Act Reading Humanities

. The passage is best described as being told from the point of view of a philosopher who is:

• discussing metaphysical questions that have troubled philosophers since the time of Descartes

• presenting in chronological order the key events in his thirty-year professional career.

• reflecting on his own early, developing interest in philosophy and in scholarship generally

• advising professional educators on how to get more students to study philosophy.

Based on the passage, which of the following was most likely the first to engage the author’s passionate interest?

• drumming

• philosophy

• chemistry

• butterflies

The main purpose of the last paragraph is to:

• reveal the enduring impact of Mr. Marsh’s lessons on the author

• acknowledge that the author came to doubt some of Mr. Marsh’s teachings

• describe a typical class as taught by Mr. Marsh.

• present a biographical sketch of Mr. Marsh.

The passage indicates that the man in the book-cover photograph represents:

• Descartes, wondering what could be known.

• Mr. Marsh, deep in scholarly thought

• the author at age seventeen, thinking about enrolling in college.

• the author at age eighteen, contemplating a philosophical issue.

The author mentions Melody Maker, the top 20, and articles about musicians primarily to suggest that his:

• early interest in music has remained with him to the present.

• time spent playing music should instead have been spent reading

• fascination with pop music and musicians gave focus to his life for a time.

• commitment to study enabled him to perfect his drumming technique.

In the third paragraph (lines 36–56), the author most nearly characterizes the energy he refers to as:

• potent yet difficult to channel in a constructive way.

• powerful and typically leading to destructive results.

• delicate and inevitably wasted in trivial undertakings.

• gentle yet capable of uniting people who have different interests.

Viewed in the context of the passage, the statement in lines 55–56 is most likely intended to suggest that:

• schools should require students to take philosophy courses

• students can become passionate when learning about science in school.

• schools need to keep searching for ways to tap into students’ deeply held interests

• students should resolve to take school courses that interest them.

The author calls pen and paper “rudimentary tools” (line 80) as part of his argument that:

• the use of computers has made the use of pen and paper obsolete.

• students should become skilled with pen and paper before moving on to better tools.

• while writing with pen and paper can be pleasant, it can also be physically painful.

• although seemingly simple, pen and paper allow people to perform great feats.

In the context of the passage, lines 17–23 are best described as presenting images of:

• gloom, tension, and fascination

• anger, bitterness, and betrayal.

• stillness, peacefulness, and relaxation.

• frustration, surprise, and satisfaction.

Which of the following does NOT reasonably describe the transition the author presents in lines 80–84?

• Precious to commonplace

• Fleeting to permanent

• Invisible to visible

• Private to public