AccelePrep for the ACT Test 2nd Edition Student Text

300 • C AMBRIDGE P RACTICE T EST R EINFORCEMENT

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PRACTICE TEST 18B

SECTION 5: WRITING TEST (OPTIONAL) 40 Minutes—1 Essay Prompt

Plastic Bag Use Some countries and states have banned free plastic bags at grocery stores because of the environmental problems they cause. Plastic bags worsen communities’ litter problems and can suffocate animals that come into contact ™‹–Š –Š‡Ǥ ‘‡ „ƒ‰• ƒ”‡ ƒŽ•‘ ‘Ǧ„‹‘†‡‰”ƒ†ƒ„Ž‡ ƒ† ƒ……——Žƒ–‡ ‹ Žƒ†ϐ‹ŽŽ•Ǥ ‡…ƒ—•‡ ‘ˆ –Š‡•‡ ‡˜‹”‘‡–ƒŽ risks, some governments have required stores to sell paper or reusable bags to customers, instead of providing plastic bags for free. However, some argue that banning bags is impractical and would inconvenience customers. As more cities and states debate whether to ban free plastic bags, this issue will potentially affect millions of shoppers. DIRECTIONS: You have 40 minutes to plan and write an essay. Read the prompt carefully and make sure you understand the instructions. A successful essay will have the following features: it will take a position on the issue presented in the writing prompt; it will maintain a consistent focus on the topic; it will use logical ”‡ƒ•‘‹‰ ƒ† ’”‘˜‹†‡ •—’’‘”–‹‰ ‹†‡ƒ•Ǣ ‹– ™‹ŽŽ ’”‡•‡– ‹†‡ƒ• ‹ ƒ ‘”‰ƒ‹œ‡† ƒ‡”Ǣ ƒ†ǡ ϐ‹ƒŽŽ›ǡ ‹– ™‹ŽŽ include clear and effective language in accordance with the conventions of standard written English. Sample essay responses begin on page 313.

Perspective 1

Perspective 2 Free plastic bags should be banned, but stores should have more paper or more durable plastic bags available for sale. Having to pay for bags will encourage shoppers to reuse them, either at home or on their next shopping trip.

Perspective 3 Plastic bags should be banned at all stores, and shoppers should either buy recyclable paper bags or bring their own reusable bags. Although this may initially annoy consumers, the environmental risks outweigh the convenience of free plastic bags.

It is impractical to ban free plastic bags in stores, and it will inconvenience shoppers who forget to bring reusable bags with them. Plastic bags can also be reused as trash bags at home.

Essay Task ”‹–‡ ƒ —‹ϐ‹‡†ǡ…‘Š‡”‡– ‡••ƒ› ‹ ™Š‹…Š ›‘— ‡˜ƒŽ—ƒ–‡ —Ž–‹’Ž‡ ’‡”•’‡…–‹˜‡• ‘ –Š‡ ‹••—‡ ‘ˆ ’Žƒ•–‹…„ƒ‰ —•‡ ‹ grocery stores. In your essay be sure to: • Analyze and evaluate perspectives given • State and develop your own perspective • Explain the relationship between your perspective and those given Your perspective may be in full agreement with any of the others, in partial agreement, or wholly different. Whatever the case, support your ideas with logical reasoning and detailed, persuasive examples.

END OF TEST 5 STOP! DO NOT TURN THE PAGE UNTIL TOLD TO DO SO. DO NOT RETURN TO THE PREVIOUS TEST.