PP Blitz

#1 -Which word describes the author’s point of view toward students who are guilty of pseudo-working in Passage 1? (a)  

• B) Critical
• A) Understanding
• C) Aggressive
• D) Unenthusiastic

#2 - Part A: What central idea about studying does the author express in Passage 1?

• A) Straight-A students know how to work harder than other students.

• B) The only way to become a straight-A student is efficient study habits.

• C) Most students pseudo-work and end up wasting valuable time.

• D) An all-night study session can help you catch up on school assignments.

#2 - Part B: What does the author cite in Passage 1 as evidence that supports the central idea?

• A) interviews from straight-A students

• B) quotes from literary works

• C) new opportunities in ways to study

• D) more accurate scientific studies

#3 -Which sentence from Passage 2 provides context that supports the reader’s understanding of “The Pressure Cooker”?

• A) “You always get things done, and almost always at the last minute.” (paragraph 16)
• B) “You work well under pressure and when you finally do sit down to accomplish a task, you can sit and work for hours.” (paragraph 17)
• C) “In these times, you can be extremely focused and shut out the rest of the world in order to get done what needs to be done.” (paragraph 17)
• D) “You sometimes use your ability to work under pressure as an excuse to procrastinate.” (paragraph 18)

#4 - Part A: Read this excerpt from Passage 1.

“Jason, a straight–A student from the University of Pennsylvania, uses the term ‘pseudo–working’ to describe this common approach to studying. The pseudo–worker looks and feels like someone who is working hard—he or she spends a long time in the library and is not afraid to push on late into the night—but, because of a lack of focus and concentration, doesn't actually accomplish much.” (paragraph 2)

Why does the author use the word pseudo in describing a form of studying?

• A) to highlight how hard some students work

• B) to argue that studying is not enough

• C) to describe how students pretend to study

• D) to show that this type of studying is not real

#4 - Part B: Read this excerpt from Passage 1.

“Jason, a straight–A student from the University of Pennsylvania, uses the term ‘pseudo–working’ to describe this common approach to studying. The pseudo–worker looks and feels like someone who is working hard—he or she spends a long time in the library and is not afraid to push on late into the night—but, because of a lack of focus and concentration, doesn't actually accomplish much.” (paragraph 2)

Which phrase from the excerpt provides a clue to the meaning of pseudo?

• A) “feels like someone”

• B) “spends a long time”

• C) “not afraid to push on late”

• D) “doesn't actually accomplish much”

#5 - Which sentence supports the author’s position that “The Pressure Cooker” personality is not the best type in Passage 2?

• A) “In these times, you can be extremely focused and shut out the rest of the world in order to get done what needs to be done.” (paragraph 17)
• B) “You sometimes use your ability to work under pressure as an excuse to procrastinate.” (paragraph 18)
• C) “Sure, you can really focus when the deadline is tomorrow, but is it really the best work you could produce if you had a couple of days of cushion?” (paragraph 18)
• D) “You'll find that it's actually a lot more enjoyable to not be stressed out when completing schoolwork.” (paragraph 19)

#7 - In Passage 1, paragraph 3, what kind of argument does Newport make?

• A) Logical
• B) Emotional
• C) Ethical
• D) Circular

#8 - Part A: What is Newport’s purpose for writing the book Passage 1 was taken from?

• A) to convince readers that their way of studying is ineffective
• B) to help readers become better students through study habits
• C) to criticize readers who put in all-nighters to finish schoolwork
• D) to show readers that they need to put in more work to get better grades

#8 - Part B: Which phrase helps emphasize this purpose?

• A) “As humans, our minds have evolved to prefer short-term tasks” (paragraph 1)
• B) “result is fatigue headaches and lackluster outcomes” (paragraph 2)
• C) “There is just no way to be well–balanced, happy, and academically successful if you’re regularly burning through your free hours” (paragraph 3)
• D) “According to our formula, this same amount of work can be accomplished in only three one-hour bursts” (paragraph 5)