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In the United States, the foreign language requirement for high school graduation is
decided at the state level. This means the requirement varies, with some states deciding to
forego a foreign language requirement altogether (www.ncssfl.org). It is necessary that these states reconsider their position and amend their requirements to reflect compulsory
completion of a course of one or more foreign languages. Studying a foreign language has
become increasingly important for the global economy. As technology continues to make
international business relations increasingly easy, people need to keep up by increasing
their communication capabilities. High school graduates with foreign language credits have
been shown to have an increased college acceptance rate. In addition, students who have
mastered more than one language typically find themselves in greater demand when they
reach the job market. Students who did not study a foreign language often find themselves
unable to obtain a job at all.
Which of the following would be the best concluding statement for this passage?
- A. States should consider the importance of foreign languages for the global economy when making policies regarding foreign language requirements for high school graduation.
- B. Policies for high school graduation should consider the significance of foreign languages for the global economy, college acceptance rates, and job opportunities.
- C. Influence of a second language on college acceptance rates warrants a foreign language class as a high school graduation requirement.
- D. The difficulty of obtaining a job in today's economy without knowledge of multiple languages should be considered when setting foreign language requirements for high school graduation.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Choice B provides the best concluding statement for this passage as it encapsulates the main argument and key supporting details presented in the extract. The passage emphasizes the importance of foreign languages for the global economy, the impact on college acceptance rates, and enhanced job opportunities for individuals proficient in more than one language. Choice B effectively summarizes these points, making it the most appropriate conclusion. Choices A, C, and D, while related to the main argument, only touch on one supporting detail each. Choice A focuses solely on the importance of foreign languages for the global economy, while choice C emphasizes the influence of a second language on college acceptance rates. Choice D highlights the difficulty of job acquisition without knowledge of multiple languages. These choices do not encompass the breadth of supporting details provided in the passage, making them less effective as concluding statements.
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LOOKING FOR ROOMMATE - CLEAN HOUSE / QUIET AREA / CLOSE TO UNIVERSITY
Need one more female roommate for 3-bd house w/in walking distance of univ.
Current occupants quiet, house clean/smoke-free. No pets. Long-term applicants
preferred. Rent: $800/mo. Utilities/internet included. Avail: Aug 15. Call Florence at
985-5687, or send an email to f.carpenter@email.com.
Of the individuals described below, who seems like the best applicant for the roommate advertisement?
- A. Frances is a research assistant in the science department and owns a Yorkshire terrier.
- B. Adelaide works in the humanities department and is seeking a three-month rental.
- C. Cosette is allergic to cigarette smoke and requires a quiet place to study.
- D. Felix is a graduate student in the history department and does not own a car.
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The best applicant for the roommate advertisement is Cosette. The ad specifies that the current occupants are quiet, the house is clean/smoke-free, and no pets are allowed. Cosette is allergic to cigarette smoke, indicating she is a non-smoker and prefers a smoke-free environment. She also needs a quiet place to study, aligning with the quiet environment mentioned in the ad. Additionally, the ad prefers long-term applicants, and Cosette's need for a quiet place to study implies she will likely remain for an extended period. Frances owning a Yorkshire terrier goes against the ad's 'no pets' policy. Adelaide seeking a three-month rental does not align with the preference for long-term applicants. Felix not owning a car is not relevant to the criteria set by the ad.
Dear Students:
The scores for the essay exam have been posted in the online course grade book. By now, many of you have probably seen your grade and are a little concerned, since this accounts for 70% of your final grade. (And if you're not concerned, you should be at least a bit!) At the beginning of the semester, I informed the class that I have a strict grading policy and that all scores will stand unquestioned. With each class comes a new challenge, however, and as any good instructor will tell you, sometimes the original plan has to change. As a result, I propose the following options for students to make up their score:
1. I will present the class with an extra credit project at the next course meeting. The extra credit project will be worth 150% of the point value of the essay exam that has just been completed. While I will not drop the essay exam score, I will give you more than enough of a chance to make up the difference and raise your overall score.
2. I will allow each student to develop his or her own extra credit project. This project may reflect the tenor of option number 1 (above) but will allow the student to create a project more in his or her own line of interest. Bear in mind, however, that this is more of a risk. The scoring for option number 2 will be more subjective, depending on whether or not I feel that the project is a successful alternative to the essay exam. If it is, the student will be awarded up to 150% of the point value of the essay exam.
3. I will provide the class with the option of developing a group project. Students may form groups of 3 to 4 and put together an extra credit project that reflects a stronger response to the questions in the essay exam. This extra credit project will also be worth 150% of the point value of the essay exam. Note that each student will receive an equal score for the project, so there is a risk in this as well. If you are part of a group in which you do most of the work, each member of the group will receive equal credit for it. The purpose of the group project is to allow students to work together and arrive at a stronger response than if each worked individually.
If you are interested in pursuing extra credit to make up for the essay exam, please choose one of the options above. No other extra credit opportunities will be provided for the course.
Good luck!
Dr. Edwards
What is the instructor's main purpose in writing this email to his students?
- A. To criticize students for their poor performance on the recent essay exam
- B. To motivate students to persevere despite setbacks
- C. To offer students a chance to improve their scores and avoid failing the course
- D. To acknowledge the difficulty of the essay exam for most students
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The instructor's main purpose in writing the email is to provide students with opportunities to improve their scores and avoid failing the course. The email outlines different options for extra credit projects that can help students make up for the low scores they received on the essay exam. This shows that the instructor is focused on helping students succeed rather than criticizing them (choice A), motivating them (choice B), or acknowledging the difficulty of the exam (choice D).
The classic opera Madame Butterfly was written by Giacomo Puccini. In the opus, an American naval officer stationed in Japan falls in love with Butterfly, a Japanese woman. He returns to America but promises to come back to marry her. When the soldier does return to Japan three years later, he is accompanied by his American wife. Shocked and humiliated, Butterfly stabs herself. She dies in the soldier's arms as he begs her to forgive him.
This passage describes characters' feelings in Madame Butterfly as all of the following EXCEPT:
- A. Romantic
- B. Poignant
- C. Tragic
- D. Musical
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: The passage describes the characters' feelings in Madame Butterfly as romantic, poignant, and tragic, but not musical. The story depicts the emotional aspects of love, heartbreak, and tragedy, evoking strong feelings of romance, sadness, and tragedy. While music plays a crucial role in the opera Madame Butterfly, the characters' feelings are not specifically described as musical, making choice D the correct answer. Choices A, B, and C are supported by the emotional context provided in the extract.
In the United States, where we have more land than people, it is not at all difficult for persons in good health to make money. In this comparatively new field there are so many avenues of success open, so many vocations which are not crowded, that any person of either sex who is willing, at least for the time being, to engage in any respectable occupation that offers, may find lucrative employment. Those who really desire to attain an independence, have only to set their minds upon it, and adopt the proper means, as they do in regard to any other object which they wish to accomplish, and the thing is easily done. But however easy it may be found to make money, I have no doubt many of my hearers will agree it is the most difficult thing in the world to keep it. The road to wealth is, as Dr. Franklin truly says, 'as plain as the road to the mill.' It consists simply in expending less than we earn; that seems to be a very simple problem. Mr. Micawber, one of those happy creations of the genial Dickens, puts the case in a strong light when he says that to have annual income of twenty pounds, per annum, and spend twenty pounds and sixpence, is to be the most miserable of men; whereas, to have an income of only twenty pounds, and spend but nineteen pounds and sixpence, is to be the happiest of mortals. Many of my hearers may say, 'we understand this; this is economy, and we know economy is wealth; we know we can't eat our cake and keep it also.' Yet I beg to say that perhaps more cases of failure arise from mistakes on this point than almost any other. The fact is, many people think they understand economy when they really do not.
This passage is most likely taken from a(n) _____.
- A. Self-help manual
- B. Autobiography
- C. Epistle
- D. Novel
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: The passage reads like a self-help manual as it offers advice and guidance on managing money and achieving financial independence. It provides practical tips on making and keeping money, emphasizing the importance of living within one's means. The content is focused on providing instruction rather than personal experiences (autobiography), formal letters (epistle), or fictional storytelling (novel).
As little as three years before her birth, few would have thought that the child born
Princess Alexandrina Victoria would eventually become Britain's longest reigning monarch,
Queen Victoria. She was born in 1819, the only child of Edward, Duke of Kent, who was the
fourth son of King George III. Ahead of Edward were three brothers, two of whom became
king but none of whom produced a legitimate, surviving heir. King George's eldest son, who
was eventually crowned King George IV, secretly married a Catholic commoner, Maria
Fitzherbert, in 1783. The marriage was never officially recognized, and in 1795, George was
persuaded to marry a distant cousin, Caroline of Brunswick. The marriage was bitter, and
the two had only one daughter, Princess Charlotte Augusta. She was popular in England
where her eventual reign was welcomed, but in a tragic event that shocked the nation, the
princess and her stillborn son died in childbirth in 1817.
Realizing the precarious position of the British throne, the remaining sons of King
George III were motivated to marry and produce an heir. The first in line was Prince
Frederick, the Duke of York. Frederick married Princess Frederica Charlotte of Prussia, but
the two had no children. After Prince Frederick was Prince William, the Duke of Clarence.
William married Princess Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen, and they had two sickly daughters,
neither of whom survived infancy. Finally, Prince Edward, the Duke of Kent, threw his hat
into the ring with his marriage to Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld. The Duke of
Kent died less than a year after his daughter's birth, but the surviving Duchess of Kent was
not unaware of the future possibilities for her daughter. She took every precaution to
ensure that the young Princess Victoria was healthy and safe throughout her childhood.
Princess Victoria's uncle, William, succeeded his brother George IV to become King
William IV. The new king recognized his niece as his future heir, but he did not necessarily
trust her mother. As a result, he was determined to survive until Victoria's eighteenth
birthday to ensure that she could rule in her own right without the regency of the Duchess
of Kent. The king's fervent prayers were answered: he died June 20, 1837, less than one
month after Victoria turned eighteen. Though young and inexperienced, the young queen
recognized the importance of her position and determined to rule fairly and wisely. The
improbable princess who became queen ruled for more than sixty-three years, and her
reign is considered to be one of the most important in British history.
Which of the following could be considered a theme of the passage?
- A. Anyone can become royalty.
- B. People should only marry for advantage.
- C. Queen Victoria was a fair, but unlikely, queen.
- D. Even the most unlikely events can happen.
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: The theme of the passage revolves around the idea that even the most unlikely events can happen. The passage describes the improbable events leading to Queen Victoria becoming the queen, emphasizing how unpredictable and unexpected her rise to the throne was. Choice A is not supported as Victoria was born into royalty, so not just anyone can become royalty as implied. While there are mentions of marriages for advantage in the passage, it is not the central theme but rather a detail in the historical context, making choice B incorrect. Although the passage discusses Queen Victoria being an unlikely queen, this statement is too specific to be a theme; a theme should be broader and universally applicable, making choice C incorrect.