Read 090 Practice Test 3
Argument
A. (1–4.) In each group, one statement is the point of an argument, and the other
statements are support for that point. Write the letter of the point of each group.
___ Group 1
A. Curved streets discourage speeding cars.
B. For residential neighborhoods, curved streets have advantages.
C. The graceful lines of curved streets are more attractive than straight lines.
___ Group 2
A. In stores, at bus stops, and at theaters, people are expected to wait for their turn in
line.
B. In cities, many everyday activities occur according to a system of rules.
C. In North America, pedestrians keep to the right as a way to avoid running into
others.
D. Drivers are expected to stick to one side of the road.
___ Group 3
A. In recent years, 62 percent of all traffic deaths took place at night.
B. The chances of being in a fatal accident are nearly four times greater at night than
during the day.
C. Driving at night is less safe than driving in the daytime.
D. Many dangerous corners and curves are poorly lit or unlit at night.
___ Group 4
A. Dinosaur fossils teach us about animals that are now extinct.
B. Fossils have “recorded” much about the past of the Earth and its inhabitants.
C. Fossils of ferns found in the Arctic suggest climatic changes.
D. Seashell fossils found high in the mountains indicate that those areas were once
covered by salt water.
B. Each point is followed by three statements that provide relevant support and three that
do not. In the spaces, write the letters of the three relevant statements of support.
Point: Selling cigarettes ought to be against the law.
A. Cigarette smoking kills many more people than all illegal drugs combined.
B. Today, tobacco growing is actually supported by government subsidies.
C. Smoking makes clothing smell bad and stains teeth.
D. Alcohol is another legal drug that kills numerous Americans every year.
E. Nonsmokers are endangered by breathing the smoke from others’cigarettes.
F. Tobacco is one of the most addictive of all drugs.
5–7. Items that logically support the point: _____ _____ _____
Point: Taking good care of a pet is healthy for the pet owner.
A. Before-and-after studies have shown that petting an animal causes a
decrease in many people’s blood pressure.
B. Owning a dog that needs a daily walk can encourage a senior citizen to get
some much-needed exercise.
C. Most people can easily afford the expense of pet food and veterinary care.
D. According to the 2007–2008 National Pet Owners Survey, 63 percent of
American households own a pet.
E. The American Heart Association has said that pet owners are more likely to
survive during the first year after a heart attack than people who don’t own
pets.
F. In addition to cats and dogs, people have fish, birds, snakes, pigs, and even
insects for pets.
8–10. Items that logically support the point: _____ _____ _____
Critical Reading
A. Two of the statements below are facts, and three are opinions. In addition, two
statements include both fact and opinion. Identify facts with an F, opinions with an O,
and statements of fact and opinion with F+O.
_____ 1. Couples should know each other for at least a year before getting married.
_____ 2. For various reasons, some spouses take separate vacations.
_____ 3. In point of fact, it is always better for spouses to vacation together.
_____ 4. Here’s a disgusting fact: By the time the average person is 70, he or she
will have shed about forty pounds of dead skin.
_____ 5. Some human eyes are so sensitive that on a clear, dark night they can spot a
candle flame more than thirty miles away.
_____ 6. Paul Revere is famous for his midnight ride to warn the colonists that the
British were coming during the American Revolution, but he should be
equally honored for his fine work as a silversmith.
_____ 7. No reform movement of any era was more significant than the drive to
abolish slavery.
B. (8–10.) The following paragraph contains three sentences. One is fact, one is opinion,
and one sentence combines fact and opinion. Identify the fact with an F, the opinion
with an O, and the statement of fact and opinion with an F+O.
8People who think of Alaska as an unattractive frozen wasteland are just plain
wrong. 9Alaska is a land of various wildlife, varying climates, and hundreds of forms
of plant life. 10In fact, the highest mountains in North America are in Alaska, where
they have a starring role in some unforgettable scenery.
8. _____ 9. _____ 10. _____
C. (11–15.) The passage below contains five sentences. Each sentence expresses a fact,
the author’s opinion, or a combination of fact and opinion. Identify each sentence as
fact (F), opinion (O), or fact and opinion (F+O).
11Red is the most common color for barns throughout the United States. 12It’s
fortunate that red is such a good color for barns because the early farmers who
established the tradition didn’t have other paint colors to choose from. 13Pioneer farmers
painted their barns with a mixture of skim milk, linseed oil, lime, and iron oxide, with
the iron oxide furnishing the red color to the mixture. 14Since outdoor paints are now
available in a variety of colors, today’s farmers paint their barns red out of choice, not
necessity. 15Everyone of taste would certainly agree that the countryside would be less
beautiful if it were dotted with, for example, jet-black, purple or ultramarine barns.
11. _____ 12. _____ 13. _____ 14. _____ 15. _____
D. Read the following passage from an article in Fortune magazine, and then identify each of
the listed excerpts from the passage as fact (F), the author’s opinion (O), or a combination
of fact and opinion (F+O). (Only one of the excerpts combines fact and opinion.)
1There was plenty of gossip in the corridors of Levi Strauss when Donna Goya, a
personnel manager and rising star, cut back to a three-day-a-week work schedule.
2“One of my colleagues thanked me for taking myself out of the running,” she recalls.
3Two years later, with her son in kindergarten, Goya returned to regular hours—and a
promotion to director of personnel. 4The colleague who was glad to see her leave?
5“Now he works for me.”
6Donna Goya belongs to a pioneering group of managers and professionals who are
breaking the stranglehold of the five-day workweek to devote more time to other aspects
of their lives, such as caring for a young child or an elderly parent. 7These men and
women have told their companies that, for a while, they will require flexible work schedules.
8The surprise is that, in many cases, their careers are prospering. 9It’s still an uphill
battle against well-established corporate practice, but by now enough companies have
tried this kind of new approach that some lessons can be learned. 10And they ought to be.
11Flexible is a term that covers a variety of arrangements: hours other than nine to
five, part-time work, job sharing, leaves of absence, working at home. 12From the
company’s perspective, the theory goes, allowing employees to work fewer and more
flexible hours is a powerful way to attract and retain top-caliber people. 13Adaptable
schedules should also promote a sense of empowerment among workers and a feeling
that the company trusts them. 14Most important, these work arrangements enable dualcareer
parents to address the serious societal issue of raising children responsibly.
15Sounds great. 16Why is it, then, that employees even of seemingly progressive
companies still encounter a lot of resistance when they try to take advantage of the
option? . . .
17Now some of the most forward-looking corporations—among them American
Express, IBM, Levi Strauss, NCNB, and PepsiCo—are systematically trying to
promote flexibility throughout their organizations.
_____ 16. Two years later, with her son in kindergarten, Goya returned to regular
hours—and a promotion to director of personnel.
_____ 17. These men and women have told their companies that, for a while, they
will require flexible work schedules.
_____ 18. And they ought to be.
_____ 19. Flexible is a term that covers a variety of arrangements: hours other than nine
to five, part-time work, job sharing, leaves of absence, working at home.
_____ 20. Now some of the most forward-looking corporations—among them
American Express, IBM, Levi Strauss, NCNB, and PepsiCo—are systematically
trying to promote flexibility throughout their organizations.
Internet Literacy
- When searching on the internet, what steps can you take to make sure you’re finding what you need?
Answer:
2. If someone asked you to find out the average cost of living in Parkersburg, what are 4 search terms you would use to find the answer?
___________
___________
___________
___________
3. What is Phishing?
Answer:
4. Who is most vulnerable to Phishing scams?
Answer:
5. What is one way to find out if an email you’ve received is a phishing scam?
Answer:
