35 Minutes—44 Questions

The History of Comic Books

Faster than a speeding jHTj bullet; able to leap

tall buildings in a single bound, Superman was the B) bullet
first comic book superhero. Prior to 1938, when C) bullet,
D) bullet—
Superman made his debut, early comic books con
sisted of multiple stories about different charac
ters, many of them humorous. With the arrival of Which choice provides the most appropriate in
the superhero archetype, publishers began devot troduction to the rest of the passage?
A) NO CHANGE
ing whole issues to single characters. | Read-
B) The Golden Age of Comics had dawned.
ers enjoyed the illustrations more than the dia- C) Bookstores didn't have enough space to
logue. ' carry all the new comics that were being is
sued.
D) These original issues would be worth a lot
today.

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Over the next few years, Detective Comics,_I

becoming DC Comics later on, introduced a slew
. \) x D ur LV\ ' ii
of superheroes. Batman, Wonder Woman, Aqua- B) it later became DC Comics,
man, and Green Lantern all debuted during the C) DC Comics it later became,
early years of World War II. The need for cheap en D) which later became DC Comics,

tertainment for soldiers combined with the wartime

imaginations of American youths fueled [j|] an in- A) NO CHANGE
satiable market for comic books. Captain America, B) a discontent
introduced in 1941, became one of the most popular - C) a desirable
D) an uncontrollable
heroes as a fighter of Nazis. The first issue alone ¡¡¡H
outsold the first issue of Batman.
Which choice most accurately and effectively rep
resents the information in the graph?
A) NO CHANGE
B) sold nearly one million copies.
C) grossed almost a million dollars in sales.
D) sold twice as many copies as the first issue
of the Green Lantern.

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CHAPTER 30 PRACTICE TEST 1

After the war, demand for superhero comics be

gan to decline, and growing concerns about the cor
NO CHANGE '
rupting influence of comic books nearly devastated effects of comics on
the industry. Tire 1954 publication of Seduction of the affects of comics on
Innocent by psychiatrist Fredric Wertham led to Sen affects of comics by

ate hearings investigating the , effects of comics

to juvenile delinquency. In response, publishers de
a ; NO CHANGE '
veloped a Comics Code to self-regulate the content b ; banning
of comics, effectively exiling comic artists and c; propagandizing
d ; censoring
writers.

The 1960s, H similarly, saw a revival as Spider

Man, the X-Men, the Fantastic Four, and other char NO CHANGE
therefore,
acters debuted. These new heroes were more obvi
however,
ously flawed and more human than most previous for instance,
heroes. The character of Wolverine became the pro
totype for the antiheroes popularized in the 1980s
and 1990s as comics grew darker and more violent.
Gritty comics became the norm, and by 2011 all pub
lishers had ceased to operate under the Code.

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In the world of comics, the issue <\ | creators'

rights has been a constant source of conflict. In the
A) AO f ! \ \ V!!
early days, writers and artists worked long hours B) creators' right's
for |ffi publishers. These were the ones that paid C) creators' rights'
them relatively little and claimed the rights to the D) creator's rights

characters. With the recent popularity of films cen

rs ii
tered on classic comic characters, a number of law
Which choice most effectively combined the two
suits over copyrights ¡¡fH have been waeed bv the sentences at the underlined portion?
children of these creators to secure the royalties their ~ A) publishers; they were those that
parents never enjoyed. B) publishers, and these companies
C) publishers that
D) publishers to get

B) has been waged

C) was waged
D) waged

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CHAPTER 30 PRACTICE TEST 1

The Mona Lisa

With her knowing, self-satisfied smile and her

Hi
A) NO CHANGE
eyes that |j j j followed viewers around the room, the B) follow
Mona Lisa has become the most famous and iconic C) had followed
D) follows
image in the art world. But what is the story behind
this Renaissance masterpiece? Who was the woman
Leonardo Da Vinci so compellingly captured with At this point, the writer would like to emphasize
that the identity of the person in the portrait is
paint?
uncertain. Which choice most effectively accom
I is known that the portrait depicts the wife plishes this goal?
A) NO CHANGE
of a Florentine cloth merchant named Francesco del
B) The fact is
Giocondo. At the Louvre in Paris, where the paint C) The best conjecture is
ing has hung since 1797, the title is given as "Por D) It has been established
trait of Lisa Gherardini, wife of Francesco del Gio
condo." Leonardo most likely completed the por
At this point, the writer is considering adding the
trait sometime between 1503 and 1506, when he following sentence.
lived in Florence. [§ ] At the time, Florence was a republic under the
powerful influence of the Medici family.
Should the writer make this addition here?
A) Yes, because it explains why Da Vinci
moved to Florence.
B) Yes, because it provides important back
ground information related to the Mona
Lisa.
C) No, because it blurs the focus of the para
graph with a loosely related detail.
D) No, because Leonardo Da Vinci did not
spend most of his life in Florence.

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 THE COLLEGE PANDA

In 2013, Researchers failed in the proof of

the subject's identity by creating an image from
A) NOCHANL.L
DNA extracted from Lisa del Giocondo's tomb. B) in the attempt to prove
Even if she were the woman in the painting, its C) to produce proof of
occasion would remain a mystery. Two events in D) to prove

the Giocondo family history have been suggested as

possibilities. One is the birth of a son in !¡[f|jj 1502;
A) NO CHANGÉ
the other is the opening of a new home in 1503. But B) 1502,
if Francesco del Giocondo had commissioned the - C) 1502:
D) 1502
painting, why did Leonardo never give it to him?
The artist apparently kept it, and it later became part
of the French royal collection. A) ‘ NO CHANGE
B) himself; cleverly
Other theories of the woman's identity have in
C) himself cleverly,
cluded both Leonardo's mother and the artist D) himself, cleverly
himself, he was disguised as a woman. The truth re
mains unknown, but fj|§ some researchers are still
determined to find it. The Mona Lisa introduced a Which cht'i-. o most effectively sets up the infor
mation that follows?
new approach to portraiture that set the template
A) NO CHANGE
for many years afterward. Unlike the rigid portraits B) the influence of the portrait is indisputable.
of the day, M Leonardo's masterpiece depicts a re C) it still manages to attract millions of tourists
each year.
laxed posture with soft lines. He presents the sub
D) its dollar value continues to climb.
ject from the front instead of in profile, pfjj Never-
theless, the harmony between the woman and tire
landscape behind her reach a new level of excel A) NO CHANGE
B) Leonardo depicts
lence.
C) which depict
D) having depicted

A) NO CHANGE
B) On the other hand,
C) Moreover,
D) Alternatively,

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CHAPTER 30 PRACTICE TEST 1

The monetary value of the painting, estimated

in 2015 to be nearly $800 [tj)] million cannot do jus B l
A) NO-CHANGE
tice to its intrinsic worth. Nb price will ever cap B) million;
ture the genius of this beautiful,. ■>•■>}mystical, and C) million,
ground-breaking portrait that after 500 years still D) million—
captures both the eye and the heart.

A) NO CHANGE '
B) full of mystery,
C) mysterious,
D) mystified,

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■Biking to Work
[H
The daily commute to work ijyj can suck the Which choice is most appropriate for the tone of
life out of a person. My commute, however, actually this passage?

energizes me and keeps me in shape. I ride a bike, A) NO CHANGE

B) can be stressful and exhausting.
and except for days when the weather is too wet or
C) drives some people crazy,
too cold, I glide to work along beautiful, forested D) is vexing for many.
roads.

[1] Several people recommended buying a hy

- A) NO CHANGE
brid designed for commuting. [2] Others suggested B) them
I buy a mountain bike and then install road tires C) these
on jyf) it. [3] Mountain bikes have heavier frames D) this

than [;{fl people with road bikes and can more eas
ily be used to carry bags containing work items. [4] A) NO CHANGE
m Thus, I was able to buy a mountain bike that B) those who have road bikes
was already prepared for the daily commute. [5] C) road bikes

It came outfitted with all the commuting m essen- D) road bike's

tials; a flashing headlamp, a flashing red tail-light, a

rearview mirror, and a small rack for attaching gear. A) NO CHANGE
B) In addition,
HI C) To illustrate,
D) Fortunately,

VI V O 'JiW U
B) essentials,
C) essentials:
D) essentials

To improve the coherence of this paragraph, the

writer wants to add the following sentence. ,
When I first started, I knew how to ride a bike,
but I didn't know what kind of bike would be
best for commuting.
The best placement for the sentence is immedi
ately
A) before sentence 1.
B) after sentence 1.
C) after sentence 2.
D) after sentence 3.

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CHAPTER 30 PRACTICE TEST 1

Anyone who wants to commute by bike must

learn some basic maintenance and ¡¡¡¡I repair-most
M il llililBiiaB
A) NO CHANGE
importantly, how to change a flat tire. I remember B) repair;
going to a bike shop to buy some spare inner tubes C) repair, which
for my tires, and the owner immediately recognized D) repair,

me as a novice. He handed me a couple of tire levers

and explained that these would prove to be very
At this point, the writer is considering adding the
helpful. i I was thankful for them a couple of following sentence.
years later when I had a flat.' These small, flat tools unlock the edges of the tire
from one side of the wheel in order to gain access
On my bike I have enjoyed beautiful weather, to the tube inside that needs to be replaced.
endured freezing cold, and [dpi have been caught Should the writer make this addition here?
in sudden cloudbursts. I learned the importance of A) Yes, because it presents knowledge that only
experienced bikers are aware of.
finding a facemask and a pair of thick but functional
B) Yes, because it expands on a previous state
gloves, because the face and fingers get the coldest ment by providing relevant details.
during winter. I also learned |§ |j how important it is C) No, because it distracts from the focus of the
„ paragraph by introducing irrelevant mate
to watch the weather carefully and remembering to rial.
place all electronics inside a plastic bag in my back D) No, because it should be placed earlier in the
passage. .
pack in case of rain. Those 3.5 miles to and from
work on my bike are not only idelightful and also
enlightening. A) NO CHANGE
B) caught
C) been caught
D) have caught

A) NO CHANGE
B) the importance of watching
C) to importantly watch
D) the important nature of watching

A) NO CHANGE
B) a delightful experience but also enlighten
ing.
C) delightful but also enlightening.
D) delightful but also an enlightenment.

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 THE COLLEGE PANDA

The Architecture of Castles

The castles of fairy tales, with their high, nar a j t \ u UHLa N L>Jh
row towers, gargoyles, and spires, are more the B) Furthermore,
C) Hence,
reflections of nineteenth-century ideas than of the
D) In reality,
great stone fortresses of the middle ages. j Re
gardless, the architecture of medieval castles cen *15
tered on one main jprinciple defense. A) NO CHANGE
B) principle,
A wealthy lord, would typically build a castle
«. C) principle:
on a defensible ] site, such as a hill or large rock or . D) principle;
even a high crag. A deep ditch called a moat would
be dug around the perimeter. Drawbridges typi
A) NO CHANGE
cally would provide the only way across the moat
B) site such as:
so that it could easily be pulled up to prevent en C) site such as,
emy access. D) site, such as,

[1] The strongest castles were made with stone

walls around eight to twelve feet thick. [2] An outer
■ H B B B n H H I
A) MO CHANGE
wall of about twenty feet in height would surround B) wall, which
an inner ,wall; where the castle occupants actu C) wall, during which
D) wall, within which
ally lived. [3] Keeping it lower than the inner wall
allowed archers to shoot from the inner wall over
the men on the outside. [4] Tire outer wall was the Which choice results in a sentence that best sup
ports the point developed in this paragraph?
next line of defense after the moat and drawbridge.
A) NO CEIANGE
[5] Archers aimed through vertical slits in the walls
B) were not introduced until 212 BC.
called arrow loops, which were often cut in the C) allowed them to fire upon enemies while re
shape of a cross. fg§| maining protected.
D) were invented by Archimedes and popular
ized by the Greeks and Romans.

To make this paragraph most logical, sentence 3

should be
A) placed where it is now.
B) placed after sentence 1.
C) placed after sentence 4.
D) placed after sentence 5.

251
CHAPTER 30 PRACTICE TEST 1

The gates of castles i?ff] constituted the great

est weak points. To compensate, a heavy sliding
A) NO CHANGE
grate called a portcullis would be installed to close B) composed
vertically over the gateway. What followed next C) comprehended
were heavy doors barred from behind with a thick D) circumscribed

wooden beam. In the tunnel-lilce space between the

portcullis and the B•doors, and openings in the A, AdULW ui
arched ceiling called "murder holes" enabled de B) gateway, followed by
fending soldiers to drop heavy objects onto attack C) gateway follow
D) gateway by following
ers.

Large windows in residential housing were

necessary to allow enough light. Apartments and A) NO CHANGE
B) doors,
large rooms for gathering, like the great hall and the
C) doors with
chapel, were built on the upper levels of the inner D) doors were
walls because | the threat presented by their large
windows was too perilous. Biai^
A) NO CHANGE
The farmers and tradesmen who lived in the B) a danger to safety was caused by their large
town surrounding a castle provided food and goods windows.
C) their large windows endangered people to
for tire wealthy lord, his family and staff, and his harm.
militia. They in turn received shelter and suste D) their large windows posed a security risk.
nance. But ultimately, the castle existed more for his
defense than | they're protection.
A) NO CHANGE
B) for their
C) for there
D) to their

252