1

The following text is from Jane Austen’s 1811 novel Sense and Sensibility. Elinor lives with her younger sisters and her mother, Mrs. Dashwood. Elinor, this eldest daughter, whose advice was so effectual, possessed a strength of understanding, and coolness of judgment, which qualified her, though only nineteen, to be the counsellor of her mother, and enabled her frequently to counteract, to the advantage of them all, that eagerness of mind in Mrs. Dashwood which must generally have led to imprudence. She had an excellent heart;—her disposition was affectionate, and her feelings were strong; but she knew how to govern them: it was a knowledge which her mother had yet to learn; and which one of her sisters had resolved never to be taught.

According to the text, what is true about Elinor?

A) Elinor often argues with her mother but fails to change her mind.

B) Elinor can be overly sensitive with regard to family matters.

C) Elinor is remarkably mature for her age.

D) Elinor thinks her mother is a bad role model.

2

The following text is adapted from Louisa May Alcott’s 1868 novel Little Women.

Meg, the eldest March sister, was preparing the family’s dinner. She moved quietly and efficiently, arranging the table and making sure that everything was just right. Her younger sisters peeked in, giggling at her serious expression, but Meg simply smiled at them and continued her work, proud to take care of her family.

Which choice best states the main idea of the text?

A) Meg takes pride in helping and caring for her family.

B) Meg dislikes the interruptions caused by her younger sisters.

C) The March sisters often argue about who does the household chores.

D) Meg prefers cooking to other household tasks.

3

The following text is adapted from Frances Hodgson Burnett’s 1911 novel The Secret Garden. Mary, a young girl, recently found an overgrown hidden garden. Mary was an odd, determined little person, and now she had something interesting to be determined about, she was very much absorbed, indeed. She worked and dug and pulled up weeds steadily, only becoming more pleased with her work every hour instead of tiring of it. It seemed to her like a fascinating sort of play.

Which choice best states the main idea of the text?

A) Mary hides in the garden to avoid doing her chores.

B) Mary is getting bored with pulling up so many weeds in the garden.

C) Mary is clearing out the garden to create a space to play.

D) Mary feels very satisfied when she’s taking care of the garden.

4

In many of his sculptures, artist Richard Hunt uses broad forms rather than extreme accuracy to hint at specific people or ideas. In his first major work, Arachne (1956), Hunt constructed the mythical character Arachne, a weaver who was changed into a spider, by welding bits of steel together into something that, although vaguely human, is strange and machine-like. And his large bronze sculpture The Light of Truth (2021) commemorates activist and journalist Ida B. Wells using mainly flowing, curved pieces of metal that create stylized flame.

Which choice best states the text’s main idea about Hunt?

A) He uses different kinds of materials depending on what kind of sculpture he plans to create.

B) He often depicts the subjects of his sculptures using an unrealistic style.

C) He tends to base his art on important historical figures rather than on fictional characters.

D) He has altered his approach to sculpture over time, and his works have become increasingly abstract.

5

The following text is adapted from Helen Keller’s 1903 autobiography The Story of My Life. As a child, Helen learned to communicate with the world through her teacher, Anne Sullivan. At first, Helen struggled to understand the meaning of words, but through patience and persistence, she gradually connected letters and objects, discovering the power of language. This breakthrough opened the door to learning and helped Helen explore ideas beyond her immediate surroundings.

Which choice best states the main idea of the text?

A) Learning to communicate allowed Helen Keller to understand and explore the world.

B) Helen Keller found learning to read and write extremely difficult as a child.

C) Helen Keller’s teacher, Anne Sullivan, did most of the work of teaching her.

D) Helen Keller preferred exploring ideas to learning basic communication skills.

6

The following text is adapted from Edith Nesbit’s 1906 novel The Railway Children. Mother did not spend all her time in paying dull [visits] to dull ladies, and sitting dully at home waiting for dull ladies to pay [visits] to her. She was almost always there, ready to play with the children, and read to them, and help them to do their home-lessons. Besides this she used to write stories for them while they were at school, and read them aloud after tea, and she always made up funny pieces of poetry for their birthdays and for other great occasions.

According to the text, what is true about Mother?

A) She wishes that more ladies would visit her.

B) She creates stories and poems for her children.

C) Birthdays are her favorite special occasion. 

D) Reading to her children is her favorite activity.

7

The painter María Izquierdo played an important role in the development of twentieth-century Mexican art, but her work has never been well-known in the United States except among art historians. One reason for Izquierdo’s relative obscurity is the enormous popularity of some of her peers. In particular, the painters Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera have so captivated the interest of US audiences that Izquierdo and other Mexican artists from the period often get overlooked, despite the high quality of their work.

Which choice best states the main idea of the text?

A) Izquierdo painted some of the same subjects that Kahlo and Rivera painted but used different techniques than they used. 

B) During Izquierdo’s lifetime, her paintings were displayed in galleries in the United States much more frequently than paintings by Kahlo and Rivera were.

C) Izquierdo’s work is not as well-known in the United States as it should be because Kahlo and Rivera draw so much of the public’s attention.

D) Few of Izquierdo’s works are in galleries today because she produced only a small number of paintings.

8

Philadelphia’s Black Pearl Chamber Orchestra, founded by Jeri Lynne Johnson, performs classical music, from well-known compositions by Beethoven to contemporary works by Jessie Montgomery. For the orchestra’s iConduct! program, Johnson invites community members to learn some basic elements of conducting and then experience conducting the Black Pearl orchestra themselves.

Which choice best states the main idea of the text?

A) The Black Pearl orchestra performs music from all over the world but mostly performs music composed by Philadelphians.

B) Johnson founded the Black Pearl orchestra to perform classical music by contemporary artist Jessie Montgomery. 

C) Johnson has community members conduct an orchestra to demonstrate how difficult the task is.

D) The Black Pearl orchestra gives community members the chance to both listen to and participate in classical music performance. 

9

Shimmering is a collective defense behavior that researchers have observed in giant honeybee colonies. When shimmering, different groups of bees flip their bodies up and down in what looks like waves. This defense is initiated when hornets hover near a colony, serving to deter the hornets from approaching the bees. Researchers hypothesize that this behavior is a specialized defense response to hornets, as it is not observed when other, larger predators approach the colony. 

Which choice best states the main idea of the text?

A) Researchers think that shimmering in giant honeybees is a specific defense against hornets. 

B) Researchers are unsure how giant honeybees defend against predators larger than hornets. 

C) Hornets are known to be the main predator of giant honeybees. 

D) Several different species of insects use shimmering to defend against hornets. 

10

In 2022, researchers rediscovered ancient indigenous glyphs, or drawings, on the walls of a cave in Alabama. The cave’s ceiling was only a few feet high, affording no position from which the glyphs, being as wide as ten feet, could be viewed or photographed in their entirety. However, the researchers used a technique called photogrammetry to assemble numerous photos of the walls into a 3D model. They then worked with representatives of tribes originally from the region, including the Chickasaw Nation, to understand the significance of the animal and humanoid figures adorning the cave.

According to the text, what challenge did the researchers have to overcome to examine the glyphs?

A) The cave was so remote that the researchers couldn’t easily reach it.

B) The cave’s dimensions prevented the researchers from fully viewing the glyphs.

C) The researchers were unable to create a 3D model of the cave.

D) Some of the glyphs were so faint that they couldn’t be photographed.