ACT Reading Homework Reading 1, Set 2 26 Minutes 30 Questions

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1 ACT Reading Homework Reading 1, Set 2 26 Minutes 30 Questions DIRECTIONS: There are four passages in this test. Each passage is followed by several questions. After reading a passage, choose the best answer to each question and fill in the corresponding oval on your answer document. You may refer to the passages as often as necessary Passage I Prose Fiction: This passage is from Frankenstein by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley. Passage can be found at You will rejoice to hear that no disaster has accompanied the commencement of an enterprise, which you have regarded with such evil forebodings. I arrived here yesterday, and my first task is to assure my dear sister of my welfare and increasing confidence in the success of my undertaking. I am already far north of London, and as I walk in the streets of Petersburgh, I feel a cold northern breeze play upon my cheeks, which braces my nerves and fills me with delight. Do you understand this feeling? This breeze, which has traveled from the regions towards which I am advancing, gives me a foretaste of those icy climes. Inspirited by this wind of promise, my daydreams become more fervent and vivid. I try in vain to be persuaded that the pole is the seat of frost and desolation; it ever presents itself to my imagination as the region of beauty and delight. There, Margaret, the sun is forever visible, its broad disk just skirting the horizon and diffusing a perpetual splendor. There--for with your leave, my sister, I will put some trust in preceding navigators--there snow and frost are banished; and, sailing over a calm sea, we may be wafted to a land surpassing in wonders and in beauty every region hitherto discovered on the habitable globe. Its productions and features may be without example, as the phenomena of the heavenly bodies undoubtedly are in those undiscovered solitudes. What may not be expected in a country of eternal light? I may there discover the wondrous power, which attracts the needle and may regulate a thousand celestial observations that require only this voyage to render their seeming eccentricities consistent forever. I shall satiate my ardent curiosity with the sight of a part of the world never before visited, and may tread a land never before imprinted by the foot of man. These are my enticements, and they are sufficient to conquer all fear of danger or death and to induce me to commence this laborious voyage with the joy a child feels when he embarks in a little boat, with his holiday mates, on an expedition of discovery up his native river. But supposing all these conjectures to be false, you cannot contest the inestimable benefit, which I shall confer on all mankind, to the last generation, by discovering a passage near the pole to those countries, to reach which at present so many months are requisite; or by ascertaining the secret of the magnet, which, if at all possible, can only be effected by an undertaking such as mine. These reflections have dispelled the agitation with which I began my letter, and I feel my heart glow with an enthusiasm, which elevates me to heaven, for nothing contributes so much to tranquillize the mind as a steady purpose--a point on which the soul may fix its intellectual eye. 1

2 1. What is the author s main purpose in writing this letter? A. To complain about how cold it is B. To confirm that he has safely arrived at his destination C. To explain the major differences between England and Russia D. To inquire about his family s welfare 7. What is most exciting for the writer about his trip? A. He enjoys traveling B. He is going to be alone C. The fact that he has a specific goal to achieve D. He has been waiting to make this trip for many years 2. Who is Margaret? F. The writer s sister G. The writer s wife H. The writer s partner on his expedition J. The writer s daughter 8. What does the word reflections mean in line 4? F. mirrored images G. memories H. thoughts J. feelings 3. What is the destination of the writer? A. The North Pole B. London C. The South Pole D. Petersburg 4. What is remarkable about the writer s destination? F. There is constant darkness G. It is very windy H. There are very bright stars in the sky J. There is constant light. What is Margaret s opinion of the writer s expedition? A. She is wholly supportive B. She wanted to go along with him C. She does not care D. She feels something bad will come from it 9. What feeling is this passage meant to evoke in the reader? A. wistfulness B. confusion C. anticipation D. uneasiness 10. What can be inferred from lines 46-3? F. The information gained will benefit the entire world G. Many people have warned the writer against embarking on the trip H. The expedition will last many years J. The trip is merely to satisfy the writer s own curiosity 6. What is the goal of the writer s expedition? F. To discover a new passage G. To write a novel based in the North Pole H. To write a geography book J. To study astronomy 2

3 Passage II Humanities: This passage is from Furnishing the Home of Good Taste by Lucy Abbot Throop. Passage can be found at The early history of art in all countries is naturally connected more closely with architecture than with decoration, for architecture had to be developed before the demand for decoration could come. But the two have much in common. Noble architecture calls for noble decoration. Decoration is one of the natural instincts of man, and from the earliest records of his existence we find him striving to give expression to it, we see it in the scratched pieces of bone and stone of the cave dwellers, in the designs of savage tribes, and in Druidical and Celtic remains, and in the great ruins of Yucatan. The meaning of these monuments may be lost to us, but we understand the spirit of trying to express the sense of beauty in the highest way possible, for it is the spirit which is still moving the world, and is the foundation of all worthy achievement. Egypt and Assyria stand out against the almost impenetrable curtain of pre-historic days in all the majesty of their so-called civilization. Huge, massive, aloof from the world, their temples and tombs and ruins remain. Research has given us the key to their religion, so we understand much of the meaning of their wall-paintings and the buildings themselves. The belief of the Egyptian that life was a short passage and his house a mere stopping-place on the way to the tomb, which was to be his permanent dwellingplace, explains the great care and labor spent on the pyramids, chapels, and rock sepulchers. They embalmed the dead for all eternity and put statues and images in the tombs to keep the mummy company. Colossal figures of their gods and goddesses guarded the tombs and temples, and still remain looking out over the desert with their strange, inscrutable Egyptian eyes. The people had technical skill that has never been surpassed, but the great size of the pyramids and temples and sphinxes gives one the feeling of despotism rather than civilization; of mass and permanency and the wonder of man s achievement rather than beauty, but they personify the mystery and power of ancient Egypt. The columns of the temples were massive, those of Karnak being seventy feet high, with capitals of lotus flowers and buds strictly conventionalized. The walls were covered with hieroglyphics and paintings. Perspective was never used, and figures were painted side view except for the eye and shoulder. In the tombs have been found many household belongings, beautiful gold and silver work, beside the offerings put there to appease the gods. Chairs have been found, which, humorous as it may sound, are certainly the ancestors of Empire chairs made thousands of years later. This is explained by the influence of Napoleon s Egyptian campaign, but there is something in common between the two times so far apart, of ambition and pride, of grandeur and colossal enterprise. Greece may well be called the Mother of Beauty, for with the Greeks came the dawn of a higher civilization, a striving for harmony of line and proportion, an ideal clear, high and persistent. When the Dorians from the northern part of Greece built their simple, beautiful temples to their gods and goddesses they gave the impetus to the movement which brought forth the highest art the world has known. Traces of Egyptian influence are to be found in the earliest temples, but the Greeks soon rose to their own great heights. The Doric column was thick, about six diameters in height, fluted, growing smaller toward the top, with a simple capital, and supported the entablature. The horizontal lines of the architrave and cornice were more marked than the vertical lines of the columns. The portico with its row of columns supported the pediment. The Parthenon is the most perfect example of the Doric order, and shattered as it is by time and man it is still one of the most beautiful buildings in the world. It was built in the time of Pericles, from about 460 to 43 B.C., and the work was superintended by Phidias, who did much of the work himself and left the mark of his genius on the whole. 3

4 11. What is the main idea of this passage? A. To explore the significance of ancient structures B. To describe the riches of ancient kingdoms C. To discuss ancient methods of burying the dead D. To discuss the art and architecture of ancient civilizations 12. According to the passage, which civilization is known for the highest levels of beauty and form? F. Assyria G. Egypt H. France J. Greece 16. It can be inferred from Paragraph 1 that although we might not understand the meaning behind the creation of such ancient structures, F. we should keep trying until we do. G. we can at least appreciate their beauty. H. we should try to mimic the ancients spirit in modern construction. J. we should try to copy the way they were constructed. 17. Lines indicate the Egyptians belief in A. life after death B. aesthetics C. honoring family members D. making the home a beautiful place to live 13. Which phrase best indicates that the abilities of the early artists were limited? A. The meaning of these monuments may be lost to us (lines 13-14) B. all the majesty of their so-called civilization (lines 21-22) C. gives one the feeling of despotism rather than civilization (lines 40-41) D. Perspective was never used (lines 49-0) 14. What does heights mean in line 72? F. size G. limits H. achievements J. elevation 1. What does the word savage mean in line 11? A. violent B. deadly C. antagonistic D. uncivilized 18. According to the passage, why do the pyramids and the temples of the Egyptians evoke the feeling of despotism rather than civilization? F. The rulers built the structures themselves. G. They were the sites of the Egyptian government. H. The harsh rulers lived in the pyramids and temples. J. The sheer size of the structures indicates the enormous power of the rulers. 19. According to the passage, what is most closely related to a country s art? A. decoration B. structure C. architecture D. utility 20. Why is the architecture of ancient Egypt and Assyria the most esteemed? F. Much of it still exists. G. It is the oldest. H. It is the most beautiful. J. It is the most complex. 4

5 Passage III Social Science: This excerpt is from The Theory of Social Revolutions by Brooks Adams. Passage can be found at 1.html. History may not be a very practical study, but it teaches some useful lessons, one of which is that nothing is accidental, and that if men move in a given direction, they do so in obedience to an impulsion as automatic as is the impulsion of gravitation. Therefore, if Mr. Roosevelt became, what his adversaries are pleased to call, an agitator, his agitation had a cause which is as deserving of study as is the path of a cyclone. This problem has long interested me, and I harbor no doubt not only that the equilibrium of society is very rapidly shifting, but that Mr. Roosevelt has, halfautomatically, been stimulated by the instability about him to seek for a new centre of social gravity. In plain English, I infer that he has concluded that industrialism has induced conditions which can no longer be controlled by the old capitalistic methods, and that the country must be brought to a level of administrative efficiency competent to deal with the strains and stresses of the twentieth century, just as, a hundred and twenty-five years ago, the country was brought to an administrative level competent for that age, by the adoption of the Constitution. Acting on these premises, as I conjecture, whether consciously worked out or not, Mr. Roosevelt s next step was to begin the readjustment; but, I infer, that on attempting any correlated measures of reform, Mr. Roosevelt found progress impossible, because of the obstruction of the courts. Hence his instinct led him to try to overleap that obstruction, and he suggested, without, I suspect, examining the problem very deeply, that the people should assume the right of recalling judicial decisions made in causes which involved the nullifying of legislation. What would have happened had Mr. Roosevelt been given the opportunity to thoroughly formulate his ideas, even in the midst of an election, can never be known, for it chanced that he was forced to deal with subjects as vast and complex as ever vexed a statesman or a jurist, under difficulties at least equal to the difficulties of the task itself. If the modern mind has developed one characteristic more markedly than another, it is an impatience with prolonged demands on its attention, especially if the subject be tedious. No one could imagine that the New York press of to-day would print the disquisitions which Hamilton wrote in 1788 in support of the Constitution, or that, if it did, any one would read them, least of all the lawyers; and yet Mr. Roosevelt s audience was emotional and discursive even for a modern American audience. Hence, if he attempted to lead at all, he had little choice but to adopt, or at least discuss, every nostrum for reaching an immediate millennium which happened to be uppermost; although, at the same time, he had to defend himself against an attack compared with which any criticism to which Hamilton may have been subjected resembled a caress. The result has been that the Progressive movement, bearing Mr. Roosevelt with it, has degenerated into a disintegrating rather than a constructive energy, which is, I suspect, likely to become a danger to every one interested in the maintenance of order, not to say in the stability of property. Mr. Roosevelt is admittedly a strong and determined man whose instinct is arbitrary, and yet, if my analysis be sound, we see him, at the supreme moment of his life, diverted from his chosen path toward centralization of power, and projected into an environment of, apparently, for the most part, philanthropists, who could hardly conceivably form a party fit to aid him in establishing a vigorous, consolidated, administrative system. He must have found the pressure toward disintegration resistless, and if we consider this most significant phenomenon, in connection with an abundance of similar phenomena, in other countries, which indicate social incoherence, we can hardly resist a growing apprehension touching the future. Nor is that apprehension allayed if, to reassure ourselves, we turn to history, for there we find on every side long series of precedents more ominous still.

6 21. According to the author, history teaches us that nothing is A. purposeful B. accidental C. automatic D. systematic 26. Lines indicate that Roosevelt F. was too impulsive. G. did not have enough time in office. H. was on an important jury. J. was President during very difficult times in the world. 22. According to this passage, which of the three branches of government did Roosevelt view as an obstacle? F. executive G. legislative H. judicial J. all three 23. In line 3, the word recalling most nearly means A. repealing B. nullifying C. removing D. questioning 24. Why were Roosevelt s actions compared to those of the Founding Fathers? F. Both wrote important government documents. G. They had similar views on capitalism. H. Both saw the need to update political instutitions to match the development of American society. J. Both were influential and popular leaders. 2. The author compares Roosevelt s agitation (line 8) to a A. tornado B. thunderstorm C. earthquake D. volcano 27. Lines 8-61 indicate that A. Hamilton was a more popular leader than Roosevelt. B. Americans were not allowed to criticize Hamilton. C. no one ever criticized Hamilton. D. criticism of political leaders was stronger in Roosevelt s time than in Hamilton s. 28. What is the supreme moment of his life (line 71)? F. when Roosevelt was inaugurated G. when Roosevelt had to make a momentous decision regarding the government s power H. when Roosevelt won his first election J. when Roosevelt died 29. The tone of this passage is A. sympathetic B. neutral C. critical D. indulgent 30. This passage would most likely be found in F. a biography of Roosevelt. G. a newspaper. H. a book of political essays. J. a high school textbook. 6