Reading ACT Aspire Prep

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

• 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.

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

• 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.

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

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

• obscurely

• inappropriately

• enthusiastically

• coherently

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

• only if it cuts wood.

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

• only as it relates to something other than itself.

• only if it requires extra effort on its use.

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

• apparent.

• powerful.

• drab.

• complicated.

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 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.

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

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

• measurable.

• significant.

• persistent.

• practical.

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:

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

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

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

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