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 1ACT 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 2included 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 3who 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 465 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 5Passage 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 6melodies 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 7lavish 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 8D 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 9several 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 10coal 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