ELA Exam 1A Walkthrough: REVISING EDITING PART A Question Type: Language - Vague Pronoun 1. Which sentence should be revised to correct a vague pronoun? Correct Answer: Option D (Sentence 4) At that moment, Chris dropped the antique chest onto the television set and badly damaged it." contains the vague pronoun "it." The pronoun has two possible antecedent nouns both of which make sense in the context of the sentence -- antique chest and television set. Which of the two broke when Chris dropped the chest onto the television? It is unclear. Option A: Sentence 1 does not include a vague pronoun. The only pronoun, you, explicitly refers to Chris with whom Bill is talking. Option B: Sentence 2 does not include a vague pronoun. The pronoun, you, refers to Bill with whom Chris is talking. The pronoun "it" refers to the chest in the previous sentence. Option C: Sentence 3 does not include a vague pronoun. Who refers to Chris, the subject noun it is next to and modifying. Question Type: Language - Verb Tense 2. Which sentence should be revised to correct an inappropriate shift in verb tense? Correct Answer: Option C (Sentence 3) The researchers had also developed technologies and algorithms capable of both interpreting and generating signals in the brain." incorrectly shifts tense to the past perfect -- "had developed." It is the second of three examples of studies related to the award, and the only one that uses the past perfect tense rather than the future tense: (2) Scientists will investigate, (3) The researchers had also developed, (4) Research teams will operate. The past perfect indicates a completed action before a known event in the past, but there is no past event referenced in the paragraph. Either the author should be using future tense or reorganize the paragraph to avoid bouncing back and forth between tenses. Option A: Sentence 1 uses the present perfect tense has awarded to indicate an award was granted and may still be granted through the current time. Sentence 1 is the first sentence, so there are no prior sentences with which to compare for violations of appropriate tense. Sentence 2, however, does change tense. Option B: Sentence 2 shifts to the future tense "will investigate." This change is appropriate because it transitions from the discussion of the given awards to what they will entail in the future. Option D: Sentence 4 is consistent with the future tense will investigate established in sentence 2. Question Type: Language - Verb Tense 3. What is the best way to combine these sentences to clarify the relationship between the ideas? Correct Answer: Option C (The prefix -a indicates without or absence of, so it follows atheists do not believe claims of theism that a god exists) Option C provides the correct cause-effect transition. The construction or definition of atheism follows from the meaning of the prefix -a. Only option C highlights this relationship with the coordinating conjunction so to indicate the second part of the sentence is a result of the first part. Option A: Atheists do not believe claims of theism that a god exists, yet the prefix -a indicates without or absence of uses the transition "yet." This coordinating conjunction suggests contrast, which is not the correct relationship between sentences. Option B: The prefix -a indicates without or an absence of, and atheists do not believe claims of theism that a god exists uses the coordinating conjunction "and" to combine sentences, but the right relationship is not additive between the two sentences as suggested by option B. Option D: The prefix -a indicates without or absence of, although it follows atheists do not believe claims of theism that a god exists. Option D incorrectly uses a transition although that suggests the second part of the sentence is an exception or in contrast to the first part, which is not the case for the sentences provided. TIP: A vertical scan of the answer choices often allows test takers to identify the critical issues quickly. In this case, the difference between most every answer choice was the transition word used. REVISING EDITING PART B 4. Which of the following sentences is irrelevant to the main ideas presented in the passage? Correct Answer: Option C (Sentence 13 - Did you know that birds, not lizards, are the living descendants of dinosaurs?) Although an interesting fact, sentence 13 is not relevant to make the case that evolution exists. Although the previous sentence makes mention of lizards, it is to provide an example of observed evolution. The lack of relation between lizards and dinosaurs is an entirely different point. Eliminate sentence 13. 1
Option A: Sentence 1 - Evolution is a fact is the thesis statement and, therefore, relevant to the main idea of the passage. Option B: Sentence 7 - Theories are the result of testing and verification, and they are capable of providing repeatable, predictive results. Option B supports the thesis claim by indicating scientific theories are well tested and therefore reliable. Option D: Sentence 20 - Furthermore, evolution is no more a theory of creation than germ theory is an explanation for gravity makes the analogy that a theory of how life evolves should not be confused with how life originally formed. They are separate, but often confused ideas. The sentence is making a useful rebuttal to a well-known counterpoint. 5. Which of the following restatements of sentence 2 best develops the thesis for the passage? Correct Answer: Option B (Life on Earth indisputably undergoes a recognizable process of change and continuous diversification.) The thesis of the passage is that the process of change among life on Earth is an observed fact (sentence 1), and the Theory of Evolution best explains the observed changes (sentence 3). Sentence 2 defines evolution as the process of change, not to be confused with the Theory of Evolution, an attempt to explain the indisputable bio-diversity on the planet. Option B changes the word evolution for the phrase process of change and continuous diversification, which is the observation in support of the thesis claim and best restatement of sentence 2. Option A: The theory of change and continuous diversification of life cannot be disputed based on observation. A theory can be disputed. Option A mixes the theory to explain the observations with the observed facts. Change and diversification is an observation, so option A incorrectly states the idea in sentence 2. Option B: Evolution of life on Earth results in survival of the strongest incorrectly restates a phrase many test takers may know about the topic away from the passage -- survival of the fittest. Aside from the incorrect restatement of this well-known phrase, option B cannot be correct because the passage fails to mention the survival of the fittest, so the idea cannot be used in a correct answer to developing the thesis claim. Option D: The fossil records indicate that human ancestors have undergone a certain process of change focuses on a narrow example or observation of change for human ancestors and does not provide the best support to the general thesis that evolution of all life on Earth is a fact. 6. Which combination of sentences 6 and 7 best captures the appropriate transition from one idea to the next? Correct Answer: Option D (A theory is the pinnacle of the scientific method: tested, verified, and capable of providing repeatable, predictive results.) The colon indicates supplementary information will follow the main clause to explain why the theory is the pinnacle of the scientific method. In this case, the following clause lists criteria that are used to develop a theory. Theories must be tested, verified, and provide predictive results. All the elements in the list contribute to the result that a theory is a well-developed concept and not simply an untested hypothesis. Option A: A theory is the pinnacle of the scientific method, so it is tested and verified to provide repeatable, predictive results is incorrect because "so" suggests consequence, and the order of logic is reversed. Theories don't provide predictive results because they are the pinnacle of the scientific method. They become fact because they can be tested and shown to be correct. Option B: A theory is the pinnacle of the scientific method, yet it is tested and verified to provide repeatable, predictive results. "Yet" in option B is also not the best relationship between ideas. The ability to test theories is not an exception or in contrast to the idea of theories being the pinnacle of the scientific method. Testing and verification are conditions to developing a good theory. Option C: A theory is the pinnacle of the scientific method, it is tested, verified, and capable of providing repeatable, predictive results is grammatically incorrect, so it cannot be the best option to transition from one sentence to the other. It is a comma splice that attempts to connect two independent clauses with a comma and no coordinating conjunction. 7. Which sentence below best follows sentence 11 and reinforces the same line of argument? Correct Answer: Option A (In fact, transitional fossils exist and are complete for many species.) Sentence 11 and preceding lines refute the idea that there are gaps in the fossil records. Sentence 11 indicates that sequencing of fossil records for human ancestors has been completed and dates back millions of years. Option A would be the best choice to add further evidence by highlighting that non-human fossil records have been sequenced for other species too without gaps. Note this is a Best accomplishes goal question (see the chapter on Question Categories for Edit-Revise Passage Related Questions). The goal is to reinforce sentence 11 s argument, which suggests making the same argument with another example. TIP: Best accomplishes goal questions require test takers to focus carefully on the defined goal to be achieved (e.g., reinforce) and the object of the goal (sentence 11, not sentence 12 nor any other part of the passage). Option B: Microevolution has been observed, but there is no support for macroevolution is not mentioned in the passage nor relevant to the issue of perceived gaps in fossil records. Option C: Speciation has been observed in complex organisms. Option C could precede sentence 12, which addresses evidence of speciation, but that is a different line of argument in support of evolution and not a continuation of sentence 11, evidence in the fossil records. Option D: Molecular biology provides independent evidence that evolution is a fact of life on our planet is also an additional argument in favor of evolution. It is not a further example of how fossil records support evolution. 2
8. Which transition at the start of sentence 12 best conveys the relationship between the ideas presented in sentence 12 and surrounding sentences? Correct Answer: Option C (Moreover,) Sentence 12 presents one of several types of evidence presented in favor of evolution among sentences 11 through 14. Each argument or point of evidence is presented as an additive reason that corroborates the evolutionary theory. Option C (moreover) best conveys that additive relationship between ideas. Option A: As a result, suggests sentence 12 follows logically from the prior sentence in a cause-effect relationship, but it is an additional observation of change, so option A is not correct. Option B: However, indicates contrast, which is not the correct relationship for sentence 12 to others sentences because the observance of speciation doesn t contradict the other observations indicating change or evolution. Option D: Indeed, suggests sentence 12 follows logically, perhaps obviously and with emphasis, from the prior sentence, but it is an additional observation of change, so option A is not the correct relationship transition. If sentence 12 referenced the transitional hominid fossils, then emphasis may be a valid transition, but sentence 12 provides a separate example from the earlier examples. 9. What is the purpose of including sentence 17 in the passage? Correct Answer: Option B (To engage and refute possible counterarguments to the thesis) Sentence 17 begins a discussion of hypotheses attempting to deny evolution. The goal is to transition into a discussion of typical counterpoints to the Theory of Evolution. The author intends to confront some common counterclaims and dismisses them. Option B is the best answer choice. Option A: To indicate the thesis that evolution is fact is arguably incorrect is not the purpose of sentence 17 where the author does begin discussion of contrary ideas to evolution. In fact, by refuting those arguments, the author intends to strengthen the claim that the Theory of Evolution is correct. Option C: To transition to different ideas in support or denial of evolution is partly correct. The author is making a transition and addressing different ideas, but not for the reasons suggested in option C -- in support or denial. The author is introducing counterclaims with a single, unwavering purpose -- to reject their veracity. Option D: To attack the character of anybody who doubts evolution is not supported by the text in sentence 17. The sentence only states it is disingenuous to discount evolution occurs, which suggests anyone who refutes the process of change in species is not being sincere. The text does not mention anything about those who merely doubt evolution. 10. Which of the following provides the best concluding sentence at the passage end? Correct Answer: Option A (Today, evolution is as certain as the fact that the Earth revolves around the sun) Many of the answer choices seem to have appeal, and it is typical for the SHSAT to provide muddled answers that confuse test takers. However, trained test takers will recall the conclusion of a passage must restate the original thesis, and they will reflect upon the original thesis and search for a restatement of that thesis claim. In this case, the thesis is evolution is a fact and option A best reflects that statement. Option B: The Theory of Evolution is today indisputable is contrary to the passage, which discusses various counterclaims or disputes of evolution. It may be an excellent explanation born out over more than a century according to the text, but it is not "indisputable." Option C: Denial of evolution is a fundamental denial of science and the scientific method. Although sentence 9 indicates it is no longer realistic to assert that atomic theory, cell theory, the theory of gravity, and evolution are not real, this is not the main thesis claim. As such, the idea that denial of evolution is a denial of science does not make the best concluding sentence. Option D: Evolution has been observed firsthand reiterates the claim made in the text in sentence 12: Evolution or speciation has been observed among various creatures. However, this is in the body of the passage and not the main thesis claim, so it would not serve as the best concluding sentence. READING COMPREHENSION Outline Each answer walkthrough for reading passages will include an outline to provide one example of quick notes about each paragraph by readers to better understand the paragraph by paragraph development of context to be later used in predicting answers and aiding strategies like skim reading passages covered later in this course. Passage Type: Expository Method of Development: Chronological 3
Paragraph 1: Introduce Tubman and make thesis claim - from slave to humanitarian hero. Born into slavery as Araminta "Minty" Ross on a plantation in Maryland, Harriet Tubman would go on to become a brave humanitarian known to many as "Moses." Historians believe she was born in the early 1820s, but most slave owners didn't keep birth records. Araminta took the name of her mother, Harriet when she was thirteen. Paragraph 2: Tough childhood Life as a slave was arduous. As a child, Harriet resided in a small cabin with nearly one dozen siblings. When she was still a young girl, Harriet was offered out to another family where she helped take care of an infant, and when the baby awoke to cry as babies often do, the family whipped Harriet. Harriet continued working various jobs on the plantation throughout her youth such as plowing fields and carrying heavy loads. She gained strength as a result of the hard farm labor. By the time Harriet became a teenager, she had incurred a terrible head injury while visiting the market. A slave owner tried to throw a two-pound weight at one of his fleeing slaves, and instead, he struck Harriet. The severe wound nearly killed her and caused her to have dizzy spells and blackouts for the rest of her life. Paragraph 3: Introduce Underground Railroad - Harriet escapes north At that time, fortunately, there existed some northern states where slavery was illegal. Slaves frequently attempted to escape north using the Underground Railroad. The Underground Railroad wasn't a real railroad. It was a collection of safe homes called "stations" that hid slaves as they escaped north. Individuals who assisted the slaves en route were known as conductors. Slaves would hide in the woods or sneak onto trains at night taking refuge at various stations along the way northward until they reached freedom. In 1849, Harriet escaped on the Underground Railroad. After a frightening, difficult trip she made it to Pennsylvania and was free. However, the risk for Harriet and those like her did not go away. Paragraph 4: New law makes north unsafe - Tubman joins Railroad and helps others escape to Canada - successful hero even in war Congress passed the Fugitive Slave Law in 1850, which severely punished anyone helping a slave escape and forced law enforcement in the north to return escaped slaves to the south. This law meant that slaves could be taken from free states and returned to their owners. The only salvation was even further north, and Harriet wanted to help her family and others like her to flee to safety in Canada. She soon became a conductor on the Underground Railroad with a stellar record of success. Harriet led nineteen different escapes from the south and helped around 300 slaves to escape. She became known as "Moses" because, like the Moses in the Bible, she risked her life and led her people to freedom. Also, Harriet helped her mother, father, and siblings escape slavery, and she was never caught and never lost a slave. Harriet later helped to nurse injured soldiers during the Civil War, she spied for the northern army, and she even participated in a military campaign that led to the rescue of over 750 slaves. After the Civil War, Harriet lived in Auburn, New York with her family. She helped underprivileged and sick people and spoke out on equal rights for blacks and women. Question Type: Main Idea-Big Picture 11. Which of the following best tells what this passage is about? A. The history of the Fugitive Slave Law and its impact on the north. B. A great female historical figure in the civil rights movement. C. Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad. D. The biography of Harriet Tubman and her rise above slavery to help others in need. Question Type: Main Idea-Big Picture Correct Answer: Option D (The biography of Harriet Tubman and her rise above slavery to help others.) Option D describes the examples throughout the passage text that relate the chronology of Harriet Tubman's life from birth to later years. Lines (1-3) introduce Harriet as a slave at birth around 1820. Lines (20-22) among others highlight her teen years as a slave, and lines (40-41) talk about her escape to freedom in her 20s. Lines (61-63) follow with her 4
experience helping others do the same, and finally the last lines outline her activities after the Civil War beyond 1865. In total, this passage demonstrates a complete summary of the life of Harriet Tubman including her work to help others, a biography. 1. Lines (1-3) Born into slavery as Araminta Minty Ross...Harriet Tubman would go on to become a brave humanitarian. 2. Lines (20-22) By the time Harriet became a teenager, she had incurred a terrible head injury while visiting the market. 3. Lines (40-41) In 1849 Harriet escaped on the Underground Railroad. 4. Lines (61-63) Harriet helped her mother, father, and siblings escape slavery, and she was never caught 5. Lines (68-69) After the Civil War, Harriet lived in Auburn, New York with her family. Option A: (Incorrect Answer Type Too Narrow) The history of the Fugitive Slave Law and its impact on the north, is too narrow in scope to be the main idea. The law is mentioned in the passage in lines (46-49) to set up the context of the story -- Harriet Tubman was brave and took great risks. This law is not mentioned in the introduction or the conclusion of the passage because it is pertinent to only a part of the story; it is not the main idea. Option B: (Incorrect Answer Type Too Vague) A great female historical figure in the civil rights movement, is too vague. While the passage suggests Tubman is a great historical figure in lines (3-4), and she did speak out for equality in her later years in lines (69-71), the passage does not explicitly mention the civil rights movement. Moreover, option B does not address the early part of the passage about Tubman's youth nor address the work she did to help others. Option C: (Incorrect Answer Type Too Vague, Too Narrow) Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad, is not a complete description of the passage. It does not include her early years, the first part of the passage. Further, option C does not indicate what happened between Tubman and the Underground Railroad -- she helped slaves escape captivity on lines (56-57). This answer is a typical answer that includes incomplete parts of the passage and does not tie together the main idea or thesis. 1. Lines (46-49) Congress passed the Fugitive Slave Law in 1850, which severely punished anyone helping a slave escape and forced law enforcement in the north to return escaped slaves to the south. This law meant that slaves could be taken from free states and returned to their owners. 2. Lines (3-4) Tubman would go on to become a brave humanitarian. 3. Lines (69-71) She helped underprivileged and sick people and spoke out on equal rights for blacks and women. 4. Lines (56-57) Harriet led nineteen different escapes from the south and helped around 300 slaves to escape. Question Type: Detail-Little Picture 12. Which of the following is not a name given to or used by Harriet Tubman? A. Moses B. Araminta C. Minty D. Conductor Correct Answer: Option D ("Conductor") confuses a general description or name included in the text with a name assigned to Harriet Tubman. Lines (35-36) "Individuals who assisted the slaves en route were known as conductors." Harriet Tubman was an example of a conductor, but the text never indicates anyone called her by that name. 1. Lines (35-36) Individuals who assisted the slaves en route were known as conductors. Option A: (Incorrect Answer Type True) Moses is a name assigned to Harriet Tubman provided in the text on lines (58-61) "She became known as 'Moses.'" Option B: (Incorrect Answer Type True) Araminta is a name provided Harriet Tubman when she was born according to line 1. "Born into slavery as Araminta 'Minty' Ross." Araminta was her first name. Option C: (Incorrect Answer Type True) Minty is a name provided Harriet Tubman when she was born according to line 1. "Born into slavery as Araminta "Minty" Ross." "Minty" was her nickname. 1. Line (1) "Born into slavery as Araminta 'Minty' Ross." 2. Lines (58-61) "She became known as 'Moses' because, like the Moses in the Bible, she risked her life and led her people to freedom." Question Type: Inference-Deduction 13. Why according to the passage were escaped slaves not necessarily safe in the northern states? A. Many northern states still held slavery legal at the time. 5
B. The Underground Railroad was not present in many states. C. Federal laws forced police to capture any known slaves. D. Discrimination remained a daily part of life for blacks in the north. Correct Answer: Option C (Federal laws forced police to capture any known slaves.) Option C describes the example in the text on lines (46-49) "Congress passed the Fugitive Slave Law in 1850, which severely punished anyone helping a slave escape and forced law enforcement in the north to return escaped slaves to the south." The Fugitive Slave Law was a federal law as indicated in option C. Lines (50-51) indicated slaves required salvation -- deliverance from harm or lack of safety -- because of this law. 1. Lines (46-49) Congress passed the Fugitive Slave Law in 1850, which severely punished anyone helping a slave escape and forced law enforcement in the north to return escaped slaves to the south. 2. Lines (50-51) This law meant that slaves could be taken from free states and returned to their owners. Option A: (Incorrect Answer Type Interpretation) Many northern states still held slavery legal at the time, accurately restates lines (28-29) "During this time there were states in the northern United States where slavery was illegal." If some states held slavery illegal, then some also held it legal which would give slaves cause for concern for their safety. However valid this idea might be, the text never cites that the existence of states where slavery was legal was a safety concern for slaves escaping to the north. This conclusion is an interpretation by the reader. Option B: (Incorrect Answer Type Not in Passage) The Underground Railroad was not present in many states, is not identified by the text. The passage outlines the Underground Railroad, but it does not comment on whether the Railroad existed in all states or not. Option D: (Incorrect Answer Type Not in Passage/Interpretation) Discrimination remained a daily part of life for blacks in the north, is not directly mentioned in the passage. Test takers might infer that Harriet's continued push for equal rights in line 70 indicates that discrimination still existed in the north, but nothing in the text supports the claim in option D that it occurred on a "daily" basis." Perhaps the existence of a Fugitive Slave Law that was ever present indicates that discrimination persisted on a daily basis, but that law applied only to escaped slaves and did indicate that all blacks were discriminated against in the north. 1. Lines (28-29) At that time, fortunately, there existed some northern states where slavery was illegal. 2. Lines (52-54) The only salvation was even further north, and Harriet wanted to help her family and others like her to flee to safety in Canada. 3. Line (69-71) She (Harriet) helped underprivileged and sick people and spoke out on equal rights for blacks and women. TIP: Be careful about making interpretations from the text -- even subtle seemingly correct or obvious interpretations. Attack every word in every answer choice and find the evidence in the text. Question Type: Inference-Deduction 14. Which of the following is not true of Harriet Tubman according to the passage? A. Harriet served as a secret agent for the Union and cared for wounded men during wartime. B. She began the Underground Railroad to help slaves escape to freedom in the north. C. Harriet achieved a 100% success rate of conducting slaves to freedom in the north. D. She became known to many as "Moses." Correct Answer: Option B (She began the Underground Railroad to help slaves escape to freedom in the north) contradicts the text. Lines (40-41) indicate "In 1849 Harriet escaped on the Underground Railroad". The Railroad apparently existed and was already in place for Harriet Tubman to escape. In either case, the text never states Harriet created the Underground Railroad. This question is designed to trap test takers not paying attention to detail. 1. Lines (40-41) In 1849 Harriet escaped on the Underground Railroad. After a frightening, difficult trip she made it to Pennsylvania and was free. Option A: (Incorrect Answer Type Relevant Restatement) Harriet served as a secret agent for the Union and cared for wounded men during wartime, accurately restates lines (64-68) "Harriet later helped to nurse injured soldiers during the Civil War, served as a spy for the north." It is not a coincidence this option is the first answer choice, A. It rephrases details provided in the text that were not essential to the main conversation about slavery and the Underground Railroad. As a result, untrained test takers may be tempted to select this option, but it is a part of the relevant text; it is a true statement in the passage about Harriet Tubman. Option C: (Incorrect Answer Type Relevant Restatement) Harriet achieved a 100% success rate of conducting slaves to freedom in the north, restates lines (61-63) "Also, Harriet helped her mother, father, and siblings escape slavery." Tubman achieved a perfect 100% success rate conducting slaves northward according to the passage text. 6
Option D: (Incorrect Answer Type Relevant Restatement) She became known to many as "Moses," correctly restates lines (58-61) " She became known as 'Moses' because, like the Moses in the Bible, she risked her life and led her people to freedom." 1. Lines (64-68) Harriet later helped to nurse injured soldiers during the Civil War, she spied for the northern army, and she even participated in a military campaign that led to the rescue of over 750 slaves. 2. Lines (61-63) Also, Harriet helped her mother, father, and siblings escape slavery. 3. Lines (58-61) She became known as "Moses" because, like the Moses in the Bible, she risked her life and led her people to freedom. TIP: Watch out for questions that ask which answer choice is not true. It is a detail in the prompt that untrained test takers often overlook. Pay attention to detail. It is one of the main reasons for mistakes on the SHSAT. Question Type: Inference-Examination 15. Frederick Douglass once wrote of Harriet Tubman, "the midnight sky and the silent stars have been the witness of your devotion to freedom and of your heroism." Which of the following does the passage suggest Frederick Douglass meant by the above statement? A. Harriet Tubman's plight was a lonely cause in support of freedom. B. Harriet Tubman worked for freedom with little public encouragement and often at night. C. Only God understands the struggles that Harriet Tubman faced. D. Harriet Tubman conducted her battle to free slaves in public with support from abolitionists. Correct Answer: Option B (Harriet Tubman worked for freedom with little public encouragement and often at night.) Only option B is consistent with Douglass's quote and restates text from the passage. In line 60, "she (Harriet) risked her life and led her people to freedom." Lines (36-40) indicate "Slaves would hide in the woods or sneak onto trains at night taking refuge at various stations along the way northward until they reached freedom." These lines demonstrate both parts of Douglass's quote and the correct answer option. Harriet "worked heroically" according to option B, which restates, "your devotion to freedom...and heroism," in Douglass's quote. She also worked "at night" according to option B, which describes the example demonstrated by Douglass's quote: "only the midnight sky and the silent stars have been the witness." Douglass's quote is consistent with two ideas presented in the text -- Harriet worked heroically and without much fanfare at night -- and option B restates both parts. 1. Lines (58-61) She became known as "Moses" because, like the Moses in the Bible, she risked her life and led her people to freedom. 2. Lines (36-40) Slaves would hide in the woods or sneak onto trains at night taking refuge at various stations along the way northward until they reached freedom. Option A: (Incorrect Answer Type Interpretation) Harriet Tubman's plight was a lonely cause in support of freedom, is an interpretation not directly supported by the text. This is a natural inference for literary class, but one trained test takers will identify. Harriet hid at night under the stars without support from the public suggests natural loneliness, but the text fails to demonstrate Harriet's, so it cannot be the objectively correct answer to a standardized reading exam. Option C: (Incorrect Answer Type Not in Passage) Only God understands the struggles that Harriet Tubman faced, is also an interpretation, but not one suggested in the quote or based on text from the passage. There is no mention of God in either Douglass' quote or the passage. Option D: (Incorrect Answer Type False) Harriet Tubman conducted her battle to free slaves in public with support from abolitionists contradicts the text. Lines (32-33) state "The Underground Railroad wasn't a real railroad. It was a collection of safe homes called "stations" that hid slaves as they escaped north." The main battle for freedom reflected in the text was not "public," but "hidden." It was underground. 1. Lines (32-33) The Underground Railroad wasn't a real railroad. It was a collection of safe homes called "stations" that hid slaves as they escaped north." Question Type: Function 16. What is the purpose the author included lines (14-16) "When she was still a young girl...the baby awoke to cry as babies often do, the family whipped Harriet."? A. to suggest Araminta was a good caretaker for the age of six B. to explain that slavery is an unfair practice C. to provide an example of how difficult life as a slave could be D. to explain why Harriet began to work other jobs at the plantation 7
Correct Answer: Option C (to provide an example of how difficult life as a slave could be) Option C describes the example from lines (11-16). " When she was still a young girl, Harriet was offered out to another family where she helped take care of an infant, and when the baby awoke to cry as babies often do, the family whipped Harriet." The function of the sentence is to demonstrate the thesis claim in the paragraph. Line 9 provides the introductory or thesis statement for the paragraph: "Life as a slave was arduous." The supporting sentences provide different examples of the arduous life of Harriet Tubman as a slave and child: she lived in crowded quarters, one family unfairly whipped her, she worked hard labor and suffered a severe injury. Option C provides one of the examples. 1. Lines (11-16) When she was still a young girl, Harriet was offered out to another family where she helped take care of an infant, and when the baby awoke to cry as babies often do, the family whipped Harriet. Option A: (Incorrect Answer Type Interpretation) to suggest Araminta was a good caretaker as a young girl, is a reasonable interpretation worthy of analysis in class. After all, babies cry. That in itself does not indicate Harriet was a bad caretaker. However, this line of reasoning is all supposition. Nothing in the text suggests she was a good caretaker either. Option B: (Incorrect Answer Type Interpretation) to explain that slavery is an unfair practice, seems like a potentially correct answer similar to option C for many test-takers, but it is different for two reasons. First, the text does not explain anything in lines (11-16). Pay careful attention to the verbs in the answer options for function questions. The text only relates an experience. An explanation requires additional details, which are lacking. The implication that slavery is an unfair practice seems natural, but that opinion is a broader interpretation not substantiated by these lines of text, and the correct SHSAT answer cannot depend on opinion or interpretation. The incident, instead, demonstrates one example of a difficult life. Option D: (Incorrect Answer Type Confuses Relationship) to explain why Harriet began to work other jobs at the plantation, immediately follows the example of lines (11-16), but it incorrectly states the relationship between the sentences. There is no cause-effect relationship between the sentences. Nothing in the text suggests Harriet began working on the farm because of the incident with the baby. Hard labor on the farm is another example of an arduous life -- the main idea of the paragraph. TIP: The question prompt asks what purpose or function the sentence in lines (10-14) is performing. It is not asking what the sentence says or means like detail or inference questions but rather why the author put the sentence where she did. Be careful because many wrong answer choices will be reasonable interpretations of the text, but trained test takers will focus on what the sentence is doing. Function questions will be easier for students who understand the basic methods of paragraph development -- cause/effect, compare/contrast, illustrate, chronological, etc. Answers usually take the form of verbs, so a vertical scan of the verbs in the different answer options is often a good starting point to find the solution. Passage Type: Argumentative Method of Development: Illustrate Paragraph 1: Thesis: language study corroborates Beringian Standstill hypothesis - people got stuck on the bridge Outline Two populations, Native Americans and aboriginal Siberians, may have both originated from communities living on the land bridge now submerged under the Bering Strait, a new language analysis suggests. The language analysis is consistent with the idea that the Bering Strait served as home to ancestors of modern-day Native Americans unable to make their way into North America during the ice age. The exact method of entry into North America has been subject to debate. Paragraph 2: One theory: people moved across quickly 15,000 years ago to North America from Asia Beringian Standstill - people lived on ice bridge for 10,000 years before coming into North America -- food and fire available According to one hypothesis, natives rapidly crossed the Bering Strait to colonize North America about 15,000 years ago. Another model, called the Beringia Standstill hypothesis, suggests that communities settled on the Bering land bridge between 15,000 to 25,000 years ago when glaciers covered most of North America and the region remained above water. In that scenario, the region's shrubby trees, woolly mammoths, and other big game allowed humans to eat and keep warm for millennia during the last glacial maximum when trees for making fires were scarce everywhere else in the far north. Only when the glaciers in North America melted did people colonize the continent's interior via ice-free passageways, according to the theory. A team of linguists reviewed sounds and word structure from languages spoken on both sides of today's Bering Strait. Yeniseian, one language family, encompassed two languages spoken along the Yenisei River in central Siberia. The second group, Na-Dene languages, 8
Paragraph 3: Language study - languages on both sides of Bering Strait used includes 37 languages spoken mainly on the west coast of North America, including various Navajo and Alaskan languages. Some of these dialects are extinct, and others severely threatened: the Yeniseian language known as Ket, for example, is thought to have only fifty speakers. Paragraph 4: Study results show both languages originated at the Bering Strait -- supports Standstill hypothesis With the aid of computer technology, researchers modeled how the various languages related to one another and compared that with different models of how the dialects might have dispersed. The ancestral homeland for both groups likely originated somewhere in Beringia, the region in and around the Bering Strait, the analysis found. By contrast, a model in which speakers moved out of central or western Asia, which would mean that Yeniseian branched off from earlier languages before Na-Dene speakers dispersed in North America, didn't fit the data nearly as well. The language tree suggested that Na-Dene speakers likely emerged early in North America and spread out later on, with Yeniseian speakers likely back-migrating westward into Siberia later. Combined with ecological and genetic evidence, the findings support the notion that the ancestors to Native Americans settled in the Bering Strait region for a while before migrating into North America. Question Type: Main Idea/Big Picture 17. Which of the following best tells what this passage is about? A. The introduction of Native Americans to North America B. Linguistic origins of life on the land bridge C. Linguistic evidence supporting Beringian Standstill D. The development of Yeniseian and Na-Dene language families Correct Answer: Option C (Linguistic evidence supporting Beringian Standstill) in all its parts restates the relevant text in the passage. Lines (1-5) indicate the thesis claim of the passage. "Language analysis" or "linguistic evidence" indicates people on both sides of the Bering Strait may have originally lived on a land bridge. This theory is called the Beringian Standstill hypothesis according to lines (12-15). The remainder of the passage outlines the language study, lines (24-26), and states the results in the conclusion, lines (49-51). 1. Lines (1-5) Two populations, Native Americans and aboriginal Siberians, may have both originated from communities living on the land bridge now submerged under the Bering Strait, a new language analysis suggests. 2. Lines (12-14) Another model, called the Beringia Standstill hypothesis, suggests that communities settled on the Bering land bridge between 15,000 to 25,000 years ago. 3. Lines (24-25) A team of linguists reviewed sounds and word structure from languages spoken on both sides of today's Bering Strait. 4. Lines (49-51) the results favor the idea that the predecessors of Native Americans lived in the Bering Strait region for millennia before migrating into North America. Option A: (Incorrect Answer Type Too Narrow) The introduction of Native Americans to North America is paraphrased by relevant text in the conclusion on lines (49-51). The passage does discuss the introduction of Native Americans to North America, but only as part of the broader topic, The Beringian Standstill hypothesis. Option A does not explain paragraphs 3 and 4, which focus on language studies and results. Option A also does not include the Siberians who are mentioned in lines (1-4) and eventually populated the other side of the land bridge in Asia according to the hypothesis. Option A does not capture all relevant text and ideas, so it is too narrow to be correct. Option B: (Incorrect Answer Type Too Narrow/Confuses Relationships) Linguistic origins of life on the land bridge is one of those muddled sounding answer choices that sounds like a reasonable option to consider, but it does not demonstrate or restate any text. If a reader reverses this answer to a question and asks, "What would I expect to see in the text if this answer is correct?" they may find it still isn't clear. What are "linguistic origins of life"? The answer choice does not make sense and certainly doesn't follow from the text. Besides, it makes no mention of the Beringian Standstill hypothesis, so, in either case, the answer would be too narrowly focused to be the main idea. Option D: (Incorrect Answer Type Too Narrow) The development of Yeniseian and Na-Dene language families is discussed in the text on lines (26-30) where the languages are introduced and on lines (34-37) where the team researched how the languages dispersed or developed. However, option D makes no mention of the Bering Strait or the Standstill hypothesis. The introduction and thesis claim do not mention these languages. The development of these languages is evidence in support of the main idea, not the main idea itself. 9
1. Lines (49-51) the results favor the idea that the predecessors of Native Americans lived in the Bering Strait region for millennia before migrating into North America. 2. Lines (26-30) Yeniseian, one language family, encompassed two languages spoken along the Yenisei River in central Siberia. The second group, Na-Dene languages, includes 37 languages spoken mainly on the west coast of North America. 3. Lines (34-37) researchers modeled how the various languages related to one another and compared that with different models of how the dialects might have dispersed. Question Type: Detail-Little Picture 18. According to the passage, the Yeniseian language family A. is thought to have only 50 remaining speakers B. developed over a period of 15,000 years C. formed the basis of the Navajo language D. consists of only 2 Siberian languages Correct Answer: Option D (consists of only 2 Siberian languages) in all its parts restates the relevant text in the passage. Lines (26-27) indicate the Yeniseian language family encompasses or consists of two languages spoken in Siberia. 1. Lines (26-27) Yeniseian, one language family, encompassed two languages spoken along the Yenisei River in central Siberia. Option A: (Incorrect Answer Type False/Confuses Relationships) is thought to have only 50 remaining speakers is not accurate according to the text. One example of a Yeniseian language, Ket, according to the text in lines (32-33) only has fifty speakers, but that does not encompass the entire Yeniseian language family. Option B: (Incorrect Answer Type Confuses Relationship) developed over a period of 15,000 years connects two different ideas mentioned in the passage. In paragraph three a Siberian language, the Yeniseian language family, is introduced and studied. In lines (10-12) the text indicates one theory claims people moved across the Bering Strait from Asia and populated North America 15,000 years ago. Test takers may wonder if the two are connected? Does the one theory suggest the Yeniseian languages developed over 15,000 years? The answer cannot be concluded from any explicit text in the passage, so it is not correct. Moreover, the text indicates the alternate theory to the standstill from lines (10-12) is the incorrect theory, so even if the development of the Siberian language depended on the migration over the Bering Strait, the text must also be indicating the language developed over a longer period than 15,000 years. Option C: (Incorrect Answer Type Confuses Relationship) formed the basis of the Navajo language mixes up the regions where languages are spoken. Lines (28-31) indicate the Navajo language is an example of the Na-Dene languages, not the Yeniseian languages. 1. Lines (32-33) the Yeniseian language known as Ket, for example, is thought to have only fifty speakers. 2. Lines (10-12) According to one hypothesis, natives rapidly crossed the Bering Strait to colonize North America about 15,000 years ago. 3. Lines (28-31) The second group, Na-Dene languages, includes 37 languages spoken mainly on the west coast of North America, including various Navajo and Alaskan languages. TIP: Watch out for answers that attempt to throw off test takers by mixing up ideas in the passage. The answer choices often connect details from different parts of the passage. Often, they are traps. Test takers must decide if the disparate ideas are relevant to answer the question prompt. Question Type: Inference-Deduction 19. Which of the following best describes the Beringian Standstill Hypothesis? A. A theory that settlers lived on the Bering Strait for thousands of years before migrating to North America. B. A thesis that European ocean navigators first populated North America C. A theory of the influence of language on the first Native Americans D. A theory suggesting the first North Americans crossed the Bering Strait from Asia 15,000 years ago Correct Answer: Option A (A theory that settlers lived on the Bering Strait for thousands of years before migrating to North America) in all its parts restates the relevant text in the passage. Lines (12-14) introduce the Beringian Standstill hypothesis that suggests people lived on the Bering land bridge for 10,000 years before entering North America indicated by lines (5-8). The study findings support the theory and rephrase the same on lines (50-51). 10
1. Lines (12-14) Another model, called the Beringia Standstill hypothesis, suggests that communities settled on the Bering land bridge between 15,000 to 25,000 years ago. 2. Lines (5-8) The language analysis is consistent with the idea that the Bering Strait served as home to ancestors of modern-day Native Americans unable to make their way into North America. 3. Lines (50-51) the results favor the idea that the predecessors of Native Americans lived in the Bering Strait region for millennia before migrating into North America. Option B: (Incorrect Answer Type Not In Passage) A thesis that European ocean navigators first populated North America is nowhere mentioned in the passage. The text does not discuss Europeans. Option C: (Incorrect Answer Type Barely Relevant) A theory of the influence of language on the first Native Americans does not reflect the Beringian Standstill hypothesis and is not relevant to the question prompt. A language model was tested in lines (34-37), and the results indicate how the Native American language was influenced in lines (44-48), but this is an example in support of the Beringian Standstill hypothesis, not the hypothesis itself. Option D: (Incorrect Answer Type False) A theory suggesting the first North Americans crossed the Bering Strait from Asia 15,000 years ago contradicts the text. Lines (10-13) introduce a theory restated in option D, but then immediately reference the Beringian Standstill hypothesis as "another theory." Option D and the Beringian Standstill are not the same according to the text. 1. Lines (34-37) With the aid of computer technology, researchers modeled how the various languages related to one another and compared that with different models of how the dialects might have dispersed. 2. Lines (44-48) The language tree suggested that Na-Dene speakers likely emerged early in North America and spread out later on, 3. Lines (10-13) According to one hypothesis, natives rapidly crossed the Bering Strait to colonize North America about 15,000 years ago. Another model called the Beringia Standstill hypothesis Question Type: Inference-Deduction 20. Which of the following evidence does not support the Beringian Standstill Hypothesis? A. Linguistic analysis of the Na-Dene and Yeniseian language families B. Linguistic similarities between Navajo and Alaskan tribal dialects C. Studies of interactions between organisms and their environment D. DNA evidence Correct Answer: Option B (Linguistic similarities between Navajo and Alaskan tribal dialects) does not provide information that is relevant to the Beringian Standstill hypothesis, a theory that people lived on the Bering Strait for thousands of years before migrating into North America. Lines (28-30) indicate the Navajo and Alaskan tribes are part of the same family, Na-Dene, that exist in the west of North America. Lines (45-48) suggests these languages "spread out" after appearing in North America. Navajo and Alaskan language changed after the period of interest to make a difference or shed light on the Beringian Standstill hypothesis. 1. Lines (28-30) The second group, Na-Dene languages, includes 37 languages spoken mainly on the west coast of North America, including various Navajo and Alaskan languages. 2. Lines (45-48) The language tree suggested that Na-Dene speakers likely emerged early in North America and spread out later on, Option A: (Incorrect Answer Type Relevant Restatement) Linguistic analysis of the Na-Dene and Yeniseian language families is relevant to the Beringian Standstill hypothesis and supports it. Lines (37-40) reference the results of the language study of Na-Dene and Yeniseian language families, and they conclude the source of both languages was Beringia, which suggests the Standstill hypothesis has merit. Option C: (Incorrect Answer Type Relevant Restatement) Studies of interactions between organisms and their environment rephrases "ecological" evidence from line 48. Ecology is the study of the interaction between organisms and their environment, and that evidence also supports the Standstill hypothesis according to lines (48-50). Option D: (Incorrect Answer Type Relevant Restatement) DNA evidence rephrases "genetic" evidence from line 48. Genetics is the study of DNA, and that evidence also supports the Standstill hypothesis according to lines (48-50). 1. Lines (37-40) The ancestral homeland for both groups likely originated somewhere in Beringia, the region in and around the Bering Strait, the analysis found. 2. Lines (48-50) Combined with ecological and genetic evidence, the results favor the idea that the predecessors of Native Americans lived in the Bering Strait region for millennia before migrating into North America. 11