question archive 2) Which of the following statements best represents the thesis of the passage? (A) Effective writing relies on grammar and vocabulary, not fancy technology
2) Which of the following statements best represents the thesis of the passage? (A) Effective writing relies on grammar and vocabulary, not fancy technology
Subject:EnglishPrice: Bought3
2) Which of the following statements best represents the thesis of the passage?
(A) Effective writing relies on grammar and vocabulary, not fancy technology.
(B) The most compelling stories come from observation, not inspiration.
(C) True writers understand that writing is a form of play, not work.
(D) The primary purpose of writing is communication, not self-expression.
(E) The key to success as a writer is consistent effort, not inherent ability.
3. In the first paragraph, the author supports her claim that writers should "go to writers' workshops" (sentence 1) by
(A) assessing whether workshops can improve writers' ability to judge their own works
(B) noting that workshops provide opportunities to write for diverse media, including television
(C) explaining how workshops can help writers learn unpleasant but valuable lessons
(D) highlighting the value of workshops for writers at different stages in their careers
(E) dispelling the misperception that workshops may stifle writers' creativity
4. In the first paragraph, the author uses the phrase "rented readers" (sentence 6) in order to
(A) define writers' workshops in terms of their value to aspiring writers
(B) express sympathy for writers who have no one to read their work for free
(C) contrast the academic goals of classes with the commercial aims of workshops
(D) acknowledge a reason that her audience may feel reluctant to take writing classes
(E) highlight the financial sacrifices that writers must make in order to succeed
In the fifth sentence of the second paragraph ("Perhaps . . . lunch hour"), the author strategically arranges clauses in a way that
(A) signals a gap between the sentence's literal meaning and the author's intended meaning
(B) establishes a hierarchy from the most to least effective times of day to practice writing
(C) reflects the author's model of the sequential stages of a writer's overall development
(D) suggests a distinction between reasonable and unreasonable sacrifices for the sake of art
(E) underlines the variety of opportunities for those who are dedicated to improving their craft
In the last sentence of the second paragraph ("Journal writing . . . projects"), the author connects two independent clauses with the conjunction "and" primarily to
(A) establish a connection between keeping a journal and writing every day
(B) indicate that journaling is just as important as careful revision for aspiring writers
(C) explain why keeping a journal usually helps writers come up with new story ideas
(D) emphasize that keeping a journal has multiple benefits for writers
(E) suggest that observing the real world is more productive than imagining fictional worlds
Based on her discussion of the publication process (paragraph 4, sentences 1-11), the author most likely believes which of the following about her audience?
8.
The author's shift in tone between the fourth and fifth paragraphs marks a transition between
(A) offering practical advice and advocating broader principles
(B) exemplifying simplicity and demonstrating complexity
(C) identifying problems and proposing solutions
(D) presenting absolute claims and qualifying those claims
(E) arguing from personal experience and incorporating the insights of others
The author's decision to repeat the word "forget" in the sixth and seventh paragraphs primarily serves to
(A) underscore the author's disapproval of those who neglect to improve their writing
(B) indicate the order in which the author believes certain steps should be taken
(C) suggest a parallel between two distinct ideas that the author challenges
(D) highlight the extent of distress that comes from focusing on innate abilities
(E) convey the author's ambivalence about the advice she received early in her career
9.
(A) (B) (C) (D) (E)
They aim to support themselves fully by selling their writing.
They have limited familiarity with publication and need a variety of advice.
They probably overestimate the value of inspiration for writers.
They already have some experience with submitting work to publishers.
They have previously been held back by their perfectionistic tendencies.
The seventh paragraph as a whole implicitly challenges which of the following ideas?
(A) Talent is a valuable asset for aspiring writers.
(B) Talent can promote laziness in young writers.
(C) Successful writers must be very talented.
(D) People should take pride in their talents.
(E) Talent is meaningless without persistence.
In the seventh sentence of the seventh paragraph,
the author uses a dash primarily to
(A) separate a secondary idea from the main thrust of her argument
(B) distinguish her own claim from a claim she aims to refute
(C) contrast her definition of a term with the term's ordinary meaning
(D) elaborate on a general claim by providing specific examples
(E) clarify a concept by excluding certain phenomena from it
12. The author's contrast between "persistence" and "stubbornness" (paragraph 7, sentences 7-8) advances her argument in which of the following ways?
(A) It helps explain why habit is more valuable than persistence.
(B) It challenges the stereotype that talented writers are often stubborn.
(C) It concedes that persistence can have negative consequences.
(D) It underscores the need for writers to continually improve their craft.
(E) It supports the claim that writers should disregard talent.
Which of the following best describes the author's exigence in the passage?
(A) The need for greater resources to solve problems he finds pressing
(B) The proliferation of global organizations that he finds menacing
(C) The opportunity for facilitating communication between disparate groups
(D) The uncritical acceptance of an opinion that he finds problematic
(E) The rapid pace of a homogenizing process whose effects he finds reductive
In the passage, the author makes which of the following assumptions about his audience?
(A) They are familiar with mainstream rhetoric about globalization.
(B) They are concerned about the loss of cultural diversity.
(C) They support taking collective action to address local problems.
(D) They benefit from the process of global convergence.
(E) They oppose ceding local control to global organizations.
15. In the second sentence of the passage ("Ancient . . . history"), the series of short, simple clauses and the word play on "history" convey the author's sense that the claims of flat-world proponents
(A) sound a little too superficial to be true
(B) are supported by multiple sources of historical evidence
(C) are constantly evolving
(D) sound exaggerated only to those who are ignorant of historical events
(E) seem more modest than the claims made by their opponents
16. Which of the following best describes the relationship between the second paragraph and the third paragraph?
(A) Paragraph 3 presents evidence that addresses questions raised in paragraph 2.
(B) Paragraph 3 challenges the validity of data presented in paragraph 2.
(C) Paragraph 3 presents arguments that support a thesis stated in paragraph 2.
(D) Paragraph 3 draws conclusions from evidence presented in paragraph 2.
(E) Paragraph 3 proposes solutions to conflicts described in paragraph 2.
17. In the sixth sentence of the third paragraph ("The near-global diffusion . . . opposite effect"), the author mentions the diffusion of English primarily to
(A) challenge an assumption that other arguments depend on
(B) offer evidence in support of his basic thesis
(C) emphasize how one phenomenon can have multiple effects
(D) justify his use of one language rather than another
(E) acknowledge the validity of one element of an argument he generally opposes
Which of the following does the author represent as an effect of "congregat[ing] in places of high environmental risk" (paragraph 3, sentence 8) ?
(A) Opportunities that disproportionately benefit affluent communities
(B) Frequent conflict among groups with different cultural values
(C) Dangers that disproportionately affect certain communities
(D) Overcrowding that exacerbates public health problems
(E) Environmental degradation that makes such areas nearly uninhabitable
In the eighth sentence of the third paragraph, the author mentions "the absence of coordinated warning systems" to amplify his point about the
(A) convergence of a type of living experience
(B) prohibitive costs of global intervention programs
(C) depopulation of locations at high environmental risk
(D) opposition expressed toward regional nationalism
(E) the hazards of inhabiting certain geographical areas
20. The quotation marks around the phrase "international community" (paragraph 3, sentence 9) serve primarily to
(A) indicate that the author is quoting an established source rather than making a subjective claim
(B) signal a skeptical tone that reflects the author's doubts about the existence of such a community
(C) underline how specifically the term "international community" is being defined
(D) emphasize the need for global cooperation when effective intervention is required
(E) protect the author from allegations that he is claiming credit for a phrase coined by others
21. In the final sentence of the third paragraph ("The power of place . . . thrall"), which of the following best describes the effect of removing the words "the vast majority of"?
(A) The author's claim would become logically inconsistent.
(B) The author's claim would be obscured by the introduction of ambiguity.
(C) The author's claim would lose its popular appeal.
(D) The author's claim would be narrowed by its limitation to a smaller group.
(E) The author's claim would be broadened by the removal of a qualification.
At what point in his development of the passage's line of reasoning does the author arrive at his thesis?
(A) The first two sentences of the first paragraph ("Numerous books . . . history")
(B) The last four sentences of the first paragraph ("Choice . . . is yours")
(C) The first three sentences of the second paragraph ("But is it? . . . as they go")
(D) The first four sentences of the third paragraph ("Not yet . . . even setbacks")
(E) The first four sentences of the fourth paragraph ("Of course . . . at issue")
In the fifth sentence of the fourth paragraph ("And in certain . . . true"), the author italicizes
the verb "is" primarily to emphasize
(A) an area of agreement between himself and another author whose views he has challenged
(B) an area of disagreement between himself and another author whose views he generally agrees with
(C) the equivalence he sees between two seemingly different claims
(D) the equivalence he sees between two seemingly different terms
(E) the equivalence he sees between two seemingly different processes
24. In the fourth paragraph, the author cites Thomas Friedman primarily to
(A) attribute the flawed assumptions of flat-world proponents to Friedman
(B) acknowledge that the arguments of flat-world proponents are more complex than he has previously suggested
(C) note a difference between the original version of the flat-world argument and popular adaptations of this argument
(D) suggest that the implications of globalization are even more dangerous than he has already implied
(E) reveal his insights into the circumstances that inspired Friedman to invent the flat-world metaphor
