[PDF] ACCUPLACER Collegeboard ESL Test Answer Explanations.pdf | Plain Text

ACCUPLACER ESL Test - Answer Explanations Reading Skills Test The ESL Reading Skills test measures your ability t o read English. Specifically, it assesses your comprehension of short passages. It contains brief passages of 50 words or less and moderate length passages of 50 to 90 words. Half of this test conta ins straightforward comprehension (paraphrase, loca ting information, vocabulary on a phrase level, and pron oun reference). The other half assesses inference skills (main idea, fact versus opinion, cause/effect logic , identifying irrelevant information, author’s point of view and applying the author’s logic to another sit uation). 1. Television has been introduced to almost every coun try in the world, reaching a large number of viewers on every continent. About 600 million peopl e saw the first person walk on the moon, and a billion people watched the twentieth Olympic Game s. Television has in many ways promoted understanding and cooperation among people. It does this by showing educational and cultural programs. From this passage, a reader can conclude that the a uthor believes that a. people spend too much time watching television. i. This answer is incorrect. Although the author write s about how large numbers of people have watched such events as the moon walk or the Olympics, he writes that this is a good thing because of how it helps w ith understanding and cooperation. b. not every country needs to have television. i. This answer is incorrect. The author writes about h ow television is available in many countries, but nowhere does he say that it is not needed. c. television can unify people from around the world. i. This answer is correct. In the third sentence, the author says that television has “promoted understanding and cooperation among peopl e.” When people understand each other, and are cooperative, they wi ll be more like one, unified, than separate. d. television is as important as schools. i. This answer is incorrect. Although the author says that television shows educational programs, he does not compare its impor tance with schools. 2. Janet’s parents bought her a new sports car as a bi rthday present. It was blue. Janet sold her 7- year-old blue pickup truck to a high school student . The truck could not go very fast, but the student was happy with it. From this passage, which of these statements can th e reader assume? a. Janet prefers trucks to cars. i. This answer is incorrect. If Janet likes trucks bet ter than cars, she would have kept her truck instead of selling it. b. Janet likes the color blue.

i. This answer is correct. Both of Janet’s cars are bl ue which would suggest that she likes this color. c. Janet owns more than one vehicle. i. This answer is incorrect. Though she got a new car for her birthday, she then sold her old car to a high school student. d. Janet drives her car every day. i. This answer is incorrect. The passage does not say how often Janet drives her car. 3. Some of Edward Weston’s black-and-white photographs of American nature scenes are considered superb examples of visual art. Indeed, s ome of his photographs have commanded top prices at art galleries. Which of the following best characterizes Weston’s photographs? a. They belong to famous collectors. i. This answer is incorrect. Although people have spen t a lot of money buying his photographs, the passage does not say that those people are famous collectors. b. They have been sold in art galleries for large sums of money. i. This answer is correct. The phrase “top prices” mea ns a lot of money, or large sums of money. c. They introduced many Americans to visual art. i. This answer is incorrect. The passage does not say how many Americans have seen his work, only that some have paid a lot of mo ney for his photographs. d. They contrast American cities with natural settings . i. This answer is incorrect. The passage only says his photographs are of nature scenes, but not that they show the differences, or contrasts, with American cities. 4. Speaking to a group of people can be a frightening experience. Some speakers cope by looking above the heads of the audience. Others try to imag ine that they are talking to a friend. A few try picturing the audience in some non-threatening way, such as in their pajamas. The author of the passage assumes that speakers sho uld a. feel comfortable when addressing an audience. i. This answer is correct. The author gives three diff erent ways to be relaxed when speaking in front of a group. b. scare the audience. i. This answer is incorrect. None of the examples deal with frightening the audience. c. encourage people to talk during the speech. i. This answer is incorrect. None of the examples ment ion trying to get other people to talk. d. speak only to familiar people.

i. This answer is incorrect. Though one example mentio ns pretending people are your friends, it does not mention only talking to people you know. 5. People have different ways of learning. Some are be tter at making mental pictures of new ideas. Others are more comfortable with writing lists of t hings to memorize. Certain people can learn best when listening to music, while others need sil ence to concentrate. Which of the following is the main idea of the pass age? a. Mental pictures help many to learn. i. This answer is incorrect. This in one specific exam ple, but it is not general enough to be the main idea. b. Some people prefer lists to making mental pictures. i. This answer is incorrect. This is one specific exam ple of learning, but it is not general enough to be the main idea. c. To learn well you need to be comfortable. i. This answer is incorrect. The author never mentions this point. d. Different individuals have different ways of acquir ing information. i. This answer is correct. The author is writing about ways to learn and gives several examples. 6. Before giving first aid to an accident victim, you should obtain his or her consent. Asking for consent takes a simple question. Say to the victim, “I know first aid, and I can help you until an ambulance arrives. Is that okay?” “Asking for consent” means asking for a. permission to help the victim. i. This answer is correct. Consent means permission. b. thanks from the victim. i. This answer is incorrect. Consent does not mean thanks. c. help from onlookers. i. This answer is incorrect. Consent does not mean to help. d. information about the victim’s injuries. i. This answer is incorrect. Consent does not mean information. 7. Jane and Paul are busy for 15 hours a day, 5 days a week going to college and working in a restaurant. They go to sleep at 11 p.m. every day, but on Sunday they take part in dance lessons. According to the passage, Jane and Paul spend most of their time a. at home. i. This answer is incorrect. They spend many hours at school or at work. b. going to college and working. i. This answer is correct. Most of each day, and five days out of the week are spent at school or work. c. taking part in dance lessons.

i. This answer is incorrect. They only have dance less ons on Sunday. d. sleeping. i. This answer is incorrect. Most of their time is spe nt at school or at work. 8. If you hold a piece of copper wire over the flame o f a match, heat will be conducted by the copper wires to your fingers, and you will be force d to drop the wire. You will, however, still be able to hold the match because the match is a poor conductor of heat. Anyone, child or adult, can try this simple experiment. Which of the following is implied in the passage ab ove? a. Copper is a good conductor of heat. i. This answer is correct. You can’t hold onto a coppe r wire if you also hold a match to it. The heat from the match travels through the copper metal to your fingers. b. A match and copper conduct heat equally. i. This answer is incorrect. The passage makes the poi nt that even though you can’t hold a copper wire that is heated by a match, you can still hold the burning match. c. A match is an excellent conductor of heat. i. This answer is incorrect. If a match were an excell ent conductor of heat, you would not be able to hold it while it burned. d. Matches should be kept out of the reach of small ch ildren. i. This answer is incorrect. Though this is a good ide a, the author does not mention it in the passage. 9. Many people own different pets. Dogs, cats, birds, and fish are common household pets. Other pets are considered to be exotic animals. These inc lude snakes, lizards, and hedgehogs. Snakes are a. uncommon pets. i. This answer is correct. The passage says snakes are an example of an exotic pet. Exotic means unusual or uncommon. b. likely to be found in a household with dogs. i. This answer is incorrect. Snakes are not common pet s, and so unlikely to be in the same house as a dog. c. found only in zoos. i. This answer is incorrect. The passage says that som e people do have snakes as pets in their homes. d. not allowed in people’s homes. i. This answer is incorrect. The passage does not say anywhere that snakes are not allowed in homes. 10. Cesar Chavez was an influential leader for farmwork ers. He fought for their rights and better working conditions. Chavez led many strikes that an gered farm owners. Eventually, he succeeded in getting increased wages and improved living situ ations for farmworkers.

Chavez changed lives because he a. helped the farmers get more workers. i. This answer is incorrect. The passage says that Cha vez worked to help farmworkers, not the farmers. b. worked for the farmers. i. This answer is incorrect. Chavez changed lives by h elping the farmworkers, not by working on farms. c. helped work on the farms every day. i. This answer is incorrect. Chavez changed lives by h elping the farmworkers, not by working on farms. d. changed the conditions for the farmworkers. i. This answer is correct. Chavez was able to change t he amount of money farmworkers got and get them better living conditio ns. 11. When cartoonist Charles M. Schultz was a boy in ele mentary school, other boys teased him for being small and not very good at sports, and his ar t teacher told him he had no talent for drawing. He had few friends, and was too shy to talk to a re d-haired girl he admired. Later in life, Schultz used his childhood experiences in his comic strip “ Peanuts,” using the strip’s main character, the sad and lonely Charlie Brown, to represent himself as a little boy. “Peanuts” was unique at the time because it contained no adult characters. Read ers fell in love with Charlie Brown, and “Peanuts” eventually became one of the most popular comic strips of all time. What is the main idea of the passage? a. “Peanuts” was the world’s most widely read comic st rip. i. This answer is incorrect. Although this is true, it is a specific detail but not the overall idea of the passage. b. Charles M. Schultz was a very famous cartoonist. i. This answer is incorrect. Although this is true, it is a specific detail but not the overall idea of the passage. c. Schultz turned the pain of his youth into fame as a n adult. i. This answer is correct. The passage tells how Schul tz’s childhood was difficult, and how he used those same difficulties when he dre w his comic strip. d. The “Peanuts” comic strip featured children as its only characters. i. This answer is incorrect. Although this is true, it is a specific detail but not the overall idea of the passage. 12. Money has existed for thousands of years in nearly every culture as a means of exchange. However, today, the use of cash is becoming less an d less common in modern societies all over the world. Every year, a higher percentage of purch ases in made online, and even in stores customers are now using credit cards more often tha n cash. Many people today do all of their banking on the Internet rather than going to the ba nk in person. The author of this passage probably assumes that

a. cash will become virtually obsolete in the near fut ure i. This answer is correct. Obsolete means no longer in use, and the author makes the point that fewer and fewer people use cash, pre ferring credit cards. b. using cash will become popular again i. This answer is incorrect. The author is making the point that people are not using cash as much, and more and more are using credit ca rds instead. c. paying with credit cards all the time is dangerous i. This answer is incorrect. The author never says whe ther or not he thinks credit cards are dangerous, only that more people are using them. d. societies that do business online will prosper i. This answer is incorrect. Although online business may make more money because people are shopping online, this does not m ean that society will benefit. 13. Insomnia – the inability to fall asleep or to stay asleep – is a condition that plagues many people at one time or another in their lives. It can be u ncomfortable, but it is usually not harmful, and most people who believe they have been awake all ni ght have actually slept more than they think. While some people rely on prescription medication t o help them sleep, insomnia can be controlled by changing behavior. Insomnia is often caused by stress or anxiety, but it can also be made worse by eating too heavily too late; consumin g a lot of caffeine; or watching television, using computers or exercising right before bedtime. If you can’t sleep, the best thing to do is to get out of bed and do something calming for a while , such as read, until you feel sleepy. Some people find that herbal tea such as chamomile helps them feel drowsy. The author believes that people can best combat ins omnia by a. trying to sleep i. This answer is incorrect. Insomnia means to not be able to sleep, so a person with insomnia cannot fall asleep easily. You must first find a way to help yourself feel sleepy. b. taking medication i. This answer is incorrect. The author mentions that some people do use medicine to help them fall asleep, but he also lists a number of other more natural ways to feel sleepy. c. accepting their condition i. This answer is incorrect. The author provides sever al ways to help people feel sleepy so that they can overcome their insomnia. d. changing their habits i. This answer is correct. The author lists several ba d habits that people may do that can cause insomnia (over-eating, too much caffeine, etc.). By stopping these bad habits, the insomnia might go away. 14. Before giving first aid to an accident victim, you should obtain his or her consent. Asking for consent takes a simple question. Say to the victim, “I know first aid, and I can help until an ambulance arrives. Is that okay?”

According to the passage, it is wrong to a. use first aid on an accident victim without medical training i. This answer is incorrect. Though this is good advic e, the author does not say this in the passage. b. attempt to help an accident victim without permissi on i. This answer is correct. The first line of this pass age says a person should ask for consent or permission before giving first aid. c. help a victim before an ambulance arrives i. This answer is incorrect. The passage says a person should ask for permission to give first aid until an ambulance arrives. d. call for an ambulance instead of helping the victim i. This answer is incorrect. If a person knows first a id, and asks for permission, it is okay to help the victim. 15. Dr. Ellen Ochoa is an inventor and is also the firs t female Hispanic astronaut. Her inventions include technology to help robots to inspect equipm ent in space to maintain safety and quality control on a spacecraft. Before retiring, she logge d more than 1,000 hours in space across several space missions. Dr. Ochoa is a. the first Hispanic person to travel in space i. This answer is incorrect. Dr. Ochoa is the first female Hispanic astronaut, but necessarily the first Hispanic person in space. b. the first inventor to travel in space i. This answer is incorrect. The passage says she is t he first female Hispanic astronaut, but not necessarily the first inventor. c. the first woman to travel in space i. This answer is incorrect. Dr. Ochoa is the first fe male Hispanic to travel in space d. the first Hispanic woman to travel in space i. This answer is correct. The author makes this point in the first line of the passage. 16. Dogs and cats make very different types of pets. Be fore deciding whether to buy or adopt a dog or a cat, prospective owners need to carefully cons ider their own lifestyles and personalities. Dogs may make more affectionate companions, but the y require more care and attention. They must be taken out several times a day and should no t be left alone for more than a few hours. Larger dogs require significant exercise to remain fit and healthy. Cats are usually more independent in nature and interact less with their owners. Also, a cat can be left on its own all day, or even for several days, as long as it has fo od and clean water to drink. From this passage a reader can conclude that a. owning a cat requires less work than owning a dog

i. This answer is correct. The passage makes the point that cats do not need as much time or attention from their owners as do dogs , who need to be exercised and to interact with their owners. b. people who travel a lot should not own a cat i. This answer is incorrect. The passage says that cat s can be left alone for several days so long as they have food and water. Therefore , a person who travels can own a cat. c. people who like to play with their pets should own a cat i. This answer is incorrect. Cats do not interact or p lay much with their owners, so a person who wants to play with a pet is better off with a dog. d. owning a cat is more responsibility than owning a d og i. This answer is incorrect. The passage says just the opposite. Cats need less time and attention, but dogs require quite a bit. 17. People’s moods are largely a matter focus. It is a natural tendency of many people to focus on what is wrong in their lives, or on the day-to-day events that make them angry or irritated. However, anyone can change this by directing the mi nd. When feeling down or upset, a person can change his or her state of mind by recalling ha ppy memories, by paying attention to the things for which he or she is grateful, or by directing th e attention to something uplifting or beautiful, such as artwork, nature, or music. By directing the mind in this way, a person can transform his or her mood in an instant, even if none of the outward circumstances have changed. Which of the following is implied by the passage ab ove? a. people’s moods are determined by the conditions aro und them i. This answer is incorrect. The author says it not wh at is happening around a person, but what that person chooses to think about that impacts mood. b. people can take responsibility for controlling thei r own moods. i. This answer is correct. The author says that by cho osing to think about good things a person’s mood can change from bad to good. c. a person’s mood depends on what happens to him or h er that day i. This answer is incorrect. Although bad events can c ause a person’s mood to be down, by choosing to think about pleasant and uplif ting things, that mood can be changed again. d. people are usually in a good mood unless something happens to change it. i. This answer is incorrect. The author does not say a nything about what a person’s mood might generally be, but rather how a person ca n change a bad mood to a good one.