Victory for the ACT Student Text 15e

R EADING T EST M ECHANICS • 87

In 1919, largely in response to these efforts, the Eighteenth Amendment to the Constitution was passed. This Amendment banned the production, transportation, and sale of all alcoholic beverages. The Amendment, also known as the Prohibition Amendment, provided for concurrent enforcement by both federal and state law. By 1920, in addition to the federal Volstead Act, the nation had laws in thirty-three states prohibiting alcohol entirely. Prohibition, however, proved unworkable. Bootleggers and speakeasies quickly organized to satisfy the public’s thirst for alcohol. Thirteen years later, the “Noble Experiment,” doomed by the †‹ˆϐ‹…—Ž–› ‘ˆ ‡ˆ‘”…‡‡–ǡ ‡†‡† ™‹–Š –Š‡ repeal of the Prohibition Amendment. 1. The passage is primarily concernedwith the: A. social problems caused by alcohol abuse. B. founding of anti-alcohol temperance societies. C. origins of Prohibition and its subsequent failure. D. efforts to enforce Prohibition legislation. 2. According to the passage, in the early nineteenth century, temperance societies originally: F. encouraged moderation in alcohol use. G. demanded the repeal of the Eighteenth Amendment. H. supported efforts to enforce the Volstead Act. J. refused to align with religious groups. 3. The passage implies that Prohibition failed because: A. religious organizations withdrew their support for the program. B. the repeal of the Eighteenth Amendment was only experimental. C. too many states passed laws prohibiting the sale of alcohol. D. widespread demand for alcohol made enforcement impossible.

The second paragraph starts with 1919. Š‡ǡ –Š‡ ’ƒ••ƒ‰‡ „”‹‡ϔŽ› –”ƒ…‡• –Š‡ ‡˜‡–• leading up to Prohibition.

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The third paragraph explains why Prohibition failed: people wanted to drink, •‘ „‘‘–Ž‡‰‰‡”• ƒ† ‹ŽŽ‡‰ƒŽ…Ž—„• •ƒ–‹•ϔ‹‡† that demand. Eventually, Prohibition was repealed.

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1. (C) This is a common type of Reading item: the item asks you to identify the main idea of the passage. The passage discusses the origins and failure of Prohibition.

The Cambridge Edge The Reading Test is an open-book test—you can refer back to the passage at any time.

2. (F) This item asks about something that ‹• •’‡…‹ϔ‹…ƒŽŽ› •–ƒ–‡† ‹ –Š‡ ’ƒ••ƒ‰‡Ǥ Š‡ author clearly states that the temperance societies were originally founded to Dz’”‘‘–‡ –‡’‡”ƒ…‡dz ȋŽ‹‡ ͺȌ ƒ• ‘’’‘•‡† to complete prohibition.

3. (D) Š‹• ‹–‡ ”‡“—‹”‡• –Šƒ– ›‘— Dz”‡ƒ†

between the lines” of the passage. In the third paragraph, the author does not •’‡…‹ϔ‹…ƒŽŽ› •ƒ› ™Š› ”‘Š‹„‹–‹‘ ˆƒ‹Ž‡†ǡ „—– ›‘—…ƒ ϔ‹‰—”‡ ‹– ‘—– ˆ”‘ ™Šƒ–ǯ• •ƒ‹†ǣ people simply refused to quit consuming alcohol, even if it was illegal.