AP English Language and Composition Practice Exam

AP English Language and Composition Practice Exam SECTION I TIME: 1 HOUR Directions: After reading each passage, choose the best answer to each question and completely fill in the corresponding oval on the answer sheet. Questions 1 14. Read the following passage carefully before you choose your answers. The following is an excerpt from a paper Jane Addams (1869 1935) gave at the School of Applied Ethics in Plymouth, Massachusetts, in 1892. 5 You may remember the forlorn feeling which occasionally seizes you when you arrive early in the morning a stranger in a great city: the stream of laboring people goes past you as you gaze through the plate-glass window of your hotel; you see hard working men lifting great burdens; you hear the driving and jostling of huge carts and your heart sinks with a sudden sense of futility. The door opens behind you and you turn to the man who brings you in your breakfast

2 AP ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND COMPOSITION PRACTICE EXAM AP ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND COMPOSITION PRACTICE EXAM 3 10 15 20 25 30 35 with a quick sense of human fellowship. You find yourself praying that you may never lose your hold on it all. A more poetic prayer would be that the great mother breasts of our common humanity, with its labor and suffering and its homely comforts, may never be withheld from you. You turn helplessly to the waiter and feel that it would be almost grotesque to claim from him the sympathy you crave because civilization has placed you apart, but you resent your position with a sudden sense of snobbery. Literature is full of portrayals of these glimpses: they come to shipwrecked men on rafts; they overcome the differences of an incongruous multitude when in the presence of a great danger or when moved by a common enthusiasm. They are not, however, confined to such moments, and if we were in the habit of telling them to each other, the recital would be as long as the tales of children are, when they sit down on the green grass and confide to each other how many times they have remembered that they lived once before. If these childish tales are the stirring of inherited impressions, just so surely is the other the striving of inherited powers. It is true that there is nothing after disease, indigence and a sense of guilt, so fatal to health and to life itself as the want of a proper outlet for active faculties. I have seen young girls suffer and grow sensibly lowered in vitality in the first years after they leave school. In our attempt then to give a girl pleasure and freedom from care we succeed, for the most part, in making her pitifully miserable. She finds life so different from what she expected it to be. She is besotted with innocent little ambitions, and does not understand this apparent waste of herself, this elaborate preparation, if no work is provided for her. There is a heritage of noble obligation which young people accept and long to perpetuate. The desire for action, the wish to right wrong and alleviate suffering haunts them daily. Society smiles at it indulgently instead of making it of value to itself. The wrong to them begins even farther back, when we restrain the 45 50 55 60 65 70 wait until they are older and better fitted. We intimate that social obligation begins at a fixed date, forgetting that it begins at birth itself. We treat them as children who, with strong-growing limbs, are allowed to use their legs but not their arms, or whose legs are daily carefully exercised that after a while their arms may be put to high use. We do this in spite of the protest of the best educators, Locke and Pestalozzi. We are fortunate in the meantime if their unused members do not weaken and disappear. They do sometimes. There are a few girls who, by the time they are educated, forget their old childish desires to help the world and to play with poor little girls who haven t playthings. Parents are often inconsistent: they deliberately expose their daughters to knowledge of the distress in the world; they send them to hear missionary addresses on famines in India and China; they accompany them to lectures on the suffering in Siberia; they agitate together over the forgotten region of East London. In addition to this, from babyhood the altruistic tendencies of these daughters are persistently cultivated. They are taught to be self-forgetting and self-sacrificing, to consider the good of the whole before the good of the ego. But when all this information and culture show results, when the daughter comes back from college and begins to recognize her social claim to the submerged tenth, and to evince a disposition to fulfill it, the family claim is strenuously asserted; she is told that she is unjustified, ill-advised in her efforts. If she persists, the family too often are injured and unhappy unless the efforts are called missionary and the religious zeal of the family carry them over their sense of abuse. When this zeal does not exist, the result is perplexing. It is a curious violation of what we would fain believe a fundamental law that the final return of the deed is upon the head of the doer. The deed is that of exclusiveness and caution, but the return, instead of falling upon the head of the exclusive and cautious, falls upon a young head full of generous and unselfish plans. 40 first childish desires for doing good, and tell them that they must

4 AP ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND COMPOSITION PRACTICE EXAM AP ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND COMPOSITION PRACTICE EXAM 5 1. The speaker in the passage can best be described as a person who is A. an advocate of young people s social activism B. a supporter of class distinctions C. a critic of college education D. against traditional roles for women E. motivated by a desire to help the less fortunate 2. The purpose of the anecdote with which the speaker begins paragraph 1 is to A. elicit sympathy by retelling a tale of loneliness B. paint a picture of city life to fascinate her listeners C. engage the audience by evoking a common experience D. raise questions that will be answered later E. introduce the idea of the difficulties of the laboring class 3. In line 9, it refers to A. breakfast (line 7) B. praying (line 8) C. sense of human fellowship (line 8) D. the man who brings breakfast (line 7) E. a sudden sense of futility (line 6) 4. In context, grotesque (line 13) is best interpreted as A. condescending B. disturbing C. ridiculous D. out of place E. extravagant 5. The sentence beginning You turn helplessly to the waiter (lines 12 15) contains A. irony B. paradox C. parallel syntax D. abstract diction E. understatement 6. The implication of the phrase civilization has placed you apart (line 14) is that the speaker and the waiter A. have different professions B. are not of the same gender C. pursue different interests D. are not of the same social class E. lack a shared perspective 7. It can be inferred when the speaker states, literature is full of portrayals of these glimpses (lines 15 16) that the author is referring to A. the forlorn feeling (line 1) B. the sinking feeling of the heart mentioned in line 6 C. the man who brings in breakfast in line 7 D. the sense of a common humanity (line 10) E. the desire for sympathy mentioned in lines 12 15 8. The use of the subjunctive tense in lines 19 20 indicates that the telling of the types of tales to which the speaker refers A. is not something we do B. would take a great deal of time C. is something only children do D. requires childish confidence E. would not take a great deal of time

6 AP ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND COMPOSITION PRACTICE EXAM AP ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND COMPOSITION PRACTICE EXAM 7 9. The first two sentences of paragraph 2 (lines 16 29) indicate A. a continuation of the ideas expressed in paragraph 1 B. a change in focus from the ideas in paragraph 1 C. a comparison of ideas with those enumerated in paragraph 1 D. a direct contrast to the ideas expressed in paragraph 1 E. an application of the ideas discussed in paragraph 1 10. The organization of ideas in lines 28 29, I have seen young girls value to itself is best described as A. an indictment of education B. a historical example followed by specific examples C. a generalization followed by a conclusion D. the speaker s reflection on her girlhood E. a movement from the particular to the general 11. The speaker employs an analogy in lines 43 46 to A. underscore her belief in the benefits of exercise for young people B. illuminate the disregard society has for children s tendencies to share C. emphasize the fact that society ignores the innate abilities of children D. argue that the desire of the young to help others is not cultivated E. indicate her dismay at society for disregarding the advice of educators 12. The word educated (line 49) is in quotation marks to indicate its A. ironic usage B. positive effects C. importance D. meaninglessness E. lack of rigor 13. Which one of the following characteristics of girls is emphasized in lines 56 57? A. their enlightening education and their contentious relationships with parents B. their attendance at lectures and the child-rearing practices of their parents C. their humanitarian training and their parents desire to stifle this training D. their self-abnegation and their parents philanthropic tendencies E. their perseverance and their parent s refusal to condone their actions 14. The deed that the speaker refers to as that of exclusiveness and caution (line 69 71) is prefigured in A. altruistic tendencies (line 56) B. the social claim (line 61) C. missionary efforts (line 65) D. the religious zeal of the family (line 65) E. the family claim (line 62) Questions 15 30. Read the following passage carefully before you choose your answers. The following is an excerpt from Henry David Thoreau s essay Civil Disobedience, written in 1848. I HEARTILY ACCEPT the motto, That government is best which governs least ; 1 and I should like to see it acted up to more rapidly and systematically. Carried out, it finally amounts to this, which also I 1 Possible reference to The best government is that which governs least, motto of the United States Magazine and Democratic Review (1837 1859), or The less government we have, the better from Ralph Waldo Emerson s Politics (1844), sometimes mistakenly attributed to Thomas Jefferson.

8 AP ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND COMPOSITION PRACTICE EXAM AP ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND COMPOSITION PRACTICE EXAM 9 believe, That government is best which governs not at all ; and would fain succeed in letting one another alone; and, as has been 5 when men are prepared for it, that will be the kind of government 35 said, when it is most expedient, the governed are most let alone by which they will have. Government is at best but an expedient; but it. Trade and commerce, if they were not made of India rubber, 3 most governments are usually, and all governments are sometimes, would never manage to bounce over the obstacles which legislators inexpedient. The objections which have been brought against a are continually putting in their way; and, if one were to judge these standing army, and they are many and weighty, and deserve to pre- men wholly by the effects of their actions, and not partly by their 10 vail, may also at last be brought against a standing government. The 40 intentions, they would deserve to be classed and punished with those standing army is only an arm of the standing government. The gov- mischievous persons who put obstructions on the railroads. ernment itself, which is only the mode which the people have cho- But, to speak practically and as a citizen, unlike those who call sen to execute their will, is equally liable to be abused and perverted themselves no-government men, 4 I ask for, not at once no govern- before the people can act through it. Witness the present Mexican ment, but at once a better government. Let every man make known 15 war, 2 the work of comparatively a few individuals using the standing 45 what kind of government would command his respect, and that will government as their tool; for, in the outset, the people would not be one step toward obtaining it. have consented to this measure. After all, the practical reason why, when the power is once in This American government what is it but a tradition, though a the hands of the people, a majority are permitted, and for a long recent one, endeavoring to transmit itself unimpaired to posterity, period continue, to rule, is not because they are most likely to be in 20 but each instant losing some of its integrity? It has not the vitality 50 the right, nor because this seems fairest to the minority, but because and force of a single living man; for a single man can bend it to his they are physically the strongest. But a government in which the ma- will. It is a sort of wooden gun to the people themselves. But it is jority rule in all cases cannot be based on justice, even as far as men not the less necessary for this; for the people must have some com- understand it. Can there not be a government in which majorities do plicated machinery or other, and hear its din, to satisfy that idea of not virtually decide right and wrong, but conscience? in which ma- 25 government which they have. Governments show thus how success- 55 jorities decide only those questions to which the rule of expediency fully men can be imposed on, even impose on themselves, for their is applicable? Must the citizen ever for a moment, or in the least own advantage. It is excellent, we must all allow. Yet this govern- degree, resign his conscience to the legislator? Why has every man a ment never of itself furthered any enterprise, but by the alacrity with conscience, then? I think that we should be men first, and subjects af- which it got out of its way. It does not keep the country free. It does terward. It is not desirable to cultivate a respect for the law, so much 30 not settle the West. It does not educate. The character inherent in 60 as for the right. The only obligation which I have a right to assume is the American people has done all that has been accomplished; and it to do at any time what I think right. It is truly enough said that a cor- would have done somewhat more, if the government had not some- poration has no conscience; but a corporation of conscientious men times got in its way. For government is an expedient by which men 3 Made from the latex of tropical plants; India because it came from the 2 U.S.-Mexican War (1846 1848), considered by abolitionists to be an West Indies, and rubber from its early use as an eraser. effort to extend slavery into former Mexican territory. 4 Anarchists, many of whom came from Massachusetts.

10 AP ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND COMPOSITION PRACTICE EXAM AP ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND COMPOSITION PRACTICE EXAM 11 65 70 is a corporation with a conscience. Law never made men a whit more just; and, by means of their respect for it, even the well-disposed are daily made the agents of injustice. A common and natural result of an undue respect for law is, that you may see a file of soldiers, colonel, captain, corporal, privates, powder-monkeys, 5 and all, marching in admirable order over hill and dale to the wars, against their wills, ay, against their common sense and consciences, which makes it very steep marching indeed, and produces a palpitation of the heart. They have no doubt that it is a damnable business in which they are concerned; they are all peaceably inclined. Now, what are they? Men at all? Or small movable forts and magazines, at the service of some unscrupulous man in power? 17. In lines 11 16, the author draws a connection between the standing government and the standing army (lines 10 11) to argue that the army and the government I. are only aspects of a whole II. can be distorted and mistreated III. are manipulated by a minority A. I only B. II only C. III only D. II and III only E. I, II, and III 5 Boys who carry gunpowder for soldiers. 15. This essay could best be characterized as A. a diatribe against the government B. an abolitionist speech C. a citizen s call to action D. an anarchist s desire for change E. a conservative s words of praise 16. The dominant rhetorical device in line 4 is A. oxymoron B. parallel structure C. paradox D. inverted syntax E. catalogue 18. Footnote 2 serves to do all of the following except A. justify America s participation in the Mexican-American War B. explain why the author and others did not support the war C. provide insight into the abolitionist cause D. supply the dates of the Mexican-American War E. suggest a possible outcome of the Mexican-American conflict 19. The American government (line 18) is juxtaposed to a single living man (line 21) to argue that the government is all of the following except A. moribund B. easily manipulated C. ineffectual D. without real power E. without energy

12 AP ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND COMPOSITION PRACTICE EXAM AP ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND COMPOSITION PRACTICE EXAM 13 20. In line 22, wooden gun is A. metonymy for war B. synecdoche for firearms C. a metaphor for lack of power D. an analogy comparing guns to toys E. an oxymoron providing a truth 21. In lines 22 24, the author s point about the people and their expectations of government is that government must be A. convoluted yet quiet B. mechanistic yet calm C. robotic and disturbing D. intricate and noisy E. complex and alarming 22. Yet this government out of its way (lines 27 29) means that A. the government helps itself by helping people s business ventures B. the government helps people progress through its support and effort C. quickly removing itself from the path of the people is the only help the government can offer D. forcefully inserting itself into the activities of its people helps them to succeed E. a slow and well-thought-out governmental response leads to the success of the people 23. Lines 29 30 use which rhetorical device and for what purpose? A. polysyndeton to reveal the qualities of the American people B. asyndeton to underscore why the American people should be proud C. allusion to refer to America s recent historical past D. abstract diction to create ambiguity about American achievements E. anaphora to emphasize what the government has not done 24. The author compares trade and commerce to India rubber (line 36) to make the point that legislators A. research how to use India rubber as a commodity to overcome trade and commerce issues B. create impediments that trade and commerce are fortunately able to overcome C. instigate trade and commerce agreements but then block their successful completion D. negotiate trade and commerce agreements but then knowingly sabotage them E. establish difficulties to trade that only India rubber commerce can navigate 25. The analogy in lines 38 41 not only emphasizes the comparison in line 36 but also A. points out the danger and injudiciousness of legislators actions B. creates a contradiction between legislators desired results and misguided choices C. reveals why legislators engage in illegal activities regarding trade and commerce D. distinguishes between the men themselves and their actions and intentions E. illuminates how the achievements of legislators are not always a result of their actions 26. Footnote 4 serves to A. identify where the majority of anarchists reside B. define what an anarchist is C. differentiate the author from anarchists D. explain to whom the author refers E. clarify the actions of no government men

14 AP ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND COMPOSITION PRACTICE EXAM 27. The rhetorical device used in lines 43 44, I ask for, not no government, but at once a better government is A. chiasmus B. antithesis C. idiomatic language D. inversion E. a loose sentence 28. The author s point regarding majority rule (lines 53 56) is that the majority should rule A. only on matters devoid of moral claims B. when the issue entails matters of fairness C. during circumstances that include justice to the minority D. when the situation revolves around matters of right and wrong E. if practical considerations are at least one aspect of the ruling 29. The author s point regarding conscience in lines 57 63 is best stated as A. conscience should be subservient to the law B. to be a subject entails abiding by the precepts of one s conscience C. individual conscience is more important than the law D. men have consciences as reflected in the morality of legislators E. it is the duty of conscience to obey the laws of legislators 30. The author s tone in the passage as a whole is best described as A. warmly sympathetic B. harshly critical C. unquestioningly supportive D. staunchly judgmental E. insightfully creative