Text Analysis

In passage 1 in the first paragraph, what is the relationship between lines 1–7 (“Two years... to do”) and lines 9–14 (“We will... cruise missiles”)

• The first four sentences provide an overview of the events taking place, and the last three sentences describe the aims of those events.

• The first four sentences describe the former aims of the president, and the last three sentences describe the status of those aims.

• The first four sentences provide a definition of common aims, and the last three sentences describe a definition of democracy.

• The first four sentences outline actions the president took in the past, and the last three sentences outline the actions he is presently taking.

• The first four sentences extol the perils of communism, and the last three sentences state the ways in which communism persists.

In passage 1 which of the following best describes the effect of the writer’s use of personification in the sentence, “As he’s heard it, down it goes” (lines 27–29)?

• It portrays inflation as something he can’t control.

• It portrays inflation as an insurmountable problem.

• It portrays inflation as being tied to interest rates.

• It portrays inflation as the nation’s main economic problem.

• It portrays inflation as a fictional character not to be taken seriously.

In passage 1 the speaker implies which of the following in lines 54–55 (“Let’s be... with you”)?

• He’s been slightly misleading in his previous remark.

• He’s about to say something that politicians don’t typically disclose.

• He’s struggling to get his audience’s attention.

• He’s about to express the complications of putting forth his policies.

• He’s going to explain something that will be difficult to hear.

In passage 1 which of the following best expresses the function of the third paragraph (lines 25–41)?

• It supports the writer’s statements in the second paragraph.

• It expresses challenges in order to refute them in the fourth paragraph.

• Its somber tone provides a transition to the serious subject that follows.

• Its diverging subject matter creates a suspenseful tension.

• It discusses a topic inverse to the paragraphs that come before it.

In passage 1 the primary purpose of the use of lines 33–35 (“And now... your country”) is to

• compare President Kennedy’s manner of speaking to President Bush’s.

• suggest that the writer was expressing the importance of civic action.

• explain that members of Congress are public servants.

• contrast the policies of the 1960s with those of the 1990s.

• allude to President Kennedy’s famous words.

In passage 1 by comparing people who disagree with tax policy to “Puritans” in lines 42–46 (“I’ll tell... good time”), the writer implies his opponents are

• extremely religious.

• needlessly complicated.

• excessively rigid.

• openly irritable.

• markedly wealthy.

In passage 1 in the fifth paragraph, the writer uses “big guy” and “little guy” (lines 50–51) in order to

• assuage the opinion that upper-class people are better than lower-class people.

• intimidate audience members who disagree with his policies.

• convey a sense of simplicity to an otherwise complex dynamic.

• encourage a combative approach between the wealthy and the impoverished.

• embolden everyday people to appeal to famous people for financial contributions.

In passage 1 the writer includes the statement "I know... partisan terms" (lines 55–57) primarily in order to

• persuade people that his intentions are for the good of the American people

• distract audience from focusing on the disagreements that have long plagued Republicans and Democrats

• urge individuals not to think of politics in black-and-white terms

• admonish members of Congress for tending to debate in simplistic ways

• explain the complexity of his policies and the patience that's required to comprehend them

In passage 1 when the writer says, "But I ask... will help" (lines 57–60), he is using which of the following approaches to persuade his audience?

• Reasoning and logic

• Emotion and personal character

• Facts and figures

• Moral and ethical claims

• Analysis and inference

In passage 1 the primary purpose of the statement "But I... improvement" (lines 62–65) is to relate to the audience by expressing a commonly held idea that

• some politicians complain about the problems they see

• progress is often thwarted by politicians who bicker

• the best way to improve the country is by utilizing political strategizing

• if politicians can't achieve compromise, nothing can be resolved

• some politicians do not take their roles seriously enough