1

Bicycles were first mass-produced in the late nineteenth century throughout Europe and North America, allowing individuals remarkable freedom to travel longer distances quickly and comfortably. This freedom, coupled with the affordability of the vehicle, made the bicycle immensely popular. Individuals were able to live farther from their workplaces, easily visit neighboring towns, and participate in new leisure and sport activities. Bicycling quickly became a popular social endeavor, with enthusiasts forming local cycling clubs to enjoy these newfound activities with others.

Which choice best states the main idea of the text?

A) The widespread adoption of the bicycle in the late nineteenth century provided new opportunities for people.

B) The affordability of the bicycle in the late nineteenth century made it the preferred way to travel.

C) The popularity of the bicycle in the late nineteenth century gave rise to the first cycling clubs.

D) The mass production of the bicycle in the late nineteenth century made it safer for people to use.

2

The following text is adapted from Oscar Wilde’s 1891 novel The Picture of Dorian Gray. Dorian Gray is taking his first look at a portrait that Hallward has painted of him.

Dorian passed listlessly in front of his picture and turned towards it. When he saw it he drew back, and his cheeks flushed for a moment with pleasure. A look of joy came into his eyes, as if he had recognized himself for the first time. He stood there motionless and in wonder, dimly conscious that Hallward was speaking to him, but not catching the meaning of his words. The sense of his own beauty came on him like a revelation. He had never felt it before.

According to the text, what is true about Dorian?

A) He wants to know Hallward’s opinion of the portrait.

B) He is uncertain of Hallward’s talent as an artist.

C) He prefers portraits to other types of paintings.

D) He is delighted by what he sees in the portrait.

3

Scent is tightly interwoven with our daily lives, often evoking significant memories and important social events. This connection is of growing interest to archaeologists who hope to use it to better understand ancient rituals, trade, social hierarchies, and medicine. Although the speed at which odor molecules dissipate makes identifying ancient scents challenging, advancements in biomolecular technologies show promise in unlocking ancient aromas from preserved artifacts. Archaeological studies making use of these advancements may provide new insights into past societies.

According to the text, what is one reason some archaeologists are interested in recovering scents from ancient artifacts?

A) They are investigating whether people’s sense of smell has declined in recent centuries.

B) They believe the scents could illuminate important aspects of ancient life.

C) They think that ancient scents would be enjoyable to people today.

D) They hope to develop new medicines using ancient scent molecules.

4

Scrapbooks of saved fabric pieces were commonly kept by women in the nineteenth-century United States, but few are as meticulously detailed as Hannah Ditzler Alspaugh’s work. Alongside each piece of fabric, Alspaugh recorded intimate memories, such as dressmaking with her sister. Additionally, she listed the prices and how she used the fabric. Historians note that by representing fifty years of changing textures, patterns, and dress styles, the scrapbook is a record of nineteenthcentury textiles and dressmaking as well as Alspaugh’s life.

Which choice best states the main idea of the text?

A) Alspaugh inspired other women to save pieces of fabric in scrapbooks and provide historical records of nineteenthcentury fashions in the United States.

B) Historians rely on fabric scrapbooks to understand how fashions changed throughout the nineteenth-century United States.

C) Alspaugh’s scrapbook provides a detailed account of her life and historical record of fashion trends in the nineteenthcentury United States.

D) Fabric scrapbooks were a popular hobby for many women in the nineteenth-century United States.

5

Xin Wang and colleagues have discovered the earliest known example of a flower bud in a 164-million-year-old plant fossil in China. The researchers have named the new species Florigerminis jurassica. They believe that the discovery pushes the emergence of flowering plants, or angiosperms, back to the Jurassic period, which occurred between 145 million and 201 million years ago.

According to the text, how old was the fossil that Wang and colleagues discovered?

A) 150 million years old

B) 145 million years old

C) 201 million years old

D) 164 million years old

6

Psychologists wanted to test how young children think about rewards and fairness. In an experiment, two teachers handed out rewards while children (ages four to six) watched. The teachers gave out the same number of rewards, but one of them counted the rewards out loud. The children were then asked who was fairer. 73% chose the teacher who counted. The psychologists think that counting showed the children that the teacher wanted to be fair. The children may have believed that the teacher who did not count did not care about fairness.

Which choice best states the main idea of the text?

A) Psychologists think children cannot understand the concept of fairness until they are six years old.

B) An experiment found that counting out loud is the best way to teach mathematical concepts to children.

C) An experiment showed that the way rewards are given out may affect whether young children think the situation is fair.

D) Psychologists think young children expect to be rewarded when the children show that they care about fairness.

7

The following text is adapted from Johanna Spyri’s 1881 novel Heidi (translated by Elisabeth Stork in 1915). Eight-year-old Heidi and her friend’s grandmother are looking at some illustrated books.

Heidi had come and was looking with wondering eyes at the splendid pictures in the large books, that Grandmama was showing her. Suddenly she screamed aloud, for there on the picture she saw a peaceful flock grazing on a green pasture. In the middle a shepherd was standing, leaning on his crook. The setting sun was shedding a golden light over everything. With glowing eyes Heidi devoured the scene.

Which choice best states the main idea of the text?

A) Heidi is delighted and fascinated by an image she sees in one of Grandmama’s books.

B) Heidi is upset until she sees a serene image of a pasture in one of Grandmama’s books.

C) Heidi is initially frightened by an image in one of Grandmama’s books but quickly comes to appreciate its beauty.

D) Heidi is inspecting an image in one of Grandmama’s books because she has never seen a shepherd with his sheep before.

8

To make her art more widely available, graphic artist Elizabeth Catlett turned to linocuts. In linocut printing, an artist carves an image into a sheet of linoleum to create a stamp that is used to mass-produce prints. In the linocut series The Black Woman (1946–1947), Catlett depicts the everyday experiences of Black women alongside the achievements of well-known Black women. This pairing invites the viewer to draw connections among the women. The linocut process enabled Catlett’s work to reach a wide audience and supported her aim to unite Black women through her art.

According to the text, what is significant about Catlett’s use of linocut printing?

A) Linocut printing involved using materials that were readily available to Catlett.

B) Linocut printing helped Catlett use art to connect people, especially Black women.

C) Catlett became commercially successful once she started using linocut printing.

D) Catlett was one of the first Black artists to use linocut printing.

9

In West Africa, jalis have traditionally been keepers of information about family histories and records of important events. They have often served as teachers and advisers, too. New technologies may have changed some aspects of the role today, but jalis continue to be valued for knowing and protecting their peoples’ stories.

Which choice best states the main idea of the text?

A) Jalis have been entertaining the people within their communities for centuries.

B) Although jalis have many roles, many of them like teaching best.

C) Even though there have been some changes in their role, jalis continue to preserve their communities’ histories.

D) Technology can now do some of the things jalis used to be responsible for.

10

The following text is adapted from Charles W. Chesnutt’s 1901 novel The Marrow of Tradition. Mrs. Ochiltree was a woman of strong individuality, whose comments upon her acquaintance[s], present or absent, were marked by a frankness at times no less than startling. This characteristic caused her to be more or less avoided. Mrs. Ochiltree was aware of this sentiment on the part of her acquaintance[s], and rather exulted in it.

Based on the text, what is true about Mrs. Ochiltree’s acquaintances?

A) They are likely offended by what Mrs. Ochiltree has said about them.

B) They are unable to spend as much time with Mrs. Ochiltree as she would like.

C) They are too preoccupied with their own concerns to speak with Mrs. Ochiltree.

D) They try to refrain from discussing topics that would upset Mrs. Ochiltree.