ECA Remediation Day 2

What is the prefix of FORESAW?

• fore
• saw
• for
• aw

What phrase is an example of personification?

•  lightning rods standing guard
•  dismissed the automobile as a passing fancy
•  string power lines up to the house
•  idea of a human traveling into outer space

Uncle Wilbur did not take kindly to the power company man who came knocking one day in 1936. This was the year the government launched a campaign to bring electricity to rural areas like ours. Most people, like Uncle Wilbur, were a little wary of having electricity in their homes. Many of us had running water, and we just weren’t sure that the two mixed.
How would Uncle Wilbur feel about cellular phones?

• fearful
• distrustful
• welcoming
• indifferent

Uncle Wilbur did not take kindly to the power company man who came knocking one day in 1936. This was the year the government launched a campaign to bring electricity to rural areas like ours. Most people, like Uncle Wilbur, were a little wary of having electricity in their homes. Many of us had running water, and we just weren’t sure that the two mixed. Nevertheless, Uncle Wilbur was downright floored when the man said he wanted to string power lines up to the house. Nearly losing his temper, Uncle Wilbur exclaimed, “Here I am doing everything in my power to keep from getting struck by lightning, and you want to bring it right to my doorstep?” He sent the man on his way with a “No, thank you,” and a “Good day, sir,” but in the months that followed, we all eventually relented and let in the light. I must admit, playing checkers in the dark is a talent you can easily lose without daily practice.
Many things have changed since those times. Uncle Wilbur still lives in mortal fear of a lightning strike, but because he doesn’t get out much anymore, most of his lightning rods have rusted through and fallen to the ground. Uncle Wilbur lives mostly on Social Security, which he proudly proclaims as his victory (see, he says, the government did eventually give his money back). He probably spends more time reminiscing about the past than he does making future predictions, but Uncle Wilbur will be the first to tell you that television will never be as popular as radio, and the idea of a human traveling into outer space is just plain crazy!
Which pair of words best describe how the narrator most likely feels about Uncle Wilbur?

• annoyed and frustrated
• respectful and amused
• sad and indifferent
• envious and distrustful

Which BEST describes the passages from the last two questions?

• a character sketch
• a factual research
• a persuasive speech
• a news article

Why Be Happy?
Not only does happiness feel good, but it appears to provide a variety of psychological and physical benefits. Happiness plays a significant role in enhancing good health, strengthening the immune system, promoting longevity, improving productivity and performance, and increasing resilience. Happy people work hard, play hard, have an active social life (and a social conscience), experience good health, and live longer. A happy person lives an average of nine years longer than a miserable one.
In the section Why Be Happy?, why does the author include parentheses around “and a social conscience”?

• to point out that social conscience leads to good health
• to emphasize the importance of playing and working hard
• to point out that having a social conscience can promote longevity
• to emphasize the importance of social conscience as a part of an active social life

What Causes Happiness?
However, good news abounds in the study of happiness. Fortunately, humans experience happiness from a wide range of stimuli, from traveling to an exotic destination to redecorating one’s home or from winning a game of soccer to eating a delicious meal. Simply watching a favorite television show or laughing at a funny joke can boost a depressed mood. While the happiness produced by such experiences tends to be short lived, certain conditions do promote a more long-lasting and durable state of happiness as a lifestyle: a wide social network, believing in a meaningful reason for one’s existence, and establishing goals and working to achieve them.
Which statement summarizes the heading What Causes Happiness?

•  A wide social network is the key to happiness.
• Laughing at funny jokes helps to lift a gloomy mood.
• Scientists conclude that good news leads to long-lasting happiness.
• Both short- and long-term happiness are caused by a variety of experiences.

With a Little Help from My Friends
Surprisingly, income is not a primary factor in determining a person’s level of happiness once the basic needs of food, clothing, and shelter have been met. More important is one’s social network. Being socially active may be more effective in increasing one’s immunity to illness than a vaccine. Misery may love company, but so does happiness, and having close friends and family is vital to one’s overall level of happiness. (If friends and family are crucial, so is a loving partner. Research suggests that being married increases one’s potential for happiness.) Even sharing one’s home with an animal companion can make a person happier.
In the section With a Little Help from My Friends, why does the author use the phrase “misery may love company”?

• to convince people that pets are better company than a loving partner
•  to encourage people to find mates for their friends who are unhappy
• to point out that people will be happier with positive relationships
•  to recommend that people try to influence negative people in a positive way

The Habit of Happiness
Happiness is not an innate characteristic but may actually be developed as a habit. Scientists suggest that incorporating new habits and practices can go a long way in increasing one’s state of happiness. While people generally do not transform their basic temperaments, people can learn to become happier by participating in a variety of activities, including socializing, watching funny movies or reading funny books, keeping a gratitude journal (writing a daily list of three to five things for which one is grateful), involving oneself in pleasurable activities, such as sports, hobbies, or the arts, focusing on positive outcomes, and performing acts of kindness for others. Apparently, doing something to make someone else happy will make you happy, too.
In the section The Habit of Happiness, what does the word innate mean?

• natural and existing
• incomplete and building
•  absent and unfamiliar
• learned and habitual

Which statement is an opinion?

•  Happiness is not a physical characteristic.
• Legislators create laws to support happiness. 
• Happiness may be the primary goal of human existence.
• Advertisers use happiness to promote their products.