Passage 1: Punishment, it is said, is not inflicted on the offender as a retribution for his misdeeds, it is inflicted for the purpose of protecting society against its enemies. Such a view leaves moral considerations entirely out of account; it leaves no room for the just indignation of the public at the spectacle of crime. It is defective in other ways. For instance, a criminal has a particular animosity against some single individual; it may be he murders this person, or does him grievous bodily harm. Such an offender has no similar animosity against any one else; as far as the rest of the community is concerned he is perfectly harmless. On the supposition that punishment is only intended to protect society against the criminal, a man of this description would escape punishment altogether.

Passage 2: No doubt the idea of punishment originated in the feeling of resentment and hatred and vengeance that, to some extent at least, is incident to life. The dog is hit with a stick and turns and bites the stick. Animals repel attack and fight their enemies to death. The primitive man vented his hatred and vengeance on things animate and inanimate. In the tribes no injury was satisfied until some member of the offending tribe was killed. In more recent times family feuds have followed down the generations and were not forgotten until the last member of a family was destroyed. Biologically, anger and hatred follow fear and injury, and punishment follows these in turn. Individuals, communities and whole peoples hate and swear vengeance for an injury, real or fancied. Punishments, even to the extent of death, are inflicted where there can be no possible object except revenge.

According to the attitude of the authors, both would agree that:

(1) Animals know better than man what kind of food they need, for the simple reason that their tastes are natural, while man has allowed his to become perverted. In times of sickness absurd practices have been observed. Ice-cream and buttermilk, for example, were for ages refused to typhoid fever patients, while to-day they are generally used under such circumstances. But the natural desire for sour and cold things was always in evidence; animals have always depended upon these desires. _______________________________________________.

(2) Among them are skilled dietitians, who restrict their diet in case of illness, keep quiet, avoid all excitement, seek restful places where there is plenty of fresh air and clean water. If a dog loses his appetite, he eats "dog grass," while a sick cat delights in catnip. Deer, goats, cows, and sheep, when sick seek various medicinal herbs. When deer or cattle have rheumatism, they invariably seek a health resort where they may bathe in a sulphur spring and drink of the healing mineral waters. They also know the full value of lying in the warm sun.

Which of the following is the best assessment of the writer's opinion of humans?

(1) The Prussians had reached Jena and Auerstadt confident of victory, and now had left the battle-field to carry the terrible tidings of their defeat, like a host of ominously croaking ravens, throughout Germany.

(2) The battle-field, on which a few hours previously Death had walked in a triumphant procession, and felled thousands and thousands of bleeding victims to the ground, was now entirely deserted. Night had thrown its pall over the horrors of this Calvary of Prussian glory: the howling storm alone sang a requiem to the unfortunate soldiers, who, with open wounds and features distorted with pain, lay in endless rows on the blood-stained ground.

(3) At length the night of horror is over—the storm dies away—the thick veil of darkness is rent asunder, and the sun of a new day arises pale and sad; pale and sad he illuminates the battle-field, reeking with the blood of so many thousands.

The author uses personification in order to:

The light of the Crescent Moon, like some fairy boat suspended in the sky, is bright enough to cast changing and dancing sparkles of silver upon the ocean. The Evening Star declines slowly in its turn toward the western horizon. Our gaze is held by a shining world that dominates the whole of the occidental heavens. This is the "Shepherd's Star," Venus of rays translucent.

Which of the following best describes the way in which the information in this passage is conveyed?

(1) A picture is worth a thousand words. When you go on vacation, it is often customary to send friends and family members photo postcards from the beautiful places you visit. The postcards not only let them know where you are and how you're doing, but (3) they provide them with a keepsake from your vacation. Today, the ritual of sending postcards has been somewhat replaced by posting vacation pictures on Facebook, Instagram, and other social media (5) sites. In a recent survey of vacationers, 75% said that they are more likely to post on Facebook than to send a postcard. Not long ago, however, it was not uncommon for people to amass many hundreds of (7) postcards received from acquaintances. As these collections grew, a hunger for more postcards arose, and some people became amateur postcard collectors.

The phrase "a picture is worth a thousand words" means:

A student is writing a letter to his school principal about why each grade should have at least one field trip per year. Which of the following types of writing would be best suited to this goal?

Read the following excerpt and identify the literary device being used in the underlined portion.

Hear the loud alarum bells -

Brazen bells!

What a tale of terror, now, their turbulency tells!

In the startled ear of night

How they scream out their affright!

-"The Bells" Edgar Allan Poe

The framework which sustains the human body is composed of the Bones. Our superstructure consists of the various organs on which the processes of life depend. These organs are soft and delicately formed, and, if unprotected, would, in most cases, rapidly be destroyed when subjected to violence, however slight. The bones, having great strength and power of resistance, afford the protection required.

The more delicate the organ, the more completely Nature shields it. For example: the brain, which is soft in structure, is enclosed on all sides by a complete box of bone; the eye, though it must be near the surface of the body to command an extensive view, is sheltered from injury within a deep recess of bone; the lungs, requiring freedom of motion as well as protection, are surrounded by a large moveable case of bone and muscle.

Which of the following best describes the relationship between the two paragraphs?

While reading a piece of fiction writing, a teacher asks her class to select a short passage and rewrite the story from a different character's point of view. What is the most likely goal of this writing activity?

(1) If you are a citizen of the United States, you will likely be called to serve on a jury at some point. A jury is a group of ordinary citizens, randomly selected from a list of registered voters and drivers, who listen to a court case and decide which side wins.

(2) The courts officially call this responsibility "jury service," and it is an opportunity to serve your country. Many agree that it is important for ordinary citizens to be part of the court system because citizens must have a voice in a democracy. Because the government wants citizens to serve, it won't allow your boss to penalize you if you must miss work for jury service. In addition, the government even pays you for the days you serve.

(3) However, people often call this responsibility "jury duty." It is something you are required to do and it can present difficulties. Even though you are allowed to be away from your job, you may be responsible for the work you missed. For parents who stay home with young children, there is the complication of needing childcare. Some think that the payment (anywhere from two to 50 dollars per day, depending on the state) is not enough to make jury duty worth the hassle.

(4) Whether citizens view being a juror as an opportunity or an inconvenience, one day you will probably be called to serve. Since it is a crime to avoid serving on a jury, you might as well enjoy learning about the court system.

According to the information presented in the selection, it is reasonable to infer that the phrases "jury service" and "jury duty" serve to:

The following reading comes from "Sketches of the Fair Sex" by Theodore Abbot, published in 1841.

The women of modern Egypt are far from being on as respectable of a footing as they were in ancient times, or as the European women are at present.

In Europe, women act parts of great consequence, and often reign sovereigns on the world's vast theatre. They influence manners and morals, and decide on the most important events. The fate of nations is frequently in their hands.

How different is their situation in Egypt! There they are bound down by the fetters of slavery, condemned to servitude, and have no influence in public affairs. Their empire is confined within the walls of the Harem. There are their graces and charms entombed. The circle of their life extends not beyond their own family and domestic duties.

What stance would the author most likely support, given the tone of the passage?

I tried to throw a surprise party for my mom, but my dad let the cat out of the bag when he left the event reminder pulled up on their shared computer.

What type of figurative language is included in the above example?

Use the paragraph below to answer the question that follows.

Sammy the seal couldn't move very quickly on land, but he was a rocket in the water. As a young seal pup, Sammy was taught by his mother to quickly get to water whenever a polar bear was in sight. This way, if the bear attacked, he would be able to shoot through the water to safety.

This paragraph would most likely be used as the text in a lesson to teach students which of the following skills?

Pathological lying is falsification entirely disproportionate to any discernible end in view, engaged in by a person who, at the time of observation, cannot definitely be declared insane, feebleminded, or epileptic. Such lying rarely, if ever, centers about a single event; although exhibited in very occasional cases for a short time, it manifests itself most frequently by far over a period of years, or even a life-time. It represents a trait rather than an episode. Extensive, very complicated fabrications may be evolved. This has led to the synonyms:—mythomania; pseudologia phantastica.

Which of the following best describes the organization of this passage?