Preview Big Book of ACT Practice Tests 2017 (ACT course book) by Kaplan (2017)

Preview Big Book of ACT Practice Tests 2017 (ACT course book) by Kaplan (2017) Preview Big Book of ACT Practice Tests 2017 (ACT course book) by Kaplan (2017) Preview Big Book of ACT Practice Tests 2017 (ACT course book) by Kaplan (2017) Preview Big Book of ACT Practice Tests 2017 (ACT course book) by Kaplan (2017) Preview Big Book of ACT Practice Tests 2017 (ACT course book) by Kaplan (2017)

Big Book of

Practice Tests 2017

BRING THIS BOOK TO EVERY CLASS

Check the contents

of your ACT Kit.

You should have the following:

4 ACT Course Book

4 Big Book of ACT Practice Tests

Log into your online resources.

Go to kaptest.com/myhome and log into your online center

After you log in, you can:

Orientation video

Ready to score higher? Log in to get started.

Didn’t receive your log-in information? Visit kaptest.com/myhome, and we’ll resend it.

Take your Diagnostic Test.

The Diagnostic Test establishes a baseline of your performance and fuels your custom study plan in your online resources.

Test with your class, so bring your Big Book of Practice Tests to your first session

your own before your first tutoring session

Course Book

ACT® is a registered trademark of ACT, Inc., which neither sponsors nor endorses this product.

INTEGRATED WITH YOUR COURSE

Everything you need to score higher on the ACT®

ACT Course Book is a dynamic prep program that combines review, strategies, practice,

and analysis to provide the most efficient path to a higher score.

Score-raising Strategies & Tactics

You’ll review critical test concepts and learn methods to improve your test performance and optimize your study time.

Realistic Practice & In-depth Analysis

Test your skills with the most realistic practice and use insightful analytics and guidance to target your prep to gain the most points in the least amount of time.

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2017

All rights reserved No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the written permission of the Publisher, except where permitted by law

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 ISBN-13: 978-1-5062-0719-3

Introduction to the ACT �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������vi

Keys to ACT Success �����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������xiii Course Overview ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������xvii

Welcome to Kaplan! ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������ xvii Course Structure ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� xvii

ACT Course Materials ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������xx Digital Resources �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������xx

How to Achieve Your Best Score ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� xxi

UNIT ONE: ENGLISH INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER 1: ACT English ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 3

UNIT TWO: CONVENTIONS OF STANDARD ENGLISH

CHAPTER 2: The Kaplan Method for ACT English & Sentence Structure

and Formation ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 13 CHAPTER 3: Punctuation ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 39

CHAPTER 4: Usage ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 57

UNIT THREE: PRODUCTION OF WRITING & KNOWLEDGE

OF LANGUAGE

CHAPTER 5: Organization, Unity, and Cohesion �������������������������������������������������������������������� 83

CHAPTER 6: Topic Development ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 101 CHAPTER 7: Knowledge of Language ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 123

UNIT FOUR: MATH INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER 8: ACT Math ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 145

UNIT FIVE: INTEGRATING ESSENTIAL SKILLS

CHAPTER 9: Essential Skills ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 157

UNIT SIX: HIGHER MATH

CHAPTER 10: Number and Quantity ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 207 CHAPTER 11: Algebra ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������ 241 CHAPTER 12: Functions ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 283 CHAPTER 13: Geometry �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 329 CHAPTER 14: Statistics and Probability�������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 391

UNIT SEVEN: READING INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER 15: ACT Reading ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 431

UNIT EIGHT: ACT READING

CHAPTER 16: The Kaplan Method for ACT Reading & Global

and Inference Questions ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 441 CHAPTER 17: Detail and Vocab-in-Context Questions ��������������������������������������������������������� 461 CHAPTER 18: Function and Writer’s View Questions ������������������������������������������������������������ 479 CHAPTER 19: Paired Passages ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 497

UNIT NINE: SCIENCE INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER 20: ACT Science ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 517

CHAPTER 22: Research Summaries ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 563 CHAPTER 23: Conflicting Viewpoints ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 593

UNIT ELEVEN: ACT WRITING

CHAPTER 24: ACT Writing Introduction �������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 623 CHAPTER 25: ACT Writing in Depth �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 631

UNIT TWELVE: REVIEW

CHAPTER 26: Putting It All Together ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������ 653

INTRODUCTION TO THE ACT

The first step to achieving ACT success is to learn about the structure of the test and why it’s so important for your future The ACT, like any standardized test, is predictable The more comfort-able you are with the test structure, the more confidently you will approach each question type, thus maximizing your score

ACT STRUCTURE

The ACT is 2 hours and 55 minutes long, or 3 hours and 35 minutes long if you choose to complete the optional Writing test It consists of a total of 215 scored multiple-choice questions and one optional essay

English 45 75

Reading 35 40Science 35 40Writing (optional) 40 1Total 175 or 215 (w/Writing) 215 or 216 (w/Writing)

ACT SCORING

The ACT is scored differently from most tests that you take at school Your ACT score on a test tion is not reported as the total number of questions you answered correctly, nor does it directly represent the percentage of questions you answered correctly Instead, the test makers add up all

sec-of your correct answers in a section to get what’s called your raw score They then use a conversion chart, or scale, that matches up a particular raw score with what’s called a scaled score The scaled

score is the number that gets reported as your score for that ACT subject test For each version of the ACT administered, the test makers use a unique conversion chart that equates a particular raw score with a particular scaled score

ACT scaled scores range from 1 to 36 Nearly half of all test takers score within a much narrower range: 17–23 Tests and scores on different dates vary slightly, but the information below is based

on a recent administration of the test and can be considered typical

middle range of test takers.

The score table includes two very strong scores: 28 and 33 Either score would impress almost any college admissions officer A 28 would put you in the top 10% of the students who take the exam, and a 33 would put you in the top 1% Even a 33 requires getting only about 90% of the questions right! So the best-scoring students will probably get at least a dozen questions wrong but will still get the scores they need to get into a highly competitive college

If you earn a score of 24, you’ll be in about the 74th percentile That means that you did as well

as or better than 74% of the test takers—in other words, you’re in the top quarter of people who took the ACT That’s a strong score, but notice that to earn this score, you need to get only about 63% of the questions correct On most tests, a score of 63% is probably a D or lower But on the ACT, it’s about a B+

HOW MANY ACT SCORES WILL YOU GET?

The ACT scaled score we’ve talked about so far is technically called the Composite score—when people say “I got _ on the ACT,” this is what they’re talking about While the Composite score is really important, you’ll see a dozen or more scores and reporting categories when you get your ACT results: the Composite score, 4 (or 5) subject scores, 18 reporting categories, and 4 domain scores

Though the subject scores can play a role in decisions or course placement at some schools, the reporting categories and domain scores usually aren’t as important as the Composite. 

E x p e r t T i p

Just a few questions right or wrong on the ACT can make a big difference Answering only five extra questions correctly on each subject test can move you from the bottom of the applicant pool into the middle or from the middle up to the top.

Here’s the full battery of ACT scores (1–36) you’ll receive:

1 Production of Writing

2 Knowledge of Language

3 Conventions of Standard English

1 Preparing for Higher Mathematics 1A Number & Quantity1B Algebra

1C Functions1D Geometry 1E Statistics & Probability 

2 Integrating Essential Skills 

3 Modeling 

1 Use algebra as a general way

of expressing and solving equations 

1A Real and complex number systems1B Solving, graphing, and modeling expressions1C Function definition, notation, representation, and application

1D Knowledge of shapes and solids; understanding composition of and solving for missing values

of figures 1E Center and spread of distributions; applying and analyzing data collection methods;

understanding and modeling bivariate data relationships; probabilities 

2 Rates and percentages;

average and median;

expressing numbers in different ways 

3 Producing, interpreting, understanding, evaluating, and improving models 

1 Key Ideas and Details

2 Craft and Structure

3 Integration of Knowledge and Ideas 

summarizing information and ideas; understanding relationships and drawing logical inferences and conclusions; understanding sequential, comparative, and cause-effect relationships 

2 Word and phrase meanings;

understanding authors’

word choices, purposes, and perspectives; analyzing text structure and characters’

points of view 

3 Understanding authors’

claims; differentiating between facts and opinions;

using evidence to make connections between different texts

Science score (1–36) Reporting categories: 

1 Interpretation of Data

2 Scientific Investigation 

3 Evaluation of Models, Inferences, and Experimental Results 

1 Manipulating and analyzing scientific data presented in tables, graphs, and diagrams 

2 Understanding experimental tools, procedures, and design; comparing, extending, and modifying experiments 

3 Judging the validity of scientific information;

formulating conclusions and predictions based on information presented 

(Optional) Writing score (2–12) Domain scores: 1 Ideas and Analysis

2 Development and Support 

2 Discussing ideas, offering rationale, and supporting an argument 

3 Organizing ideas with clarity and purpose 

4 Using written language to clearly convey arguments

HOW DO COLLEGES USE YOUR ACT SCORE?

The most important score is typically the Composite score (which is an unweighted average of the four major subject scores) This is the score used by most colleges and universities in the admissions and scholarship process The subject scores and subscores may be used for advanced placement

or occasionally for scholarships, but they are primarily used by college advisers to help students select majors and first-year courses

Although many schools deny that they use benchmark scores as cutoffs, students have had mixed experiences, and it’s well worth understanding the impact of all of your scores Highly competitive universities generally decline to accept students with any Composite scores below 22 or 23 For less competitive schools, the benchmark score may be lower than that; for some very selective schools, the cutoff may be higher

To be clear, no school uses the ACT as an absolute or stand-alone bar to admission; for most applicants, though, a low ACT score can be decisive As a rule, only students whose backgrounds are extremely unusual or who have overcome enormous disadvantages are accepted if their ACT scores are below the school’s benchmark

HOW DO SCHOOLS USE THE OPTIONAL WRITING TEST?

The ACT Writing test may be used for either admissions or course placement purposes, and sometimes both Students who take the Writing test will receive an English score, a Writing subscore, and a combined English-Writing score on a 1–36 scale (The Combined English-Writing score is not averaged into the Composite score.) Copies of the essay (with the graders’ comments) will be available online for downloading Schools that do not require the Writing test will also receive the Combined English-Writing score for students who have taken the Writing test, unless the school

specifically asks not to receive that score.

WHERE AND WHEN TO TAKE THE ACT

The ACT is offered every year on multiple Saturday test dates Typically, exams are offered in September, October, December, February, April, and June (The February date is not available in the state of New York.) You can take the ACT multiple times Some states offer special administrations

of the ACT on different dates Sunday tests are available by request for students requiring religious

or other exemptions The ACT is administered at high schools around the country that serve as testing centers Your high school may or may not be a testing center Check www.act.org for a list

of testing centers near you Note that you must register for the ACT approximately one month in advance to avoid paying a late fee. 

applications If you take it more than once, you can select whichever test score you prefer to be sent to colleges when you apply However, you can only take advantage of this option if, at the time you register for the test, you do not designate certain colleges to receive your scores automatically

Thus, if you are even possibly interested in taking the test more than once, it is crucial that you not designate any colleges when you register for the test You can (for a small additional fee) have ACT scores sent to colleges at any time after the scores are reported

Therefore, if you can afford the small extra fee to send your scores again, give yourself the freedom

to retake the test (An exception would be if you’re taking the test at the last minute and need your scores to reach your target schools as soon as possible.) What this means, of course, is that even if you don’t get the score you’re looking for the first time, you can give yourself another chance without the schools of your choice seeing every score The ACT is one of the few areas of your academic life in which you get a second chance Still, keep in mind that your goal is to get your desired score as soon as possible by using your Kaplan Strategies and Methods Once you get the score you’re looking for, you can breathe a little easier about your college applications!

COMMON TESTING MYTHS

In this section, we’ll dispel some of the most common ACT myths As always, you can find the most up-to-date information about the ACT at the official website (https://www.act.org)

Fact: This rumor has roots in human psychology Apparently, when people such as high school

teachers, for example, design an exam, they have a slight bias toward answer choice C/H when assigning correct answers While humans do write ACT questions, a computer ran-domizes the distribution of correct choices; statistically, therefore, each answer choice is equally likely to be the correct answer

E x p e r t Tu t o r T i p

The ACT is offered many times per year, so plan your prep and testing around the date that will give you the most time to prepare Consider activities, class tests, and personal plans when setting your prep and test schedule so you can give your ACT preparation the attention it deserves.

Myth: The ACT is just like another test in school�

Fact: While the ACT covers some of the same content as your high school English, math,

litera-ture, and science classes, it also presents concepts in ways that are fundamentally different

While you might be able to solve a math problem in a number of different ways on an algebra test, the ACT places a heavy emphasis on working through questions as quickly and efficiently as possible

Fact: While the ACT is designed to fairly test students regardless of preparation, you can gain a

huge advantage by familiarizing yourself with the structure and content of the exam By working through the questions and practice tests available to you, you’ll ensure that noth-ing on the ACT catches you by surprise and that you do everything you can to maximize your score Your Kaplan resources help you structure this practice in the most efficient way possible and provide you with helpful strategies and tips as well

your score Following all four together will get you to where you want to be.

1� LEARN THE TEST

The ACT is very predictable The test makers are excellent at crafting the types of challenges that show what they’re trying to see in your score As a result, the same kinds of questions, testing the same skills and concepts, appear every time the ACT is given This is to your considerable advantage

Because the test specifications rarely change, you can learn in advance what to expect on every section Just a little familiarity can make an enormous difference Here are a few ways learning the test will boost your score:

• You’ll know the directions� Why waste valuable time reading directions when you can have

them down pat beforehand? You need every second during the test to answer questions and get points

• You’ll know the difficulty range of questions� Every question on the ACT is worth the same

number of points, and the questions aren’t in any order of difficulty Knowing this, you can plan your approach to recognize the points you can earn quickly and move past the questions that will take too long until you can get back to them Doing the questions in the order the

ACT gives them to you isn’t a strategy Finding every last point you can get is.

• You’ll get extra points by guessing� Unlike some other standardized tests, the ACT has no

wrong-answer penalty Knowing how to apply that fact can boost your score significantly You miss 100 percent of shots you don’t take So if you can’t answer a question, guess

• You’ll know how to write a high-scoring essay� If you are taking the optional Writing test,

learning how it is evaluated will help you get a top score

2� LEARN THE KAPLAN METHODS AND STRATEGIES

The ACT isn’t like the exams you take in school Most school exams test your memory for what you’ve just been taught Instead, the ACT tests your problem-solving skills and how you use them, mostly on unfamiliar content So instead of worrying about what you do or don’t know, focus on learning the Kaplan problem-solving Methods and Strategies to earn you points!

Students miss a lot of ACT questions for no good reason They see a tough-looking question, say

to themselves, “Uh oh, I don’t remember how to do that,” and start to gnaw on their No 2 pencils

However, most ACT questions can be answered without perfect knowledge of the material being tested Often, all you need to do to succeed on the ACT is to think strategically and creatively We call this kind of strategic, creative frame of mind the ACT Mind-Set

How do you put yourself into the ACT Mind-Set? You continually ask yourself questions such as

“What am I being asked? What does this mean? How can I put this into a form I can understand and use? How can I do this faster?” Once you develop some savvy test-taking skills, you’ll find yourself capable of working out problems that, at first reading, might have seemed unsolvable In fact, we’ll show you how you can sometimes get right answers when you don’t even understand the questions

There are many, many specific strategies you can use to boost your score Here are just a few things you’ll learn:

Strategy A: Triaging the Test

You do not need to complete questions on the ACT in order Every student has different strengths and should attack the test with those strengths in mind Your main objective on the ACT should

be to score as many points as you can While approaching questions out of order may seem terintuitive, it is a surefire way to achieve your best score

coun-Just remember, you can skip around within each section, but you cannot work on a section other than the one you’ve been instructed to work on

To triage the test effectively, do the following:

• First, work through all the easy questions that you can do quickly Skip questions that are hard or time-consuming

• Second, work through the questions that are doable but time-consuming

• Third, work through the hard questions

• If you run out of time, choose your Letter of the Day for remaining questions

A Letter of the Day is an answer choice letter (A/F, B/G, C/H, or D/J) that you choose before Test Day to select for questions you guess on

Strategy B: Elimination

Even though there is no wrong-answer penalty on the ACT, elimination is still a crucial strategy If you can determine that one or more answer choices are definitely incorrect, you pare down the number of choices to select from and increase your chances of getting the right answer

E x p e r t T i p

For the English and Reading tests, start with the passage you find most manageable and work toward the one you find most challenging—you do not need to go in the order of the passages.

• Cross out the answer choices that are incorrect.

on the ACT is that you’ll earn zero points on a question, which means you should always at least

take a guess, even when you have no idea what to do

When guessing on a question, do the following:

• Always try to strategically eliminate answer choices before guessing

• If you run out of time, or have no idea what a question is asking, choose your Letter of the Day

3 LEARN THE TESTED MATERIAL

The ACT is designed to test skills and concepts learned in high school and needed for college But familiarity with the test, coupled with effective test-taking strategies, will take you only so far For your best score, you need to sharpen the skills and content knowledge that the ACT tests

The good news is that most of the content on the ACT is covered by sophomore year at most high schools, with the majority taught even earlier than that So you’ve probably already learned most

of what the ACT expects you to know, but you may need to spend some time remembering or finding better ways to approach the information That’s partly what this book is for—to remind you

of the knowledge you already have and to build and refine the specific skills you’ve developed so far Here are just a few of the things we’ll review:

• How to read graphs and tables efficiently for the Science test

• The rules for grammar and punctuation (yes, there are consistent and absolute rules, and we’ll tell you what they are)

• Math rules for triangles, probabilities, algebraic expressions, and more

• The difference between generalizations and details and between inferences and summaries,

as well as how to make a Passage Map that saves you more time than it takes to make it

• What goes into an excellent persuasive essay, what to leave out, and what to choose to write about if you’re running out of time

4� PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE

Practice creates confidence On Test Day, you need to have the Kaplan Methods and Strategies and the tested concepts ready to go—and you need to be relaxed enough to let them all work

So reading and understanding the contents of this book are key, but there’s one more step: you need to make the Kaplan Methods part of your everyday routine The best way to do that is to practice as much as possible

Test Day will bring its own challenges—you have to be up early to take a long test, in a room full of people you may or may not know, with everyone in a state of anticipation and nervousness—and the anxiety is contagious! You’ll be the one who doesn’t let nerves take over and make you forget what you know about doing well Your best ally is the confidence practice gives you

Note: If you don’t have time to practice with all of the sections of this book, you can (and should!)

practice in the areas you feel weakest

So here are your four keys to ACT success:

1 Learn the test

2 Learn the strategies

3 Learn the material tested

4 Practice, practice, practice

Follow these steps, and you’ll find yourself just where you want to be: in full command of your ACT test-taking experience, ready to get your highest score Count on it

WELCOME TO KAPLAN!

Congratulations on taking this important step in your college admissions process! By studying with Kaplan, the official partner of Online Prep Live instruction for the ACT®, you’ll maximize your score

on the ACT, a major factor in your overall application

Our experience shows that the greatest ACT score increases result from active engagement in the preparation process Kaplan will give you direction, focus your preparation, and teach you the specific skills and effective test-taking strategies you need to know for the ACT We will help you achieve your top performance on Test Day, but your effort is crucial The more you invest in preparing for the ACT, the greater your chances of achieving your target score and getting into your top-choice college!

This Course Overview serves as a guide to Kaplan’s ACT program Read it carefully You’ll get answers

to the following important questions:

• How is the course structured?

• What homework will I need to do?

• What materials does Kaplan provide, and how do I use them effectively?

• What are my online resources, and how do I access them?

• How can I achieve my best score on Test Day?

Are you registered for the ACT? Kaplan cannot register you for the official ACT If you

have not already registered for an upcoming ACT test date, visit the ACT’s official website at www.act.org for online registration and for information on registration deadlines, test sites, and fees The ACT is administered each year in September, October, December, February,*

April, and June Regular registration deadlines are usually four weeks prior to the test date

Your high school guidance office may have more information on registering for the ACT

*No test centers in New York are scheduled for the February test administration.

COURSE STRUCTURE

Your Kaplan ACT course will consist of ten sessions: four full-length practice tests and six interactive

lessons In addition to your tests and lessons, your Kaplan program includes this extensive Course

Book and the Big Book of Practice Tests, as well as additional digital resources

PRACTICE TESTS

Kaplan’s practice tests are just like the actual ACT, except your scores don’t count toward the college admissions process In fact, your Kaplan ACT Practice Test scores are not reported to anyone except you (and your Kaplan instructors) By taking an exam administered by a proctor under test-like conditions, you will prepare yourself for the actual Test Day experience Your practice tests are

included in the Big Book of Practice Tests, so bring it with you on Test Days.

LESSONS

In your lessons, your expert Kaplan instructor will review the key concepts tested on the ACT and teach you Kaplan’s proven methods and strategies Each lesson will cover the content and concepts

tested on the ACT and will be interactive, so be ready to participate! You will need your ACT Course

Book for all of your lessons.

Each lesson will cover a mixture of math, science, and verbal chapters Each chapter has a part structure of Prepare, Practice, and Perform During the Prepare section, your expert Kaplan instructor will walk you through the chapter’s concepts and content, demonstrating how to apply specific Kaplan strategies or methods to answer ACT questions correctly You will then move into the Practice portion of the chapter, in which you will be given a chance to practice what you

three-learned during Prepare with the help of your instructor and the Course Book During the ultimate

phase—Perform—you will independently apply the skills acquired during the chapter to a short series of test-like questions, which your instructor will review with you

Not every chapter of this book will be covered in your ACT class Class focuses on the most tant topics that are likely to be tested on the ACT You can use the rest of the chapters to brush

impor-up on less frequently tested skills and content For a list of chapters covered in each class, consult your online resources

HOMEWORK (EXTRA PRACTICE)

You need to reinforce what you learn in class by practicing the Kaplan Methods and strategies on your own Your instructor will assign homework after every class session, which will include extra

practice questions in the ACT Course Book and online quizzes

SMARTPOINTS

Each chapter contains a breakdown of SmartPoints By studying the information released by the ACT, Kaplan has been able to determine how often certain topics are likely to show up on the test, and, therefore, how many points these topics are worth on Test Day If you master a given topic, you can expect to earn the corresponding number of SmartPoints on Test Day The breakdown of

Sentence Structure and Formation 8 Ch 2Punctuation 5 Ch 3

Organization, Unity, and Cohesion 5 Passage Organization, Transitions Ch 5Topic Development 6 Writer’s Purpose, Supporting Mate-

rial Ch 6Knowledge of Language 6 Ambiguity, Concision, Precision,

Style and Tone Ch 7

Math

Essential Skills 14 Rates, Percents, Proportions,

and Unit Conversion; Numbers and Operations; Expressions and Equations; Geometry; Statistics and Probability

Ch 9

Higher Math 22 Number and Quantity; Algebra;

Functions; Geometry; Statistics and Probability

Ch 10, Ch 11, Ch 12,

Ch 13, Ch 14

Reading

Key Ideas and Details 21 Global, Inference, Detail Ch 16, Ch 17Craft and Structure 11 Vocab-in-Context, Function,

Writer’s View Ch 17, Ch 18Integration of Knowledge

and Ideas 4 Synthesis Ch 19

Science

Interpretation of Data 17 Ch 21Scientific Investigation 9 Ch 22Evaluation of Models, Inferences, and

Experimental Results 10 Ch 23

ACT COURSE MATERIALS

Your Kaplan ACT Student Kit contains the following items that you will use in preparation for Test Day:

COURSE BOOK

This book contains the lessons you’ll work on during each session and the homework assignments you’ll complete between sessions In addition to the chapters taught in class, this book contains several more chapters you can study and review by yourself in order to maximize your score on Test Day Bring this book, a calculator, and a pencil to every class

BIG BOOK OF PRACTICE TESTS

The Big Book of Practice Tests includes all four practice tests that you will take as part of your course

Bring this book, a calculator, and a few pencils to class on test days

2 Click on Sign In at the top of the page

3 Input your username and password, which were emailed to you and/or your parents when you enrolled in your Kaplan course This email was sent to the email address you provided with your class registration

Don’t have your username and password? Check your junk email folder for the original

user-name and password email from Kaplan If you cannot locate your useruser-name and password, visit kaptest.com Click on the link next to “Forgot your password?” and enter the email address used when registering for your course Your login credentials will be re-sent to that email address

4 Once you are logged in, read and accept the terms and conditions

5 Use your study plan and recommendations, which are personalized based on your mance throughout the course, to study effectively and efficiently for the ACT

perfor-available for you online.

Video: A short instructional video from Kaplan ACT experts Quiz: A series of test-like questions to practice for Test Day

HOW TO ACHIEVE YOUR BEST SCORE

Set up a weekly schedule—and stick to it Students who set up and then follow a disciplined

schedule for their preparation are more confident and ready for Test Day Schedule your class sions, practice tests, and time to do homework between them

ses-Make use of all the materials in your Kaplan course� You have a wealth of materials in your Student

Kit and online; both should play a role in your preparation Don’t let the box collect dust under your bed! Use the online flashcards for a few minutes each day, complete additional practice in

your Course Book, and log on to your online resources a few times a week to complete quizzes and

watch videos in your areas of opportunity

Complete the homework� After every lesson, your instructor will assign written homework from

the Course Book The homework is designed to reinforce what you learned in class You will also

need to watch the instructional videos and complete the online quizzes Just attending class will not raise your score; you must practice on your own!

Always use the Kaplan Methods when you practice� Every time you do homework questions or

take a practice test, you need to use the Kaplan Methods The Methods may slow you down or trip you up initially, but with practice, they will become second nature and help you improve your score on Test Day

Be patient� Your test-taking skill will improve with sustained, patient effort Don’t get frustrated

if you don’t see immediate results Mistakes and wrong answers are a natural and necessary part

of improvement Also, some students see improvement in their practice test scores right away, but many students don’t see results until their third or fourth practice test If you are dedicated

to making the most out of your class sessions, and if you are committed to your study schedule, your score will increase!

Concentrate on process, not performance� Getting questions right or wrong in class or at home

is meaningless You won’t see the same questions on Test Day! Instead, you will see problems like

those you have practiced, so how you get to the right answers and avoid the wrong answers is much

more important Always review your homework and practice tests by reading the full explanations for every question, even those you answered correctly You need to make sure that you answered correctly because you solved correctly, not because you guessed correctly

What can you do about pacing and time management on Test Day? At the beginning of your

study, timing should be a secondary concern First, concentrate on developing the mental approach needed to answer questions effectively Focus on knowing how to solve them correctly and quickly

When you are comfortable with the Kaplan Methods, start working on timed practice both in test sections and on full-length tests

ENGLISH INTRODUCTION

BY THE END OF THIS UNIT, YOU WILL BE ABLE TO:

1 Identify the format and timing of the ACT English test

2 Apply tips and strategies to the ACT English test

CHAPTER OBJECTIVES

By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:

1 Identify the six ACT English question types

2 Use SmartPoints to determine the highest-yield question types

Directions: In the five passages that follow, certain words and phrases are underlined and numbered In

the right-hand column, you will find alternatives for the underlined parts In most cases, you are to choose the one that best expresses the idea, makes the statement appropriate for standard written English, or

is worded most consistently with the style and tone of the passage as a whole If you think the original version is best, choose NO CHANGE In some cases, you will find in the right-hand column a question about the underlined part You are to choose the best answer to the question

You will also find questions about a section of the passage or about the passage as a whole These questions do not refer to an underlined portion of the passage, but rather are identified by a number or numbers in a box

For each question, choose the alternative you consider best and fill in the corresponding oval on your answer grid Read each passage through once before you answer the questions that accompany it For many questions, you must read several sentences beyond the underlined portion to determine the answer

Be sure that you have read enough ahead each time you answer a question

INSIDE THE ACT ENGLISH TEST

The English test is 45 minutes long and includes 75 questions The test includes five essays, or sages, each of which includes 15 questions This means you only have 9 minutes to spend on each passage, or 30–40 seconds on each question Because time is limited, the Kaplan Method for ACT English will be invaluable in helping you answer the questions strategically within the time allowed

pas-THE FORMAT

ACT English Passages

English passages will be about a variety of subjects and may be written in numerous styles: suasive, explanatory, narrative, etc Recognizing the style of an English passage helps you focus on the questions as they relate to the passage’s general purpose Knowing the overarching aim of the passage will help you answer questions more efficiently and accurately

per-TEST DAY DIRECTIONS AND FORMAT

The directions on the English test illustrate why there’s an advantage to knowing them hand—they’re long and complicated, and if you learn them now, then on Test Day, you’ll already

before-be racking up points while everyone else is reading the directions The directions will look like this:

E x p e r t T i p

Correct answers must be consistent with a passage’s overall style.

within the passage itself These questions follow the order of the passage and ask you to choose which answer choice best replaces the underlined portion (or to select “NO CHANGE”) Some ques-tions within the passage will contain a question stem, which will correspond to either an underlined segment or a numbered box in the passage text Other questions refer to the passage as a whole

These questions appear at the end of the passage after a box with the instructions “Questions # and # ask about the preceding passage as a whole.”

OUTSIDE KNOWLEDGE

The ACT English test thoroughly covers rules from a variety of common English topics, mostly from courses students typically complete by the end of the 11th grade The needed English “facts” are addressed in the strategic discussion throughout the English chapters in this book

THE INSIDE SCOOP

The ACT is designed to test your understanding of the conventions of written English—punctuation, grammar, sentence structure—and of general rhetorical skills (Rhetorical skills are more strategic concepts like organizing the text and making sure it’s consistently styled and concise.)

The questions do not get harder as you proceed through the test.

TIMING

Plan to spend 9 minutes on each passage That way, when time is called, you should have looked

at all 75 English questions and made sure you have gridded in at least a guess for every question

Have an organized approach Because of the passage-based format, we recommend that you

do not skip around in the English subject test Move straight from beginning to end, answering all

of the questions as you go Unlike some sections, in English you’ll usually have at least a sense of what the right answer should be rather quickly But remember, even the correct answer will start

to sound wrong if you think about it too much!

WHEN YOU’RE RUNNING OUT OF TIME

If you have no time left to even read the last few questions, choose the shortest answer for each one Remember that DELETE, when it appears, counts as the shortest answer For questions not based on clarity, pick a “letter of the day” and just use that No choice is more likely than any other,

so pick one letter and use it for all questions you can’t work on

SCORING

You will receive an English subject score—from 1 to 36—for the entire English subject test This score will be averaged into your ACT Composite Score, equally weighted with your scores on the other three major subject tests You will also receive three other scores based on specific knowledge and concepts These are called reporting categories and consist of:

• Conventions of Standard English

• Production of Writing

• Knowledge of Language

• When in doubt, take it out Make sure that everything is written as concisely as possible If

you think something doesn’t belong in a sentence, it probably doesn’t, so choose an answer that leaves it out Between two grammatically correct and relevant choices, the shorter one

will always be right Not just better—right.

• Make sure it makes sense When switching phrases in and out, it’s easy to find grammar but

lose logic Consider sentence formation, making sure that sentences are complete and not fragments and that ideas relate logically For an answer to be correct in ACT English, it must

create a sentence that is logically and grammatically correct.

Don’t choose the answer that “sounds fancy.” Choose the one that sounds right.

SPECIAL STRATEGIES: IF YOU GET STUCK

A few questions will require you to rearrange the words in a sentence, the sentences in a paragraph,

or even the paragraphs in a passage Others may ask questions about the meaning of all or part of the passage or about its structure Your approach to these questions should be:

1 Determine your task What are you being asked to do?

2 Consider the passage as a whole Read the sentences around the numbered question

to get the big picture—you need to know the points made there Most passages will have

a well-defined theme, laid out in a logical way, so choose the answer that expresses the arrangement of elements that best continues the “flow” of the passage

3 Predict your answer As you’ll see again in the Reading section, making a prediction will

give you an idea of what the answer is before you look at the choices

of SmartPoints on Test Day.

Here is a brief overview of what exactly to expect and how much of it you should be expecting

CONVENTIONS OF STANDARD ENGLISH—19 POINTS 

Conventions of Standard English questions make up 51–56% of the English test The questions in this category require an understanding of English grammar, usage, and mechanics You will need

to be able to identify errors, revise, and edit text

Sentence Structure and Formation—8 Points

The test will require you to identify improper sentence structure and formation in a text You’ll need to make revisions to improve the text Some concepts you will be tested on include, but are not limited to: 

• Run-on sentences and fragments

require an understanding of the purpose and focus of a piece of writing You will need to be able

to identify errors as well as to revise and edit text

Organization, Unity, and Cohesion—5 Points

The test will require you to use various strategies to ensure that a text is logically organized, flows smoothly, and has an effective introduction and conclusion. Some concepts you will be tested on include, but are not limited to:

• Logical order of a text’s information and ideas within each paragraph

• Logical order of a text’s information and ideas within the passage as a whole

• Transition words, phrases, or sentences used to introduce, conclude, or connect information and ideas

Topic Development—6 Points

The test will require you to demonstrate an understanding of, and control over, the rhetorical aspects of texts You'll need to identify the purposes and parts of texts, determine whether a text

or part of text has met its intended goal, and evaluate the relevance of materials in terms of a text's focus. Some concepts you will be tested on include, but are not limited to:

• The effect of adding, revising, or deleting information within a passage

• Appropriate phrasing in relation to a passage’s purpose, unity, or focus

• The purpose of an English passage, including whether the text accomplishes this purpose

KNOWLEDGE OF LANGUAGE—6 POINTS

Knowledge of Language questions make up 13–19% of the English test The questions in this category require you to demonstrate effective language use through ensuring precision and concision in word choice and through maintaining a consistent tone You will need to be able to identify errors as well as to revise and edit text Some concepts you will be tested on include, but are not limited to:

• Elements in a passage that are wordy, redundant, or not relevant to a passage’s topic and purpose

• Exactness or content appropriateness of word choice

• Consistency of style and tone with a passage’s purpose 

CONVENTIONS

OF STANDARD

ENGLISH

BY THE END OF THIS UNIT, YOU WILL BE ABLE TO:

1 Apply the Kaplan Method for English

2 Identify and correct errors in sentence structure and formation

3 Identify and correct punctuation errors

4 Identify and correct usage errors

for ACT English &

Sentence Structure and

Formation

CHAPTER OBJECTIVES

By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:

1 Apply the Kaplan Method for ACT English

2 Recognize and correct run-ons and fragments

3 Recognize and correct misplaced and incorrect modifiers

4 Recognize and correct inappropriate grammatical shifts in the construction of verb and pronoun phrases

SMARTPOINTS

THE KAPLAN METHOD FOR ACT ENGLISH &

SENTENCE STRUCTURE AND FORMATION

Chapter 2

Homework

Extra Practice: #1–10 Online English Quiz 1

Even More

Extra Practice: #11–15 Online Quizzes Online Videos

Key

Book Assignment Online Quiz Assignment Online Video Assignment

test By understanding what the question is looking for, how it relates to the passage, and the questions you should ask yourself on Test Day, you will maximize the number of points you earn

Use the Kaplan Method for ACT English for every ACT English test passage and question you encounter, whether practicing, completing your homework, working on a Practice Test, or taking the actual exam on Test Day

The Kaplan Method for ACT English has three steps:

Step 1: Read the passage and identify the issue Step 2: Eliminate answer choices that do not address the issue Step 3: Plug in the remaining answer choices and select the most correct, concise,

and relevant one

Let’s take a closer look at each step

Step 1: Read the passage and identify the issue

Rather than reading the whole passage and then answering all of the questions, you can answer questions as you read because they are mostly embedded in the text itself

When you see a number, stop reading and look at the question If you can answer it with what you’ve read so far, do so If you need more information, keep reading until you have enough context

to answer the question

Step 2: Eliminate answer choices that do not address the issue

Eliminating answer choices that do not address the issue increases your odds of getting the correct answer by removing obviously incorrect answer choices

Step 3: Plug in the remaining answer choices and select the most correct, concise, and relevant one

Correct, concise, and relevant means that the answer choice you select:

• Makes sense when read with the correction

• Is as short as possible while retaining the information in the text

• Relates well to the passage overall