Name: 
 

2009 English Reading



Multiple Choice
Identify the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.
 
 
nar001-1.jpgnar001-2.jpg
 

 1. 

In the section “Why Organize,” the word Squandered means —
a.
physically inactive
c.
wastefully spent
b.
commonly ignored
d.
briefly available
 

 2. 

Which question is not answered in the section “Why Organize”?
a.
How does disorganization cost money?
c.
How does disorganization decrease productivity?
b.
What steps are necessary to overcome disorganization?
d.
What items are commonly lost because of disorganization?
 

 3. 

Which most likely belongs on the list of commonly misplaced items in the
“Why Organize” section?
a.
Binoculars
c.
Camera
b.
Backpack
d.
Eraser
 

 4. 

In the “Organization Made Easy” section, pocket folders are needed to —
a.
dispose of unnecessary materials
c.
separate and store school materials
b.
replace notebooks and binders
d.
free space in lockers at school
 

 5. 

Which question is not answered in the section “Organization Made Easy”?
a.
How much time is wasted each year because of disorganization?
c.
How should materials be grouped to maintain organization?
b.
What can be done to organize a messy backpack?
d.
What should be done daily to overcome disorganization?
 

 6. 

According to the “Test Your New Skills” section, what is the best way to
maintain organization?
a.
Make a list of all items needing to be organized
c.
Store important items in an easily accessible place
b.
Separate unneeded items and dispose of them
d.
Organize items according to their importance
 

 7. 

Which question is answered in the section “Beware the Ghosts of
Clutter Past”?
a.
What is embarrassing about untidy belongings?
c.
What should be done with unneeded items?
b.
What place tends to become disorganized first?
d.
What often causes disorganization?
 

 8. 

According to the section “Keep the Ultimate Goal in Mind,” organization
leads to —
a.
more confidence
c.
improved attitude
b.
better memory
d.
reduced stress
 

 9. 

Which organizational plan is used in the section “Keep the Ultimate Goal
in Mind”?
a.
Explaining
c.
Spatial layout
b.
Listing
d.
Chronological order
 

 10. 

What is the main purpose of the section “Test Your New Skills”?
a.
To inform the reader of the importance of organization
c.
To encourage the reader to apply organization to other areas
b.
To explain to the reader the basic steps to organization
d.
To persuade the reader to make time for organization each day
 

 11. 

Which sentence best expresses the thesis of the webpage?
a.
Searching for lost or misplaced items is frustrating and time consuming.
c.
Poor organization is not only caused by lack of a system, but also by failure to use the system.
b.
Grouping items makes them easier to find when they are needed.
d.
Organizing your work may require a little up-front time, but it will pay
dividends later.
 
 
nar002-1.jpg
nar002-2.jpg
 

 12. 

The first quotation in paragraph 2 refers to —
a.
a belief held by Tiburon
c.
the attraction in P. T. Barnum’s circus
b.
a time-honored Iroquois legend
d.
the founder of Lake Champlain
 

 13. 

The writer of this report uses the sources in paragraph 2 to —
a.
provide statistics
c.
show historical background
b.
summarize information
d.
compare and contrast ideas
 

 14. 

Which question is answered in paragraph 3?
a.
When did P. T. Barnum withdraw his reward?
c.
Why did P. T. Barnum become famous as a showman?
b.
Why did P. T. Barnum offer a reward for Champ?
d.
How did P. T. Barnum plan to display Champ?
 

 15. 

Which of the following would be the best heading for paragraph 4?
a.
Woman Scared to Death
c.
A Photograph of Champ
b.
Famous Lake Champlain
d.
Twentieth-Century Sightings
 

 16. 

From information found in paragraphs 4 through 6, the reader may best
infer that —
a.
Sandra Mansi wanted to become famous
c.
Vermont advertises many sights that attract tourists to the state
b.
Lake Champlain is not open to the public
d.
Instamatic cameras cannot capture specific features from a distance
 

 17. 

From the context of this report, the reader can determine that collusion in
paragraph 7 means —
a.
urgency
c.
efficiency
b.
conspiracy
d.
accuracy
 

 18. 

The writer includes enough information in this report to show that —
a.
Mrs. Mansi was proud of her photograph of Champ and showed it to everyone
c.
Champ is real because of Mrs. Mansi’s ability to recall exact descriptions of him
b.
Champ became an overnight attraction after Mrs. Mansi’s 1977 photograph of him
d.
Mrs. Mansi’s photograph might be questionable evidence of Champ’s existence
 

 19. 

What is the most likely reason that the writer of this report cites Drummond
more often than the other three authors?
a.
Drummond is more famous than other noted researchers.
c.
Drummond is published more than the other authors.
b.
Drummond’s article is specifically about the topic.
d.
Drummond’s work is more general than the other authors’ works.
 

 20. 

After reading this report, the reader may best conclude that people —
a.
go to great lengths to catch sight of a lake monster
c.
have feared lake monsters throughout history
b.
invent stories of strange events to entertain others
d.
are curious about occurrences they cannot explain
 

 21. 

Which sentence from this report is most likely an opinion rather than a fact?
a.
Lake Champlain, located between New York’s Adirondack Mountains and Vermont’s Green Mountains, empties into the St. Lawrence River in Canada.
c.
It appeared in The New York Times in June of 1981.
b.
In 1609 the French adventurer Samuel de Champlain explored the lake and reportedly saw the monster.
d.
Photographs of Champ are rare; the Mansi photograph is considered the classic.
 
 
nar003-1.jpg
nar003-2.jpg
 

 22. 

The main purpose of the first paragraph is to —
a.
detail Beckwourth’s historical significance
c.
establish the subject of the selection
b.
identify the setting of the selection
d.
illustrate Beckwourth’s storytelling ability
 

 23. 

In paragraph 4, the word convene means —
a.
propose
c.
sustain
b.
advertise
d.
assemble
 

 24. 



mc024-1.jpg

In this sentence, the word corroborate means —
a.
examine
c.
exaggerate
b.
support
d.
question
 

 25. 

Beckwourth had the best opportunity to tell his stories to a wider audience
while he was —
a.
a fur trapper
c.
with the Florida military
b.
with the Crow Nation
d.
a trading post operator
 

 26. 

What information supports the idea that Beckwourth had an important role in
American history?
a.
Beckwourth contracted with the Rocky Mountain Fur Company in the 1820s.
c.
Beckwourth took part in the California Gold Rush of 1849.
b.
Beckwourth joined a Missouri contingent of the Florida military to fight in the second Seminole War.
d.
Beckwourth discovered a pass through the Sierra Nevada Mountains that became the preferred route to northern California.
 

 27. 

The reader can tell this selection is biographical because it is —
a.
focused on the events of a real person’s life
c.
developed with numerous illustrative examples
b.
about real geographical locations
d.
about historical events from the past
 

 28. 

The author provides evidence which suggests that Beckwourth —
a.
felt a personal bond with the members of the Crow Nation
c.
was involved in the movement to abolish slavery
b.
longed to return to the home of his parents
d.
preferred operating a trading post to fur trapping
 

 29. 

According to the author, most of what is known today about James
Beckwourth comes from —
a.
what he says about himself
c.
what other mountain men say about him
b.
what historians say about him
d.
what other yarn spinners say about him
 

 30. 

The author presents the events of Beckwourth’s life using specific historical
dates and names in order to —
a.
explain inconsistencies
c.
create irony
b.
build tension
d.
establish believability
 

 31. 

Which best expresses the main idea of this selection?
a.
Beckwourth was a restless individual who had a hard time finding a place and a trade that he liked well enough to settle down.
c.
Beckwourth was one of few 19th-century African-American men who could claim that he was a member of the Crow Nation.
b.
Beckwourth, a hero among mountain men and frontiersman, received little
recognition for his achievements during his lifetime.
d.
Beckwourth had a wide variety of experiences that helped to make him a great storyteller and a unique source on life in the 1800s.
 
 
nar004-1.jpg
nar004-2.jpg
 

 32. 

In paragraphs 3 and 4, why does the porter look at Elizabeth “as if she were
speaking a foreign language”?
a.
He was not comfortable conversing with women.
c.
His job was very demanding, and he did not have time for conversation.
b.
He was not accustomed to treating men and women equally.
d.
His attitude was generally sour and unfriendly.
 

 33. 

Which of these questions is answered in paragraph 8?
a.
How many times had Elizabeth been to the city?
c.
How long was Elizabeth staying in the city?
b.
Why had Elizabeth decided to come to the city?
d.
Where was Elizabeth staying in the city?
 

 34. 

In paragraph 9, the word culmination means —
a.
conclusion or result
c.
unexpected consequence
b.
beginning or cause
d.
unspoken purpose
 

 35. 

The main purpose of paragraph 9 is to —
a.
detail Elizabeth’s experiences on this day
c.
develop the overall atmosphere of the city
b.
present Elizabeth’s impressions of the city
d.
provide the historical context of this day
 

 36. 

The description of the city in paragraph 10 —
a.
foreshadows later events in the selection
c.
illustrates the idea that New York City is growing fast
b.
suggests that New York City is a confusing place
d.
reinforces the sense of excitement surrounding the day
 

 37. 

What conclusion may best be drawn from the description of the city in
paragraph 10?
a.
The city seemed frightening and chaotic to Elizabeth.
c.
The street vendors amused Elizabeth.
b.
The delivery boys made Elizabeth nervous.
d.
The sounds of the city seemed musical to Elizabeth.
 

 38. 



mc038-1.jpg
The phrase “she nearly choked on the extravagance” is intended to stress the
idea that Elizabeth —

a.
wonders whether she will like the chocolates in the city
c.
worries whether she will have enough money to pay for the chocolates
b.
feels guilty about purchasing the expensive chocolates
d.
fears the possibility that the chocolates will upset her stomach
 

 39. 


mc039-1.jpg
The use of the phrase “exploded from the box” is intended to —
a.
add irony
c.
create tension
b.
understate the incident
d.
exaggerate the incident
 

 40. 



mc040-1.jpg

In this sentence, the author uses comparison/contrast to —
a.
express a view about women’s rights in the 1920s
c.
illustrate the main character’s love of chocolates
b.
stress how costly chocolates were in the 1920s
d.
suggest that the main character is exhausted
 

 41. 

Which sentence most clearly places the selection in historical context?
a.
A middle-aged woman in a fur-lined coat and matching gloves danced past in black, pointed-toe boots.
c.
Occasionally one of Mr. Ford’s Model Ts chugged down the street, adding its deep baritone to the chorus.
b.
Elizabeth hugged her small traveling bag to her chest protectively and re-entered the stream of people moving about her.
d.
Elizabeth held out strong against the street vendors and the beckoning storefronts, but when the sweet smell of chocolate assailed her, she could not resist.
 

 42. 

Which book would be most useful in learning more about women gaining the
right to vote in America?
a.
The Voting Process in American Society
c.
The Women’s Equality Movement in America
b.
The Encyclopedia of Famous American Women
d.
The Struggle for Civil Liberties in America
 

 43. 

Which sentence provides the best example of vivid imagery?
a.
Elizabeth accepted the hand the porter held out to her as she stepped down from the train.
c.
This was the woman Elizabeth’s mother had made as real to her as she was at this moment.
b.
At nineteen, Elizabeth was two years shy of voting herself, but that didn’t lessen her enthusiasm.
d.
Imagining herself at the center of a grand carousel, Elizabeth watched as people whirled around her.
 

 44. 

The author provides evidence that suggests Elizabeth —
a.
is a very independent young woman
c.
has plans to stay in the city for an extended period of time
b.
does not spend money wisely when she travels
d.
does not care which candidate wins the presidential election
 

 45. 

The overall tone of this selection can best be described as —
a.
melancholy
c.
scholarly
b.
optimistic
d.
sarcastic
 

 46. 

Which would be the best keywords to use to find more information
about the early days of filmmaking?
a.
motion pictures
c.
video cameras
b.
origins of movies
d.
theater history
 

 47. 

Which would be the best source of information about ancient Roman
architectural style?
a.
A video on the study of ancient civilizations
c.
A current issue of World Architecture magazine
b.
A book entitled Principles of Architecture Through History
d.
An encyclopedia entry on the culture of Italy
 

 48. 

mc048-1.jpg

Which website would be best for finding reliable information on the
Galapagos Islands?
a.
www.tourthegalapagos.com
c.
www.geo.pacific.edu
b.
www.jasonsgalapagos.com
d.
www.touringandlearning.edu
 

 49. 

Which of these sentences expresses an opinion?
a.
The Incan city of Machu Picchu was inhabited for centuries after the arrival of the Spanish.
c.
Machu Picchu is a region of incredible mystery and power, known for its many spectacular sights.
b.
The Spanish knew of the existence of Machu Picchu but never discovered
its whereabouts.
d.
One of the questions that remains unanswered about Machu Picchu is the mystery of how it was built.
 

 50. 

mc050-1.jpg

In this sentence, the tone is set through the author’s use of —
a.
simile
c.
imagery
b.
allusion
d.
symbolism
 



 
Check Your Work     Start Over