This passage is from a 2019 novel. The narrator is reflecting on a time when she was about ten years old. A ham (amateur) radio is a device for exchanging messages and requires a license to operate. (1) One day, my father brought home a pile of the parts needed to build a ham radio and asked if I wanted to help him put it together. (2) It took us a week, and we built it at our kitchen table, which meant that for that week we ate dinner on our laps in our living room. (3) After dinner, my father went straight to the kitchen table where he'd left a mess of wire and cables and vacuum tubes, and got to work. (4) I started by helping my mother clean up, but then I went over to him, leaning over the part of the radio he was working on to study the diagrams and assembly instructions. (5) Once the receiver was built, we took it into the garage and built a simple transmitter. (6) Then we studied for the radio license, quizzing each other on Morse code and electrical principles and radio wave characteristics every night. (7) My father already knew all of it from the war. (8) He'd been a radio operator as a soldier, and he told me how radio waves could go far, far out into space and how a few years ago two radio operators from opposite sides of the world had sent messages to each other by bouncing them off the moon. (9) After we received our radio licenses, we spent many nights sitting side by side in the garage, picking up radio stations and messages from other amateur radio operators. (10) There were so many messages floating around, waiting to be picked up: Are you lonely? (11) How are you? (12) What's the weather like there? (13) There were reports of shipwrecks, and messages from as far away as Canada, and we decoded each message as it arrived. (14) Nowadays, when communication is so instantaneous, I cannot help remembering with nostalgia how my father and I turned the knobs to the contraption we had built as the messages came in through our complicated machine of vacuum tubing and plumbing wire. (15) We recorded the taps as they came in—and I marveled that each tap traveled only a little bit slower than the speed of light. (16) Tap tap tap came the pulses of radio waves into our earphones, and I transcribed the taps as fast as I could into letters, watching them gather into words and then sentences. (17) It was the closest thing to performing magic that I could imagine: manipulating the radio waves that were all around us to talk to someone across the world.
What is the main purpose of the questions in sentences 10–12?
- A. To reveal the narrator's sense of isolation from family members other than her father
- B. To suggest the narrator's uncertainty about whether the radio will work
- C. To demonstrate the knowledge of electric principles required to operate the radio
- D. To provide examples of the kinds of messages the narrator and her father obtained
Correct Answer & Rationale
Correct Answer: D
The main purpose of the questions in sentences 10–12 is to provide examples of the types of messages that the narrator and her father received, illustrating their communication and connection through the radio. Option A misinterprets the focus of the questions, as they do not primarily express isolation but rather highlight shared experiences. Option B suggests uncertainty about the radio's functionality, which is not the central theme of the questions. Option C incorrectly emphasizes technical knowledge, while the questions are more about the content of the messages rather than the mechanics of operating the radio.
The main purpose of the questions in sentences 10–12 is to provide examples of the types of messages that the narrator and her father received, illustrating their communication and connection through the radio. Option A misinterprets the focus of the questions, as they do not primarily express isolation but rather highlight shared experiences. Option B suggests uncertainty about the radio's functionality, which is not the central theme of the questions. Option C incorrectly emphasizes technical knowledge, while the questions are more about the content of the messages rather than the mechanics of operating the radio.
Other Related Questions
The author of Passage 2 would likely respond to the actions attributed to 'academia' in the fifth sentence of Passage 1 ('academia...complaints') by asserting that:
- A. these actions are consistent with the approach common in publishing
- B. academic plagiarism has usually been misrepresented in surveys
- C. universities increasingly treat plagiarism as a serious offense
- D. colleges should provide amnesty to researchers accused of plagiarism
Correct Answer & Rationale
Correct Answer: C
The assertion in Passage 2 likely aligns with the view that universities are taking a stronger stance against plagiarism, reflecting a growing seriousness about academic integrity. This perspective supports option C, as it highlights an evolving attitude within academia. Option A misrepresents the author's likely stance, as it suggests acceptance of the status quo in publishing rather than a critique of it. Option B incorrectly implies that the author believes surveys misrepresent plagiarism, which may not be the focus of their argument. Option D suggests a leniency that contradicts the seriousness implied in Passage 2, as it undermines the accountability that academia is increasingly emphasizing.
The assertion in Passage 2 likely aligns with the view that universities are taking a stronger stance against plagiarism, reflecting a growing seriousness about academic integrity. This perspective supports option C, as it highlights an evolving attitude within academia. Option A misrepresents the author's likely stance, as it suggests acceptance of the status quo in publishing rather than a critique of it. Option B incorrectly implies that the author believes surveys misrepresent plagiarism, which may not be the focus of their argument. Option D suggests a leniency that contradicts the seriousness implied in Passage 2, as it undermines the accountability that academia is increasingly emphasizing.
The passage states that Russian and English are alike in that in both languages:
- A. short syllables are not accented
- B. the last syllable of words cannot be accented
- C. only one syllable in each word is accented
- D. the accent may fall on any syllable
Correct Answer & Rationale
Correct Answer: D
Both Russian and English exhibit a flexible accentuation pattern, allowing the accent to potentially fall on any syllable within a word. This characteristic is evident in various examples from both languages. Option A is incorrect because, while some short syllables may not be accented, this is not a defining feature of either language. Option B is misleading; accents can occur on the last syllable in both languages, contradicting this statement. Option C is also inaccurate, as both languages allow for multiple syllables to be accented, not limiting it to just one per word.
Both Russian and English exhibit a flexible accentuation pattern, allowing the accent to potentially fall on any syllable within a word. This characteristic is evident in various examples from both languages. Option A is incorrect because, while some short syllables may not be accented, this is not a defining feature of either language. Option B is misleading; accents can occur on the last syllable in both languages, contradicting this statement. Option C is also inaccurate, as both languages allow for multiple syllables to be accented, not limiting it to just one per word.
The main idea of Passage 1 is that academic plagiarism is:
- A. becoming a primary concern among committees that review scholars' work
- B. likely more common than it seems because suspected cases often go unreported
- C. usually undetected because the stolen materials tend to be seen by few people
- D. evolving into a source of widespread disgust among scholars at universities
Correct Answer & Rationale
Correct Answer: B
The main idea of Passage 1 emphasizes the prevalence of academic plagiarism and its underreporting, making option B the most accurate choice. This highlights the hidden nature of the issue, suggesting that many cases go unrecognized. Option A focuses on the concern of committees, which is too narrow and does not capture the broader implications of plagiarism. Option C suggests that plagiarism is undetected due to limited visibility, but it overlooks the critical aspect of unreported cases. Option D implies a shift in emotional response among scholars, which, while relevant, does not address the fundamental issue of prevalence and reporting.
The main idea of Passage 1 emphasizes the prevalence of academic plagiarism and its underreporting, making option B the most accurate choice. This highlights the hidden nature of the issue, suggesting that many cases go unrecognized. Option A focuses on the concern of committees, which is too narrow and does not capture the broader implications of plagiarism. Option C suggests that plagiarism is undetected due to limited visibility, but it overlooks the critical aspect of unreported cases. Option D implies a shift in emotional response among scholars, which, while relevant, does not address the fundamental issue of prevalence and reporting.
The author mentions the best-seller lists and the Book-of-the-Month Club primarily to emphasize Raintree County's:
- A. limited readership
- B. enduring appeal
- C. commercial success
- D. artistic aspirations
Correct Answer & Rationale
Correct Answer: C
The mention of best-seller lists and the Book-of-the-Month Club highlights Raintree County's commercial success, showcasing its popularity and significant sales in the literary market. Option A, "limited readership," is incorrect, as the references suggest a wide audience rather than a restricted one. Option B, "enduring appeal," while relevant, does not directly address the immediate financial success indicated by best-seller rankings. Option D, "artistic aspirations," is also off-target, as the focus is more on market performance than on artistic merit. Thus, the emphasis lies squarely on the book's commercial achievements.
The mention of best-seller lists and the Book-of-the-Month Club highlights Raintree County's commercial success, showcasing its popularity and significant sales in the literary market. Option A, "limited readership," is incorrect, as the references suggest a wide audience rather than a restricted one. Option B, "enduring appeal," while relevant, does not directly address the immediate financial success indicated by best-seller rankings. Option D, "artistic aspirations," is also off-target, as the focus is more on market performance than on artistic merit. Thus, the emphasis lies squarely on the book's commercial achievements.