Victory for the ACT Student Text 15e

446 • C AMBRIDGE P RACTICE T EST R EINFORCEMENT

8. (H) (p. 364) English/Knowledge of Language/Style/Effective Transitional Sentence . This item is asking about the right word to correctly describe the logical connection between the two ideas in the sentence: Marcello wants to see Musetta again, and the older man is tricked. The original suggests that the two are contingently related, but if the connection were only a probable one, the sentence would be worded: “Marcello wants to see Musetta again if the old man can be tricked.” What the author means to say is that the trick is played because Marcello wants to see Musetta again, and that relation is best captured by “so,” (H). As for (G), “because” would actually reverse this connection, suggesting that the trick caused Marcello’s feelings. And (J) completely destroys the logic of the sentence. 9. (D) (p. 364) English/Knowledge of Language/Vocabulary . This item asks about the implicit value of language. All four options indicate that the old man pays the bill, but you want the one that suggests that the group has tricked him a second time. The phrase “is stuck with” conveys that idea. 10. (G) (p. 364) English/Conventions of Standard English/Grammar and Usage/Adjectives versus Adverbs . The original uses an adjective to modify the verb. Correct usage requires an adverb of the sort supplied by (G). (H) and (J) do not make coherent sentences. 11. (B) (p. 364) English/Conventions of Standard English/Grammar and Usage/Diction . Here is another item that asks about the implicit value of a word. Mimi is out of sight. She is listening to Rodolofo tell his story. Either “eavesdrop,” (A), or “overhear,” (D), could be used. But the original is not idiomatic; the correct phrasing would be “eavesdrops on.” (B) and (C) avoid this problem, but to be as precise as possible, Mimi is hearing and not seeing Rodolfo, so (B) is correct. 12. (G) (p. 365) English/Conventions of Standard English/Grammar and Usage/Verb Tense . If you want a hypertechnical grammar explanation for this item, you should google “subjunctive” because the distinction between the indicative mood and the subjunctive mood is at the heart of this item. Verbs such as want, desire, hope, and so on—verbs that express contingency or possibility—require an unusual form to complete them: the subjunctive form. “Could” in the original indicates a past action that is inconsistent with the present tense “hopes.” (G) corrects this problem. 13. (C) (p. 365) English/Conventions of Standard English/Sentenc Structure/Faulty Parallelism . The original sentence •—ˆˆ‡”• ˆ”‘ ƒ Žƒ… ‘ˆ ’ƒ”ƒŽŽ‡Ž‹•Ǥ Š‡ ˜‡”„ ˆ‘” ‘ˆ Dz–‘ ’”‡–‡†dz •Š‘—Ž† ”‡ϐŽ‡…– –Š‡ ˆ‘” ‘ˆ Dz•Šƒ”‡ǡdz ƒ† ȋ Ȍ ƒ‡• the needed correction. (B) provides the correct form, but the number of the changed verb is inconsistent with the number of the subject. (They fail to agree.) (D) offers a new conjunction but fails to address the underlying problem of the original. 14. (J) (p. 365) English/Production of Writing/Strategy/Effective Concluding Sentence . The additional sentence would be Ž‹‡ –Š‡ Žƒ†‹‰ ‹ ƒ ‰›ƒ•–‹…• ”‘—–‹‡Ȅ–Š‡ ϐ‹ƒŽ †”ƒƒ–‹…‘˜‡ –Šƒ– –‹‡• ‡˜‡”›–Š‹‰ –‘‰‡–Š‡”Ǥ ‡”‡ Dz ‹‹ †‹‡•dz ‹• the climax of the drama, and the phrase makes clear what the writer only implies with the phrase “too late.” 15. (C) (p. 365) English/Production of Writing/Strategy/Main Idea . The essay provides a very nice summary of the †‡˜‡Ž‘’‡– ‘ˆ ‡ƒ…Š ‘ˆ –Š‡ ˆ‘—” ƒ…–• ƒ† –Š‡”‡ˆ‘”‡ ƒ ‰‘‘† Ž‘‘ ƒ– –Š‡ ’Ž‘– †‡˜‡Ž‘’‡– ˆ”‘ •–ƒ”– –‘ ϐ‹‹•ŠǤ ‘” someone not familiar with the story, this would be very helpful for understanding the performance. As for (A), while •—…Š †‹•…—••‹‘ ‹‰Š– †‡‡’‡ –Š‡ ”‡ƒ†‡”ǯ• —†‡”•–ƒ†‹‰ ‘ˆ ‘’‡”ƒǡ ‹– ™‘—Ž† ‘– Š‡Ž’ ‹ —†‡”•–ƒ†‹‰ –Š‡ •’‡…‹ϐ‹…• ‘ˆ this particular play. As for (B), the passage does present the story in chronological order, but that is because the opera apparently develops the story in that way. (D) is an interesting observation but an answer to the wrong question. (D) ™‘—Ž† „‡ ƒ ‰‘‘† ƒ•™‡” –‘ –Š‡ “—‡•–‹‘ Dz Šƒ– ™‘—Ž† ƒ‡ –Š‡ ‘’‡”ƒ †‹ˆϐ‹…—Ž– –‘ —†‡”•–ƒ†ǫdz „—– –Šƒ– ‹• ‘– –Š‡ question actually asked. 16. (F) (p. 366) English/Production of Writing/Strategy/Effective Transitional Sentence . This item asks which adverb (technically, conjunctive adverb since the choices have elements of both conjunctions and adverbs) sets the appropriate timeframe for the visitors. The author wants to describe events that happen occasionally but not continuously, and “from time to time” is a good phrase for that purpose. “Once” does not create the idea of repeated events. “In the meantime” is used to describe two events that occur in one timeframe. And “initially” would be used to refer to an event that occurred but was followed by a different event or events.