MCA Sampler Practice #3

What is the main message in both the article and the diary entries?

• Life is full of undesirable outcomes.
• Reaching goals often involves taking risks.
• Public opposition often transforms ideas.
• Regret may follow the completion of a task.

What is the primary reason the passage is written as a diary?

• It suggests how long the project took to complete.
• It records the thoughts of Pierre Rocher over time.
• It illustrates the problems Pierre Rocher encountered.
• It records information that is historically important.

What can the reader infer about the overall character of Pierre Rocher?

• He is dedicated to fulfilling his commitments.
• He is eager to share his opinion with others.
• He is aware of the impact of his work on society.
• He is motivated by the need for perfection.

Read the following phrase from Pierre Rocher's second diary entry: 
"Our sweat dances and disappears" 

These words provide a clue to the

• sweltering temperature of the day.
• towering height of the structure.
• congenial attitude of the workers.
• reflecting metal of the structure.

What can readers conclude about Gustave Eiffel from the way he managed the protestors? 

• He ignored the protestors by refusing to communicate with them.
• He recognized concerns and responded accordingly.
• He defended his ideas and interfered with the protestors.
• He revealed his flexibility by allowing others to make decisions.

Readers can better understand the impact of Pierre Rocher's colleague's death on other workers because Rocher

• avoids telling his wife about the tragic accident at the tower.
• compares the hearts of the workers to the heavy metal of the tower.
• appreciates that the workers are given the rest of the day off.
• concludes that risk is a necessary part of constructing great buildings.

Which statement reflects the common purpose of both the article and the diary entries?

• Both describe the tower as a magnificent achievement.
• Both demonstrate the intricate design of the tower.
• Both reveal tragedies during the building of the tower.
• Both justify the reasons the tower was built.

Read these statements from Pierre Rocher’s second diary entry:

"...Mr. Eiffel is determined to stay on schedule, heat wave or no. But he, too, feels warmth of a different kind."
Based on the second diary entry, what does the world warmth mean? 

• Affectionate feeling
• Lively excitement
• Outside pressure
• Stifling heat

Read the following sentence from Pierre Rocher’s third diary entry:
"However, the illusion of invincibility is gone."

With this statement, Pierre suggests the workers

• plan to reduce the number of risks they take. 
• think that finishing the tower is not worth the danger. 
• understand that changes of harm are real. 
• are concerned that they cannot finish the tower. 

What is the purpose of the article?

• To explain how Gustave Eiffel changed engineering
• To describe the design of a famous French landmark
• To demonstrate how Gustave Eiffel overcame opposition
• To emphasize the importance of art to the French people