Instructions

After reading the passage below, choose the answer to each question that most effectively improves the quality of writing in the passage or that makes the passage conform to the conventions of standard written English. Many questions include a "NO CHANGE" option. Choose that option if you think the best choice is to leave the relevant portion of the passage as it is. 
 
[1]

Lately, a small but 1 annoying group of scholars, writers, and students have been questioning William Shakespeare's place in the literary pantheon. For several hundred years, Shakespeare has been the undisputed master of English literature. Finally, his super-human status has turned against him. Now, people are beginning to ask whether an uneducated man raised by illiterate parents could truly have written these great plays. 2 These skeptics, known as "Oxfordians," believe that William Shakespeare of Stratford-Upon-Avon, the figure to whom history has ascribed the plays, was not actually a writer, but the stand-in for an anonymous playwright. A wide variety of possible "true authors" have been proposed.

[2]

Much of the argument revolves around the lack of records surrounding William Shakespeare of Stratford. There are no records from the Stratford Grammar School, so his earliest education is undocumented. Additionally, no personal letters from Shakespeare remain. The only examples of his writing are six signatures that appear sloppy. His parents signed their names with an "X." So did his daughters. 3 Despite all of this evidence suggesting that Shakespeare may have been illiterate.

[3]

Yet, the traditional Shakespeare scholars (called "Stratfordians") have little patience with these theories. In terms of Shakespeare's literacy, scholars point to reports written by the man's friends. The famous author Ben Johnson, for one, knew Shakespeare personally. He wrote often about Shakespeare's work, although his reviews rarely flattered his friend. Thomas Haywood noted that his friend of the "enchanted quill" 4 was liking to go by the nickname "Will." 5 These are only two of many examples. Thus, on the one hand, the Oxfordian's denial of Shakespeare's literacy makes arguments from lack of 6 information, on the other, the Stratfordian's argument rests on the reports of people who knew Shakespeare personally.

[4]

Additionally, Shakespeare's plays reveal a dizzying number of details regarding contemporary manners among royalty and foreign cultures. The historical Shakespeare grew up in a small town, and never traveled abroad. The Oxfordians ask, "How could such a sheltered man have written so well about these matters of high culture and other lands?" The true author, they suggest, must have 7 been one of the most wealthy people in England. 
 
[5]

As for the questions about Shakespeare's lack of cultural exposure, historical examination debunks the skeptics' claims. In Shakespeare's time, the standard grammar school curriculum included quite a bit of the information contained in the plays. 8 Nevertheless, records reveal a book containing most of the allusions that show up in Shakespeare's plays 9 was donated by a private benefactor to Stratford's grammar school a few years after William's birth. Despite his genius, Shakespeare made quite a few mistakes in his descriptions. As he wrote boldly about places he had never visited, 10 except he made major geographical and political blunders in these descriptions. So, Shakespeare's lack of travel is consistent with the content of his plays.
 

1.

The writer wants to convey an attitude of respectful disagreement. Which choice best accomplishes this goal?

5.

The writer is considering deleting the underlined sentence (#5). Should the sentence be kept or deleted?

7.

 
For sentence 7, which choice provides the most relevant hypothesis?

9.

 
At this point (marker 9), the writer is considering adding the following information.

"—as well as several of the mistakes that Shakespeare makes—"

Should the writer make this addition here?

1.

Number of aquatic organisms in Dunsville Fishery

What was the approximate increase in the number of aquatic organisms over each of the two years listed above?

2.

Students in an 11th grade history class are randomly divided into three teams of five students for a history trivia contest. Each student takes a trivia test with 100 total points and their scores are posted below. The team with the highest average score (rounded to the nearest whole number) wins the contest.
 
 
Which of the following is closest to the average score for all students participating in the contest?

3.

For right triangle XYZ shown below, which of the following expressions has a value that is equal to sin X?
 
 

4.

A survey of a high school track team asked the 40 members how many hours per week (rounded to the nearest hour) they spend running outside of team practices. The 40 responses are summarized in the histogram below.

What fraction of athletes responded that they spent less than 2 hours per week running?

5.

1/5 of x is equal to 2.

1/3 of y is equal to 4. What is x – y?

6.

2x – 3(x – 6) ≤ 28 + 4x

What is the solution for the inequality?

7.

If 24 kilograms of flour are required to make 300 tarts, how many kilograms of flour are required to make 45 tarts?

8.

In Dewey Elementary School, there are two second-grade classes: class A has 35 students and class B has 45 students. If 40% of the students in class A walk to school, and 80% of the students in class B walk to school, what percent of all the students in the second-grade at Dewey Elementary walk to school?

9.

The price of a pair of sneakers was $80 for the last six months of last year. On January first, the price increased 20%. After the price increase, an employee bought these sneakers with a 10% employee discount. What price did the employee pay?

10.

If x² = 4 and y² = 9, then which of following could be the value of xy?

Instructions

 
The passage below is followed by a number of questions. After reading the passage, choose the best answer to each question based on what is stated or implied in the passage or passages and in any accompanying graphics (such as a table or graph). 
 
This passage is adapted from John Ruskin, The Seven Lamps of Architecture, originally published 1849. Here, Ruskin describes the first principle of architecture. 
 
Architecture is the art which so adorns the structures raised by man for whatever uses that the sight of them contributes to his mental health, power and pleasure. It is very necessary, in the outset of all inquiry, to distinguish carefully between Architecture and Building.

To build is by common understanding to put together and adjust the several pieces of any structure of a considerable size. The persons who profess that art are builders, but building does not become architecture merely by the stability of what it erects.

Let us, therefore, at once confine the name of Architecture to that art which impresses on its form certain characters venerable or beautiful, but otherwise unnecessary. Thus, I suppose, no one would call the laws architectural which determine the height of a doorframe or the kind of wood in a beam. But if to the stone facing of that doorframe be added an unnecessary feature, as a cable molding, that is Architecture. If projecting masses be carved beneath into rounded shapes, which are useless, and if the headings of the intervals be arched and engraved, which is useless, that is Architecture. This useless nature embodies the first principle of Architecture: sacrifice.

It may not be always easy to draw the line so sharply and simply, because there are few buildings which have not some pretense or color of being architectural; neither can there be any architecture which is not based on building, nor any good architecture which is not based on good building. However, it is perfectly easy and very necessary to keep the ideas distinct, and to understand fully that Architecture concerns itself only with those characters of a structure which are above and beyond its usefulness.

Architecture's spirit of sacrifice prompts us to the offering of precious things merely because they are precious, not because they are useful or necessary. It is a spirit, for instance, which of two equally beautiful sorts of marble, both applicable and durable, would choose the more costly because it was so. Of two kinds of decoration, equally effective, this spirit of sacrifice would choose the more elaborate because it was so. It is therefore most unreasoning and enthusiastic, and perhaps best defined as the opposite of the prevalent feeling of modern times, which desires to produce the largest results at the least cost.

Of this spirit of sacrifice, there are two distinct forms: the first, the wish to exercise self-denial for the sake of self-discipline merely, a wish acted upon in the abandonment of things loved or desired, there being no direct call or purpose to be answered by so doing; and the second, the desire to honor or please someone else by the costliness of the sacrifice.

Nearly all old work has been hard work, work of sacrifice. It may be the hard work of children, of barbarians, of rustics; but it is always their utmost. Our work looks as though we have stopped short wherever and whenever we can. It has the appearance of lazy compliance with low conditions; never of a fair putting forth of our strength. Let us have done with this kind of work at once. Cast off every temptation to it!

Do not let us degrade ourselves voluntarily, and then mutter and mourn over our short comings. It is not even a question of how much we are to do, but of how it is to be done; it is not a question of doing more, but of doing better. If we have only so much to be spent in decoration, let us go to the craftsman, whoever he may be, and bid him carve for us a single statue or capital, or as many as we can afford, compelling upon him the one condition, that they shall be the best he can do. Place them where they will be of the most value, and be content. Our other capitals may be mere blocks, and our other niches empty. No matter. Better our work unfinished than all bad. It is more honest and unpretending.

1.

What does Ruskin identify as the difference between building and architecture?

2.

The main purpose of the passage is to

3.

As it is used in Paragraph 4, "concerns" most nearly means

4.

According to Ruskin, the spirit of sacrifice motivates architects to value what is

5.

Based on Ruskin's description of architecture in Paragraph 7, it can be inferred that

6.

Which choice provides the best evidence for the answer to the previous question?

7.

As it is used in Paragraph 7, "stopped short" most nearly means

8.

An architect following Ruskin's direction would NOT use

9.

Which choice provides the best evidence for the answer to the previous question?

10.

The third paragraph is primarily concerned with establishing a contrast between