"The Roller-Coaster Revolution" Questions

1. Which sentence from the passage BEST supports the conclusion that engineers include multiple features to assure that roller coasters are safe for riders?

• Wooden coasters can be more affordable to build, and some riders think they are more exciting, since their flexible material tends to sway as the coaster cars travel over it.
• According to Andy Boyd at the University of Houston, steel roller coasters can travel as fast as 125 miles per hour, while wooden coasters usually cannot travel faster than 80 miles per hour.
• A second set of wheels moves along the sides of these rails, while a third set of wheels moves underneath the rails, keeping the coaster connected to the track no matter whether the coaster car is right-side up or upside down.
• Roller-coaster engineers are perpetually searching for ways to make their rides all the more exciting and invigorating.

2. Which statement expresses two central ideas of "The Roller-Coaster Revolution" that would best fit in a summary of the passage?

• The first roller coasters were designed and built in Europe, and their design is said to have originated from wooden slides covered with ice in the city of St. Petersburg.
• Roller coasters have served as a form of entertainment for centuries, and protecting riders is one of the main goals of roller-coaster design.
• Safety is an important consideration in the design of the tracks and seats of roller coasters, and some wooden and steel coasters are even able to turn riders upside down.
• Roller coasters can be found in amusement parks worldwide, and they mainly use energy generated by gravity to propel them around their tracks.

3. Which detail from the passage BEST reveals the author's perspective on roller coasters?

• Because steel is so durable and strong, however, steel roller coasters can be built taller and run faster than wooden ones.
• Roller coasters usually reach their fastest speeds at the bottom of this first hill, and the energy from the first drop is enough to propel the car through the rest of the twists and turns of the ride.
• As you might imagine, strong brakes are needed to slow the cars down as they reach the end of the ride.
• For as long as these engineers improve their technology, roller-coaster riders will seek out the thrill of the latest and greatest rides that are available.

4. In paragraph 9, how does the word duration impact meaning?

• by describing the types of cars
• by describing the length of time the ride lasts
• by describing the size of the tracks
• by describing the position of the riders

5. How does the author's use of the subheading "The (Safe) Thrill of the Ride" impact the passage?

• It emphasizes a key idea about roller coasters that the author develops.
• It reveals the author's opinion that roller coasters are not as exciting as they may seem.
• It introduces an explanation of how modern roller coasters compare to the first coasters.
• It supports the author's earlier claim that roller coasters have an interesting history.

6. Which piece of evidence BEST supports the author's claim in paragraph 4 that ". . . it was in the United States that the modern-day coaster was born"?

• The Coney Island ride cost $1600 to build.
• A French roller coaster built in 1812 featured attached wheels and track wheels.
• A professor at the University of Houston states that steel coasters are capable of going 125 miles per hour.
• People began riding downhill on a Pennsylvania coal train in 1827.

7. Which piece of evidence supports the author's claim that "Careful, creative design is needed, however, to make these coasters exciting yet safe as possible"?

• Back in the 1600s near the city of St. Petersburg in Russia, people used to build tall wooden slides and cover their surfaces with smooth ice.
• Historians disagree on whether the first official roller coaster was built in Russia in 1784 or in France in 1812.
• There are shoulder harnesses or bars that pull down securely across riders' torsos and legs, holding the riders securely in their seats.
• Believe it or not, most roller coaster cars have no engines!

8. A student is writing an essay about letter writing. Read part of the essay: Years ago, before cell phones or computers, people used to write letters to friends who lived far away. The people to whom the letters were addressed opened them with joy. It made them feel good to know that someone thought enough about them to take the time to sit down and to put their thoughts on paper. Those times have almost disappeared. Writing letters is quickly becoming a lost art form. Today, people prefer to communicate with others by calling, by texting, or send emails. What is the correct way to revise the last sentence of the paragraph?

• Today, people prefer to communicate with others by calling, by text, or sending emails.
• Today, people prefer to communicate with others by calling, texting, or sending emails.
• Today, people prefer to communicate with others by calls, by texts, or by sending emails.
• Today, people prefer to communicate with others by calling, by texting, or also by sending emails.

9. Which sentence uses a comma correctly?

• After a while, Jimmy grew tired and fell asleep.
• I usually eat a big breakfast, on Saturday mornings.
• I was dressed and ready, an hour before the school bus arrived.
• Before, Sherri could leave the house she, had to make sure all of her chores were finished.

10. Read the following paragraph: Not long ago, I decided I needed more exercise, so I began riding my bicycle almost every day. I like to ride on old country roads because there is a lot to see. Last Saturday morning, I saw a horse riding my bicycle down the street. What a magnificent animal it was!

Which revision corrects the misplaced modifier in the paragraph?

• Last Saturday morning while I was riding my bicycle down the street, I saw a horse.

• I saw a horse riding my bicycle down the street last Saturday morning.
• Last Saturday morning, just down the street, I saw a horse riding my bicycle.
• I saw a horse riding my bicycle last Saturday morning down the street.