AccelePrep for the ACT Test 2nd Edition Student Text

P OWER U P ! T HE E XCLUSIVE C AMBRIDGE S AMPLE E XAM • 279

More fundamentally, the very concept of a frontier is dubious, because it applies to too many disparate places and times to be useful. How much do Puritan New England and the California of the –”ƒ•…‘–‹‡–ƒŽ ”ƒ‹Ž”‘ƒ† ”‡ƒŽŽ› Šƒ˜‡ ‹…‘‘ǫ Many such critics have sought to replace the idea of a moving frontier with the idea of the West as a distinctive region, much like the American South. Additionally, cooperation and communities of various sorts, not isolated individuals, made possible the absorption of the West into the United States. Most migrant wagon trains, for example, were composed of extended kinship networks. Moreover, the role of the federal government and large corporations grew increasingly important. Corporate investors built the railroads; government troops defeated Indian nations; even cowboys, enshrined in popular myth as rugged loners, were generally low-level employees of cattle corporations. Questions #11–14 ask about Passage A. 11. According to Passage A, Turner’s methodology was original in its: A. reliance on the history of politics to explain the American experience. B. use of an interdisciplinary approach to study a historical question. C. reliance on a presentation at a professional conference to announce a theory. D. suggestion that key terms like “frontier” Šƒ˜‡ –‘ „‡ ‘”‡…Ž‡ƒ”Ž› †‡ϐ‹‡†Ǥ 12. The phrase “even some of his own students” (line 10) implies that students are: F. not necessarily familiar with the most recent scholarly work. G. ordinarily sympathetic to the views of one of their professors. H. not likely to accept a theory until it has been studied for some time. J. disposed to propose new theories that have little merit.

13. The attitude of the author of Passage A toward Turner’s work can best be described as: A. suspicious. B. condescending. C. undecided. D. approving. 14. In this context, “grand” (line 14) means: F. incorrect. G. comprehensive. H. lavish. J. tentative. Questions #15–18 ask about Passage B. 15. The author of Passage B lists the “factors” in lines 83–85 in order to show that: A. Turner’s thesis did not adequately explain the history of the frontier. B. historians prior to Turner had tended to focus on only a single explanatory factor. C. the frontier was only one of many important factors in American history. D. different regions of America had different experiences of the frontier. 16. The author of Passage B mentions wagon trains (line 105) in order to show that: F. frontier land had previously been inhabited by indigenous peoples. G. groups were as important in the westward expansion as individuals. H. government army troops were needed to secure the safety of settlers. J. groups from different regions came into contact at the frontier. 17. It can be inferred that the author of Passage B believes that: A. Turner’s thesis is still generally valid. B. Turner’s thesis had very limited usefulness. C. Turner was intellectually dishonest. D. Turner intentionally ignored evidence.

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