ACT Past Papers with Answers

Source question 2. spaces, and the root of the problem. spaces, aDd the root of the probletn spaces an(L tb¢ root of the woblem because thore Is no through'traffic. [2] The streek wbicb curves past twenty houses and several apartment buildings and twists around small islands of shnibbery. looks pleasant enough. Cul-de-sacs, after all, are designed to reduce traffic and thus providc privacy. safety,

Source question 3. winds under Ixttle amDuDts and quieL My lleighbors and I used to enjoy the qllietDCSS of our streeL [3] ' ,R,apidly, however, the peace in my neighbothood

Source question 6. way to many i too much too many to tnany cars. When thiB area was developed, many of the households that moved in ovmed just one Gar. But ollr families grew latger.. arid Dur children became older and, now it seems as though two or three cars aren't Gnough. The street is. always lined with our parked cars.

Source question 7. older, and now older and now, older, and, now '[4] If w¢ lived on a tI￿ough strceL such extravagance might be a bit more easily accommodated. We migbt alwayg try to park as close t0.hOll￿ as Possiblc, but rf all the nearby spaces are taken, we Could thive around the block until we found a space. The￿ gnllnblin8 heavily, walking horne. In a cul-de-sac nsighborhoo4 however, the

Source question 8. ore easy more easier more easy to

Source question 9. we would walk we wcre walking parking options arc few. possible to find not a siiigle place to park a car, -1 ong our elltire BtreeL it is

At this poin( the ￿lter is COllsideIing adding" the fol- lowing true statemcnt: Cul-de-sac is a French term mcaning "bottorn of the bag." Should the. writer make this addition? edge about cul-de-sacs. a parking place is likè shopping. . K No, because it would detract from the bumor of the last paragraph of the essay. ject of PaTagraph 4, [5] Ill fact, ill my neighborbood this evenillg, there are sure to be, tire's squealing, horns honking,

Source question 12. other, but othcT bul other. bowever, those of us, who return home latc. will have to spend the evening double-. parked in our cars. We will be served

Source question 13. us who return ho￿￿, late. us wbo return bome late, us who return bome late supper w out cars, and in the flljal analysis we will, read, nap. or listcn to the raclio in ow cars-Ieady in a moment

Source question 14. . then nevcrthele8S to seize a free space or rnovc the Car if the police make one of their increasingly frequent stops in our.once-quiet neighborhood. IS. A. NO CHANGE or moving ' while they move or having to move PASSAGE 11 The Harnxony of Jéan Tpomer's Cane [1 J By his own admisBion. author Jsan Toorner led an unfocused carly ]ifc. [2] Whcn Cane his unconv¢ntional book was published in 1923. 16 some critics felt it reflected the authoi's lack of direction. [3] Those Tcviewsrs werc mystified: what sort of work was.tbis? [4]. Wbil¢ Sach piece explored African Americall life in tjae early twentieth century, the book as a whole scemod to follow no Cle￿ pattern.

Source question 15. Refer to the source image.

Source question 16. 1923, booL J, his unconvclltiollal book was pub￿Shed in 1923, Cane, 17

If tbe writer were to delete the phrase "in the eatly twenticth ccntury" from the prcccding sentence. the sentence would primarily lose: an explanation for why the book seems .to lack pattern. a biographical detail about the author of the book. an indication of when th¢'b(yok was pub]ished. infonnation about the settiDg of the book. [5] Cane combined short stories, poetry. and even

Source question 18. stories (which emerged as a distinct ]iterary forni in the nineteenth ccntury), st￿leS. many having been r￿St published in maga- zines, stories, inclnding One etttitled "Box Seat," a short play. O

For tbe sake of the logic and coherence of this para- graph, Sentence 5 should be placed: where it is now. oth￿ reviewers. as well, enthusiastically praised the booL They recognized strength ill the varied styles and the

Source question 21. Refer to the source image.

Source question 22. recurs again and "again recurs in many places recurs throughout the book Tootller uses sugar cane. a tsll plant. grown in warm climates, as a symbol not ODly of refrcsbing nourishri￿llt but al30, in its cloying sweetness, of sjllothering excess. For example. in one Poe￿ the image of the cajie rnstling in thc wind is desGTibed as a 8ofL sweet 30ng.. In a later story, howeveI. the c￿￿e'S

Which choice would be most appropriate in the CODtext of this sentence? symbol SOUDd ' overpowering scent "drenches- the workers wbo cut the can¢ stalks. forcing them to ijthale its syrnpy thicknèss

Vrfhich of the following al¢rDatives to the ullderlined portion would NOT be acceptable? who are cuttiiig and cut cutiing with cvery brea Sugar cane cOn￿S to Trpresent contradictions and . arnbivalencc as Toorner wcaves.the image into situations . 25. A. ND CHANGE with representing up to represent aDd setthg& that are both Durturing and disturbing. []

Source question 25. Refer to the source image.

At this poinL the writer is considering adding the fol- lowing true statement; Much of the world's refirted table sugar cornes. from sugar cane. Should the writer add this sentence here? s explain why To0￿er'S ijnage of sugar cane mig t scem both nurturing and.dis- turbing.. ination abt)ut the uses of sugar cane. No, because it doesn't develop the point being made about Toomcr's use of the sugar canc imagc. refined table sugar. Love strnggles against racism, detennin'ation strive&

Source question 27. . B. that struggles stniggling to overcome p,overty. beauty battles corrnption, and solitary cbaracters want to flljd friends. Even whcn the book's setting sbifts from tILe temperate

Nvhich choice best expregses this idea in a style that is coDsistellt with the preceding statements ID this seii- tence? isolatson can turll into friendship. South, to the colder Nortty" cane reroains a pervasive and powerful iwage. Today Cane is taught in many classrooms and is highly Tegarded by literary scholars. For. many readcrs, Toomer has created a"memorabl¢ central In￿ge tbat connects his conAicting accounts of joy and pain.

.L NO CHANG

Given that all of the following statemcnts are true. which one, if added bere, would most effectively con- clude and summarize this essay? deceptively simple title, Cane. African American artistic flourisbillg blown as tbe Harlem Renaissance. Later in bis ]ife, T00m￿ beCa￿e interested in mys- tical pbilosopby and wrote a book on the subject. from poety and fictsOJI. PASSAGE111 Jade: The Stone of Cbina [1] From the beginning of recordcd Cbinesc history until the Gnd of tlic Ch, ing dynasty. jade held a significant place in Chin& China had all abundant supply of jadc. which contribllted to the',stonc's infiuence in the culture. The Chinese also regarded the physical characteristics of jade with fascination. Jade is hard; making it difficult to ciiip or 31 flake. but once polishe(L its surface is smooth and si]ky to

. Given that all of the choices are thie, which one would provide the most detailed and specific Inforn￿￿On at this point in the essay. color-interesting shades and hues a8 well- color, which made a contribution to this beautiful stOTAe, color, frorn pure whitc to shades of green and brown. the touch. Variati6ns ID color-and they were frequent- added further inteIest to the fouus fashioned by Chinese artisans.

If the writer were to delete the phr&8e "to the forins fasbioned by Chinese artisans" from the preceding sen- tence, the essay would primarily lose: a detail that helps link Paragraphs l and 2. support for a point.made p￿viOUsly. & d¢tail that.helps make a comparison. an unnecessary detail that repeats a point made previously. [2] From the Sung dynasty to tha Ming ayTh￿ty. j ade carvings assumed practical.. 3& F. NO CHANGE created asserted assigne.d forms-as axes, cbisels. and other tools as well.

Source question 34. Refer to the source image.

L NO CHANGE as ornamental fornls. such as Gauings and ￿ndallts. Jad¢ also inspired them to create objects diat were both useful and decorative. Many cups and CODtsiners were

Source question 36. was also inspirational in creating ' H. also inspiied to cr¢ate the embellished with birds, peach blossoms. and other adorDJncnts inspired by.nature..An ¢ntir¢ Cup, for . example. was fashioned in.the shape of a lotus leaf. [3] Decorations could be v&ry complex. A brusb holder from the Ch'ing dynasty had caryings that covered svery inch o! thcir surface;

Source question 37. it's. the elaborate details included representations of clouds,

Given that all of the choices are true, which one would . provide the most effective transition to the séntence that follows? of artistic va]ue. artisans used nietal tools to makc these very intri- CP4ts carvings. trees, mountains, and peo told thc story of scholarly recluses who. in ancient times,. retreated to mountain eaves to escape the walling factions Je. This sceoe depicted ID jade witb their books that threatened their way of life. 39

The'.best. placement for the underlined portion would wh¢re it is now. period). [4] [1 ] In addition to its acstbetic importance. there was with jade a spiritual value sternmillg from its early associatiolls with traditional Taoist bohsfs.

.F. NO CHANGE value: whicb was spiritual. sten]m¢d spiritual value stemmed

Source question 41. creatin& [2] This belief inspired Taoist physicians having cieatcd 41 a digestibl¢ fonn of jade powder. that he hoped would

Source question 42. it hoped they hoped 42 increase human longevity, [3] By these traditional beliefs in the extraordinary Pcfvwers of jad¢ invested the stone with a significance far beyond its usefulness as a tool 01 ag a medium for artistic expression.

Flhich choice would most effectively enable'this sen- tence to conclude the essay by StsDun￿IZlllg one of its Iliaill points? its f&8cinatiIig variations in coloL . as & functional, useful objecL its depictions of ancient time8.

Upou reviewing Paragraph 4 and finding that somc infornation has been left out. the writer composes the following sentence incorporating that inforni&tson: The stone was.thought to have tbe power to protect the butnan body frOuL decay. This senteDce would most logically be placed: before Sontcnce l. PASSAGE IV The Woods Until I was nine. my family lived in an old house surrounded by what we called "the woods," a terni that only begins to describe tbe pl&ce wb¢re my sisters and I played More thall a bunch of trees. the woods. each distinguisbed as domains in a set by what wc. found or di'd there.

Source question 47. Refer to the source image.

Source question 48. .on top in addition it had a Another, made from an old blankel smelled like Dur &ttic

Source question 50. most sturdieEt more stUEdier Sturdiest of ' featuted a laddei up the tr[ll￿ to a "second floor." In winter, thcre was endless supply of the best building material ot alL snDW. Meanwhile, we set out for the field beyond the 51 orchard. There an]ong the wildllowers lay a door, its

Source question 51. . Once in a wbile, . At the satDC time. presence a rnystery: we didn't cat¢ to solve. To us it

Source question 52. mystery, we mystery we . becamc a stage. on which we tap-danced or a raft on which w¢ crossed the bigh seas ill search of treasure.

L NO CHANGB stage: on wbich we tap-dance stage: on which we tap-dancc(L stage on which we tap-danced Occasionally, we would hide trcaBurc of our own-a few coins or pieces of candy having an air of secrecy and a pair

Source question 54. candy su￿ulldCd by calldy. With candy with of broken binoculars, sve took turns watching for invaders

The best placement of the underlined portion would the horizon. where it is now. "B. after the word binoculars (b.ut before the con]ma). period). 1 ■. ． ■ 1 Part of the woods was a swamp. Over the years, it swallowed an assortment of shoes, boots, and sandals. It was a grim place,on the day we� a baby b让dlying 5 dead in the tall reeds. We buried the creature, placing "!'ildflowers, berries� and a few shiny·stones from the · brook into its tiny grave. 57 "Where have you been?" the grown-ups would ask us as we stumbled in the back doc,>r after.one ofO\lr gritty excursions. Our answer-the woods一wasn't alie,but it · 58 never seem'e� like the complete truth either. 巨］

Which of the following alternatives to the underlined portion wouldNOT be acceptable? J• discovered

Source question 59. Refer to the source image.

Su�pose the writ�r_had !n�end�� to· write_an essay 、 revealing p�rsonal knowledge of a particular place. Would this-essay accomplish tlie writer's goal? knew a great de'al aboutthe woods as a result of playingthereasacbil,d. continues to visit and learn abo�t the woods, a sig­ nificant part ofa happy childhood. 旦No, because the knowledge that the narrator gained cannot acc江ately be described � scientific informationabodtthewoodB. may no longer be accurate, as ·time bas passed since the narrator wasa·child. · ACT-61F 10 GO ON TO THE.NEXT PAGE. 1 PASSAGE V ■ Not Just Pocket Ch�ge 1 My interest in coin collec�g began when I was a child digging in my backyard. In a tulip bed underneath the kitchen window, I expected to find a dinosaur tooth or maybe a tunnei to a magicalunderworid. Unearthed, I didp.'t expect to fmd several old coins. “ A few corroded pennies, their coppery surfaces pitted and had been tarnished, blended in withthe soiL · .c · I noticed a nickel in th·e dirt too and wiped itoff·on myjeans. Larger and heavier than any nickel I'dheld. before, it f�lt strange in my p血1. As I read, the , O modern world seemed to fall aw-ay. Week$ later, when the novelty of the coins had faded, I exchanged th�m with a classmate for a bag ofmarbles. When myolder siblings heard of the trade, they teased me for giving away a fo�e. Out of pride, I insisted they were wrong, but Iwondered secretly if they were right. ·That's when I started.researching and collecting

Source question 63. Refer to the source image.

F. . NO CHANGE coins in earnest. By the'timeI learned that coin collecting, or numismatics, had begun in the Italian Renaissance, I . �. am developing a habit of checking every handful·of change ＂ for a rare or old coin-or OD(? that W邸 both. Ev�ry so often I'd.find a Lincoln penny with the "wheat" design on the

F. . NO CHANGE ACT·61F 11 GO ON TO THE NEXT PAGE. 1 b!tck. One ti.me a vending m四chine·gave me a "buffalo" . ruckel in change. Another titne.my weekly allowance � . .. included adime withan incorrect mint mark; such a defect makes a coii;_i particularly valuable. Collecting coins brings other time periods into focus. For instance, thechangein _ the metal composition ofU.S. coins, minted during WorldWar II, points out the ＂ adjustments·made.as part of the war effort. It, ． ．． 仁］ Information, stories, a sense of other settings andother lives-these all accumulate to the !lppeal of1coins for 70 collectors like me. Nevertheless, I enjoy atta�hlng stories . 71 to the coins I own 扭d to the co加s I don•t. I wonder; for ■.·-■· ■

Source question 67. l>. change, another 1 instance, where that 台 � is now. In a bus ＂ driver's pocket? In a box �ed with velvet? Wherever those are, they will alwaysclink around with all the ，

F:· NO CHANOE .J. coins minted during WorldWar II

Source question 74. Refer to the source image.