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Accuplacer Reading Timed Practice Test

20 total questions (5 free)

Question 1 of 5

Extract:

(1) In the late 1800s, quilt making in the southern United States was generally characterized by simple, repetitive patterns or mass-produced commercial designs. (2) The pictorial quilts created by a former slave named Harriet Powers, however, were remarkable for their bold storytelling techniques and unique subject matter. (3) Powers's best-known pictorial quilt was commissioned in 1898. (4) The hand- and machine-sewn quilt measured 69 by 105 inches and consisted of 15 panels. (5) It is not clear when or where Powers learned to sew. (6) In the center of the quilt, the 'falling of the stars' illustrates the hours-long Leonid meteor shower that captivated people on November 13, 1833. (7) Another panel depicts icicles forming on the breath of a mule and a man with a sack of frozen meal, illustrating. (8) the unusual weather on February 10, 1895, when temperatures fell below zero in Georgia. (9) The minimalism of Powers's cotton appliqué human shapes stands in juxtaposition to the large scale of such events. (10) In addition to its artistic merit, Powers's quilt is distinctive for its incorporation of traditional West African design. (11) Although Powers had been born in Georgia and remained in the same region throughout her life, her quilt exhibits a number of stylistic similarities to the large, appliquéd cotton cloths used in festivals by the Fon people of Dahomey. (12) Most conspicuously, both use flat, dyed, and printed shapes that appear at first glance to be placed in arbitrary positions. (13) The quilt Powers made, along with her transcribed descriptions of the scenes in each panel, carries special significance. (14) Authentic artworks and firsthand accounts are relatively rare, so to have such a work preserved along with detailed commentary from its creator is invaluable. (15) The quilt eventually became the property of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. (16) Powers herself has become an honored part of American art history.

Which choice most effectively combines sentences 7 and 8 (reproduced below) at the underlined portion? Another panel depicted icicles forming on the breath of a mule and a man with a sack of frozen meal. The unusual weather on February 10, 1895, when temperatures fell below zero in Georgia.

Correct Answer: A

Rationale: Choice A clearly and effectively connects the imagery in the panel to the weather event being described. It maintains grammatical correctness, clarity, and flow.

Question 2 of 5

Extract:

(1) In the late 1800s, quilt making in the southern United States was generally characterized by simple, repetitive patterns or mass-produced commercial designs. (2) The pictorial quilts created by a former slave named Harriet Powers, however, were remarkable for their bold storytelling techniques and unique subject matter. (3) Powers's best-known pictorial quilt was commissioned in 1898. (4) The hand- and machine-sewn quilt measured 69 by 105 inches and consisted of 15 panels. (5) It is not clear when or where Powers learned to sew. (6) In the center of the quilt, the 'falling of the stars' illustrates the hours-long Leonid meteor shower that captivated people on November 13, 1833. (7) Another panel depicts icicles forming on the breath of a mule and a man with a sack of frozen meal, illustrating. (8) the unusual weather on February 10, 1895, when temperatures fell below zero in Georgia. (9) The minimalism of Powers's cotton appliqué human shapes stands in juxtaposition to the large scale of such events. (10) In addition to its artistic merit, Powers's quilt is distinctive for its incorporation of traditional West African design. (11) Although Powers had been born in Georgia and remained in the same region throughout her life, her quilt exhibits a number of stylistic similarities to the large, appliquéd cotton cloths used in festivals by the Fon people of Dahomey. (12) Most conspicuously, both use flat, dyed, and printed shapes that appear at first glance to be placed in arbitrary positions. (13) The quilt Powers made, along with her transcribed descriptions of the scenes in each panel, carries special significance. (14) Authentic artworks and firsthand accounts are relatively rare, so to have such a work preserved along with detailed commentary from its creator is invaluable. (15) The quilt eventually became the property of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. (16) Powers herself has become an honored part of American art history.

Which sentence should be deleted to improve the unity of the second paragraph?

Correct Answer: C

Rationale: The second paragraph focuses on describing the features and panels of Harriet Powers’s quilt, specifically highlighting vivid scenes it depicts (e.g., the meteor shower and extreme weather). Sentence 5, which discusses Powers’s sewing education, is off-topic in this context and disrupts the paragraph’s unity.

Question 3 of 5

Extract:

(1) In the late 1800s, quilt making in the southern United States was generally characterized by simple, repetitive patterns or mass-produced commercial designs. (2) The pictorial quilts created by a former slave named Harriet Powers, however, were remarkable for their bold storytelling techniques and unique subject matter. (3) Powers's best-known pictorial quilt was commissioned in 1898. (4) The hand- and machine-sewn quilt measured 69 by 105 inches and consisted of 15 panels. (5) It is not clear when or where Powers learned to sew. (6) In the center of the quilt, the 'falling of the stars' illustrates the hours-long Leonid meteor shower that captivated people on November 13, 1833. (7) Another panel depicts icicles forming on the breath of a mule and a man with a sack of frozen meal, illustrating. (8) the unusual weather on February 10, 1895, when temperatures fell below zero in Georgia. (9) The minimalism of Powers's cotton appliqué human shapes stands in juxtaposition to the large scale of such events. (10) In addition to its artistic merit, Powers's quilt is distinctive for its incorporation of traditional West African design. (11) Although Powers had been born in Georgia and remained in the same region throughout her life, her quilt exhibits a number of stylistic similarities to the large, appliquéd cotton cloths used in festivals by the Fon people of Dahomey. (12) Most conspicuously, both use flat, dyed, and printed shapes that appear at first glance to be placed in arbitrary positions. (13) The quilt Powers made, along with her transcribed descriptions of the scenes in each panel, carries special significance. (14) Authentic artworks and firsthand accounts are relatively rare, so to have such a work preserved along with detailed commentary from its creator is invaluable. (15) The quilt eventually became the property of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. (16) Powers herself has become an honored part of American art history.

Which is the best version of the underlined portion in sentence 11 (reproduced below)? Although Powers had been born in Georgia and remained in the same region, throughout her life, her quilt exhibited a number of stylistic similarities to the large, appliquéd cotton cloths used in festivals by the Fon people of Dahomey.

Correct Answer: C

Rationale: The phrase 'throughout her life' is a continuation of the prepositional phrase 'in the same region' and should not be interrupted by a comma. Choice C provides the correct punctuation for clarity and grammatical accuracy.

Question 4 of 5

Extract:

(1) New York City has a long history with bicycle lanes, which are either painted on a street or constructed alongside a street and are used by bicycles rather than cars. (2) Its first bike lane — and the country's first — was built in 1894, along Brooklyn's Ocean Parkway. (3) Interest in bicycle lanes reappeared in the 1970s, and by 1980, Mayor Ed Koch saw to the construction of them on Sixth and Seventh Avenues in Midtown. (4) However, those lanes faced such fierce opposition that they were immediately removed. (5) Things have recently changed: since 2006, the city has taken bike lanes to a whole new level. (6) It installed more than 250 miles around the city's five boroughs. (7) Many New Yorkers complained the new bike lanes slowed car traffic and reduced the number of parking spaces. (8) Others complained bicyclists were not following traffic rules in the lanes. (9) In Williamsburg, Brooklyn, religious leaders convinced the city to remove a new strip of freshly painted bike lane in their neighborhood. (10) Elected officials and perturbed residents of Staten Island also pressured the city into removing its own 2.35-mile dedicated lane. (11) Most New Yorkers have gotten used to the idea: a recent poll of New York City residents shows that two-thirds of them support the bike lanes. (12) They cite environmental reasons for their support, as well as the health and safety benefits the lanes provide bike riders. (13) Ultimately, the city can be happy knowing that statistics have shown its new bike lanes have already made the streets of New York safer for bikers and pedestrians.

Which is the best version of the underlined portion of sentence 2 (reproduced below)? Its first bike lane — and the country's first, was built in 1894, along Brooklyn's Ocean Parkway.

Correct Answer: D

Rationale: The phrase 'and the country's first' is a parenthetical element that provides additional information. The correct punctuation to set off this parenthetical element is an em dash (—), which is used to emphasize or insert a strong break in the sentence. Additionally, there should not be a comma after 'first,' as that disrupts the sentence flow.

Question 5 of 5

Extract:

(1) New York City has a long history with bicycle lanes, which are either painted on a street or constructed alongside a street and are used by bicycles rather than cars. (2) Its first bike lane — and the country's first — was built in 1894, along Brooklyn's Ocean Parkway. (3) Interest in bicycle lanes reappeared in the 1970s, and by 1980, Mayor Ed Koch saw to the construction of them on Sixth and Seventh Avenues in Midtown. (4) However, those lanes faced such fierce opposition that they were immediately removed. (5) Things have recently changed: since 2006, the city has taken bike lanes to a whole new level. (6) It installed more than 250 miles around the city's five boroughs. (7) Many New Yorkers complained the new bike lanes slowed car traffic and reduced the number of parking spaces. (8) Others complained bicyclists were not following traffic rules in the lanes. (9) In Williamsburg, Brooklyn, religious leaders convinced the city to remove a new strip of freshly painted bike lane in their neighborhood. (10) Elected officials and perturbed residents of Staten Island also pressured the city into removing its own 2.35-mile dedicated lane. (11) Most New Yorkers have gotten used to the idea: a recent poll of New York City residents shows that two-thirds of them support the bike lanes. (12) They cite environmental reasons for their support, as well as the health and safety benefits the lanes provide bike riders. (13) Ultimately, the city can be happy knowing that statistics have shown its new bike lanes have already made the streets of New York safer for bikers and pedestrians.

Which is the best way to revise and combine the underlined portion of sentences 5 and 6 (reproduced below)? Things have recently changed: since 2006, the city has taken bike lanes to a whole new level. They installed more than 250 miles around the city's five boroughs.

Correct Answer: D

Rationale: Choice D correctly uses a participial phrase ('installing...') to logically and grammatically describe the result or continuation of the city’s actions. It connects the ideas smoothly without creating a comma splice (like A), a wordy or awkward construction (like B), or a grammatically incomplete sentence (like C).

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