AGREEMENT 1. PA
Clone requires a singular pronoun,he/she.
It is unacceptable to clone a child because he or she would be treated as a second-class citizen.
2. PA
Doctorsrequires a plural pronoun,they.
By euthanizing terminally ill patients, doctors will be relieved of the time they spend treating these patients, and they will have time to spend with a patient who is treatable.
3. SV
Incidentsrequires the plural form of the verb, have.
Many incidents of condensed air pollution have killed or hospitalized hundreds of people at a time.
LearningExpress Skill Builders • CHAPTER 5 111
4. PA
Someonerequires the singular pronoun his/her.
The principle of the issue is still over helping someone end his or her life.
5. SV
Focal pointis the subject of the sentence and requires the singular verb is.
The author’s focal point throughout his arguments is that human cloning would diminish family relationships.
6. SV
Air and garbage pollutionis a compound sub- ject and requires the plural verb are. In addi- tion, once you change the verb to plural, you must change a problemto the plural problemsas well.
In conclusion, air and garbage pollution are real problems for Americans.
7. SV
Listis a singular subject and requires the singu- lar verb includes.
The list of candidates for graduation includes my name and my brother’s.
8. SV
Books and calculatorrequire the plural verb remain.
My books and my calculator remain in the test room.
9. SV
Her problemis the subject and it requires the singular verb is.
Her problem is migraine headaches.
10. SV
Each is singular and requires the singular verb is.
Each of the episodes on ERand NYPD Blueis exciting.
SENTENCE STRUCTURE: COMMA SPLICES, FUSED SENTENCES, AND SENTENCE FRAGMENTS
1. SF
The two-car family is common these days.
Everyone wants an SUV and a sedan.
Or
The two-car family is common these days;
everyone wants an SUV and a sedan.
2. CS
Roses are not difficult to grow. They just need to be fed and pruned regularly.
Or
Roses are not difficult to grow; they just need to be fed and pruned regularly.
3. CS
California often endures brush fires that are hard to put out. Some have been burning for years.
Or
California often endures brush fires that are hard to put out; some have been burning for years.
4. SF
The sentence fragment is “Only knowing bicycles as a means of transportation.” It must be connected to the sentence that comes before or after it. Or it could be made into a sentence of its own.
–PRACTICE TESTS IN GRAMMAR, WRITING, AND READING COMPREHENSION–
Some villagers had never seen an automobile because they had only known bicycles as a means of transportation.
Or
Some villagers had never seen an automobile.
They had only known bicycles as a means of transportation.
5. SF
The sentence fragment is “With no guarantees that our energy crisis will have been helped in the process.” It must be connected to the sentence that comes before or after it, or it has to be made into a sentence.
Environmentalists fear that once the Alaska oil fields are opened for exploration, wilderness will be destroyed, and there will be no
guarantees that our energy crisis will have been helped in the process.
Or
Environmentalists fear that once the Alaska oil fields are opened for exploration, wilderness will be destroyed. There will be no guarantees that our energy crisis will have been helped in the process.
6. CS
Recent census figures indicate that there has been a dramatic increase in the number of men who are single parenting their children. The mothers gave up custody in the divorce proceedings.
Or
Recent census figures indicate that there has been a dramatic increase in the number of men who are single parenting their children; the mothers gave up custody in the divorce proceedings.
Or
Recent census figures indicate that there has been a dramatic increase in the number of men who are single parenting their children because the mothers gave up custody in the divorce proceedings.
7. FS
Human cloning is just years if not months away. Do we fully understand the social consequences of our research?
8. CS
Testing cosmetics by using helpless animals is cruel. There should be laws to protect against such abuse.
Or
Testing cosmetics using helpless animals is cruel, and there should be laws to protect against such abuse.
Or
Testing cosmetics using helpless animals is cruel; there should be laws to protect against such abuse.
9. SF
The sentence fragment is “Weather maps, graphs, charts, tables.” It should be connected to the sentence that follows it.
Weather maps, graphs, charts, and tables are all confusing to read.
10. CS
Hurricanes are dangerous storms costing thousands of dollars to homeowners in repair costs each year. Congress should . . .
Or
Hurricanes are dangerous storms costing thousands of dollars to homeowners in repair costs each year; therefore, Congress should . . .
LearningExpress Skill Builders • CHAPTER 5 113
HOMONYM ERRORS
1. X effects
2. Correct
3. X its
4. Correct
5. X accepted
6. X patients
7. Correct 8. Correct
9. X weather
10. X dying
SEMICOLONS 1. Correct
2. The first part of sentence two is an incomplete sen- tence and cannot be connected to the rest of the sentence with a semicolon. It must either be rewritten as a complete sentence or rewritten so that it connects to the sentence that precedes it.
One possible correction:
In an editorial that ran during the Clinton scandal, the New York Timescalled for censure rather than impeachment, although it never did explain why censure was better than impeachment.
3. In this sentence the last clause following the semi- colon is not a complete sentence and cannot be connected to the sentence before it without a word to link them. A possible connection and therefore a correction would be to insert “therefore” instead of the semicolon.
4. Correct
5. In this sentence the last clause following the semi- colon is not a complete sentence and cannot be connected to the sentence before it without a word to link them. By inserting “which cost them”
would be one way to eliminate the semicolon and create a complete sentence.
6. Correct
7. In this sentence the last clause following the semi- colon is not a complete sentence and cannot be connected to the sentence before it without a word to link them. In this case, replacing the semicolon with a comma would be acceptable.
8. Correct 9. Correct 10. Correct
READING COMPREHENSION PASSAGE ONE
1. a. Choice bemphasizes only damage to the atmos- phere; the passage encompasses more than that.
Choice cdoes not mention the atmosphere, which is the main focus of the passage. Choice d is too narrow—the final paragraph of the passage emphasizes that the circulation of the atmos- phere is but one example of the complex events that keeps the Earth alive.
2. b. The biosphere, as defined in the first para- graph, is a region(or part) of the Earth; it is not the envelope around the Earth, the living things on Earth, or the circulation of the atmosphere (choices a, c, d).
–PRACTICE TESTS IN GRAMMAR, WRITING, AND READING COMPREHENSION–
3. d. This question assesses the ability to recognize supported and unsupported claims. Choice a deals with solar radiation, not with circulation of the atmosphere. Choice b is an assertion without specific supporting detail. Choice cdescribes how the atmosphere protects Earth but does not speak of the circulation of the atmosphere. Only choice d explains that conditions would be unlivable at the equator and poles without the circulation of the atmosphere; therefore, it is the best choice.
4. a. This question assesses the ability to see cause- and-effect. The second paragraph deals with how a variation in the strength with which solar radi- ation strikes the Earth affects temperature. None of the other choices is discussed in terms of all temperature changes on Earth.
5. a. There is no mention in the first paragraph of any revivingor cleansingeffect the atmosphere may have (choices band d). In a sense, enabling the Earth to sustain life is invigorating; however, choice ais a better choice because the first two sen- tences talk about how the atmosphere protects the Earth from harmful forces.
PASSAGE TWO
1. a. In paragraph 2, Sylvia is described as restless, and in paragraph 4 she is fearful of the impend- ing storm; therefore her mood is most likely anx- ious. Choice b is wrong because there are no details that would indicate anger. Choices cand d are refuted because of her obvious dread of the coming storm.
2. d. Choices a and b may be true but are not reflected in the story. Choice cis wrong because the birds that surround Sylvia at work are dead, mounted, and cannot be singing. In the final sen- tence, Sylvia is described as mildly claustrophobic, so the best answer is d, which states that she works in a space that feels open.
3. b.In paragraph 4, Sylvia does not want to go out- side because an electrical storm is coming, and she has always been terrified of storms. Choice a is wrong because the adjective gloomy (choice a) doesn’t connote the threat of a frightening elec- trical storm. Since Sylvia is afraid of the weather, such cheery adjectives as spring-like or bracing (choices c and d) cannot be said to describe it.
4. a.Sylvia’s job suits her partly because her boss is usually gone and she’s alone at work. She is mildly fearful of meeting the new person, Lola Parrish and even thinks of leaving before their appoint- ment. These details point to a distant kind of per- son, the opposite of someone who might be overbearing or malicious (choices band d). She seems to want to be alone and so is unlikely to be dependent on others (choice c).
5. a.Sylvia does seem distant and her life somewhat cold, so choice ais the most logical choice. The details in the story segment do not connote light- ness or airiness (she’s restless and fearful; the weather is threatening), so choice b isn’t logical.
There is no hint in the story segment that Sylvia feels anything about her boss, nor is there anything in this scene to remind us of the actual killing of the birds in the museum (choices cand d).
LearningExpress Skill Builders • CHAPTER 6 115
C • H • A • P • T • E • R
SUMMARY
Now you can apply the math skills that you have learned in this book. You can use this practice test to help you identify your strengths and weaknesses and see where you might need some more practice to get your math skills in shape for college.
PRACTICE TESTS IN