Question

DIRECTIONS: In the passage below, certain phrases are underlined and numbered <x>.
The question will present alternatives for the underlined part. In most cases. you are to
choose the one that best expresses the idea, makes the statement appropriate for standard
written English, or is worded most consistently with the style and tone of the passage as a
whole. If you think the original version is the best, choose “NO CHANGE”.

The underlined portion <1> most likely means

J.K. Rowling

[1]
While many people may get frustrated with train delays, Joanne Rowling turned her
experience into a life-changing story. She began writing about a young wizard while delayed
at a Manchester station stop, and brought Harry Potter to life <1>over the next five years.
The Philosopher’s Stone was the first of seven children’s books published under her pen
name J. K. The Harry Potter series has sold over 447 million copies worldwide and been
translated into seventy-three languages, including Latin and Ancient Greek.<2>

[2]
When the Philosopher’s Stone was published <3>in 1997, the book industry had given up on
young readers. It’s <4>first edition was a mere 500 books, and most copies were sent to
public libraries across England. By the time Rowling’s seventh Harry Potter novel was
published in 2007, Rowling had already become the woman who put a new face on children’s
literacy. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows, the final installation, has <5>a word count of
nearly 1.1 million words, and sold 11 million copies in the first 24 hours of its release.<6>

The underlined portion <1> most likely means

 a. Rowling gave birth to a child who she named Harry Potter

 b. Rowling created a story about a boy named Harry Potter

 c. Rowling was the puppeteer for a marionette called Harry Potter

 d. Rowling resuscitated a child named Harry Potter who was riding a train
Which of these sentences would most logically be added to the end of Paragraph 1 <2>?

 a. Even though children do not speak Latin or Ancient Greek, it is important that
the book be translated into classical languages.

 b. These numbers show how incredibly successful J. K. Rowling really is!

 c. Rowling’s international success has made her one of the most prolific writers
of all time.
  d. Rowling is a great example of how successful one can be when they use their
time wisely, even when waiting for a train.

Read the passage and answer question <3>

 a. NO CHANGE

 b. had published

 c. was publishing

 d. had been publishing

Read the passage and answer question <4>

 a. NO CHANGE

 b. It is

 c. Its’

 d. Its

Read the passage and answer question <5>

 a. NO CHANGE

 b. Hollows, the final installation has

 c. Hollows the final installation, has

 d. Hollows (the final installation) has

The most appropriate sentence to place at the end of Paragraph 2 <6> as a transition to
Paragraph 3 is

o a. Although Rowling’s legacy in children’s literacy is profound, she

recently discovered a new passion for children’s causes.

o b. Rowling’s legacy as a children’s writer will likely be forgotten because

of her new work with children who are orphans.

o c. Rowling’s books are not as important as the new work she is doing to
help children in orphanages.
 o d. Someday, people will only remember the Harry Potter movies, and not
Rowling’s books.

The following passage is from a discussion of various ways that living creatures have been
classified over the years.

The world can be classified in different ways, depending on one’s interests and principles of
classification. The classifications (also known as taxonomies) in turn determine which
comparisons seem natural or unnatural, which literal or analogical. For example, it has been
common to classify living creatures into three distinct groups—plants, animals, and humans.
According to this classification, human beings are not a special kind of animal, nor animals a
special kind of plant. Thus, any comparisons between the three groups are strictly analogical.
Reasoning from inheritance in garden peas to inheritance in fruit flies, and from these two
species to inheritance in human beings is sheer poetic metaphor.

Another mode of classifying living creatures is commonly attributed to Aristotle. Instead of

treating plants, animals, and humans as distinct groups, they are nested. All living creatures
possess a vegetative soul that enables them to grow and metabolize. Of these, some also have
a sensory soul that enables them to sense their environments and move. One species also has
a rational soul that is capable of true understanding. Thus, human beings are a special sort of
animal, and animals are a special sort of plant. Given this classification, reasoning from
human beings to all other species with respect to the attributes of the vegetative soul is
legitimate, reasoning from human beings to other animals with respect to the attributes of the
sensory soul is also legitimate, but reasoning from the rational characteristics of the human
species to any other species is merely analogical. According to both classifications, the
human species is unique. In the first, it has a kingdom all to itself; in the second, it stands at
the pinnacle of the taxonomic hierarchy.

Homo sapiens is unique. All species are. But this sort of uniqueness is not enough for many
(probably most) people, philosophers included. For some reason, it is very important that the
species to which we belong be uniquely unique. It is of utmost importance that the human
species be insulated from all other species with respect to how we explain certain qualities.
Human beings clearly are capable of developing and learning languages. For some reason, it
is very important that the waggle dance performed by bees * not count as a genuine language.
I have never been able to understand why. I happen to think that the waggle dance differs
from human languages to such a degree that little is gained by terming them both
“languages,” but even if “language” is so defined that the waggle dance slips in, bees still
remain bees. It is equally important to some that no other species use tools. No matter how
ingenious other species get in the manipulation of objects in their environment, it is
absolutely essential that nothing they do count as “tool use.” I, however, fail to see what
difference it makes whether any of these devices such as probes and anvils, etc. are really
tools. All the species involved remain distinct biological species no matter what decisions are
made. Similar observations hold for rationality and anything a computer might do.

According to the author, what is most responsible for influencing our perception of a
comparison between species?
  a. The behavior of the organisms in their natural environment

 b. The organizational scheme imposed on the living world by researchers and

philosophers

 c. The style of language used by scientists in presenting their research

 d. The sophistication of the communication between organisms

 e. The magnitude of hierarchical distance between a species and Homo sapiens

Which of the following is NOT possible within an Aristotelian classification scheme?

 a. Two species that are alike in having sensory souls but differ in that one lacks a
rational soul

 b. Two species that are alike in having sensory souls but differ in that one lacks a
rational soul

 c. A species having a vegetative soul while lacking sensory and rational souls

 d. A species having vegetative and rational souls while lacking a sensory soul

 e. A species having vegetative and sensory souls while lacking a rational soul
Which of the following comparisons would be “legitimate” for all living organisms
according to the Aristotelian scheme described in paragraph two?
I. Comparisons based on the vegetative soul
II. Comparisons based on the sensory soul
III. Comparisons based on the rational soul

o a. I only

o b. II only

o c. III only

o d. II and III only

o e. I, II, and III

Popular Resources
If the author had wished to explain why “most” people (paragraph 3) feel the way they
do, the explanation would have probably focused on the

 a. reality of distinct biological species

  b. most recent advances in biological research

 c. behavioral similarities between Homo sapiens and other species

 d. role of language in the development of technology

 e. lack of objectivity in the classification of Homo sapiens

The author uses the words “For some reason” in paragraph 3 to express

 a. rage

 b. disapproval

 c. despair

 d. sympathy

 e. uncertainty
Which best summarizes the idea of “uniquely unique” (paragraph 3)?

 a. We are unique in the same way that all other species are unique.

 b. We are defined by attributes that we alone possess and that are qualitatively
different from those of other species.

 c. We are, by virtue of our elevated rank, insulated from many of the problems of
survival faced by less sophisticated species.

 d. Our awareness of our uniqueness defines us as a rational species.

 e. Our apparently unique status is an unintended by-product of classification

systems.
In paragraph 3, “insulated from” means

 a. warmed by

 b. covered with

 c. barred from

 d. segregated from
In the third paragraph, the author criticizes those who believe that
 1. a. the similarities between Homo sapiens and other species are more significant
than their differences

2. b. the differences between Homo sapiens and other animals are those of degree,
not kind

3. c. Homo sapiens and animals belong to separate and distinct divisions of the
living world

4. d. Homo sapiens and animals have the ability to control their environment

5. e. Homo sapiens and other organisms can be arranged in Aristotelian nested

groups

Read the following article, “What Every Woman Should Know About Long-Term
Care,” to answer questions
1. With women generally outliving men, planning for long-term care becomes more urgent
for them in their pre-retirement years. After all, while longevity definitely has its upside
—including more time to enjoy travel and family—there’s no denying its biggest
potential downside: the increased risk of health problems that can make caring for oneself
difficult.
2. Today, seven in 10 nursing home residents are women.
3. They also represent a whopping 76 percent of assisted living residents, according to the
latest statistics, and two-thirds of all home-care recipients.
4. And that care isn’t necessarily what many would consider “affordable”—unless you’re
perhaps lucky enough to have the opportunity to enroll in the likes of the Federal Long-
Term Care Insurance Program (FLTCIP).
5. “Like other forms of health care, long-term care is expensive, and costs continually
increase,” says Paul Forte, CEO of Long Term Care Partners, which administers the
FLTCIP. The program is specifically designed to help current and retired federal
employees safeguard their retirement income and savings while maintaining their
independence and avoiding reliance on their children.
How Will You Pay for Care?
6. The most recent John Hancock Cost of Care Study puts the national average cost of a
licensed home health aide at $20 per hour, with private and semiprivate nursing home
rooms going for $235 and $207, respectively, a day.
7. Those costs aren’t generally covered by health plans such as Medicare, the Defense
Department’s TRICARE, TRICARE for Life, or even the regular Federal Employees
Health Benefits Program. And as for Medicaid, as Forte notes, “it covers long-term care
only for those with very low income and assets, so the responsibility for paying may fall
on you.”
8. Now suppose you’re a woman who is eligible for the FLTCIP, but you haven’t yet
applied. Ask yourself these four questions:
9. • Considering your health and family history, might you live a long life with health
conditions that could hinder caring for yourself?
10. • Do you live alone?
11. • If you don’t live alone, how might tending to you disrupt the professional and personal
lives of others, and do you wish to be dependent on them?
12. • If you do live alone, will you have the resources not just to pay for care, but to also
maintain a comfortable lifestyle?
The Advantages of the Federal Long-Term Care Insurance Program
13. Established by an act of Congress in 2000 and overseen by the U.S. Office of Personnel
Management, the program is tailored exclusively to meet the budgetary and lifestyle
needs of what’s referred to as “the federal family.” And as so often is the case with the
federal workforce, the cost to enrollees is surprisingly affordable.
How affordable?
14. Well, there’s a choice of four prepackaged plans that combine the most popular program
features, with customizable plans also available.
15. So, say you’re a 45-year-old woman who chooses the FLTCIP’s most popular
prepackaged plan (Plan B, with the 4 percent inflation rider). You’d pay a biweekly
premium of $33.90—less than $68 per month, or slightly more than $2 a day—for
protection that can save you thousands of dollars in future care costs.
16. The program’s consumer-friendly website lets you calculate the premium rate for your
age and choice of plans, and view current and past informational webinars. Personal
consultants can also walk you through the entire process, including plan design and
applications.
17. Again, not everyone is eligible for FLTCIP, and certain medical conditions, or
combinations of conditions, will prevent some from being approved for coverage.
Premiums are set with the expectation that they’ll suffice, but aren’t guaranteed. While
the group policy is in effect, the Office of Personnel Management must approve an
increase in premium.
1. What is the underlying premise of this article?
a. Men should take better care of themselves so they can live as long as
their female partners.
b. The assumption that women outlive men.
c. Without proper planning for the future, people can suffer serious
consequences.
d. People should find ways to care for themselves rather than moving into
assisted living facilities.
2. Which sentence proves the author has taken other, potentially conflicting
factors into consideration before making this argument?
a. “After all, while longevity definitely has its upside—including more
time to enjoy travel and family—there’s no denying its biggest
potential downside: the increased risk of health problems that can
make caring ‘for oneself difficult.’”
b. “Today, seven in 10 nursing home residents are women.”
 c. “Established by an act of Congress in 2000 and overseen by the U.S.
Office of Personnel Management, the program is tailored exclusively
to meet the budgetary and lifestyle needs of what’s referred to as ‘the
federal family.’”
d. “Again, not everyone is eligible for FLTCIP, and certain medical
conditions, or combinations of conditions, will prevent some from
being approved for coverage.”
3. Identify the text’s stated advantages of the Federal Long-Term Care Insurance
Program by placing the choice letter (A, B, C, etc.) to go in each of the three
blank boxes.

Advantages of Federal Long-Term Care Insurance Program

A
B
D
a. Helps protect retirement assets
b. Provides coverage not available through Medicaid
c. Avoids reliance on private insurers
d. Customizable plans available
e. Locked-in premiums
4. What is the inherent cause-and-effect argument presented in this article?
a. If you do not raise your children properly, they will not take care of
you when you are old.
b. Longevity will impact choices you will have to make.
c. The cost of living will not rise in the future.
d. Living longer will not impact the future.
5. How can this information be applied to readers in different situations?
a. Readers can be encouraged to make smart decisions (such as saving
money) for their future.
b. Readers can take more time to spend with their children to ensure a
healthier relationship.
c. Readers can ensure they take the right steps to care for themselves in
the future.
d. Readers can visit the websites provided to receive the care mentioned
in this article.
6. Place all the supporting details for the main idea in the four blank boxes. Use
the letters to make your selections.
Supporting Details

B
C
D
E
a. With women generally outliving men, planning for long-term care
becomes more urgent for them in their pre-retirement years.
 b. They also represent a whopping 76 percent of assisted living residents,
according to the latest statistics, and two-thirds of all home-care
recipients.
c. The program is specifically designed to help current and retired federal
employees safeguard their retirement income and savings while
maintaining their independence and avoiding reliance on their children.
d. The most recent John Hancock Cost of Care Study puts the national
average cost of a licensed home health aide at $20 per hour, with
private and semiprivate nursing home rooms going for $235 and $207,
respectively, a day.
e. And as for Medicaid, as Forte notes, “it covers long-term care only for
those with very low income and assets, so the responsibility for paying
may fall on you.”
f. How affordable?
g. Personal consultants can also walk you through the entire process,
including plan design and applications.

Choose the one best answer to each question. Some of the sentences may contain errors in
organization, sentence structure, usage, or mechanics. A few of the sentences, however, may
be correct as written.
Read the sentences carefully and then answer the questions based on the sentences you have
just read.
For each question, choose the answer that would result in the most effective writing of
the sentence or sentences.

Sample Business Document

Jonathan Quinn, Employment Director

Capital City Gardening Services
4120 Wisconsin Avenue, N.W.
Washington, DC 20036

Dear Mr. Quinn:

(1) I would like to apply for the landscape supervisor position advertised in the Sunday, April
30th edition of the Washington Post.
(2) My work experience and education combined with your need for an experienced
landscape supervisor has resulted in a relationship that would profit both parties.
(3) In May, I graduated from Prince William Community College.
(4) Graduating with an Associate of Arts Degree in horticulture.
(5) My concentration within the program which was designing gardens and choosing the
plants for particular soils and regions.
(6) In addition, I took a bunch of other tough courses in college that my uncle thought were
really, really hard and which forced me to lose an awful lot of sleep.
(7) I have also had considerable experience in supervising.
(8) For several years, having worked with a local company, Burke Nursery and Garden
Center, and had been responsible for supervising the four members of the planting staff.
(9) Our community know Capital City Gardening Services is a company that does excellent
work and strives hard to meet the demands of its clients.
(10) As my references will attest, I am a diligent worker and have the respect of both my
coworkers and my customers.
(11) I will be, as a landscape supervisor at your firm, able to put to use the skills and
knowledge that I have obtained and continue the tradition you have established.
(12) I have included a copy of my resume detailing my principal interests education, and past
work experience.
(13) Photographs of the landscape projects I have supervised as well as drawings of proposed
projects are also included.
(14) The opportunities that this position provides and the many challenges that this position
provides are things that I am excited about in regards to this position.
(15) Thank you for your consideration, I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,
Patrick Jones
1. Sentence 2: My work experience and education combined with your need
for an experienced landscape supervisor has resulted in a relationship
that would profit both parties.
What correction should be made to sentence 2?
a. insert a comma after education
b. change combined to combine
c. change has resulted to would result
d. replace profit with prophet
e. replace parties. with party’s.
2. Sentences 3 and 4: In May, I graduated from Prince William Community
College. Graduating with an Associate of Arts Degree in horticulture.
Which is the best way to write the underlined portion of the text? If the
original is the best way, choose option (1).
a. College. Graduating
b. College, I graduated
c. College. A graduation
d. College. Having graduated
e. College with
3. Sentence 5: My concentration within the program which was designing
gardens and choosing the appropriate plants for particular soils and
regions.
Which is the best way to write the underlined portion of the text? If the
original is the best way, choose option (1).
a. which was designing gardens and choosing
b. was designing gardens and choosing
c. was designing gardens and to choose
d. was to design gardens and choosing
e. was designing gardens but also choosing
4. Sentence 6: In addition, I took a bunch of other tough courses in college
that my uncle thought were really, really hard and which forced me to
lose an awful lot of sleep.
Which revision should be made to sentence 6?
a. move sentence 6 to follow sentence 1
b. move sentence 6 to follow sentence 7
c. move sentence 6 to follow sentence 9
d. remove sentence 6
e. no revision is necessary
5. Sentence 8: For several years having worked with a local company, Burke
Garden Center, and have been responsible for supervising the four
members of the planting staff.
What correction should be made to sentence 8?
a. replace years having with years. I have
b. remove the comma after company
c. replace and having with also having
d. change have been to having been
e. no correction is necessary
6. Sentence 9: Our community know Capital City Gardening Services is a
company that does excellent work and strives hard to meet the demands
of its clients.
What correction should be made to sentence 9?
a. change know to knows
b. change is to are
c. change does to do
d. change strives to strive
e. change its to it’s
7. Sentence 11: I will be, as a landscape supervisor at your firm, able to put
to use the skills and knowledge that I have obtained from my professional
career and education.
If you rewrote sentence 11 beginning with As a landscape supervisor at you
firm,
a. and able I will be
b. I will be able
c. putting and using with ability
d. obtaining my professional career education
e. able to put to use I will be
8. Which sentence below would be most effective at the beginning of paragraph
B?
a. There are many companies in this community and Capital City Gardening
Services is one of them.
b. A company such as yours is known for a lot of things, especially the
beautiful fountain, great billboard, and large parking area.
c. Like carpet cleaning services, gardening services range in cost.
d. A company is only as good as its reputation.
 e. Gosh, I don’t know where to begin when saying good things about your
company.
9. Sentence 12: I have included a copy of my resume detailing my principal
interests education, and past work experience.
What correction should be made to sentence 12?
a. insert a comma after resume
b. replace principal with principle
c. insert a comma after interests
d. replace past with passed
e. no correction in necessary
10. Sentence 14: The opportunities that this position provides and the many
challenges that this position provides are things that I am excited about in
regards to this position.
The most effective revision of sentence 14 would begin with which group of
words?
a. The opportunities and challenges, in regards to being excited,
b. This position with challenges and this position with opportunities
c. Things of opportunities and things of challenges
d. Things, opportunities, challenges, and position
e. I am excited about the opportunities and challenges
11. Sentence 15: Thank you for your consideration, I look forward to hearing
from you.
Which is the best way to write the underlined portion of the text? If the
original is the best way, choose option (1).
a. consideration, I look
b. consideration, but I look
c. consideration, and I look
d. consideration, having looked
e. consideration, in addition I look
12. Which revision would make the letter more effective?
Begin a new paragraph
a. with sentence 3
b. with sentence 5
c. with sentence 8
d. with sentence 10
e. with sentence 13
The History of Girl Scout Cookies

For nearly 100 years, the Girl Scouts and their supporters have made their annual
cookie sale into an iconic American tradition—and all while they learned valuable life
lessons, made their communities better, and most of all: had fun.

Girl Scout Cookies began long ago in the kitchens of troop members, with moms
volunteering to help advise. In 1917, only 5 years after the Girl Scouts of America
was founded by Juliette Gordon Low, the Mistletoe Troop in Muskogee, Oklahoma
began baking and selling cookies in their high school cafeteria as a service project.
From these humble beginnings, a national fundraising phenomenon was born.
 By 1922, the Girls Scouts of America were getting the word out about this amazing
fundraiser. The American Girl magazine (published by GSA), featured an article by
Florence E. Neill, a local director in Chicago, Illinois, which provided a cookie recipe
complete with a sales plan. In 1933, the Greater Philadelphia Council began baking
cookies and selling them in city’s gas and electric company windows in 1933. Local
Girl Scout troops raised money and developed marketing and business skills. By
1934, they became the first council to sell commercially baked cookies.

The Girl Scout Federation of Greater New York soon followed Philadelphia’s lead in
1935, but they added the words “Girl Scout Cookies” to their box. Within a year, the
national Girl Scout organization had realized the potential shown in these cities, and
began licensing the production of cookies to be sold nationwide. The national
excitement for Girl Scout cookies built from there, and by 1951 Girl Scout cookies
came in three varieties: Sandwich, Shortbread, and Chocolate Mints. By the 1970’s,
the GSA was selling 8 different varieties of cookies.

In more recent years, the GSA has begun to focus more heavily on design, bold and
bright boxes that captured the spirit of Girl Scouting. There are still 8 varieties of
cookies, but now they’re kosher and, much to the excitement of our youngest Girl
Scouts, Daisies started selling cookies!
Read this sentence from Paragraph 1.

For nearly 100 years, the Girl Scouts and their supporters have made their annual
cookie sale into an iconic American tradition—and all while they learned valuable life
lessons, made their communities better, and most of all: had fun.
What can readers infer from this sentence?

o The GSA was created 100 years ago as a way to sell cookies.
o Selling Girl Scout cookies is hard, but rewarding work.
o Learning valuable life lessons is an American tradition.
o The GSA want to emphasize the fun that their scouts are having more than
anything else.
Which detail in the passage supports the idea that the tradition of selling Girl Scout
cookies started as a local project before it caught on within the GSA nationally?

 “…from these humble beginnings, a national fundraising phenomenon was born”

(paragraph 2).
 “In more recent years, the GSA has begun to focus more heavily on design…”
(paragraph 5).
 “by 1951 Girl Scout cookies came in three varieties: Sandwich, Shortbread, and
Chocolate Mints” (paragraph 4).
 “For nearly 100 years, the Girl Scouts and their supporters have made their annual
cookie sale into an iconic American tradition” (paragraph 1).
Which idea about the history of the Girl Scout cookie is supported by the passage?

 A troop in Oklahoma was the first to use commercial bakers in their fundraising
efforts.
 The GSA is known for putting little effort into the design and presentation of their
product.
 A troop in Philadelphia was the first to use commercial bakers in their fundraising
efforts.
 The GSA have always been focused on how the design of their cookie boxes impacts
their cookie sales.
Read this sentence from Paragraph 4.

The Girl Scout Federation of Greater New York soon followed Philadelphia’s lead in 1935,
but they added the words “Girl Scout Cookies” to their box.

What can readers infer from this sentence?

 Girl Scouts in New York are better marketers than Girl Scouts in Philadelphia.
 Selling cookies didn’t become profitable for Girl Scout troops until 1935.
 Girl Scouts in Philadelphia are better marketers than Girl Scouts in New York.
 The name “Girl Scout cookies,” which is so well-known now, wasn’t created until
1935.
How does the final paragraph of the passage relate to the rest of the passage?

 It summarizes the history of Girl Scout cookies.

 It provides a counterargument to solidify the position of the writer.
 It provides the most recent chronological information in the passage.
 It calls the audience to action.
Based on the passage, what is an important thing that the Girl Scouts of America want
readers to understand about Girl Scout cookies?

 While selling Girl Scout cookies has become a nationwide program, it started very
humbly.
 The more cookies you buy, the more fun the Girl Scouts will have.
 Most successful women in business first learned marketing as a member of the Girl
Scouts of America.
 Any Girl Scout cookies you buy today were baked and packaged by actual Girl
Scouts.
Read this sentence from paragraph 5.

There are still 8 varieties of cookies, but now they’re kosher and, much to the excitement of
our youngest Girl Scouts, Daisies started selling cookies!
Replacing the word “excitement” with “astonishment” changes the meaning of the
sentence to suggest that allowing Daisies to sell cookies was

 overdue.
 unexpected.
 unpopular.
 careless.

For all questions: Read each passage. Then answer each question carefully by choosing
the best answer.

Happiness may be the primary goal of human existence. Philosophers have wrestled with the
concept of happiness. Legislators create laws to support citizens’ rights to pursue happiness.
Television, radio, and print advertisers assure consumers that various products will guarantee
happiness. Interestingly, people have a tendency to believe they are happier than their
neighbors, and they are optimistic about their happiness in the future. Most people assume
that they will be happier a decade from now than they are today.

Clearly, everyone from writers and philosophers to legislators and the average person on the
street thinks a great deal about happiness. What makes happiness so important to human
existence?

Why Be Happy?

Not only does happiness feel good, but it appears to provide a variety of psychological and
physical benefits. Happiness plays a significant role in enhancing good health, strengthening
the immune system, promoting longevity, improving productivity and performance, and
increasing resilience. Happy people work hard, play hard, have an active social life (and a
social conscience), experience good health, and live longer. A happy person lives an average
of nine years longer than a miserable one.

In the section Why Be Happy?, why does the author include parentheses around “and a
social
conscience”?

a. to point out that social conscience leads to good health

b. to emphasize the importance of playing and working hard
c. to point out that having a social conscience can promote longevity
d. to emphasize the importance of social conscience as a part of an active social life

The Opposite of Happiness

When studying happiness, it makes sense that its opposite condition would also be a topic of
examination. Scientists have observed that there are two unfortunate life events that induce
profound unhappiness, perhaps over the course of many years: the loss of a spouse and the
loss of a job.
What change occurs as a result of adding the prefix un– to fortunate in the above paragraph?

a. the word becomes more intense

b. the word becomes less intense
c. the word takes on the opposite meaning
d. the word takes on a different part of speech

What Causes Happiness?

However, good news abounds in the study of happiness. Fortunately, humans experience
happiness from a wide range of stimuli, from traveling to an exotic destination to
redecorating one’s home or from winning a game of soccer to eating a delicious meal. Simply
watching a favorite television show or laughing at a funny joke can boost a depressed mood.
While the happiness produced by such experiences tends to be short lived, certain conditions
do promote a more long-lasting and durable state of happiness as a lifestyle: a wide social
network, believing in a meaningful reason for one’s existence, and establishing goals and
working to achieve them.

Which statement summarizes the heading What Causes Happiness?

a. A wide social network is the key to happiness.

b. Laughing at funny jokes helps to lift a gloomy mood.
c. Scientists conclude that good news leads to long-lasting happiness.
d. Both short- and long-term happiness are caused by a variety of experiences.

With a Little Help from My Friends

Surprisingly, income is not a primary factor in determining a person’s level of happiness once
the basic needs of food, clothing, and shelter have been met. More important is one’s social
network. Being socially active may be more effective in increasing one’s immunity to illness
than a vaccine. Misery may love company, but so does happiness, and having close friends
and family is vital to one’s overall level of happiness. (If friends and family are crucial, so is
a loving partner. Research suggests that being married increases one’s potential for
happiness.) Even sharing one’s home with an animal companion can make a person happier.

In the section With a Little Help from My Friends, why does the author use the phrase
“misery may love company”?

a. to convince people that pets are better company than a loving partner
b. to encourage people to find mates for their friends who are unhappy
c. to point out that people will be happier with positive relationships
d. to recommend that people try to influence negative people in a positive way

Why Am I Here?
Scientists report that believing in some kind of meaning for one’s life is necessary to living a
happy life. This may be a religion, a code of ethics, a particular value system, a philosophy,
or any other reason for being that lifts people out of the mundane routine of daily existence
and gives their life meaning beyond a weekly paycheck.
The Habit of Happiness
Happiness is not an innate characteristic but may actually be developed as a habit. Scientists
suggest that incorporating new habits and practices can go a long way in increasing one’s
state of happiness. While people generally do not transform their basic temperaments, people
can learn to become happier by participating in a variety of activities, including socializing,
watching funny movies or reading funny books, keeping a gratitude journal (writing a daily
list of three to five things for which one is grateful), involving oneself in pleasurable
activities, such as sports, hobbies, or the arts, focusing on positive outcomes, and performing
acts of kindness for others. Apparently, doing something to make someone else happy will
make you happy, too.

What is one assumption the author makes about attaining happiness?

a. Some people find comfort in mundane routines

b. A person needs a social network to attain happiness.
c. Reading and writing about your problems will produce happiness.
d. Convincing negative people to become positive is a life goal.

In the section The Habit of Happiness, what does the word innate mean?

a. natural and existing

b. incomplete and building
c. absent and unfamiliar
 d. learned and habitual

Which statement is an opinion?

a. Happiness is not a physical characteristic.
b. Legislators create laws to support happiness.
c. Happiness may be the primary goal of human existence.
d. Advertisers use happiness to promote their products.

Questions 1 through 5 refer to the following excerpt from an article.

Excerpted from “Sizing Up the Interviewer”
1. It is intrinsic to human nature to take the measure of the people we meet. We do it all the
time, automatically. We develop an instinctive way of reading others that is sometimes
the saving of us and at other times can prove to be our undoing. It is this instinct that
makes us form instant, lifelong relationships with some people or causes us to give a wide
berth to others because we get a “funny” feeling about them. With some careful
consideration and planning, though, these “feelings” can be honed into a useful tool for
gauging the personality and character of interviewers and, by extension, their
expectations of potential employees. Let’s examine some clues.
2. Their e-mail. You can tell a lot about your interviewer by his or her e-mail messages.
Some interviewers are very warm, writing in a conversational style, addressing you by
your first name. Others are witty, mixing little jokes and humorous remarks in with job-
related questions. Still others get right down to business—no chit-chat or informality.
Before you ever meet the interviewer, you begin to form certain “pictures” of the person,
based on his or her approach and style. But it still remains for you to check him or her out
face-to-face.
3. Their office. Let’s begin with the physical setting of interviewers’ offices. Some put a
desk the size of a 747 between themselves and you. This is a clear message to you to keep
your distance. A straightbacked, rigid chair for the applicant says, “O.K. Let’s get down
to business, and then you leave so I can get back to mine.” Here, you would be advised to
adopt a crisp, businesslike style, with brief, professional answers. And, for heaven’s sake,
don’t touch that desk!
4. Then, there is the homey, comfortable environment—kids’ pictures on the desk, executive
“toys” around, soft chairs, and a sofa. There may not even be a desk between the
applicant and the interviewer, but rather two chairs grouped around a coffee table. This
environment invites more intimacy. It says, “Be yourself. Tell me about who you are so I
can get to know you.” Here, your manner, though still professional, should be relaxed and
open, more personable. It would be a mistake with this employer to sit ramrod straight
and give cool, truncated responses to the questions.

by Fred Jandt and Mary Nemnich, Indianapolis: JIST Works.

1. The purpose of this article is to
a. raise awareness about incompetent interviewers
b. describe types of interviewers and how to approach them
c. guarantee a perfect interview with an employer
 d. explain how to email an interviewer
2. Which of the following is a generalization made in paragraph 1 but NOT
supported with evidence?
a. Your “feelings” can be honed into a useful tool for gauging the personality
and character of interviewers.
b. An interviewer’s office can tell you a great deal about that interviewer.
c. Our ability to “read” others makes us form instant, lifelong relationships
with some people.
d. There is more than one type of clue you can use to gauge the personality of
your interviewer.
3. Which of the following are contrasted in this passage?
a. interviewers who welcome questions about themselves and those who do
not
b. interviewers who frequently use email and interviewers who do not
c. interviewers who ask difficult questions and interviewers who ask very
few questions
d. interviewers with homey, comfortable offices and interviewers whose
offices seem less welcoming
4. Which of the following is an assumption the author of this passage makes?
a. Interviewers have some influence or control over their office
arrangements.
b. Because email can be impersonal, it is a poor way to communicate with a
potential employer.
c. Managers who enjoy chatting informally with employees never have large
desks in the middle of their offices.
d. In preparing for a job interview, it is more important to “read” your
interviewer than to research the company where you have applied to work.
5. Which of the following best summarizes the author’s main point?
a. You should never respond to an interviewer who expects crisp answers
with a rambling story about yourself.
b. You should focus on details when attempting to understand your
interviewer, since details are important.
c. You should help your interviewer get to know you during the interview
and beforehand.
d. You should try to understand your interviewer’s personality and tailor your
responses to him or her accordingly.