<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<competency testname="Adaptive Reading Test 1" shuffle_choices="1" shuffle_questions="0" displaytype="list">
<direction><![CDATA[Choose the best answer to each question.]]></direction>
<qa name="q588" theta="0.352941176470585" difficulty="0.529411764705882" discrimination="0.339109216488365" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="1060" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[<br><br></em>  People with epilepsy have sudden seizures. During a seizure, the brain stops working normally.<br><br></em>  Epilepsy is a physical illness, and epileptics are not "crazy." <br><br> Which phrase from these sentences helps you understand the meaning of "seizure"?]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[brain stops working normally]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[damage to the brain]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[epileptics are not "crazy"]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[physical illness]]></answer></qa>
<qa name="q914" theta="1.41176470588235" difficulty="0.384615384615385" discrimination="0.544368347198923" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="1240" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[Wood saw it firsthand when the St. Joseph Hospital, which provided neighborhood jobs and anchored the area, moved away and the building was demolished. The Linwood Shopping Center, once a flourishing center for black-owned businesses, withered away. In the mid-1980s, a grocery store and shopping center prospered for a while and then fizzled.<br><br></em>What is the overall tone of the above paragraph, and which words MOST contribute to the paragraph's tone?]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[discouraging; withered, fizzled]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[catastrophic; moved, demolished]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[hopeful; flourishing, prospered]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[reassuring; provided, anchored]]></answer></qa>
<qa name="q712" theta="0.647058823529409" difficulty="0.473684210526316" discrimination="0.747003326062636" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="1110" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[Police said the damage appeared to be targeted at the Jewish community.<br><br></em>Which word would CHANGE the meaning of the sentence if it replaced "targeted"?]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[viewed]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[aimed]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[directed]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[pointed]]></answer></qa>
<qa name="q1066" theta="-1.29411764705883" difficulty="0.730769230769231" discrimination="0.436892836962555" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="780" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[From ancient Rome to modern times, mankind has suffered devastating periods of hunger called famines. They are caused by drought, war or misguided politics.<br><br></em>HOW does using the word "devastating" affect the tone of this sentence?]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[It conveys a sense of catastrophe.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[It conveys a sense of urgency.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[It creates a historical context.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[It creates an enduring quality.]]></answer></qa>
<qa name="q748" theta="0.529411764705879" difficulty="0.5" discrimination="0.209337271856401" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="1090" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[Many people believe that zoos use animals only for people's enjoyment. They also see the history of zoos as rife with cases of abuse. In the 19th century, when zoological parks first became popular, many had exhibits that displayed not just animals from a certain region but people as well. They were displayed with the animals as "exotic" people from another part of the world. These people were displayed against their will.<br><br></em>Based on this selection, what does it mean to say that zoos have been "rife with cases of abuse"?]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[It means abuse has been very common at zoos.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[It means abuse has only happened once in a while at zoos.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[It means zoos have prevented many cases of abuse.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[It means zoos have tried to deny any history of abuse.]]></answer></qa>
<qa name="q1121" theta="1.17647058823529" difficulty="0.416666666666667" discrimination="0.639191118035994" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="1200" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[The FAO, which is hosting the Harare meeting, said armyworm — combined with current locust problems — "could be catastrophic" as southern Africa has yet to recover from droughts caused by the El Nino climate phenomenon.<br><br></em>What does the adjective "catastrophic" convey?]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[a sense that the fall armyworm has extremely destructive capabilities]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[a sense that the fall armyworm is particularly resistant to traditional methods of control]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[a sense that the FAO has been able to stay optimistic about the armyworm problem]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[a sense that the locust problem is more disastrous than the armyworm problem]]></answer></qa>
<qa name="q425" theta="-2.88235294117647" difficulty="0.923076923076923" discrimination="0.489764405493517" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="510" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[It can snatch up a bug in an instant.<br><br></em>What does the author mean by "in an instant"?]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[really quickly]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[for a minute]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[for dinner]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[very gently]]></answer></qa>
<qa name="q1156" theta="1.35294117647059" difficulty="0.388888888888889" discrimination="0.499269611766714" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="1230" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[When the pharaoh refuses, God unleashes 10 devastating plagues on the Egyptians, culminating in the slaying of every firstborn son by an avenging angel.<br><br></em>What does the verb "unleashes" convey in the sentence?]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[a sense of power and violence behind the 10 plagues]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[a sense of dread and guilt behind the 10 plagues]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[a sense of joy and anticipation behind the 10 plagues]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[a sense of wonder and humility behind the 10 plagues]]></answer></qa>
<qa name="q1107" theta="3" difficulty="0.0555555555555556" discrimination="0.562767240096785" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="1510" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[The car was displayed outside the entrance to the Lockheed Martin IMAX theater, along with “Stinky” the underwater robot, a relic of the competitive robot circuit.<br><br></em>What does the word "relic" convey about the robot?]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[Its achievements as a robot are not current.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[It is the last robot from a circuit that no longer exists.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[It was recently discovered.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[Its value is priceless.]]></answer></qa>
<qa name="q49" theta="-0.647058823529415" difficulty="0.647058823529412" discrimination="0.571262046997983" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="890" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[Select the sentence that contains a word that means "leisurely walk."]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[They could stroll along a riverside walkway and go to a restaurant at the end of the walkway.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[They are also planning a lift ride that would carry tourists to the canyon bottom.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[At the rim of the Grand Canyon, a crowd of visitors looks for a good spot to gaze at the beauty of the national park.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[The Grand Canyon provides once-in-a-lifetime views, but it has always been difficult to reach the canyon floor.]]></answer></qa>
<qa name="q941" theta="2.41176470588235" difficulty="0.25" discrimination="0.263230333848542" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="1410" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[Which paragraph BEST supports the idea that California is concerned with saving water even though the most recent drought is over?<br><br></em>A]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[But with climate change expected to heighten the typically dramatic swings in California weather, the Brown administration is adopting plans to embed conservation in the state’s water habits. A ban will continue on wasteful practices such as hosing down driveways or watering in the rain.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[In a move that showed the seriousness of the threat, Brown ordered a 25 percent cut in water use in cities across the state. Californians came close to meeting it by taking shorter showers, flushing less and accepting when restaurants did away with the once-obligatory glass of water.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[In the wake of the last prolonged drought, from 1987 to 1992, the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California constructed a big reservoir in Riverside County to boost regional reserves. Those regional reserves helped carry Southern California through this drought.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[The formal end to the drought emergency in most of the state won’t have much of a practical effect because the urban cuts were significantly relaxed last year. El Nino storms in Northern California had loosened the drought’s grip and big reservoirs began to refill.]]></answer></qa>
<qa name="q716" theta="-0.352941176470591" difficulty="0.615384615384615" discrimination="0.367524640330301" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="940" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[If we were able to extract collagen and carry out collagen fingerprinting on these bones, then we would have a whole independent line of evidence.<br><br></em>Which sentence uses "carry out" in the SAME way as the sentence above?]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[After giving instructions, the teacher told the class to go ahead and carry out the experiment.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[My mom told me I had better carry out the trash soon or I would be grounded for the next month.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[The restaurant worker wants to know if this large order is for dine in or carry out.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[The science teacher asked the students to carry out their project boards into the hallway.]]></answer></qa>
<qa name="q104" theta="-0.352941176470591" difficulty="0.615384615384615" discrimination="0.418207189649351" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="940" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[Governments with English as the official language will always require what rule?]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[all government communications must be in English]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[make all immigrants learn English to adapt better to the U.S.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[medicine bottles to have instructions translated in other languages]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[government communications to be in English as well as other languages]]></answer></qa>
<qa name="q995" theta="-0.235294117647062" difficulty="0.590909090909091" discrimination="0.436126695879585" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="960" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[Record-high temperatures in 2015 and 2016 drove an unprecedented bleaching event.<br><br></em>The author uses the word "unprecedented" to mean:]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[previously unseen]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[frequently occurring]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[highly damaging]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[little noticed]]></answer></qa>
<qa name="q754" theta="1.23529411764706" difficulty="0.411764705882353" discrimination="0.402771228829746" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="1210" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[Egyptian society was structured like a pyramid.<br><br></em>Which of the following words, if it replaced the word "structured," would CHANGE the meaning of the sentence?]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[guarded]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[arranged]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[composed]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[organized]]></answer></qa>
<qa name="q819" theta="0.176470588235291" difficulty="0.545454545454545" discrimination="0.443834672983754" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="1030" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[The modern American West is not the product of the United States arriving at the Pacific Ocean. Instead, it is the result of transformative events.<br><br></em>Which option is the BEST definition of the word "transformative" as used in this selection?]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[causing a change]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[a series of events]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[historic]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[industrial]]></answer></qa>
<qa name="q553" theta="-0.0588235294117679" difficulty="0.578947368421053" discrimination="0.473952690664834" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="990" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[One of the Founders, James Madison, had this feeling about democracy. He said that "instability, injustice and confusion" had caused many governments to fail.<br><br></em>Which other word means the same thing as "instability, injustice and confusion"?]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[chaos]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[documents]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[governments]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[rule]]></answer></qa>
<qa name="q1008" theta="2.58823529411764" difficulty="0.230769230769231" discrimination="0.300333600560806" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="1440" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[The success of the two rappers reflected much of the conventional wisdom regarding the mainstreaming of black or other forms of ethnic music. Simply put, the music had to lose many of its ethnic signifiers to cross over to a wider mainstream audience.<br><br></em>What is the meaning of the phrase "ethnic signifiers" as used above?]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[elements of black culture]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[artists' appeal to audiences]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[endorsements by black artists]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[unique cultural sounds]]></answer></qa>
<qa name="q63" theta="2.70588235294117" difficulty="0.208333333333333" discrimination="0.777496148957099" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="1460" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[Select the sentence that contains a word that is a synonym for "in particular."]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[Many neighborhoods around Little Village are especially dangerous.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[Veterans and the teens have serious talks together once a week.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[They always said they had to be on point or aware or careful, said veteran Richard Rivera.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[Surviving demands fast decisions, quick dashes to safety or, as Sammy describes it, just dumb luck.]]></answer></qa>
<qa name="q1054" theta="1.8235294117647" difficulty="0.333333333333333" discrimination="0.292562167608853" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="1310" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[A Senate committee was appointed to investigate, and Nixon succumbed to public pressure and appointed Special Prosecutor Archibald Cox to scrutinize the matter.<br><br></em>What does the verb "succumbed" convey?]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[the sense that Nixon had no real choice]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[the sense that Nixon gave in too soon]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[the sense that Nixon participated willingly]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[the sense that Nixon was battling illness]]></answer></qa>
<qa name="q604" theta="-1.52941176470589" difficulty="0.764705882352941" discrimination="0.424444105511369" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="740" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[We often make connections between things to make it easier to understand the world. In many cases this is helpful. Still, it is not good for this to go unchecked by more deliberative thinking. If it does, errors occur.<br><br></em>Which phrase from the paragraph helps you understand the meaning of "unchecked"?]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[errors occur]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[easier to understand]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[make connections]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[this is helpful]]></answer></qa>
<qa name="q729" theta="0.41176470588235" difficulty="0.526315789473684" discrimination="0.374840243553378" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="1070" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[When an epileptic fit occurs, the person’s muscles stiffen. Then, they lose consciousness and fall to the floor, and their body starts jerking rhythmically.<br><br></em>Which option is the BEST definition of the word "fit" as used in the sentence?]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[attack]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[craze]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[rage]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[shock]]></answer></qa>
<qa name="q1050" theta="1.8235294117647" difficulty="0.333333333333333" discrimination="0.635069522997355" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="1310" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[But with climate change expected to accentuate the typically dramatic swings in California weather, the Brown administration is adopting plans to embed conservation in the state’s waterways.<br><br></em>Which version of this sentence creates a more alarming tone by replacing the word "accentuate"?]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[But with climate change expected to EXACERBATE the typically dramatic swings in California weather, the Brown administration is adopting plans to embed conservation in the state’s waterways.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[But with climate change expected to BRING OUT the typically dramatic swings in California weather, the Brown administration is adopting plans to embed conservation in the state’s waterways.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[But with climate change expected to EMPHASIZE the typically dramatic swings in California weather, the Brown administration is adopting plans to embed conservation in the state’s waterways.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[But with climate change expected to HIGHLIGHT the typically dramatic swings in California weather, the Brown administration is adopting plans to embed conservation in the state’s waterways.]]></answer></qa>
<qa name="q1131" theta="1.52941176470588" difficulty="0.375" discrimination="0.376261156693756" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="1260" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[Climate change-related impacts, including heat waves and extreme weather events, have disproportionate effects on vulnerable groups, including young, elderly, ill and low-income populations.<br><br></em>How does the word "disproportionate" affect the meaning of the sentence?]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[It indicates that the effects of climate change-related impacts are excessive for vulnerable groups compared to other groups.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[It communicates the idea that vulnerable groups are affected by climate change-related impacts in a wide variety of ways.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[It conveys the idea that different vulnerable groups are affected differently by climate change-related impacts.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[It suggests that the effects of climate change-related impacts are difficult to determine for vulnerable groups.]]></answer></qa>
<qa name="q318" theta="1.05882352941176" difficulty="0.423076923076923" discrimination="0.525658148091593" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="1180" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[<em>The company says it will be less likely to scratch or shatter.<br><br></em>Which phrase helps you understand what happens when smartphones "shatter"?]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[spider web-like cracks]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[difficult to scratch]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[change in temperature]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[doesn’t do well in heat]]></answer></qa>
<qa name="q42" theta="0.764705882352938" difficulty="0.461538461538462" discrimination="0.421926507844646" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="1130" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[The brothers said the song had been the "first time we dared speak up openly" against the rule of Assad. It was dangerous to say certain things in Syria.<br><br></em>What does the author mean by "rule"?]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[government]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[tradition]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[example]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[instruction]]></answer></qa>
<qa name="q1082" theta="2.35294117647058" difficulty="0.263157894736842" discrimination="0.625381737620664" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="1400" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[Humans (or at least doctors) take a very anthropocentric view of the world, but viruses can infect all living organisms, even bacteria (bacteriophages). And they seem to be everywhere.<br><br></em>The author uses the word "anthropocentric" to suggest:]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[that we primarily see the effect of viruses on our own species]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[that we concentrate on how viruses spread around the world]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[that we have focused our research on living organisms]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[that we understand how viruses affect the human population]]></answer></qa>
<qa name="q821" theta="-2.05882352941177" difficulty="0.823529411764706" discrimination="0.426357286247781" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="650" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[Bleached coral is more likely to become diseased. Without sufficient time to recover — which can take one decade or more depending on the type of coral — it can die.<br><br></em>Which answer choice is the BEST definition of the word "sufficient" as used in the sentence?]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[adequate]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[average]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[generous]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[sparse]]></answer></qa>
<qa name="q1085" theta="0.588235294117644" difficulty="0.5" discrimination="0.33651008721115" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="1100" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[And if such runaways shall be found to transgress the second time or oftener (if it shall be duly proved against them) that then they shall be branded in the cheek with the letter R and pass under the statute of incorrigible rogues."<br><br></em>What is the meaning of the phrase "incorrigible rogue" as used in the following sentence?]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[disobedient criminal]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[indulgent lowlife]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[remorseful bum]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[wicked agitator]]></answer></qa>
</competency>