9th Grade TCAP Review

TCAP Review

By Donna Kapa

Multiple Choice

Vocabulary in Context: “passive”

Question: What does “passive” most likely mean in this sentence?

Text: “...that I can afford to be passive about this little extravagance.”

• unimpressed

• unnatural

• unconcerned

• unappreciative

​Explanation

Text: “...that I can afford to be passive about this little extravagance.”

“Passive” means not doing anything or not reacting. The author is admitting he doesn’t care enough to make a change.

Multiple Choice

What is the central idea of paragraphs 2–5?

• The author is considering giving up one of his favorite things for money

• The author sees value in changing habits but struggles to follow through

• The author thinks the risks of trying new things are worth it for enjoyment

• The author realizes his thought process is too complicated and needs simplifying

​Explanation

Text Excerpt: "Yet I’m clearly making an error, one that reveals a deeper decision-making bias... Like most people, I conduct relatively few experiments in my personal life."

The author recognizes that he’s stuck in habitual behavior and acknowledges the benefits of change, but he doesn’t act. This tension is the key idea.

Multiple Select

Figurative Language – “thorny issue”

Question: What two things does the author imply by calling experimentation a “thorny issue” in government?

Text Excerpt: “Experimentation is a thorny issue. We are right to be wary of 'experimenting' in the sense of playing with people’s lives..."

• Experimentation could be complicated and create unintended consequences.

• Experimentation may not happen because of prolonged discussions.

• Experimentation may not be worth the risks associated.

• Experimentation could be restricted because of current laws.

• Experimentation with high stakes consequences may be met with public reluctance.

​Explanation

Text Excerpt: “Experimentation is a thorny issue. We are right to be wary of 'experimenting' in the sense of playing with people’s lives..."

The phrase "thorny issue" suggests complexity and potential backlash. The author highlights the challenges of trying new policies when lives are affected.

Multiple Choice

Text Excerpt: “I am unduly certain in my guesses of what the alternatives will be like, even though I haven’t tried them.”

Question: Why are people resistant to change?

• People are often too lazy to try new things.

• People don’t believe new options will improve their lives.

• People assume they already know what the alternative will be like.

• People are usually persuaded to make changes by others.

​Explanation

Text Excerpt: “I am unduly certain in my guesses of what the alternatives will be like, even though I haven’t tried them.”

• The quote reveals overconfidence in the familiar, even without exploring alternatives. This explains why change is so hard.

Multiple Select

Author’s Purpose – Why does the author begin with a personal story (anecdote) about Diet Coke?

Text Excerpt: “I drink a lot of Diet Coke... I’ve never even sampled generic soda.”

Two correct answers.

• to imply that he will be asking the reader to make a lifestyle change

• to provide the reader with an easily understood example of a difficult concept

• to establish that the size of risks ranges in severity

• to establish himself as having insight on the subject based on personal experience

• to imply readers must make choices that affect their happiness

​Explanation

Text Excerpt: “I drink a lot of Diet Coke... I’ve never even sampled generic soda.”

The anecdote about Diet Coke grounds the abstract concept of behavioral bias in a relatable example and builds credibility.

Multiple Choice

Vocabulary in Context – “quick staccato”

Question: What does the phrase “quick staccato” mean in paragraph 7?

Text Excerpt: “She laid the rest of the table things in a quick staccato and whisked out of the room.”

• clumsy or awkward response

• shortened or abbreviated manner

• natural or ordinary reaction

• practiced or customary fashion

​Explanation

Text Excerpt: “She laid the rest of the table things in a quick staccato and whisked out of the room.”

"Quick staccato" conveys a sharp, brisk, practiced movement. It shows Mrs. Hall’s efficient and possibly annoyed attitude.

Multiple Choice

Character Interaction Question: What best describes Mrs. Hall’s interaction with the stranger in paragraph 2?

Text Excerpt: “A guest to stop at Iping in the winter-time was an unheard-of piece of luck... and she was resolved to show herself worthy of her good fortune.”

• Mrs. Hall is intent on impressing her unexpected customer.

• The stranger is hesitant about taking a room at the inn.

• The stranger complains about the effects of being out in the cold.

• Mrs. Hall takes pity on a man driven into her inn by the storm.

​Explanation

Text Excerpt: “A guest to stop at Iping in the winter-time was an unheard-of piece of luck... and she was resolved to show herself worthy of her good fortune.”

The excerpt shows Mrs. Hall's excitement about a winter guest and her eagerness to treat him well.

Multiple Choice

Inference – Mrs. Hall's Reaction

Question: How does Mrs. Hall react when she sees the stranger’s appearance?

Text Excerpt: “This muffled and bandaged head was so unlike what she had anticipated, that for a moment she was rigid.”

• She is frightened by his odd behavior.

• She feels sympathy for his injuries.

• She is stunned by his strange appearance.

• She grows angry at his refusal to remove his hat.

​Explanation

Text Excerpt: “This muffled and bandaged head was so unlike what she had anticipated, that for a moment she was rigid.”

The word "rigid" implies surprise and discomfort, supporting the idea that she is shocked.

Multiple Choice

Tone and Mood

Question: What tone is established in the opening paragraph?

Text Excerpt: “The stranger came early in February one wintry day, through a biting wind and a driving snow..."

• Mysterious

• Impatient

• Gloomy

• Tragic

​Explanation

Text Excerpt: “The stranger came early in February one wintry day, through a biting wind and a driving snow..."

The descriptive language ("biting wind," "driving snow") and the stranger's concealed identity create a mysterious atmosphere.

Multiple Choice

Vocabulary in Context – “stateliness”

Question: What does the word stateliness most likely mean as it is used in the paragraph below?

Text Excerpt: “Then she filled the mustard pot, and, putting it with a certain stateliness upon a gold and black tea-tray, carried it into the parlour.”

• hesitation

• attention

• expectant

• formality

​Explanation

Text Excerpt:

“Then she filled the mustard pot, and, putting it with a certain stateliness upon a gold and black tea-tray, carried it into the parlour.”

"Stateliness" refers to a formal or dignified manner. Mrs. Hall is trying to present herself and the tray in a respectable, elegant way to impress her guest.