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A quick taste of the ACT English & Reading bank — every question below is a real, quality-reviewed item. Answer them, then see how you did.
- The concept of 'ecological debt' suggests that humanity has been living beyond the Earth's regenerative capacity for decades. Rather than viewing environmental degradation as a series of isolated incidents, proponents argue it is a cumulative ledger of unpaid obligations to natural systems. This perspective shifts the focus from immediate remediation to long-term restitution. It implies that restoring balance is not merely about cleaning up visible pollutants but about acknowledging the systemic strain placed on biodiversity and climate stability. By framing environmental issues as a financial metaphor, advocates hope to make the abstract consequences of resource depletion more tangible and urgent for policymakers who often respond to economic incentives.
As used in the passage, the word 'restitution' most nearly means
- Recent studies in neuroscience have revealed that the brain's neural pathways are not fixed at birth but remain malleable throughout life. This phenomenon, known as neuroplasticity, allows the brain to reorganize itself by forming new neural connections in response to learning and experience. _______ For instance, London taxi drivers, who must memorize complex city maps, were found to have significantly larger hippocampi than the general population.
Which choice most effectively completes the paragraph by providing a logical transition to the example that follows?
- The Voting Rights Act of 1965 is frequently cited as the definitive moment that secured African American political participation. However, this narrative obscures the legislative reality: the Act did not grant new rights but rather enforced existing constitutional guarantees that had been systematically ignored for a century. By mandating federal oversight of jurisdictions with histories of discriminatory practices, the Act shifted the burden of proof from the voter to the state. This structural change did not create the right to vote; it removed the administrative barriers that made exercising that right impossible. Thus, the Act’s significance lies not in expansion of liberty, but in the federal government’s acknowledgment of its prior failure to protect it.
Which choice best states the main purpose of the passage?
- The passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was a watershed moment in American history, but its impact on the daily lives of African Americans in the rural South was not immediate. While the law outlawed discrimination in public accommodations, enforcement relied heavily on local compliance, which was often met with resistance. In many small towns, businesses closed rather than desegregate, and social ostracization remained a powerful tool of control. Furthermore, the Act did not address de facto segregation in housing or employment, leaving significant economic disparities intact. As a result, while legal barriers were dismantled, the social and economic structures of white supremacy persisted, requiring continued activism and subsequent legislation, such as the Voting Rights Act of 1965, to achieve broader equality.
Which choice best states the main idea of the passage?
- In Gabriel García Márquez's *One Hundred Years of Solitude*, the author employs magical realism [to blend the mundane with the miraculous, creating] a narrative where the extraordinary is treated as ordinary.
Which choice best corrects the bracketed portion?
- Solar panels convert sunlight into electricity, offering a clean alternative to fossil fuels. ____. This technology has become increasingly affordable, making it accessible to a wider range of homeowners.
Which choice most effectively completes the paragraph by providing a specific example of the solar energy mentioned in the first sentence?
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GRE · Analyze an Issue Governments should invest more heavily in public transportation than in new highways.
Whether to prioritize public transportation over new highways is ultimately a question of what kind of future a city wants to build. While highways promise immediate relief from congestion, governments should indeed invest more heavily in public transportation, because it addresses the root causes of urban gridlock rather than temporarily masking them.
The strongest case for transit is that highways tend to create the very demand they aim to satisfy. Planners call this 'induced demand': when a city widens a road, the extra capacity draws more drivers until traffic returns to its former crawl. Los Angeles, despite decades of highway expansion, remains among the most congested cities in the world. A dollar spent on a new lane often buys only a few years of relief, whereas a dollar spent on reliable rail removes cars from the road permanently.
Transit also distributes opportunity more fairly. A household that cannot afford a car is effectively cut off from jobs in a highway-dependent city, and efficient transit reconnects those residents to the economy while lowering emissions per passenger.
None of this means highways are worthless. In sparsely populated regions, and for freight, roads remain essential. The claim is not that highways should be abandoned, but that, at the margin, the next public dollar does more good on rails than under asphalt.
Sample response · scroll to read
AWA score
- Position5/6
Takes a clear, appropriately qualified stance and holds it throughout.
- Development4/6
A strong central idea (induced demand) with a concrete example; the equity and environmental points are asserted more than developed.
- Organization5/6
A logical arc from claim to reasons to concession; transitions guide the reader well.
- Language4/6
Fluent and largely precise, though a few sentences run long and could be tightened.
- Conventions5/6
Solid command of grammar and mechanics, with only minor slips.
Strengths
- Clear, nuanced thesis that avoids overclaiming
- The 'induced demand' argument is well-chosen and genuinely persuasive
- Concedes the strongest counterpoint (rural roads, freight) rather than ignoring it
To improve
- Develop the equity/environment paragraph with a specific example or figure
- Trim wordy sentences to sharpen the prose
- Address a likely objection to transit (cost, ridership risk) head-on
A focused, well-structured response with a persuasive core argument and a fair concession. Deepening the supporting evidence and tightening the language would lift it toward the top of the scale.
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lasting for a very short time; temporary
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