Deer are cute _____they eat all your flowers.

________ my wife likes to travel abroad, I prefer to stay at home for my vacations.

Have you ever wondered where rain comes from? What makes water fall from the sky? In fact, water is always present in the air. This kind of water is called water vapor. It is so small, smaller than a grain of flour, that the human eye cannot see it. Warm air can hold a lot of water. When the warm air rises, the air and water vapor start to cool. When this happens, clouds are formed. That is what clouds are made of, lots of tiny water droplets. The droplets sometimes get bigger inside the cloud. Sometimes they run into each other to make larger groups. Once these drops get too big and heavy, gravity from the Earth pulls them down, and it rains!

How is this passage organized?

Mayor Julio Hidalgo thinks that there are too many dogs running the streets. “Loose dogs are a problem,” he said on Monday. He spoke about the rise in the number of people being bitten by dogs. He also spoke about dogs being hit by cars. He said that beginning on the 15th, all dogs will need to be kept on leashes. “This is an important step in making Oakdale a safe place to live,” he told reporters.

What is the organization of the text in this passage?

One the most popular musical instruments is the piano. In the traditional musical instrument classification system of string, woodwind, percussion and brass, the piano falls into two categories. It is considered a string instrument because the sound comes from the strings inside the piano. It is also considered a percussion instrument, since the player strikes the keyboard, which signals an internal hammer to strike the strings.

What is the main idea of this paragraph?

The Adopt-a-Highway Program

Imagine a beautiful painting or portrait of the Grand Canyon. The morning light rolls in from the east, and a purple haze eats away at the horizon. There is a gold line where the sun is cutting its way into the empty gorge that seems to go on forever. Now imagine the same beautiful image where the landscape is riddled with Styrofoam plates, empty aluminum cans and water bottles, and clusters of fast food bags blowing onto the foreground. Suddenly, the Grand Canyon doesn't look nearly as majestic. The way something is presented can change someone's perspective on something. In order for America to protect its beautiful scenery, more individuals need to adopt highways.

The population of the U.S. is growing all the time. A growing population means more cars on our roadways. That means more trash. One way to reduce the amount of trash on roads is for more people to adopt highways. Several states have "adopt-a-highway" programs. The programs allow people or groups to "adopt" a section of a highway. That person or group is responsible for making sure that section of the highway stays clean. This helps the state save money. That money can then be used to make landmarks and monuments beautiful. This is money that the state would have had to pay someone to clean the highway.

Research has also shown that highways that have "adopt-a-highway" programs are usually less littered than those cleaned by road crews. The South Carolina Litter Patrol statistics state that of the 250 miles from Gaffney to Macedonia, 100 of the miles were part of the state's adopt-a-highway program. 100 of the 250-mile stretch had 18,285 fewer pounds of garbage. This shows that the programs work.

Finally, adopting a highway doesn't take up nearly as much time as hiring an outside group to clean up a highway. People complain about time, well, all the time. Time is precious to everyone, but cleaning up an adopted highway doesn't take up any time at all. Think about how much time it takes to cut the grass in your front lawn. Think about the time it takes to spend an afternoon shopping. If more people knew that volunteering to clean up the highways they use took up less time than they think, most would jump at the chance to do it.

The author explains that volunteering to adopt a highway does not take up much time. The author supports this idea by

Which statement is the most broad - could be supported by the other statements?

Which option is the most broad/general?

Make Them Read

A hobby or a favorite pastime is something that one is interested in and likes to engage in during one's leisure. Children pursue different hobbies such as drawing, painting, reading, gardening, stamp collecting, and so on.

Reading is a very fulfilling hobby. Not only does it help children spend their spare time effectively, but it also increases their knowledge. While reading a book, a reader comes across many new words and phrases. In this way, reading helps a child to improve his or her vocabulary. Reading also helps children develop their imagination.

This hobby offers a wide variety of options to choose from. From newspapers and magazines to stories and novels, children can choose to read based on their interest. Though many readers now prefer reading e-books and other online resources, printed books and other printed materials remain the best form of reading.

The traditional form of reading a printed book has its own charm and benefits. Studies suggest that reading on paper is good for the memory because it helps the brain retain information better. Reading printed books is also considered healthier because it does not cause as much strain to the eyes as reading from a screen.

Children must try to read something each day. Parents must help their children develop this habit from a young age. They must educate them about the benefits of reading and help them appreciate the value of good books. It is important to learn to distinguish between helpful and harmful content. All content available for reading is not suitable or beneficial. Parents and teachers must advise children to choose wisely.

In the busy schedule of daily life, it is important to make time to read. Reading is not just a pastime but a window to a world of knowledge, information, and imagination. What food is to the body, books are to the mind! Therefore, every child must take up reading.

1. Which statement could the author add to strengthen the argument of the passage?

Music and Intelligence

Many people think that learning to play a musical instrument is just a fun activity. However, it has many benefits. Nowadays more and more parents are encouraging their young children to learn music. According to a report published in the Journal of Music and Health, when children learn to play music, their brain processes sounds that they may otherwise not be able to hear. The report states that there is a strong connection between musical training and brain health. Another study showed that music helps in the development of memory in children between the ages of two and three. Students who learn to play a musical instrument at an early age get better grades in school. They perform better in subjects such as art, science, math, and languages.

Roger Branson is a doctor who deals with children's health. He says that learning a musical instrument also helps reduce anxiety in children. It has a calming and soothing effect on their minds. Another benefit from playing a musical instrument is that it helps children learn patience and discipline. Children also learn to appreciate other cultures through music.

However, not everyone believes that music can help children do better at school. Researchers at the Institute for Children state that there is no clear evidence to prove that music helps children perform better at school. They believe that the connection between music and intelligence depends on the personality and character of the child, and that music does not help promote a child's intelligence.

In spite of these arguments, learning music is becoming popular all over the world. Children benefit hugely from learning to play a musical instrument. Music promotes calmness, happiness, and success. Both schools and parents must encourage children to learn to play musical instruments.

5. What statement could the author add to strengthen his or her argument?

The Importance of Exercise

Exercise has become more important than ever today. People live very busy lives, and the rate at which young people are falling ill is shocking. Many suffer from problems such as body pain, shortness of breath, and extreme tiredness. Studies show that one in five young people misses important workdays and activities due to one of these health problems.

Health and lifestyle experts say that the reason for the rise of such problems among young people is the lack of physical activity. Many young people spend a lot of time at work today. They spend their time sitting before a computer with little or no physical movement. People living in large, crowded cities often spend a lot of time stuck in traffic in cars, buses, and trains. Such people just don't have the time to do any physical exercise.

Experts say that the solution to these problems is to get young people to take up some form of exercise. They say that regular exercise will help build up young people's immunity. This immunity will help them to avoid harmful health problems.

In recent times, yoga has become popular as a form of exercise. Not only does yoga have physical movements that exercise the body, it also helps to calm the mind. And so, practicing yoga regularly is good for the body as well as for the mind. Other popular forms of physical exercise include walking and jogging. Both these activities provide much needed movement to the body muscles. These activities also improve a person's blood flow, stamina, and general fitness.

Another form of exercise that many athletes practice is weight lifting. This form of exercise makes one's muscles stronger.

Young people need to make some free time and take up some form of physical exercise on a regular basis. Regular physical exercise will not only improve their health but also provide them with a fun activity to do besides their work or studies.

6. Which statement could the author add to strengthen the argument of the passage?

Stephen and Joseph Montgolfier were papermakers, but they had been interested in flying for many years. One night, in 1782, Joseph noticed something that gave him an idea. He was sitting in front of the fire when he saw some small pieces of scorched paper being carried up the chimney.Soon afterwards, the brothers conducted an experiment. They lit a fire under a small silk bag, which was open at the bottom; at once, the bag rose to the ceiling. After this, Stephen and Joseph conducted many more experiments, both indoors and in the open air. Eventually, they built a huge balloon of linen and paper. On June 5th, 1783, they launched their balloon in the village of Annonay.

Which sentence in this article provides text evidence for the inference that the Montgolfier brothers used hot air to lift their balloon?

The growth of industry and a wave of immigrants marked [the Gilded Age] in American history. The production of iron and steel rose dramatically, and western resources like lumber, gold, and silver increased the demand for improved transportation. Railroad development boomed as trains moved goods from the resource-rich West to the East. Steel and oil were in great demand. All this industry produced a lot of wealth for a number of businessmen like John D. Rockefeller (in oil) and Andrew Carnegie (in steel), known as robber barons (people who got rich through ruthless business deals). The Gilded Age gets its name from the many great fortunes created during this period and the way of life this wealth supported.

Source: AmericasLibrary.Gov

Which sentence from the passage supports the following inference:

Western states made a lot of money from their natural resources during the Gilded Age.

Claim: Participating in sports programs helps students build confidence.

Evidence: One study published in the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity found that children who played sports were significantly more likely to report high levels of self-confidence than those who did not.

Claim: In order to become fully independent thinkers, high school students must be taught how to watch television with a critical eye. Evidence: A New York Times article states that, compared to other age groups, Americans "over the age of 50 watch the most TV."

Claim: By funding preschool education for all children, the US government would increase students' academic success in later years. Evidence: The National Center for Education Statistics estimates that, as of 2014, 65 percent of children between 3 and 5 were enrolled in a preschool program.

The music teacher had difficulty tolerating the discordant noises produced by her kindergarten class.

My mom wanted to get the red napkins for the party and my dad wanted the blue napkins, but I'm not even concerned about such frivolous things.

Walker Evans was a photographer. He is best known for the photographs he took while working for the Farm Security Administration during the Great Depression. His photos documented the effects of the Dust Bowl on average Americans. Evans’ best photographs do not include images that people often find in many Dust Bowl photographs. There are no dirty, starving children. There are no sad adults who look as though they have lost the will to live. There are no families gathered in filthy, collapsing shacks. Instead, people see something that is often missing from Dust Bowl photographs: dignity.

Evans does not use his art to enforce ideas. He does not use his art to show that the people he takes pictures of are different from the people who see the pictures at museums. He uses his photographs to show the dignity of his subjects to the viewer. He shows his subjects’ run-down shacks for what they are—simple, well-kept homes. He does this to remind the viewer that shacks may look different, but they are similar to the viewer’s home. The families who live in these shacks are similar to the viewer’s own family.

What is the best summary of this passage?

When you imagine a desert, what do you see? If you are like most people, you probably picture sand, sand, and more sand. But did you know that only one-fifth of the world's largest non-polar desert, the Sahara, is covered by sand? The rest of the 3.5 million square miles of the desert, in Africa, is made up of rock and rubble. Most people think the Sahara is covered by sand because of the many pictures of the sand dunes of the desert. The sand dunes are very expansive—they measure over one hundred miles wide and two hundred feet tall. These great sand dunes, called whalebacks, are what photographers and filmmakers focus on when they film the Sahara. So, naturally, the image of the Sahara as a sand-covered wasteland is what most people picture.

Which of the following best summarizes this paragraph?

Have you always wanted to own your own boat but thought you couldn't afford to? Now there's a way to purchase a small skiff for less than retail price. All you need is time, patience, and skill in working with carpentry tools. For $175 you can obtain a kit to build your own eight-foot rowboat. The kit contains complete instructions, precut wooden parts, metal fittings, sandpaper, sealant, and paint. The only decision left up to you is choosing the color of the hull; everything else has been provided. For purchasing information, log on to our Web site.

Which is the best summary of this passage?

In the mountainous rain forest of Peru sits one of the world's greatest treasures: Machu Picchu. Known as the "Lost City of the Incas," Machu Picchu is an ancient stone village built sometime in the 1400s. When the Spanish conquered the Incan empire, they missed Machu Picchu. It was too well hidden in the jungle. The Incas abandoned the city, but it was not destroyed. Eventually, the jungle grew over the city, and the city was forgotten for over 400 years.

In 1911, Hiram Bingham was led to Machu Picchu by Peruvian natives. Bingham was a historian at Yale University in the United States. Though the jungle had taken over, Bingham knew that he had found something spectacular. He led the excavation and restoration of the city and took away many items for study.

The architecture is what Machu Picchu is most known for. The buildings were constructed of heavy stones brought from far below up to the top of the mountain. They were designed according to the location of the Sun, stars, and the Moon at certain times of the year. A visit to Machu Picchu amazes most visitors, thinking about the abilities of such an ancient civilization.

Which of these is the best summary of the first paragraph?

Read the passage below and answer the question that follows.

Jet lag is a problem suffered by many flight attendants, pilots, and frequent flyers. When people travel rapidly across numerous time zones, as they do when flying long distances, they sometimes develop a condition called jet lag. These long trips disturb normal body rhythms. After a trip, travelers may have trouble falling asleep at night and staying awake during the day. Experts advise travelers flying eastbound to go to bed later than usual before traveling and those flying west to go to bed earlier than usual. These changes should help minimize the effects of jet lag.

Which statement best summarizes this paragraph?

. Many places will have record levels of pollen this spring. This is just one reason Americans are expected to spend $4.7 billion this year on prescription allergy medicines. The top three medications are Claritin, Allegra, and Zyrtec. A new study finds that almost two-thirds of those people who take these drugs do not need them.

"It is very obvious to anyone in the allergy field that many patients are being misdiagnosed," said Dr. Beth Corn. Corn is an allergist at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York.

Which statement best summarizes this passage?

Bathing has been a part of religious ceremonies for thousands of years. However, bathing has not always been a common practice in the United States. Some early-19th century Americans believed that taking a bath was bad for their health. At the same time, other people were beginning to learn about the benefits of bathing. As they learned that bathing could help prevent the spread of disease, they demanded more clean water. Cities across the country heard this demand and began building water and sewer systems. Cities made water and sewer services available to the people who could pay for them. Because of this, most water and sewer lines were located in wealthy neighborhoods. By the middle of the century, many wealthy people had indoor plumbing. It would be many years before indoor plumbing was made available to people in poorer neighborhoods.

Which of the following best summarizes this passage?

A zoo is basically a menagerie of wild animals. You can also try a menagerie of food while you are at the zoo.

Choose the word that best completes the sentence. Hint: Determine the connotation (positive or negative) through context clues.

She was disappointed that the dress she wanted to buy her daughter was ________________ as she ran her fingers across the fabric.

Which sentence best describes an instance of irony?

Which of these does NOT demonstrate irony?

Which of these is NOT an example of irony?

I know Rex is well-read and hangs around with a pretty elite group of academic-minded friends, but does every other word out of his mouth really need to be POLYPHONIC when he's hanging out with his old friends?

An informant told the federal agents where the drug lords were going to CONVENE for a huge drug buy. Which answer choice BEST defines the capitalized word?

What is the meaning of the capitalized word? In RETROSPECT, the old man wished he had traveled more during his younger days.

Danny did not like parties at all, yet he did not EGRESS right away out of respect for his host.

Which word, when broken down into its various word parts, literally means "pertaining to that which is against life"?

Even though its headquarters is in Redmond, Washington, and its founder, Bill Gates, lives near Seattle, Microsoft is a ___ corporation with offices throughout Europe, Asia, Africa, South America, Australia, and other locations around the world, including North America and the United States. Which answer choice BEST completes the sentence?

Not knowing the native language proved to be an INSUPERABLE obstacle for the immigrant searching for a job in his new country. What is the meaning of the bolded word?

After serving in the war, he developed an ANTIPATHY for guns. What is the meaning of the bolded word?

Determine the meaning of the capitalized word in the following sentence. "If we do not find a way to CIRCUMVENT this problem, we will not be able to finish the project."

Choose the answer that BEST completes the following sentence. Xavier walks around with a bullet in his back from being shot as a child, yet the bullet is not __ because it lies too close to his spinal cord to risk the surgery.

The ice on the road made thousands of people IMPOTENT during the winter storm.

Which unit would you go to at the hospital if your favorite aunt just had a baby and you wanted to visit your just-arrived cousin?

Which answer choice is the BEST definition of the capitalized word in the following sentence? Everyone laughed heartily as Gaston showed up to work, hunched over and dragging his foot yet again, for they knew he was a "professional" MALINGERER.

Which answer choice BEST defines the capitalized word in the following sentence? Several years ago, some people in southern Nash County were INCREDULOUS when Sanderson farms announced plans to build a poultry processing plant here.

Read the following sentence:

The baby was very clever. It already knew how to crawl into a room without making a sound.

How would the meaning of the sentence change if the author used "cunning" instead of the word "clever"?

Which words in this passage create a feeling of danger?

I stay where I am...staring out at those icicles. They're like teeth waiting to chomp someone.

Zoey's mom "finally had to sell our beat up car to scrape together the money to get those teeth extracted." Why does the author use the phrase "scrape together" instead of "save" or "get"?