable

(D) Jessie looks up to the narrator

(E) Jessie helps her with Chemistry homework

9 . Author 1 and Jessie in Passage 2 are similar in that both

(A) feel a strong desire to advance socially

(B) feel insecure about their state of emotional health

(C) are successful in deceiving others

(D) are determined to remain genuine despite social disapproval  

(E) have been deeply affected by the attitudes of their friends

10 . Jessie differs most from Author 1 in her

(A) degree of social influence

(B) ability to be successful in academies

(C) willingness to devote her time to cultivating friendships

(D) refusal to accept the labels and judgments of others

(E) desire to befriend people of all different intellectual and emotional types

11 . The two passages differ in that , unlike Jessie , Author 1 has

(A) reluctantly decided to stay in school

(B) rediscovered a love of family gatherings

(C) found that emotional change is frequently impossible to obtain

(D) overcome a negative attitude about her own emotional state

(E) recently stopped lying about her childhood

12 . Which best characterizes how the subject of self-assurance is treated in these two passages ?

(A) Passage 1 suggests that acceptance of self is an act of maturity , while Passage 2 implies that insecurity makes others feel better .

(B) Passage 1 emphasizes the importance of genetics to emotional health , while Passage 2 focuses mainly on external circumstances .

(C) Both passages portray characters who are usually comfortable with themselves .

(D) Passage I argues that emotional states can be consciously controlled , while Passage 2 claims that they are out of the individual’s control

(E) Neither Passage 1 nor Passage 2 considers the psychological effect of pretending to be something other than one is

13 . Which generalization about emotional disorders is most strongly supported by both passages ?

(A) Economic status has more to do with social position than emotional states .

(B) Students are the primary group afflicted by emotional disorders .

(C) It is only after going to college that young people come to understand the intricacies of emotion .

(D) People have emotional disorders primarily because of a desire to be interesting .

(E) Emotional disorders play a large role in the social interactions of those afflicted by them and the people they associate with .

Answer Key

1 . D 2 . E 3 . E 4 . C 5 . D 6 . A 7 . E 8 . A 9 . B 10 . A 11 . D 12 . A 13 . E