1.

One New York publisher has estimated that 50,000 to 60,000 people in the United States want
an anthology that includes the complete works of William Shakespeare. And what accounts for
this renewed interest in Shakespeare? As scholars point out, his psychological insights into both
male and female characters are amazing even today.

This paragraph best supports the statement that

A. Shakespeare's characters are more interesting than fictional characters today.

B. people even today are interested in Shakespeare's work because of the characters.

C. academic scholars are putting together an anthology of Shakespeare's work.

D. New Yorkers have a renewed interested in the work of Shakespeare.

E. Shakespeare was a psychiatrist as well as a playwright.

2. One of the warmest winters on record has put consumers in the mood to spend money. Spending is
likely to be the strongest in thirteen years. During the month of February, sales of existing single-family
homes hit an annual record rate of 4.75 million.

This paragraph best supports the statement that

A. consumer spending will be higher thirteen years from now than it is today.

B. more people buy houses in the month of February than in any other month.

C. during the winter months, the prices of single-family homes are the lowest.

D. there were about 4 million homes for sale during the month of February.

E. warm winter weather is likely to affect the rate of home sales.

3. Generation Xers are those people born roughly between 1965 and 1981. As employees, Generation
Xers tend to be more challenged when they can carry out tasks independently. This makes Generation
Xers the most entrepreneurial generation in history.

This paragraph best supports the statement that Generation Xers

A. work harder than people from other generations.

B. have a tendency to be self-directed workers

C. have an interest in making history

D. tend to work in jobs that require risk-taking behavior.

E. like to challenge their bosses work attitudes.

4. If you're a fitness walker, there is no need for a commute to a health club. Your neighborhood can be
your health club. You don't need a lot of fancy equipment to get a good workout either. All you need is a
well-designed pair of athletic shoes.

This paragraph best supports the statement that

A. fitness walking is a better form of exercise than weight lifting.

B. a membership in a health club is a poor investment.

C. walking outdoors provides a better workout than walking indoors.

D. fitness walking is a convenient and valuable form of exercise.

E. poorly designed athletic shoes can cause major foot injuries.

5. In the past, consumers would rarely walk into an ice cream store and order low-fat ice cream. But that
isn't the case today. An increasing health consciousness combined with a much bigger selection of tasty
low-fat foods in all categories has made low-fat ice cream a very profitable item for ice cream store
owners.

This paragraph best supports the statement that

A. low-fat ice cream produces more revenue than other low-fat foods.

B. ice cream store owners would be better off carrying only low-fat ice cream.

C. ice cream store owners no longer think that low-fat ice cream is an unpopular item.

D. low-fat ice cream is more popular than other kinds of ice cream.

E. consumers are fickle and it is impossible to please them

6. The criminal justice system needs to change. The system could be more just if it allowed victims the
opportunity to confront the person who has harmed them. Also, mediation between victims and their
offenders would give the offenders a chance to apologize for the harm they have done.

This paragraph best supports the statement that victims of a crime should

A. learn to forgive their offenders.

B. have the right to confront their offenders.

C. learn the art of mediation.

D. insist that their offenders be punished.

E. have the right to impose a sentence on their offenders.

7. A few states in this country are considering legislation that would prohibit schools from using
calculators before the sixth grade. Other states take a different position. Some states are insisting on the
purchase of graphing calculators for every student in middle school.

This paragraph best supports the statement that in this country

A. there are at least two opinions about the use of calculators in schools.

B. calculators are frequently a detriment to learning math.

C. state legislators are more involved in education than ever before.

D. the price of graphing calculators is less when schools buy in bulk.

E. the argument against calculators in schools is unfounded.

8. Today's workforce has a new set of social values. Ten years ago, a manager who was offered a
promotion in a distant city would not have questioned the move. Today, a manager in that same
situation might choose family happiness instead of career advancement.

This paragraph best supports the statement that

A. most managers are not loyal to the corporations for which they work.

B. businesses today do not understand their employees needs.

C. employees social values have changed over the past ten years.

D. career advancement is not important to today's business managers.

E. companies should require their employees to accept promotions.

9. It is well known that the world urgently needs adequate distribution of food, so that everyone gets
enough. Adequate distribution of medicine is just as urgent. Medical expertise and medical supplies
need to be redistributed throughout the world so that people in emerging nations will have proper
medical care.

This paragraph best supports the statement that

A. the majority of the people in the world have never been seen by a doctor.

B. food production in emerging nations has slowed during the past several years.

C. most of the world's doctors are selfish about giving time and money to the poor.

D. the medical-supply industry should step up production of its products.

E. many people who live in emerging nations are not receiving proper medical care
10. Yoga has become a very popular type of exercise, but it may not be for everyone. Before you sign
yourself up for a yoga class, you need to examine what it is you want from your fitness routine. If you're
looking for a high-energy, fast-paced aerobic workout, a yoga class might not be your best choice.

This paragraph best supports the statement that

A. yoga is more popular than high-impact aerobics.

B. before embarking on a new exercise regimen, you should think about your needs and desires.

C. yoga is changing the world of fitness in major ways

D. yoga benefits your body and mind

E. most people think that yoga isn't a rigorous form of exercise.

11. Human technology developed from the first stone tools about two and a half million years ago. At
the beginning, the rate of development was slow. Hundreds of thousands of years passed without much
change. Today, new technologies are reported daily on television and in newspapers.

This paragraph best supports the statement that

A. stone tools were not really technology.

B. stone tools were in use for two and a half million years

C. there is no way to know when stone tools first came into use.

D. In today's world, new technologies are constantly being developed

E. none of the latest technologies is as significant as the development of stone tools.

12. Mathematics allows us to expand our consciousness. Mathematics tells us about economic trends,
patterns of disease, and the growth of populations. Math is good at exposing the truth, but it can also
perpetuate misunderstandings and untruths. Figures have the power to mislead people.

This paragraph best supports the statement that

A. the study of mathematics is dangerous.

B. words are more truthful than figures.

C. the study of mathematics is more important than other disciplines.

D. the power of numbers is that they cannot lie.

E. figures are sometimes used to deceive people.

13. In the 1966 Supreme Court decision Miranda v. Arizona, the court held that before the police can
obtain statements from a person subjected to an interrogation, the person must be given a Miranda
warning. This warning means that a person must be told that he or she has the right to remain silent
during the police interrogation. Violation of this right means that any statement that the person makes
is not admissible in a court hearing.

This paragraph best supports the statement that

A. police who do not warn persons of their Miranda rights are guilty of a crime.

B. a Miranda warning must be given before a police interrogation can begin.

C. the police may no longer interrogate persons suspected of a crime unless a lawyer is present.

D. the 1966 Supreme Court decision in Miranda should be reversed

E. persons who are interrogated by police should always remain silent until their lawyer comes

14. During colonial times in America, juries were encouraged to ask questions of the parties in the
courtroom. The jurors were, in fact, expected to investigate the facts of the case themselves. If jurors
conducted an investigation today, we would throw out the case.

This paragraph best supports the statement that

A. juries are less important today than they were in colonial times.

B. jurors today are less interested in court cases than they were in colonial times.

C. courtrooms today are more efficient than they were in colonial times.

D. jurors in colonial times were more informed than jurors today.

E. the jury system in America has changed since colonial times.

15. Critical reading is a demanding process. To read critically, you must slow down your reading and,
with pencil in hand, perform specific operations on the text. Mark up the text with your reactions,
conclusions, and questions. When you read, become an active participant.

This paragraph best supports the statement that

A. critical reading is a slow, dull, but essential process

B. the best critical reading happens at critical times in a person's life.

C. readers should get in the habit of questioning the truth of what they read.

D. critical reading requires thoughtful and careful attention.

E. critical reading should take place at the same time each day.