Use the general sense of the sentence to figure out the meaning of the italicized word. It is odd how often public figures who loudly espouse “traditional family values” are later caught in some scandal concerning their own private lives.

Choose the letter of the answer that best describes the relationship indicated by the italicized transition. Emotions have a physical basis in our hormone system.  They are also grounded in our experience. The relationship of the second sentence to the first is one of _____.

Choose the transition that best completes the sentence. Abraham Lincoln grew a beard only _____ being elected to the presidency.  An eleven-year-old girl told him that with a beard he “would look a great deal better, for your face is so thin.”

Choose the letter of the best meaning for each italicized word or words. When speaking to a large audience, it is helpful to remember that people are egocentric.  They pay closest attention to messages about their own values, their own beliefs, and their own well-being.

The following selection has a main idea that may appear at any place within the paragraph.  Identify the main idea of the paragraph by choosing the number of the sentence. The number of each sentence comes before it. 1 Though natural-fiber purists may turn up their noses at it, polyester-and-cotton blend clothing has advantages over all-cotton garments.  2 For one thing, polyester, which is manufactured, costs less than cotton, which grows naturally but is expensive to process.  3 Therefore, cotton/polyester clothing is more economical than pure cotton garments.  4 Also, the polyester content of cotton-blend clothing helps the garments retain their shape after repeated washings.  5 That’s because this synthetic does not share cotton’s tendency to shrink or stretch after immersion.  6 But perhaps polyester’s most endearing quality is its “no-wrinkle policy.” 7 Unlike pure cotton, polyester blends require little or no ironing.

Choose the transition that best completes the sentence. In 1835 Halley’s comet appeared and Mark Twain was born.  Twain predicted that he’d die when Halley’s comet showed up again.  And he did die in 1910, the year of the comet’s _____ appearance.

Read the item below.  It includes a word or words that are an antonym of the italicized word.  Write the antonym of the italicized word in the space provided. The children wanted us to adopt an older German shepherd from the pound, but we were told he was rather wild, so instead we chose a collie that was more docile.

Choose the letter of the best meaning for each italicized word or words. When speaking to a large audience, it is helpful to remember that people are egocentric.  They pay closest attention to messages about their own values, their own beliefs, and their own well-being.

The following selection has a main idea that may appear at any place within the paragraph.  Identify the main idea of the paragraph by choosing the number of the sentence. The number of each sentence comes before it. 1 Often when older children move back home, unpleasant tensions and disagreements arise.  2 However, adult children who move back home can avoid family conflicts by following some tips.  3 First, they should contribute what they can—and it need not be in terms of money: Being productive family members will help them earn their keep.  4 This can involve tutoring or coaching younger sisters or brothers, or helping Mom and Dad with chores and errands.  5 Second, these “returnees” should not expect their parents to rescue them from difficulties.  6 As adults, they are responsible for getting out of their own scrapes—and for trying to avoid them in the first place. 7 Last, they must respect their parents’ lifestyles and own needs to independence.  8 It is unrealistic to expect parents’ lives to revolve around the needs of a grown child, in the manner they may have when the child was younger.

For questions 16-20  1 Stereotyping consists of assigning traits to people solely on the basis of a category.  2 Some researchers suggest that stereotyping has four clear phrases.  3 First a person distinguishes a particular category of people—for example, economists. 4 Second, the person notes that one or more of the people in this category have certain traits—for example, dullness.  5 Third, the person generalizes that everyone in this category has these characteristics—for example, that all economists are dull.  6 Finally, when meeting someone the person is not acquainted with but knows to be, for example, an economist, the person stereotypes this individual as dull. *************** In general, the major supporting details of this paragraph are _____.