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ACT English Medium practice

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Medium practice

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Question 1

A student writing an essay about space exploration wants to emphasize that private companies have changed the industry. The essay currently reads: "NASA's Apollo program put the first humans on the moon. The agency later developed the Space Shuttle and the International Space Station." Which sentence, if added at the end of this passage, would best set up a discussion of how private companies have transformed space exploration?

A."Space exploration has always inspired public imagination and scientific curiosity."B."The moon landing in 1969 was watched by an estimated 600 million people worldwide."C."For decades, government agencies dominated space exploration — but that era is now giving way to a new generation of private pioneers."D."The Space Shuttle program was officially retired in 2011 after 135 missions."

Question 2

A travel article reads: "The coastal village was quaint. It was also charming. The narrow cobblestone streets were attractive and the harbor views were beautiful." Which revision best improves the style by combining these choppy sentences?

A."The coastal village was quaint, charming, attractive, and beautiful with its narrow cobblestone streets and harbor views."B."The coastal village charmed visitors with its narrow cobblestone streets and harbor views."C."The coastal village was quaint and charming, with attractive cobblestone streets and beautiful harbor views."D."The quaint, charming village had cobblestone streets, harbor views, and other attractive features."

Question 3

A history essay uses this phrase: "The treaty was signed by both countries at a summit in Geneva, where it was agreed upon by the two nations." Which revision best eliminates the redundancy?

A."The treaty was signed by both countries, which agreed upon it, at a summit in Geneva."B."Both countries signed the treaty at a summit in Geneva."C."Both countries signed and agreed upon the treaty at a summit in Geneva."D."The treaty was signed and agreed upon at a Geneva summit by both nations involved."

Question 4

An essay about the architect Frank Lloyd Wright contains this paragraph: "Wright's 'organic architecture' philosophy held that buildings should harmonize with their natural environment. His masterpiece Fallingwater, built over a Pennsylvania waterfall in 1939, embodies this principle. [BLANK] Critics initially doubted the structure's stability, but it has endured for decades." Which sentence best fills the [BLANK] position to maintain the paragraph's logical flow?

A."Wright was born in Wisconsin in 1867 and studied engineering at the University of Wisconsin."B."The house cantilevers dramatically over the waterfall, appearing to grow from the rocky landscape itself."C."Many of Wright's clients were wealthy industrialists seeking distinctive homes."D."Architecture schools today continue to debate the merits of modernism versus postmodernism."

Question 5

Consider the sentence: "The students in our class, who studies diligently, will succeed on the exam." Identify the error in the bolded portion.

A.No error — "who studies" is correct because "class" is singular.B."who study" — the relative pronoun "who" refers to "students" (plural), requiring a plural verb.C."which studies" — relative pronouns referring to people should use "which," not "who."D."who had studied" — the past perfect is needed to describe prior study.

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Question 6

Consider the sentence: "To succeed in the competition; you must practice daily, sleep adequately, and manage your anxiety." What punctuation error does this sentence contain?

A.No error — the semicolon correctly separates the introductory phrase from the main clause.B.The semicolon after "competition" should be a comma — an introductory infinitive phrase is followed by a comma, not a semicolon.C.The commas in the list should be semicolons because the list has three items.D.No comma is needed after "competition" — introductory phrases don't require any punctuation.

Question 7

A sentence reads: "The report's findings implicates all three managers in the incident." Identify the agreement error.

A.No error — "findings" is grammatically singular because it refers to a single report.B."implicates" should be "implicate" — the subject is "findings," which is plural.C."implicates" should be "implicated" — the verb should be in the past tense.D.The subject is "report's," which is singular, so "implicates" is correct.

Question 8

An essay about environmental policy reads: "The government should make a decision about whether or not to implement stronger regulations." Which revision best improves concision?

A."The government should decide about whether to implement stronger regulations."B."The government should make a decision on stronger regulations."C."The government should decide whether to implement stronger regulations."D."The government should come to a decision about whether or not to implement stronger regulations."

Question 9

A writer's essay argues that mandatory physical education in high schools improves academic performance. The essay includes this sentence: "Studies show that aerobic exercise increases blood flow to the prefrontal cortex, enhancing concentration." The writer considers adding the following sentence immediately after: "Many students find gym class to be their favorite period of the school day." Should the writer make this addition?

A.Yes, because it shows student enthusiasm, which supports the argument for keeping physical education.B.Yes, because it provides a human interest detail that makes the essay more relatable.C.No, because it shifts focus from academic benefits to student preferences, undermining the argumentative coherence.D.No, because it contradicts the claim about academic performance.

Question 10

An essayist argues that social media has increased political polarization. The essay's introduction ends: "Social media platforms have reshaped how people consume news. This essay will examine three ways these platforms have deepened political divides." The writer is considering moving this last sentence to the conclusion instead. Would this be an effective revision?

A.Yes, because thesis statements belong in conclusions in academic essays.B.Yes, because the roadmap sentence distracts from the opening hook.C.No, because the roadmap sentence in the introduction helps readers understand the essay's scope and organization before they begin reading.D.No, because adding any sentence to the conclusion would make it too long.

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