1. Trang chủ
  2. » Ngoại Ngữ

ACT Practice Test 3 pps

16 953 1

Đang tải... (xem toàn văn)

Tài liệu hạn chế xem trước, để xem đầy đủ mời bạn chọn Tải xuống

THÔNG TIN TÀI LIỆU

Thông tin cơ bản

Định dạng
Số trang 16
Dung lượng 110,68 KB

Nội dung

ACT Practice Test 3 READING Passage IX HUMANITIES: The passage below is an excerpt from American Houses by Philip Langdon © 1987 by Philip Langdon, pub-lished by Stewart, Tabori & Chang

Trang 1

ACT Practice Test 3 READING

Passage IX

HUMANITIES: The passage below is an

excerpt from American Houses by Philip

Langdon (© 1987 by Philip Langdon,

pub-lished by Stewart, Tabori & Chang, Inc.).

People carry in their minds a picture of

what constitutes an “American house.” For

most of us, it is and has long been a

free-standing dwelling that rises from its own

piece of land Whether that piece of land is a [5]

40-foot-wide lot on a city street or an

expanse of farmland stretching off toward

the horizon is almost irrelevant; what

mat-ters is that the house stands as an individual

object, separate from the walls of its neigh- [10]

bors This may not be the sort of dwelling in

which every American actually

lives—mil-lions inhabit apartment buildings and

blocks of row houses—yet the detached

house holds such an allure for the imagina- [15]

tion that it remains a national ideal, in good

times and bad, in periods both of dense

urban development and of outward

subur-ban dispersal So deeply embedded in the

country’s consciousness is the ideal of a [20]

freestanding dwelling that even young

chil-dren, when asked to draw a house, will

unhesitatingly make a sketch of a

family-sized dwelling with a pitched roof on top, a

few windows in its facade, and a prominent [25]

front door

Some of the details that embellish this

notion of the American house have, of

course, changed greatly with the passage of

time In the 1850s, when landscape architect [30]

Andrew Jackson Downing was exerting a

major influence on residential design, the

image of an American house would have

Trang 2

included verandas and vestibules, parlors,

and pantries In the 1920s, a decade [35]

enchanted by “Old English” architecture but

also gripped by a concern for cleanliness, it

often summoned up a picturesque, even

quaint, exterior with arched doorways and a

steeply pitched roof, yet with a shiny white- [40]

surfaced kitchen and bathroom within In

the 1960s, the prevailing vision was of a

house that had substituted a back patio or

deck for the front porch and had added a

“family room” as a casual, unceremonious [45]

alternative to the formality of the living

room

Despite such modifications, the

gov-erning ideal remained constant in its

essen-tials—an individual residence enclosing a [50]

comfortable amount of space beneath the

slopes of its roof and enjoying dominion

over a certain amount of land beyond its

walls Gradually, too, the American house

was accompanied by a standard arrange- [55]

ment of its grounds In the front grew a

neatly kept lawn, setting a scene that

pos-sessed a measure of dignity and repose To

the rear, a more informal yard provided a

space for relaxation and outdoor recreation [60]

Side yards acted as buffers against the noise

and nosiness of neighbors, while at the same

time making each household feel more

autonomous

This was by no means a perfect or uni- [65]

versal way to provide shelter, but it did

satis-fy many of the needs of millions of people

From East Coast to West, vast numbers of

houses were built in accordance with the

common image of the American house— [70]

dwellings set apart from one another in a

pattern that suited, above all, the interests of

families

Today much of this arrangement has

lost its important reason for being: the tra- [75]

ditional family—a working husband, a wife

Trang 3

who stays home, and their not-yet-grown

children—until recently the predominant

form of American household, now makes

up a minority of America’s population As [80]

the population and the workforce have

dra-matically changed, the house has been

pressed to adapt Detached dwellings

accounted for 80 percent of the newly

con-structed private housing in the United States [85]

as late as 1975; a decade later, the

propor-tion had steadily diminished to 62 percent

Instead of an “American house,” it’s become

more accurate to speak in the plural:

“American houses.” The nation has entered [90]

a period in which many houses are

distin-guished less by their lingering similarities

than by how they diverge both from one

another and from homes of the past

The trend towards more varied forms [95]

of housing holds contrasting meanings for

different people; it can be likened to the

mixture of motivations that sent explorers

and settlers into the undeveloped reaches

of North America before the twentieth cen- [100]

tury Just as some people confidently

opened up a new geographic domain in a

quest for a better life, today there are some

who launch into new architectural

territo-ry, searching for housing superior to the [105]

typical dwellings of the past

63 The passage suggests that the most essential characteristic of the ideal “American house” is that it must:

A have a neatly kept front lawn

B combine traditional architecture with modern cleanliness

C have a facade with windows and a prominent front door

D be a freestanding dwelling

64 According to the passage, verandas and vestibules became part of the American house during the:

F 1850s

G 1920s

H 1960s

J 1970s

Trang 4

65 The passage suggests that the ideal of living in a detached house:

A is not realized by many Americans

B is more commonly held by those in the suburbs than those in the city

C is popular during periods of economic depression

D appeals more to young children than to adults

66 According to the passage, the “American house” has recently changed because of:

F increasing costs of construction

G decreasing availability of property due to population growth

H a shift in the makeup of the workforce and the typical family

J a shift toward urban development away from outward suburban growth

67 The main point of the second paragraph is that:

A American houses are becoming increasingly informal

B the image of the ideal American house has remained the same since 1850

C some features of the American house have changed since the 1850s

D the ideal American house was designed by Andrew Jackson Downing

68 The main purpose of the passage is to describe the:

F influence of architect Andrew Jackson Downing

G changing picture of the ideal American house

H structure of the traditional American family

J latest developments in contemporary architecture

69 Which of the following descriptions are used in the passage to show that changes in the typical American house have “suited, above all, the interests of families” (lines 72-73)?

I -The steeply pitched roof of the ideal house of the 1920s

II -The addition of a “family room” in the 1960s

III -The standard arrangement of a backyard and sideyards

IV -The decline of newly constructed detached dwellings

A I, II, and III only

B II and III only

C II, III, and IV only

D I, II, III, and IV

70 Based on the last paragraph (lines 95-106), the author’s attitude toward today’s architects could be most accurately described as:

F indifferent

G admiring

H critical

J confused

Trang 5

Passage X

HUMANITIES: In this passage, James Weldon

Johnson recalls his first experience of

hear-ing ragtime jazz and defends ragtime as a

musical form Johnson was a poet, diplomat,

composer, and historian of African American

culture of the early 1900s.

When I had somewhat collected my

senses, I realized that in a large back room

into which the main room opened, there

was a young fellow singing a song,

accompa-nied on the piano by a short, thickset black [5]

man After each verse he did some dance

steps, which brought forth great applause

and a shower of small coins at his feet After

the singer had responded to a rousing

encore, the stout man at the piano began to [10]

run his fingers up and down the keyboard

This he did in a manner which indicated

that he was a master of a good deal of

tech-nique Then he began to play; and such

playing! I stopped talking to listen It was [15]

music of a kind I had never heard before It

was music that demanded physical

response, patting of the feet, drumming of

the fingers, or nodding of the head in time

with the beat The dissonant harmonies, the [20]

audacious resolutions, often consisting of an

abrupt jump from one key to another, the

intricate rhythms in which the accents fell in

the most unexpected places, but in which

the beat was never lost, produced a most [25]

curious effect…

This was ragtime music, then a novelty

in New York, and just growing to be a rage,

which has not yet subsided It was

originat-ed in the questionable resorts about Mem- [30]

phis and St Louis by piano players who

knew no more of the theory of music than

they did of the theory of the universe, but

were guided by natural musical instinct and

talent It made its way to Chicago, where it [35]

was popular some time before it reached

New York These players often improvised

simple and, at times, vulgar words to fit the

Trang 6

melodies This was the beginning of the

Classically-trained American

musi-cians, instead of investigating ragtime,

attempt to ignore it, or dismiss it with a

con-temptuous word But that has always been

the course of scholasticism in every branch [45]

of art Whatever new thing the people like is

pooh-poohed; whatever is popular is

spo-ken of as not worth the while The fact is,

nothing great or enduring, especially in

music, has ever sprung full-fledged and [50]

unprecedented from the brain of any

mas-ter; the best that he gives to the world he

gathers from the hearts of the people, and

runs it through…his genius In spite of the

bans which some musicians and music [55]

teachers have placed upon it, the people still

demand and enjoy ragtime One thing

can-not be denied; it is music which possesses at

least one strong element of greatness: it

appeals universally; not only the American, [60]

but the English, the French, and even the

German people find delight in it In fact,

there is not a corner of the civilized world in

which it is not known, and this proves its

originality; for if it were an imitation, the [65]

people of Europe, anyhow, would not have

found it a novelty…

I became so interested in both the

music and the player that I left the table

where I was sitting, and made my way [70]

through the hall into the back room, where

I could see as well as hear I talked to the

piano player between the musical numbers

and found out that he was just a natural

musician, never having taken a lesson in his [75]

life Not only could he play almost anything

he heard, but he could accompany singers in

songs he had never heard He had, by ear

alone, composed some pieces, several of

which he played over for me; each of them [80]

was properly proportioned and balanced I

began to wonder what this man with such a

Trang 7

lavish natural endowment would have done

had he been trained Perhaps he wouldn’t

have done anything at all; he might have [85]

become, at best, a mediocre imitator of the

great masters in what they have already

done to a finish, or one of the modern

inno-vators who strive after originality by seeing

how cleverly they can dodge about through [90]

the rules of harmony and at the same time

avoid melody It is certain that he would not

have been so delightful as he was in ragtime

71 In the passage, the author makes use of which of the following to describe his initial impression of ragtime music?

A A comparison with the improvisations of classical music

B A reference to the audience’s appreciative applause

C A description of the music’s compelling rhythmic effect

D An allusion to several popular contemporary tunes

72 It is most likely that the author refers to “the theory of the universe” (line 33) in order to:

F emphasize that ragtime at its inception was an unconventional musical form

G show that the originators of ragtime were wholly engrossed in their own music

H suggest that those who founded ragtime could not have imagined the extent of its future influence

J demonstrate that level of education is not commensurate with artistic success

73 As it is used in line 30, questionable most nearly means:

A disreputable

B ambiguous

C doubtful

D unconfirmed

74 In the first paragraph, the narrator portrays ragtime as a type of music that:

F would be a challenge to play for even the most proficient musician

G violated all of the accepted rules governing musical composition

H made up for a lack of melody with a seductive rhythm

J contained several surprises for the discerning listener

75 The discussion in the third paragraph (lines 41-67) suggests that the author thought that most American musicians:

A had little or no interest in pleasing people with their music

B needed to be made aware of the popularity of ragtime in Europe

C were misguided in their conservative and condescending attitude

Trang 8

D attacked ragtime for being merely an imitation of an existing style.

76 Which of the following best summarizes the author’s argument in the third

paragraph?

F Any type of music that is extremely popular should be considered great

G The two criteria for musical greatness are popularity and originality

H Music that has become popular overseas cannot be ignored by American

musicians

J Mass appeal in music can be a sign of greatness rather than a stigma

77 From the passage, it is most reasonable to infer that the author would agree with which of the following statements about the ragtime piano player’s lack of formal training?

A The piano player’s natural talent had allowed him to develop technically to the point where formal training would have been superfluous

B Formal lessons would have severely impaired the piano player’s native ability to play and compose by ear alone

C More would have been lost than gained if the piano player had been given formal lessons

D The piano player’s potential to be a truly innovative ragtime artist had been squandered because he had not been formally trained

78 The passage suggests that many American musicians “attempt to ignore” ragtime (line 43) because:

F popular art is usually criticized by those more concerned with the academic nature of art

G so many European countries have popularized the art form

H they do not respect the improvised nature of the music

J they are offended by the sometimes vulgar lyrics

Passage XI

HUMANITIES: This passage is excerpted

from A History of Women Artists by Hugo

Munsterberg (© 1975 by Hugo

Munster-berg Reprinted by permission of Clarkson N.

Potter, Inc., a division of Crown Publishers,

Inc.)

There can be little doubt that women

artists have been most prominent in

pho-tography and that they have made their

greatest contribution in this field One

rea-son for this is not difficult to ascertain As [5]

Trang 9

several historians of photography have

pointed out, photography, being a new

medium outside the traditional academic

framework, was wide open to women and

offered them opportunities that the older [10]

fields did not…

All these observations apply to the first

woman to have achieved eminence in

pho-tography, and that is Julia Margaret

Cameron… Born in 1815 in Calcutta into [15]

an upper-middle-class family and married

to Charles Hay Cameron, a distinguished

jurist and member of the Supreme Court of

India, Julia Cameron was well-known as a

brilliant conversationalist and a woman of [20]

personality and intellect who was

uncon-ventional to the point of eccentricity

Although the mother of six children, she

adopted several more and still found time to

be active in social causes and literary activi- [25]

ties After the Camerons settled in England

in 1848 at Freshwater Bay on the Isle of

Wight, she became the center of an artistic

and literary circle that included such

notable figures as the poet Alfred Lord Ten- [30]

nyson and the painter George Frederick

Watts Pursuing numerous activities and

taking care of her large family, Mrs

Cameron might have been remembered as

still another rather remarkable and colorful [35]

Victorian lady had it not been for the fact

that, in 1863, her daughter presented her

with photographic equipment, thinking her

mother might enjoy taking pictures of her

family and friends Although forty-eight [40]

years old, Mrs Cameron took up this new

hobby with enormous enthusiasm and

ded-ication She was a complete beginner, but

within a very few years she developed into

one of the greatest photographers of her [45]

period and a giant in the history of

photog-raphy She worked ceaselessly as long as

day-light lasted and mastered the technical

processes of photography, at that time far

more cumbersome than today, turning her [50]

Trang 10

coal house into a darkroom and her chicken

house into a studio To her, photography

was a “divine art,” and in it she found her

vocation In 1864, she wrote triumphantly

under one of her photographs, “My First [55]

Success,” and from then until her death in

Ceylon in 1874, she devoted herself wholly

to this art

Working in a large format (her portrait

studies are usually about 11 inches by 14 [60]

inches) and requiring a long exposure (on

the average five minutes), she produced a

large body of work that stands up as one of

the notable artistic achievements of the

Vic-torian period The English art critic Roger [65]

Fry believed that her portraits were likely to

outlive the works of artists who were her

contemporaries Her friend Watts, then a

very celebrated portrait painter, inscribed

on one of her photographs, “I wish I could [70]

paint such a picture as this.” …Her work

was widely exhibited, and she received

gold, silver, and bronze medals in England,

America, Germany, and Austria No other

female artist of the nineteenth century [75]

achieved such acclaim, and no other

woman photographer has ever enjoyed

such success

Her work falls into two main

cate-gories on which her contemporaries and [80]

people today differ sharply Victorian

crit-ics were particularly impressed by her

alle-gorical pictures, many of them based on

the poems of her friend and neighbor

Ten-nyson Contemporary taste much prefers [85]

her portraits and finds her narrative scenes

sentimental and sometimes in bad taste

Yet, not only Julia Cameron, but also the

painters of that time loved to depict

sub-jects such as The Five Foolish Virgins or [90]

Pray God, Bring Father Safely Home Still,

today her fame rests upon her portraits for,

as she herself said, she was intent upon

rep-resenting not only the outer likeness but

Ngày đăng: 03/07/2014, 06:20

TỪ KHÓA LIÊN QUAN

w