ACT Reading Test 1 - Humanities

One of the main arguments the author is trying to make in the passage is that:

• a debate of ethics, not psychology, will most clearly identify the exact definition and connotation of the word good.

• things or people are either good or not good; goodness is not a quality that is debatable.

• although the word good is used frequently, the exact definition and connotation of the word is difficult to identify precisely.

• the word good always connotes the same idea no matter the context of the usage, whether people realize it or not.

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The main idea of the sixth paragraph (lines 63–69) is that:

• it is irrelevant for a mother to inquire if her baby has been well-behaved or not.

• a baby has not been alive long enough to be judged as either good or bad.

• since the baby is so young, it is not judged as good by what it does, but rather what it does not do.

• whether or not a baby has been crying is not a significant standard upon which to determine its goodness.

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According to the passage, why does the author concern himself with Shakespeare’s usage of the word good?

• He was trying to understand the lack of the concept of good and goodness in the works of Shakespeare.

• He was seeking support for his belief that Shakespeare was able to use the concept of good more effectively than any other author.

• He was looking for a definition of the concept of good and turned to Shakespeare for inspiration.

• He was seeking confirmation for his belief that both the use of the word and the concept of good are strikingly common.

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The author of the passage asserts that the weather and a knife are similar because:

• neither one can be good unless a universal definition of the concept is accepted.

• both are defined as good if and only if they can be helpful to many people for a variety of reasons.

• neither can be defined as good unless they remain consistent and unchanged in the wake of fluctuating circumstances.

• both are defined as good when their characteristics serve appropriate external circumstances.

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As it is used in line 70, the word lucidly most nearly means:

• coherently.

• enthusiastically.

• inappropriately.

• obscurely.

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CCSS.L.11-12.4

CCSS.L.11-12.5

The author argues that a knife may be described as good:

• only as it relates to something other than itself.

• only if it is made for something other than cutting.

• only if it requires extra effort in its use.

• only if it cuts wood.

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As it is used in the passage, the word palpable most nearly means:

• complicated.

• drab.

• powerful.

• apparent.

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CCSS.L.11-12.4

The main argument that the author tries to make in the seventh paragraph (lines 70–81) is that:

• it is always clear what is meant when someone describes something as good.

• the word good is relative, finding meaning only when there is a specific end in mind.

• the concept of being good is entirely different than the concept of being good for.

• it is often easier to understand the concept of good without using the phrase good for.

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It can be reasonably inferred from the passage that the author would agree that the word good actually means:

• measurable.

• persistent.

• significant.

• practical.

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When, referring to the role of goodness in life, the author states, “no estimate of its influence can be excessive” (lines 6–7), he most likely means that:

• it is impossible to over-emphasize the power that the quest for goodness has on us.

• people often inaccurately describe the role that goodness plays in their own lives.

• people must be careful not to allow the search for goodness to monopolize their lives.

• it is impossible to conceptualize and grasp the definition of the word good.

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