Accuplacer Reading Sample Questions Practice Test

Question 1 of 5

Extract:

Read the passage(s) below and answer the question based on what is stated or implied in the passage(s) and in any introductory material that may be provided.
Passage
Many professional musicians receive conservatory training in order to become well-grounded in formal theory and instrumental technique; however, when we approach jazz we are entering quite a different sphere of training. Here it is more meaningful to speak of apprenticeship, ordeals, initiation ceremonies, and rebirth. For after the jazz musician has learned the fundamentals of an instrument and the standard techniques of jazz, such as intonations and traditional styles, the musician must then find his or her soul. All this through achieving that subtle identification between the instrument and the musician's deepest drives, which will allow for the expression of each artist's distinctive

The last sentence of the passage primarily emphasizes which point about jazz?

A. Jazz is hard to define and varies greatly among performers. B. Years of training are needed to hone a jazz musician's skills. C. Jazz performances are comparable to paintings and sculptures. D. Playing jazz is a highly personal and creative activity.

Correct Answer: D

Rationale: The last sentence focuses on the personal connection between the musician and their instrument, highlighting the creative expression unique to each artist.

Question 2 of 5

Extract:

Read the passage(s) below and answer the question based on what is stated or implied in the passage(s) and in any introductory material that may be provided.
Passage
Poison frogs become poisonous by isolating chemicals from their food and storing them in their skin. One such compound, epibatidine, is a stronger painkiller than morphine, but has not been tested in humans because even low doses are deadly to rodents. But for the frogs themselves, this powerful neurotoxin is totally impotent.
According to a study published in Science, several groups of epibatidine-bearing frogs have independently evolved amino acid changes in the toxin's target, the nicotinic acetylecholine receptor. These modifications allow the amphibians to escape self-toxicity.
Adapted from Abby Olena, "How Porson Frogs Avaid Poisoning Themselves. ©2017 by The Scientist

The main idea of the passage is that some types of poison frogs

A. have developed the capacity to protect themselves from the poison they carry in their skin B. could eventually produce a natural pain relief option for people who suffer from headaches C. combine chemicals from their food to create a toxic substance that keeps them safe from predators D. can be grouped based on the changes they've made to their nicotinic acetylecholine receptors

Correct Answer: A

Rationale: The passage centers on how poison frogs have evolved to avoid self-toxicity from the poisons they store, making this the main idea.

Question 3 of 5

Extract:

The following sentence has a blank indicating that something has been left out. Beneath the sentence are four words or phrases. Choose the word or phrase that, when inserted in the sentence, best fits the meaning of the sentence as a whole.

The English monarch Elizabeth I may have wanted the miniature portraits of herself and her disgraced mother kept secret, since they were her ring.

A. concealed within B. carved upon C. displayed beside D. different from

Correct Answer: A

Rationale: Concealed within' aligns with the idea of secrecy, as the portraits being hidden inside the ring explains why they were kept secret.

Question 4 of 5

Extract:

Read the passage(s) below and answer the question based on what is stated or implied in the passage(s) and in any introductory material that may be provided.
Passage
Performance is a genre in which art is presented "live," usually by the artist but sometimes with collaborators or performers. It has had a role in avant-garde art throughout the twentieth century, playing an important part in movements such as Futurism. Indeed, whenever artists have become discontented with conventional forms of art, such as painting and traditional modes of sculpture, they have often turned to performance as a means to rejuvenate their work. The most significant flourishing of performance art took place following the decline of modernism and Abstract Expressionism in the 1960s, and it found exponents across the world. Performance art of this period was particularly focused on the body, and is often referred to as Body art. This reflects the period's so-called "dematerialization of the art object, and the flight from traditional media. It also reflects the political ferment of the time: the rise of feminism, which encouraged thought about the division between the personal and political and anti-war activism, which supplied models for politicized art "actions."
Adapted from "Performance Art ©2018 by The Art Story Foundation

Which choice best characterizes the way the author presents the relationship between the arts and political and social issues?

A. The arts are a key driver of political and social change. B. The arts are a way to distract people from political and social problems. C. The arts reflect changes in the political and social landscape, D. The arts are stifled during times of political and social upheaval

Correct Answer: C

Rationale: The author describes how performance art mirrors social and political movements like feminism and anti-war activism, indicating a reflective relationship.

Question 5 of 5

Extract:

Daryl and Kristen preferred not to see the latest horror film that their friends wanted to see, so they chose a showing of a highly rated comedy film that started and ended at the same time as the horror film.

A. reciprocal B. congruent C. relevant D. concurrent

Correct Answer: D

Rationale: Concurrent' means occurring at the same time, which fits the context of the comedy film aligning with the horror film's schedule.

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