English Language and Composition

1. Which of the following best describes the writer’s exigence in the passage? (A) The lack of interest among eligible voters in the political process (B) The limited resources available to women for changing existing power structures (C) Widening disparities in the socioeconomic circumstances of American and British women (D) Public resentment of the high tax rate imposed by the government 2. In the opening paragraph (lines 1–10), the writer contrasts a hypothetical rhetorical situation with her own primarily to (A) illustrate the double standards for men and women in the political realm (B) explain why women are more reluctant to adopt revolutionary methods than men (C) emphasize the influence of women on democratic culture in the United States (D) suggest that American women’s civil rights have been eroded in the twentieth century 3. In the second paragraph (lines 11–30), which of the following best characterizes the writer’s position on the relevance of her topic for American women? (A) Because American women are “so well off ” (line 13), it is unnecessary for them to adopt the methods described by the writer. (B) Because American women are “so well off ” (line 13), they have access to methods other than those described by the author. (C) Although the methods described by the writer are best suited for American men, American women could adapt such methods for use in the domestic sphere. (D) Although American women are perceived as “well off ” (line 13), they should nonetheless consider adopting the methods described by the writer. 4. In context, lines 11–23 (“You see . . . revolutionary methods”) could be used to support which of the following claims about the writer’s tone? (A) Her tone when discussing American women is patronizing. (B) Her tone when discussing American men is ingratiating. (C) She adopts a bold, forthright tone in approaching her subject. (D) She adopts a reverent, admiring tone in dealing with her subject. AP English Language and Composition Course and Exam Description Exam Information V.1 | 115 Return to Table of Contents © 2024 College Board 5. In the third paragraph, the writer criticizes the logic of those who dismiss the methods of British feminists as “irrational” (line 42) on the grounds that they have (A) misconstrued the feminists’ reasons for employing the strategies they have chosen to employ (B) overlooked accounts that present a less provocative view of feminist activism in Britain (C) ignored a key distinction between American feminists and British feminists (D) assumed that feminists do not understand the normal political process 6. In the fourth paragraph (lines 52–67), the writer introduces a hypothetical scenario primarily to (A) question the motives of those who demand immediate changes to the status quo (B) underscore the efficiency of voting as a means of addressing political discontents (C) spotlight the special political privileges recently accorded to the men of Hartford (D) encourage women’s rights activists to emulate the example of the men of Hartford 7. At the end of the passage, the writer uses the “either . . . or” construction in lines 75–78 (“they would either . . . grievances remedied”) in order to (A) provide two possible explanations for why American women have not yet won the right to vote (B) offer two alternative methods of accomplishing the same goal (C) assert that patience is critical to smooth political transitions (D) imply that disruptive action may be the only way of resisting oppression in certain situations English Language and Composition Course and Exam Description 2024 Questions 8 through 15 refer to the following. Read the following carefully before you choose your answers. The following passage is a draft. (1) After an unsuccessful search, NASA determined that instead of following a trajectory that would allow the Orbiter to enter orbit around Mars, it came too close to the planet, causing it to enter and disintegrate in Mars’s atmosphere. (2) The culprit was a discrepancy in the software that controlled the spacecraft’s thrusters: one team of engineers had calculated the force needed from the thrusters in pounds, an imperial unit, while another team calculated the force in newtons, a metric unit. (3) The Orbiter mission failure is just one reason, albeit an extremely expensive one, that the United States needs to abandon future Mars survey missions. (4) Most of the world uses the metric system, a decimal measurement system that allows for simple scaling and calculations by adding the relevant prefixes: one kilometer, for example, is 1,000 meters, and one kilogram is 1,000 grams. (5) The imperial measurement system used in the United States assigns values haphazardly: one mile is 5,280 feet long, while one pound is 16 ounces. (6) The United States is one of only three countries—the others are Liberia and Myanmar—that have not fully adopted the metric system. (7) Not only are conversion errors such as the Orbiter one costly, they can be deadly. (8) Wrong dosing of medicine due to unit confusion (teaspoons versus milliliters) results in trips to the emergency room each year. (9) Switching to the metric system would also benefit United States industries; the European Union, for example, has been requiring its member states to standardize their metric systems since 1971. (10) Converting to metric may seem difficult, but the United States already uses it more than you might think, from races (that 5K you’re running) to soft drinks (that 2-liter bottle you bought) to high school science classes (those 250-milliliter beakers you used in chemistry). (11) It’s time for the United States to make the leap to metric in everything else it measures. 8. Which of the following sentences, if placed before sentence 1, would both capture the audience’s interest and provide the most effective introduction to the topic of the paragraph? (A) NASA’s Mars Climate Orbiter was launched on December 11, 1998, from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. (B) On September 23, 1999, NASA officials were aghast when the $125 million Mars Climate Orbiter vanished as it prepared to enter the red planet’s orbit. (C) As part of a new set of missions intended to survey the planet Mars, the Mars Climate Orbiter was launched by NASA scientists to study Mars’s climate and weather. (D) When NASA officials lost contact with their Mars Climate Orbiter on September 23, 1999, they immediately instigated a search for the spacecraft using NASA’s Deep Space Network of radio antennae. English Language and Composition Course and Exam Description 2024 9. In sentence 2 (reproduced below), the writer wants an effective transition from the introductory paragraph to the main idea of the passage. The culprit was a discrepancy in the software that controlled the spacecraft’s thrusters: one team of engineers had calculated the force needed from the thrusters in pounds, an imperial unit, while another team calculated the force in newtons, a metric unit. Which of the following versions of the underlined text best achieves this purpose? (A) (as it is now) (B) thrusters; the data from the spacecraft and the data from NASA’s computers on the ground had not been matching up for months since the launch of the Orbiter (C) thrusters—software that was used to calculate the trajectory the Orbiter needed to take in order to enter Mars’s orbit successfully (D) thrusters: four thrusters were used for trajectory correction maneuvers as well as pitch and yaw control, while another four were used for roll control 10. In sentence 3 (reproduced below), which of the following versions of the underlined text best establishes the writer’s position on the main argument of the passage? The Orbiter mission failure is just one reason, albeit an extremely expensive one, that the United States needs to abandon future Mars survey missions. (A) (as it is now) (B) should consider privatizing space exploration (C) needs to adopt the metric system (D) should partner with other countries on future missions to outer space 11. The writer wants to add a phrase at the beginning of sentence 5 (reproduced below), adjusting the capitalization as needed, to set up a comparison with the idea discussed in sentence 4. The imperial measurement system used in the United States assigns values haphazardly: one mile is 5,280 feet long, while one pound is 16 ounces. (A) Furthermore, (B) For example, (C) Similarly, (D) By contrast, English Language and Composition Course and Exam Description 2024 12. In sentence 9 (reproduced below), the writer wants to provide a convincing explanation for why switching to the metric system would benefit United States industries. Switching to the metric system would also benefit United States industries; the European Union, for example, has been requiring its member states to standardize their metric systems since 1971. Which version of the underlined text best accomplishes this goal? (A) (as it is now) (B) industries: since most of the world already uses the metric system, it is likely to be the only measuring system in the future (C) industries; in fact, the Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act of 1988, passed by Congress and signed into law by President Ronald Reagan, encouraged United States industries to adopt the metric system (D) industries: those with products in both domestic and international markets would no longer need to design in and produce to two different measurement systems, reducing both product overlap and manufacturing inefficiencies 13. The writer wants to add the following sentence to the third paragraph (sentences 6–9) to provide additional explanation. This means that the United States must convert to metric units whenever it is dealing with the rest of the world. Where would the sentence best be placed? (A) After sentence 6 (B) After sentence 7 (C) After sentence 8 (D) After sentence 9 14. In the fourth paragraph (sentences 10–11), the writer wants to expand on the concession that converting to the metric system may seem difficult. Which of the following claims would best achieve this purpose? (A) Many attempts to make the United States adopt the metric system have already been made. (B) The units in the imperial system were first officially defined by the Office of the Exchequer in Great Britain in 1824, but they have existed as the Winchester Standards since 1588. (C) Some people in Great Britain, which adopted the metric system decades ago, want to return to the imperial system. (D) It would be extremely costly as well as confusing for the United States to manage the overwhelming task of converting everything from road signs to measuring cups to the metric system. English Language and Composition Course and Exam Description 2024 15. In the fourth paragraph (sentences 10–11), the writer wants to provide further evidence to rebut the claim that converting to the metric system might be difficult. Which of the following pieces of evidence would best achieve this purpose? (A) A 2012 petition, signed by over 25,000 people, urging the White House to adopt the metric system in the United States (B) An interview from an opponent of adopting the metric system in the United States (C) A description of the successful adoption of the metric system by Great Britain, which had previously used the imperial system (D) A United States government report estimating the cost of converting highway signs on state roads at $334 million dollars English Language and Composition Course and Exam Description 2024