EOC Practice 1

Which central idea develops over the course of the text?

• “The lacemaker’s wrinkled hands are surprisingly agile. This seventy-something lady in Prainha, on the northeastern coast of Brazil, rapidly maneuvers two dozen wooden bobbins, which make a pleasant clicking sound as she works.”

• “Early colonists made lace to pass the time and supplement their families’ income, making doilies, collars, and tablecloths out of white and colored linen threads.”

• “Several factors can influence the price of a lace piece, including the type of thread used (cotton, silk, or other materials), the intricacy of the design, and the size, which is a measure of the time it takes to complete it.”

• “Whether watching lacemakers at work in the market, at a lace center, or in the shade of their own doorways, it’s a pleasure to witness the production of such delicate finery, inch by inch.”

What is the meaning of the word frenetic in paragraph 1?

• relaxed

• active

• agile

• clumsy

How is paragraph 1 significant to the author’s claims?

• It sets the tone for the rest of the text by explaining the origins of lacemaking.

• It emphasizes the lacemaker’s ability to create a wonderful product to sell to people.

• It describes the beauty of the art designs used in lacemaking.

• It expresses the level of difficulty involved in lacemaking.

What is the meaning of laborious based on the sentences below from paragraphs 1 and 2? “Incongruously, her frenetic movements produce a minuscule lace fragment. In fact, a full day’s work yields just a few inches of delicate finery. “The extraordinarily laborious craft of bobbin lace (renda di bilros in Portuguese) came to Brazil along with Portuguese colonists who claimed its beautiful northeastern coastline as their own in the seventeenth century.”

• easily performed

• extremely dull

• excessively difficult

• quickly finished

How was the art of lacemaking in the New World viewed differently than it was viewed in Europe in the seventeenth century?

• Lacemaking was viewed as an everyday task in the New World; in Europe, lace was seen as a luxurious fashion accessory.

• Lacemaking was seen as a luxury that pioneers could not afford in the New World; in Europe, lace was found on common accessories.

• Lacemaking was seen as strictly women’s work in the New World; in Europe, it was seen as a proper way to make a living for both men and women.

• Lacemaking was seen as an art form for only the upper class in the New World; in Europe, all classes of people wore and produced lace.

When Jose found out that his little brother Emilio carelessly broke Jose’s Xbox disc tray, Jose was vexed and sure let Emilio know it.

Which word could most likely replace VEXED?

• frustrated

• irate

• elated

• saddened

Jane could have easily offended Bertha when she informed her that the dress did not fit her well, but Jane used tact and consideration when choosing her words, so Bertha understood without being hurt.

• sensitivity

• forcefulness

• exaggeration

• hopefulness

Stanley tried to determine the meaning of the vocabulary word, but there were so few clues in the sentence all he could do was hopelessly conjecture as to what the word might mean.

• exaggerate

• sob

• know

• speculate

Kyle really wanted to play basketball, but since it overlapped with the volleyball season (and since Carrie played volleyball), he would just have to defer his hoop-dreams until next year, when his relationship with her would be secure.

• quit

• postpone

• continue

• pursue