<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<competency testname="Adaptive Reading Test 11" shuffle_choices="1" shuffle_questions="0" displaytype="list">
<direction><![CDATA[Choose the best answer to each question.]]></direction>
<qa name="q624" theta="0.176470588235291" difficulty="0.545454545454545" discrimination="0.530013901340792" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="1030" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[The brain is not a fixed thing.<br><br></em>Which sentence uses "fixed" in the SAME way as the sentence above?]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[Jamal never knows how long it will take to get to the carnival because it does not have a fixed location.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[Ana watched closely as her two older cousins fixed the chain on her bike.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[Kristin fixed the laptop after her son spilled water on the keyboard.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[Luis complained to his coach that the race was fixed because the other team had a head start.]]></answer></qa>
<qa name="q142" theta="0.29411764705882" difficulty="0.538461538461538" discrimination="0.23381043197542" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="1050" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[Select the sentence that contains a word that is an antonym for 'unfit.']]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[In most states, hundreds of schools are eligible, according to a study by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[In areas where the program has been implemented, it's been lauded by state and district officials, teachers and child nutrition advocates.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[As a result, not all school districts are expected to participate.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[Not going full swoop will give us a chance to see more about what the impact will be, she said.]]></answer></qa>
<qa name="q731" theta="0.529411764705879" difficulty="0.5" discrimination="0.688006547697642" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="1090" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[English is often thought of as a global language.<br><br></em>Which of the following words, if it replaced the word "global" in this sentence, would CHANGE the meaning of the sentence?]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[professional]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[international]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[universal]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[worldwide]]></answer></qa>
<qa name="q724" theta="-0.352941176470591" difficulty="0.615384615384615" discrimination="0.22525610880203" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="940" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[I saw, and heard, a gun fired, which appeared to be a pistol. Then I heard two guns and a continuing roar of muskets.<br><br></em>How does the phrase "continuing roar" affect the tone of this selection?]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[It conveys the idea that the fighting quickly intensified.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[It conveys the idea that Revere knew exactly what happened in the situation.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[It conveys the idea that Revere was very far away from the fighting.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[It conveys the idea that the situation was under control.]]></answer></qa>
<qa name="q550" theta="-1.70588235294118" difficulty="0.777777777777778" discrimination="0.235469252668872" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="710" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[Believe your own thoughts. Believe that what is true for you in your heart is true for all men. Speak these thoughts and they will fill the universe. The light, which flashes across your own mind, is brighter than the light from the minds of famous writers.<br><br></em>Based on the paragraph, which of the following does Emerson believe to be TRUE?]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[Your own thoughts are the best way to find truth and wisdom.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[Famous writers recognize greatness when they see it.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[It is too difficult to understand the words of famous writers.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[People should study the words of great thinkers to become wise.]]></answer></qa>
<qa name="q103" theta="0.823529411764703" difficulty="0.458333333333333" discrimination="0.420416030439753" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="1140" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[Select the sentence that contains a word that is an antonym for "arrive."]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[Many young people fled Cleveland and other Rust Belt cities in the 2000s for places such as Chicago, San Francisco and New York, Piiparinen said.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[Something about Cleveland was beginning to lure back young people.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[Developers also are rushing to build hotels and luxury condos to keep up with demand.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[They are coming back not just to Cleveland, but to Pittsburgh, St. Louis and Buffalo, New York, as well.]]></answer></qa>
<qa name="q100" theta="0.999999999999997" difficulty="0.428571428571429" discrimination="0.533066910750229" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="1170" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[These are boom times in the Cowboy State, thanks to an oil explosion whose ripples can be felt across the land.<br><br></em>What word could BEST replace the word 'ripples' in the sentence above?]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[profits]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[marvels]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[disasters]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[sanctions]]></answer></qa>
<qa name="q679" theta="0.529411764705879" difficulty="0.5" discrimination="0.51199074714657" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="1090" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[The popularity of hip-hop music started to make these divides more difficult to pick out.<br><br></em>Which sentence uses "divides" in the SAME way as it is used above?]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[There are divides between what my friend and I consider to be the best football team.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[I like to watch my math teacher when she divides large numbers before I try it on my own.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[My mom evenly divides the slices of cake between my brother and me.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[The Rio Grande divides part of the United States from Mexico.]]></answer></qa>
<qa name="q1086" theta="-1" difficulty="0.705882352941177" discrimination="0.470049882624891" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="830" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[The professional soldiers they faced suffered from neither of these liabilities.<br><br></em>What does the word "liabilities" convey in this sentence?]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[a sense of disadvantange]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[a sense of confusion]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[a sense of dread]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[a sense of excitement]]></answer></qa>
<qa name="q184" theta="0.588235294117644" difficulty="0.5" discrimination="0.522625504929526" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="1100" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[Which of the following shows that the Buddy Baseball program is about much more than just baseball?]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[Organizers say the girls' five-year friendship - which spills over from the baseball field to Taylor Swift concerts, trips to the local swimming pool and other activities - is an inspiring example of the meaningful bonds formed in programs like Buddy Baseball.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[The girls were paired in the Rising Stars Buddy Baseball program in west suburban Wheaton, Illinois, which matches students with special needs with partners on the field.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[Today, Giambalvo and Dungan, both 18, count down the days each week until they can see each other again on a baseball field for five Tuesdays in July and August.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[They hold hands as Giambalvo leads Dungan to first base after her hit goes airborne, and they giggle together in the outfield while waiting to make a catch.]]></answer></qa>
<qa name="q953" theta="0" difficulty="0.576923076923077" discrimination="0.587761932724825" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="1000" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[She also added that the very idea of a "habitable world" is purely theoretical. Scientists have only one source of data on habitable planets, and that is Earth. "We don't actually know the parameters that are needed for life on another world," Adams said.<br><br></em>Which phrase from the paragraph gives context for the meaning of the phrase "purely theoretical"?]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[don't actually know]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[also added that]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[habitable planets]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[needed for life]]></answer></qa>
<qa name="q1083" theta="0.999999999999997" difficulty="0.428571428571429" discrimination="0.42019248985096" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="1170" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[The recent discovery of new very large viruses has also blurred the lines between what does and does not constitute life. In 2003, the Mimivirus was found inside an amoeba in a cooling tower in England.<br><br></em>What does the use of the phrase "blurred the lines" convey in the sentence?]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[a sense of ambiguity]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[a sense of anxiety]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[a sense of clarity]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[a sense of mystery]]></answer></qa>
<qa name="q1077" theta="0.647058823529409" difficulty="0.473684210526316" discrimination="0.502984654164814" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="1110" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[An estimated 150,000 people in the past month have converged on this town of about 3,500, roughly 85 miles (135 kilometers) northeast of San Diego, for the so-called super bloom.<br><br></em>What is the meaning of the word "converged" as used in the sentence?]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[met in one place]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[moved forward]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[shared the same point in time]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[stimulated interest]]></answer></qa>
<qa name="q894" theta="-1.58823529411765" difficulty="0.769230769230769" discrimination="0.440762758538483" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="730" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[The dogs, which sometimes work at Palm Beach International Airport too, can hunt down potentially dangerous contraband faster and more accurately than their two-legged partners.<br><br></em>Which phrase from the selection helps explain what "contraband" means?]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[potentially dangerous]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[faster and more accurately]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[sometimes work]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[two-legged partners]]></answer></qa>
<qa name="q424" theta="-2" difficulty="0.818181818181818" discrimination="0.222337488046625" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="660" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[Many German shepherds helped police and firefighters after the September 11, 2001, attacks.<br><br></em>Which word could replace "helped" in the sentence above WITHOUT changing its meaning?]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[assisted]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[guarded]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[noticed]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[trusted]]></answer></qa>
<qa name="q580" theta="0" difficulty="0.576923076923077" discrimination="0.542814399537912" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="1000" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[All fish-scaled geckos have tearaway skin. So do a few other gecko species. They lose their scales as a way to defend themselves.<br><br></em>What does "tearaway skin" refer to in the sentence?]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[scales that come off so the gecko can escape]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[scales that made scientists think geckos were fish]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[skin that has sharp edges to hurt predators]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[skin that is the same as all other gecko species']]></answer></qa>
<qa name="q342" theta="0.823529411764703" difficulty="0.458333333333333" discrimination="0.414189085473457" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="1140" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[<em>As the diamond fragments come together, bonds between the carbon and hydrogen are being made or broken at a furious rate, which pumps energy into the diamond film and generates heat.<br><br></em>What does the phrase "furious rate" convey in this sentence?]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[a sense of how quickly chemical bonds change during the process of creating a simulated diamond film]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[a sense of how intricate the procedure is for bringing diamond fragments together to form a film]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[a sense of how much energy needs to be provided by scientists working with simulated diamonds in a lab setting]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[a sense of how much heat is being generated during the chemical procedures involved in making a diamond film]]></answer></qa>
<qa name="q1080" theta="0" difficulty="0.576923076923077" discrimination="0.388232573794267" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="1000" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[Despite being known as a shipworm – a nod to its relatives’ diet of submerged wood – the animal is actually a type of clam.<br><br></em>What is the purpose of the phrase "a nod to its relatives' diet of submerged wood" in the sentence?]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[It compares the shipworm with other wood eaters.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[It explains how the shipworm got its name.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[It explains why the shipworm has a diet of wood.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[It indicates that the shipworm has many relatives.]]></answer></qa>
<qa name="q1164" theta="0.29411764705882" difficulty="0.538461538461538" discrimination="0.338469724744258" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="1050" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[Will Smith was a cool, street-wise, mischievous black kid moving into suburban America. Such a reality was rendered comical and even innocuous as Smith’s so-called street edge undercut the stiff morality and pretensions of elite America as represented by Smith’s relatives, the Banks family.<br><br></em>What do the words "comical" and "innocuous" convey in the second sentence?]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[They convey the sense that the reality being portrayed was humorous and harmless.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[They convey the sense that the ideas on the show were boring and commonplace.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[They convey the sense that the ideas shared on the show were innocent but upsetting.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[They convey the sense that the reality being portrayed was engaging but unrealistic.]]></answer></qa>
<qa name="q733" theta="-0.176470588235297" difficulty="0.588235294117647" discrimination="0.65905009958094" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="970" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[The U.N. has accomplished many things. Its work includes sending peacekeepers to war-stricken areas and making recommendations on issues that affect the entire world, like health care and protecting the environment.<br><br></em>Which answer choice, if it replaced "accomplished" in the paragraph above, would CHANGE the meaning of the sentence?]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[attempted]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[achieved]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[completed]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[fulfilled]]></answer></qa>
<qa name="q71" theta="-1.23529411764706" difficulty="0.727272727272727" discrimination="0.459703311282459" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="790" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[They strengthen a helmet's inner cushioning, which he mockingly calls "couch foam."<br><br></em>When someone says something 'mockingly,' they say it:]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[with disrespect]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[with anger]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[with tenderness]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[with seriousness]]></answer></qa>
<qa name="q533" theta="-2.47058823529412" difficulty="0.882352941176471" discrimination="0.662440272363809" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="580" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[The Girl Scouts believe their Gold Award is equal to the Eagle Scout award.<br><br></em>What does "equal to" mean in the sentence above?]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[as good as]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[a copy of]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[an enemy to]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[even better than]]></answer></qa>
<qa name="q785" theta="2.52941176470588" difficulty="0.235294117647059" discrimination="0.281805625721579" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="1430" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[Later, scientists speculate, meat was added to the diet as small animals were hunted.<br><br></em>Which word BEST replaces the word "speculate" to create a skeptical tone?]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[hypothesize]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[guess]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[know]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[think]]></answer></qa>
<qa name="q905" theta="1.70588235294117" difficulty="0.352941176470588" discrimination="0.514515889449305" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="1290" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[There is research showing that greater empathy leads to more helping behavior, but this is not always the case. For example, someone who sees a car accident and is overwhelmed by emotions might be less likely to help the person in pain.<br><br></em>In the second sentence, the word "overwhelmed" connotes a sense of ____.]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[helplessness]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[amazement]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[discouragement]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[exaggeration]]></answer></qa>
<qa name="q161" theta="0.235294117647056" difficulty="0.541666666666667" discrimination="0.318073073817816" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="1040" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA["People were sort of frozen in place by the recession," said Kenneth M. Johnson.<br><br></em>Which sentence or sentences BEST supports this statement?]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[During this period, a lot fewer Americans moved to another state to find better jobs or living conditions. They stayed put because there were few jobs to be had.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[The recession, which began in 2007 and ended in 2009, was a period when many people lost their jobs and homes due to a widespread decline in the economy.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[He added: "There is no evidence in these data that the recession's grip on U.S. demographic trends is ending."]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[Now, years after the downturn was declared to be over, the new numbers show it is still shaping how Americans live.]]></answer></qa>
<qa name="q416" theta="2.11764705882353" difficulty="0.291666666666667" discrimination="0.418199007149718" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="1360" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[He did not say how much money it would cost. They have already paid quite a bit of money, he said. The trip will last a week.<br><br></em>What does the phrase "quite a bit of money" mean in the second sentence?]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[a large amount of money]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[a regular amount of money]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[a small amount of money]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[an unknown amount of money]]></answer></qa>
<qa name="q79" theta="2.52941176470588" difficulty="0.235294117647059" discrimination="0.403211124675422" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="1430" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[But it's also different, because Klefstad and people like him aren't packing up their families to escape tough times. They're part of a migration where people work the oil fields for a few weeks, then head back to their homes. And then they do it again.<br><br></em>What word or phrase from the paragraph means to travel back and forth?]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[migration]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[escape]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[packing up]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[head back]]></answer></qa>
<qa name="q1069" theta="1.29411764705882" difficulty="0.409090909090909" discrimination="0.429578506039206" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="1220" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[I somehow feel that someday I'll have reason to be proud of you, but dear boy, I can't wait for that day & it was wrong to hurry a career.<br><br></em>How does the sentence contribute to the emotional appeal of von Kurowsky's letter to Hemingway?]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[It suggests that she still believes in him but has come to realize he is not ready for a mature relationship.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[It shows that her impatience is the only reason why their relationship is ending.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[It shows that she knows she is making the wrong decision and that she will be sorry one day.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[It suggests that if he is able to improve himself she will return to him in the future.]]></answer></qa>
</competency>