Passage Analysis

In the passage as a whole, the speaker’s tone can best be described as one of

• scholarly seriousness

• weary compliance

• lofty condescension

• reluctant disapproval

• wry amusement

What is the most likely reason that Touchwood “is inclined to make the tradesman wait for the money” (lines 16-17) ?

• He enjoys doing harm to other people.

• He fears for his own financial security.

• He refuses to respond to another’s prompting.

• He is extremely wary of being cheated.

• He is uncertain about the legitimacy of others’ demands.

What is the role of the darkly shadowed figure in this passage?

• It is Heracles' final challenge.

• It is the owner of the mighty hound.

• It is a guide for Heracles in the Underworld.

• It is a mysterious and ominous presence.

How do **connectives** like "but" shape the argument?

• They introduce contrast or shifts in ideas.

• They simplify sentence structure.

• They act as verbs.

• They emphasize agreement.

Answer explanation

Feedback: "But" contrasts the expectation with what actually happened

Harlow was a professor of psychology at the University of Wisconsin who, in the 1940s, established one of the first laboratories for studying primate behaviors. One day in 1949, Harlow and two colleagues gathered eight rhesus monkeys for a two-week experiment on learning. The researchers devised a simple mechanical puzzle… Solving it required three steps: pull out the vertical pin, undo the hook, and lift the hinged cover. Pretty easy for you and me, far more challenging for a thirteen-pound lab monkey. The experimenters placed the puzzles in the monkeys’ cages to observe how they reacted—and to prepare them for tests of their problem-solving prowess at the end of the two weeks. But almost immediately, something strange happened. Unbidden by any outside urging and unprompted by the experimenters, the monkeys began playing with the puzzles with focus, determination, and what looked like enjoyment. And in short order, they began figuring out how the contraptions worked. By the time Harlow tested the monkeys on days 13 and 14 of the experiment, the primates had become quite adept. They solved the puzzles frequently and quickly; two-thirds of the time they cracked the code in less than sixty seconds.

• Harlow tested the monkeys on days 13 and 14.

• The researchers devised a simple mechanical puzzle.

• The puzzles **were placed** in the monkeys’ cages.

• The monkeys began playing with the puzzles.

Answer explanation

Feedback: "Were placed" is passive because the sentence does not specify who placed the puzzles.

"Sacramento gets about as much annual rainfall as arid Flagstaff, Ariz., but its lush lawns are modeled on those of rain-soaked England. The capital's turf tradition is deeply rooted and is even enshrined in the bylaws of various homeowners associations. That may be starting to change, however. Nudged by local governments worried about water shortages, home builders and homeowners associations are showing increased willingness to embrace the drought-tolerant landscapes that more naturally suit California."

Which of the following words in the passage serves as a **contrastive connective**?

• gets

• however

• are showing

• enshrined

Answer explanation

Feedback: "However" signals a shift in the argument, indicating a change in ideas.

"Sacramento gets about as much annual rainfall as arid Flagstaff, Ariz., but its lush lawns are modeled on those of rain-soaked England. The capital's turf tradition is deeply rooted and is even enshrined in the bylaws of various homeowners associations. That may be starting to change, however. Nudged by local governments worried about water shortages, home builders and homeowners associations are showing increased willingness to embrace the drought-tolerant landscapes that more naturally suit California."

How do **connectives** like "but" and "however" shape the argument?

• They emphasize agreement.

• They introduce contrast or shifts in ideas.

• They act as verbs.

• They simplify sentence structure.

Answer explanation

Feedback: Connectives signal logical relationships, helping the reader understand changes in argument or focus.

"Sacramento gets about as much annual rainfall as arid Flagstaff, Ariz., but its lush lawns are modeled on those of rain-soaked England. The capital's turf tradition is deeply rooted and is even enshrined in the bylaws of various homeowners associations. That may be starting to change, however. Nudged by local governments worried about water shortages, home builders and homeowners associations are showing increased willingness to embrace the drought-tolerant landscapes that more naturally suit California."

Why do authors use **generalized participants** like "local governments" or "homeowners associations"?

• To focus on specific individuals.

• To generalize about collective actions.

• To use more complex verbs.

• To shift the argument in a different direction.

Answer explanation

Feedback: Generalized participants make the argument about broader groups rather than individuals.

What are we looking for in our passage analysis when we are annotating for thematic statements/views and values?

• Any information that comes from the passage about big picture ideas discussed in the text

• Information about the setting that is present in the text

• The language features that are present in the passage

• Information about the characters that is present in the passage

What are we looking for when we are providing the context when we annotate a passage?

• A breakdown of the features of the text

• A breakdown of the techniques that are used in the passage

• An explanation of why the author wrote the passage

• A background to what is happening in the chosen section with relation to the rest of the text