Thea writting review 4 ppt

16. According to the utilitarian principles described in paragraph 2, we should a. do what will bring us the most happiness. b. always think of others first. c. make our intentions clear to others. d. do what will make the most people the most happy. 17. In the last sentence, the author’s purpose is to show that a. using utilitarianism to make a moral decision is not always easy. b. sacrifice is necessary in life. c. long-term consequences are more important than short-term consequences. d. a pro/con list is the most effective technique for making an important decision. Questions 18–22 are based on the following passage. (1) Jazz, from its early roots in slave spirituals and the marching bands of New Orleans, had developed into the predominant American musical style by the 1930s. In this era, jazz musicians played a lush, orchestrated style known as swing. Played in large ensembles, also called big bands, swing filled the dance halls and nightclubs. Jazz, once considered risqué, was made more accessible to the masses with the vibrant, swinging sounds of these big bands. Then came bebop. In the mid-1940s, jazz musicians strayed from the swing style and developed a more improvisational method of playing known as bebop. Jazz was transformed from popular music to an elite art form. (2) The soloists in the big bands improvised from the melody. The young musicians who ushered in bebop, notably trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie and saxophonist Charlie Parker, expanded on the improvisational elements of the big bands. They played with advanced harmonies, changed chord structures, and made chord substitutions. These young musicians got their starts with the leading big bands of the day, but during World War II—as older musicians were drafted and dance halls made cut- backs—they started to play together in smaller groups. (3) These pared-down bands helped foster the bebop style. Rhythm is the distinguishing feature of bebop, and in small groups the drums became more prominent. Setting a driving beat, the drummer interacted with the bass, piano, and the soloists, and together the musicians created fast, complex melodies. Jazz aficionados flocked to such clubs as Minton’s Playhouse in Harlem to soak in the new style. For the young musicians and their fans this was a thrilling turning point in jazz history. However, for the majority of Americans, who just wanted some swinging music to dance to, the advent of bebop was the end of jazz as mainstream music. 18. The swing style can be most accurately character- ized as a. complex and inaccessible. b. appealing to an elite audience. c. lively and melodic. d. lacking in improvisation. 19. According to the passage, in the 1940s you would most likely find bebop being played where? a. church b. a large concert hall c. in music schools d. small clubs – THEA PRACTICE EXAM 2– 205 20. According to the passage, one of the most signifi- cant innovations of the bebop musicians was to a. shun older musicians. b. emphasize rhythm. c. use melodic improvisations. d. play in small clubs. 21. In the context of this passage, aficionados (in paragraph 3) can most accurately be described as a. fans of bebop. b. residents of Harlem. c. innovative musicians. d. awkward dancers. 22. The main purpose of the passage is to a. mourn the passing of an era. b. condemn bebop for making jazz inaccessible. c. explain the development of the bebop style. d. celebrate the end of the conventional swing style of jazz. Questions 23–28 are based on the following passage. (1) In 1997, Moscow, Russia, celebrated the 850th anniversary of its founding. In the more than eight centuries that Moscow has been a viable city, it has been characterized by waves of new construction. The most recent one is ongoing, as Moscow thrives as capital of the new Russia. The architecture of Moscow represents a hodgepodge of styles, as 12th- century forms mingle with elegant estates from the times of the czars and functional structures that reflect the pragmatism of the Soviet era. As Moscow grows under a new system of government, there is concern that some of the city’s architectural history will be lost. (2) Moscow has a history of chaotic periods that ended with the destruction of the largely wooden city and the building of the “new” city on top of the rubble of the old. The result is a layered city, with each tier holding information about a part of Russia’s past. In some areas of the city, archaeol- ogists have reached the layer from 1147, the year of Moscow’s founding. Among the findings from the various periods of Moscow’s history are carved bones, metal tools, pottery, glass, jewelry, and crosses. (3) Russia has begun a huge attempt to salvage and preserve as much of Moscow’s past as possible. New building could destroy this history forever, but Moscow has decided on a different approach. Rec- ognizing that new building represents progress, and progress is necessary for the growth of the nation, new building is flourishing in Moscow. However, the Department of Preservation of Historical Mon- uments is insuring that building is done in a manner that respects the past. There are approximately 160 active archeological sites currently in Moscow; 5,000 buildings have been designated as protected locations. (4) One example of the work done by the Department of Preservation and Historical Monu- ments is Manege Square, which lies just west of the Kremlin. Throughout Moscow’s past, this square has been a commercial district. In keeping with that history, the area will be developed as a modern shop- ping mall, complete with restaurants, theaters, casi- nos, and a parking garage. Before construction could begin, however, the site was excavated and a wealth of Russian history was uncovered. (5) Archaeologists working in Manege Square uncovered the commercial life of eight centuries. By excavating five meters deep, archaeologists pro- vided a picture of the evolution of commercial Moscow. Among the finds: wooden street pavement from the time of Ivan the Terrible (16th century), a wide cobblestone road from the era of Peter the Great (early 18th century), street paving from the reign of Catherine the Great (mid- to late 18th cen- tury), and a wealthy merchant’s estate (19th – THEA PRACTICE EXAM 2– 206 century). Smaller finds—a belt and buckle, a gold chain, shoes, locks, and a horse harness—provide rich details about the lives of Muscovites of the past. The citizens of the present are determined that his- tory will not repeat itself, and that the past will be uncovered and celebrated rather than shrouded and forgotten. As a result of this respectful approach to modernization, Moscow, a city with more and more modern structures appearing all the time, remains largely distinguished by Byzantine cathedrals, 15th- and 16th-century stone buildings, and the ostenta- tious estates of the 18th and 19th centuries. 23. From the information in paragraph 2, the reader can infer that a. the people of Moscow are more interested in modernization than in preservation. b. the Soviet government destroyed many old buildings, in keeping with an anti-czarist policy. c. there are very few 850-year-old cities in exis- tence and fewer yet that preserve their past. d. Moscow has a history of invasions, with each new conqueror destroying the buildings of the previous regime. 24. Which of the following assumptions most influ- enced the views expressed by the writer in this passage? a. Progress and preservation are equally impor- tant principles of urban planning. b. Generally speaking, Muscovites are more interested in building new structures than in saving old ones. c. Architectural history has little meaning to people struggling to form a new government. d. Archaeologists and bureaucrats generally do not work well together. 25. What is the meaning of the word chaotic as used in paragraph 2 of this passage? a. tumultuous b. unformed c. undeveloped d. remarkable 26. The phrase the citizens of the present are deter- mined that history will not repeat itself in para- graph 5 is most closely related to which statement in the passage? a. “the architecture of Moscow represents a hodgepodge of styles” (paragraph 1) b. “Moscow has a history of chaotic periods that ended with the destruction of the largely wooden city and the building of the ‘new’ city on top of the rubble of the old” (paragraph 2) c. “new building represents progress, and progress is necessary for the growth of the nation” (paragraph 3) d. “the area will be developed as a modern shop- ping mall, complete with restaurants, theaters, casinos, and a parking garage” (paragraph 4) 27. Which of the following is a valid conclusion based on the information in paragraph 3 of the passage? a. Throughout history, various Russian regimes have responded to a problem by creating a governmental agency to deal with it. b. The Russian government hopes to keep new building to an absolute minimum. c. The government of Moscow is encouraging new building while, at the same time, protect- ing old architecture. d. Builders in Moscow must apply for and receive several different permits before con- struction can commence. – THEA PRACTICE EXAM 2– 207 28. According to the information included in the passage, which of the following is true of archae- ologists in Moscow? a. They have uncovered a great number of his- torically significant items, both large and small. b. They operate under severe time constraints, as contractors wait to begin new buildings. c. There are not nearly enough archaeological teams to conduct all the possible research. d. They are concerned about preserving the arti- facts of modes of transportation in particular. Questions 29–35 are based on the following passage. (1) In Manhattan’s Eighth Avenue/Fourteenth Street subway station, a grinning bronze alligator with human hands pops out of a manhole cover to grab a bronze “baby” whose head is the shape of a mon- eybag. In the Bronx General Post Office, a giant 13- panel painting called Resources of America celebrates the hard work and industrialism of America in the first half of the twentieth century. And in Brooklyn’s MetroTech Center just over the Brooklyn Bridge, several installations of art are on view at any given time—from an iron lasso resembling a giant charm bracelet to a series of wagons that play recordings of great American poems to a life-sized seeing-eye dog that looks so real people are constantly stopping to pet it. (2) There exists in every city a symbolic rela- tionship between the city and its art. When we hear the term art, we tend to think of private art—the kind displayed in private spaces such as museums, concert halls, and galleries. But there is a growing interest in, and respect for, public art: the kind of art created for and displayed in public spaces such as parks, building lobbies, and sidewalks. (3) Although all art is inherently public— created in order to convey an idea or emotion to others—“public art,” as opposed to art that is sequestered in museums and galleries, is art specif- ically designed for a public arena where the art will be encountered by people in their normal day-to-day activities. Public art can be purely ornamental or highly functional; it can be as subtle as a decorative door knob or as conspicuous as the Chicago Picasso. It is also an essential element of effective urban design. (4) The more obvious forms of public art include monuments, sculptures, fountains, murals, and gardens. But public art also takes the form of ornamental benches or street lights, decorative manhole covers, and mosaics on trash bins. Many city dwellers would be surprised to discover just how much public art is really around them and how much art they have passed by without noticing, and how much impact public art has on their day- to-day lives. (5) Public art fulfills several functions essential to the health of a city and its citizens. It educates about history and culture—of the artist, the neigh- borhood, the city, the nation. Public art is also a “place-making device”that instantly creates memo- rable, experiential landmarks, fashioning a unique identity for a public place, personalizing it and giv- ing it a specific character. It stimulates the public, challenging viewers to interpret the art and arousing their emotions, and it promotes community by stim- ulating interaction among viewers. In serving these multiple and important functions, public art beau- tifies the area and regenerates both the place and the viewer. (6) One question often debated in public art forums is whether public art should be created with or by the public rather than for the public. Increas- ingly, cities and artists are recognizing the impor- tance of creating works with meaning for the intended audience, and this generally requires direct input from the community or from an artist entrenched in that community. At the same time, however, art created for the community by an – THEA PRACTICE EXAM 2– 208 “outsider”often adds fresh perspective. Thus, cities, and their citizens are best served by a combination of public art created by members of the community, art created with input from members of the com- munity, and art created by others for the community. 29. The primary purpose of the opening paragraph is to a. show how entertaining public art can be. b. introduce readers to the idea of public art. c. define public art. d. show the prevalence and diversity of public art. 30. The word inherently at the beginning of para- graph 3 most nearly means a. essentially. b. complicated. c. wealthy. d. snobby. 31. According to paragraphs 3 and 4, public art is differentiated from private art mainly by a. the kind of ideas or emotions it aims to con- vey to its audience. b. its accessibility. c. its perceived value. d. its importance to the city. 32. The use of the word sequestered in the first sen- tence of paragraph 3 suggests that the author feels a. private art is better than public art. b. private art is too isolated from the public. c. the admission fees for public art arenas pre- vent many people from experiencing the art. d. private art is more difficult to understand than public art. 33. Which sentence best sums up the main idea of the passage? a. Public art serves several important functions in the city. b. Public art is often in direct competition with private art. c. Public art should be created both by and for members of the community. d. In general, public art is more interesting than private art. 34. The author’s goal in this passage include all of the following EXCEPT a. to make readers more aware of public art- works. b. to explain the difference between public art and private art. c. to explain how public art impacts the city. d. to inspire readers to become public artists. 35. Which of the following does the author NOT provide in this passage? a. an explanation of how the city affects art b. specific examples of urban art c. reason why outsiders should create public art d. a clear distinction between public and private art Questions 36–42 are based on the following passage. (1) Scientists have been studying radon and its effects since the turn of the last century. This inert gas has been proven to cause lung cancer and is sus- pected of being responsible for a range of other seri- ous illnesses. (2) Radon gas is created as the result of the decaying of uranium and radium. At the culmina- tion of this lengthy process, the disintegrating mat- ter becomes radon, which then decays further, releasing additional radiation and transforming into what are known as radon daughters. Unlike radon, – THEA PRACTICE EXAM 2– 209 the daughters are not inert because they are highly sensitive to their surroundings and are chemically active. Thus when the daughters enter buildings, attach to clothing, mingle with dust particles, or are inhaled, health risks increase dramatically. Radon exists across the United States, with somewhat higher amounts located in areas where granite is common. (3) Radon gas released directly into the atmos- phere poses slight health risks. Conversely, when it is trapped and has the opportunity to accumulate, such as beneath houses and other structures, risks increase significantly. This colorless, tasteless, and odorless element can seep into buildings through walls, soil, water supplies, and natural gas pipelines. It can also be part of the properties of materials such as brick, wallboard, and concrete. When radon is prevalent in a building, it circulates in that build- ing’s air exchange and is inhaled by humans. (4) The majority of the radon daughters exhibit electrostatic qualities as they attach to items such as clothing, furniture, and dust, a magnetic process known as plating out. The remainder of the daughters do not attach to anything. As an individ- ual breathes the potentially damaging air, the attached and unattached daughters enter the body. As the daughters travel through the body, particles become attached to the respiratory tract, the bronchial region, the nose, and the throat. Some particles are expelled during exhalation, but most remain within the individual. (5) The unattached daughters are the most dangerous as their untethered route often carries them directly to the lungs. They deposit significantly more radioactivity than the attached daughters— indeed, up to 40 times as much. Research indicates that those individuals who breathe primarily through their noses receive fewer doses than those who breathe primarily through their mouths. (6) Alpha radiation begins penetrating the lungs and other organs after radon daughters settle there. Penetration and the subsequent depositing of radiation are the result of a continuation of the decaying process. An appreciable dose of alpha par- ticles can lead to cell destruction. Higher doses can be fatal. One comparative study analyzed similar doses from radon, X-rays, and atom bombs, and concluded that the chances of developing lung can- cer from radon were equal to those from the other two radiation sources. In the United States most incidences involve lower-level doses, however, which destroy a relatively low number of cells. The body will regenerate lost cells, so serious health problems become less likely. (7) Serious problems materialize when cells are exposed repeatedly. The cycle of exposure-dam- age-regeneration-exposure can weaken cells and ultimately change their makeup. Cell alteration can lead to lung cancer, genetic changes, and a host of other medical problems. 36. Gases from an outdoor radon leak a. present serious health ramifications. b. are easy to detect. c. create a negligible health threat. d. transform into radon daughters. 37. It can be inferred from the passage that an inert gas such as radon is a. dormant in terms of chemical reactions. b. unusually likely to decay. c. more dangerous than radon daughters. d. created as the result of a distinct series of events. 38. One reason unattached daughters are more dangerous than attached daughters is that they a. demonstrate electrostatic qualities. b. are less likely to be expelled. c. regenerate after entering the lungs. d. have a free path toward internal organs. – THEA PRACTICE EXAM 2– 210 . According to the passage, in the 1 940 s you would most likely find bebop being played where? a. church b. a large concert hall c. in music schools d. small clubs – THEA PRACTICE EXAM 2– 205 20. According. be developed as a modern shop- ping mall, complete with restaurants, theaters, casinos, and a parking garage” (paragraph 4) 27. Which of the following is a valid conclusion based on the information. part of Russia’s past. In some areas of the city, archaeol- ogists have reached the layer from 1 147 , the year of Moscow’s founding. Among the findings from the various periods of Moscow’s history