<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<competency testname="Adaptive Reading Test 13" shuffle_choices="1" shuffle_questions="0" displaytype="list">
<direction><![CDATA[Choose the best answer to each question.]]></direction>
<qa name="q120" theta="2.58823529411764" difficulty="0.230769230769231" discrimination="0.320495251993519" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="1440" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[Select the sentence that contains a word that is a synonym for "unsteady."]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[The year was 2006, and just after a thrashing rain Richardson spied weathered bones in the dirt while hiking along a precarious ridgeline a few miles north of his current campsite.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[Most of the time, he trudges among the scrub brush, always vigilant, searching for a hint - a different color, texture or shape - that suggests a dinosaur's grave might lie somewhere beneath.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[His heart raced with excitement and he sensed he had found something truly remarkable.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[These age-old trails are not used to intruders and often turn treacherous after rain, sloughing off cars and campers into the nearby high desert or trapping them bumper-deep in mud.]]></answer></qa>
<qa name="q13" theta="-1.47058823529412" difficulty="0.761904761904762" discrimination="0.547789430413968" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="750" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[He regrets his decision to skip college.<br><br></em>What is the meaning of the word 'regrets' as in the sentence above?]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[is sorry]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[doubts]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[is happy]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[judges]]></answer></qa>
<qa name="q131" theta="0.352941176470585" difficulty="0.529411764705882" discrimination="0.40074213588819" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="1060" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[In part, they want to see how to ease the impact on dwindling districts.<br><br></em>What is the meaning of the word "dwindling" as used in the sentence?]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[to slowly fade away]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[to become larger]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[to stay in its current form]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[to strengthen in numbers]]></answer></qa>
<qa name="q14" theta="2.64705882352941" difficulty="0.222222222222222" discrimination="0.306906374588328" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="1450" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[But who could blame him? For most high school graduates, the quickest way to achieve the American dream is to attend college.<br><br></em>What is the BEST meaning of the word 'achieve' as used in the sentence above?]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[realize]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[finish]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[reject]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[support]]></answer></qa>
<qa name="q1161" theta="2.29411764705882" difficulty="0.269230769230769" discrimination="0.408719817161831" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="1390" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[Which of these paragraphs BEST reflects the idea that Ms. Lazarus believed Americans should work to provide refugees with  a safe and fulfilling haven?]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[She took the streetcar from her lavish home on 57th Street to work at the Hebrew Emigrant Aid Society at 105 East Broadway, where she helped train refugees and taught English, Schor wrote. "She visited them in their squalid quarters on Ward's Island and wrote an exposé about dirty water, overflowing garbage, unemployment, and lack of training for adults and education for children."]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[Scrawled across signs and typed out in tweets, those opposing the Trump administration's immigration and refugee policies have made Lazarus' most famous words their rallying cry, proof, they say, that American liberty means welcoming those in need, not shunning them.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[It wasn't until 1903, two years after a friend found "The New Colossus" in a New York bookstore and nearly two decades after Lazarus' untimely death, that the poet's stirring words were inscribed on a plaque and affixed to the inner wall of the statue's pedestal.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[The irony is that the statue goes on speaking, even when the tide turns against immigration — even against immigrants themselves, as they adjust to their American lives, Schor told the New York Times in 2011. "You can't think of the statue without hearing the words Emma Lazarus gave her."]]></answer></qa>
<qa name="q34" theta="0" difficulty="0.576923076923077" discrimination="0.593822492522094" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="1000" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[Its aim is to soften the force of blows to the head.<br><br></em>Which sentence uses the word 'force' MOST CLOSELY as in the sentence above?]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[The force of the explosion threw the people back against the wall.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[The governor ruled the small town in Florida by law and not by force.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[Sally's mother had to force her to do her homework after school.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[The robbers had to force the door open to get inside the house.]]></answer></qa>
<qa name="q12" theta="0.647058823529409" difficulty="0.476190476190476" discrimination="0.265657430865147" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="1110" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[Select the sentence that contains a word that is a synonym for "bulky."]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[He dropped his heavy pack of tools.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[And they all had sharp teeth.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[The creature was named "the horniest dinosaur."]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[There were huge meat-eating dinosaurs.]]></answer></qa>
<qa name="q780" theta="2.29411764705882" difficulty="0.269230769230769" discrimination="0.678158142473871" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="1390" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[The birds are passing through on their annual 6,000-mile migration from Argentina.<br><br></em>Which of the following words, if it replaced the word "migration" in the sentence, would CHANGE the meaning of the sentence?]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[removal]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[flight]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[journey]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[trip]]></answer></qa>
<qa name="q470" theta="-0.176470588235297" difficulty="0.588235294117647" discrimination="0.437716897569357" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="970" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[Martha Henrickson is a school principal in Illinois. She hopes kids get tired of slime soon.<br><br></em>Which option explains what Henrickson means by "get tired of" slime?]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[She hopes they will stop liking it.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[She hopes they will stay up late to make more.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[She hopes they will teach others to make it.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[She hopes they will work harder on it.]]></answer></qa>
<qa name="q693" theta="1.11764705882353" difficulty="0.421052631578947" discrimination="0.642331872755789" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="1190" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[The term "magical realism" was originally used to describe paintings. However, by now it has evolved into a heavily political style of literature.<br><br></em>Which word, if it replaced "evolved," would CHANGE the meaning of this sentence?]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[reduced]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[changed]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[developed]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[shifted]]></answer></qa>
<qa name="q665" theta="-1.82352941176471" difficulty="0.791666666666667" discrimination="0.254112728077306" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="690" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[Finally, there is emotional regulation. This refers to the ability to control one’s emotions. For example, doctors need to control their emotions when doing surgery on a patient. They cannot be afraid of hurting them or sad for them because they are sick.<br><br></em>Which word from this paragraph helps you understand the meaning of "regulation"?]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[control]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[ability]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[hurting]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[need]]></answer></qa>
<qa name="q1165" theta="0.764705882352938" difficulty="0.461538461538462" discrimination="0.26698851943344" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="1130" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[Some examples of black music deemed more “authentic” (to use a troublesome word) did break through to the mainstream, but from the 1950s until the early 1990s, music label practices clearly suggested that black music and artists needed to be packaged in a certain way to reach broader audiences.<br><br></em>Why does the author describe "authentic" as a "troublesome word"?]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[Authentic suggests that there are preconceptions about what black music should be like.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[Authentic conveys the idea that most people could not tell what kind of music they liked.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[Authentic conveys the sense that real black music remained unpopular in studios.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[Authentic suggests that most of the music that was made failed to be seen as realistic.]]></answer></qa>
<qa name="q864" theta="-1" difficulty="0.705882352941177" discrimination="0.327829110898924" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="830" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[It was in this spirit that President Franklin Roosevelt championed the creation of a United Nations organization.<br><br></em>How does the word "championed" affect the tone of the sentence?]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[It indicates that Roosevelt was enthusiastic about the creation of the U.N.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[It proves that Roosevelt was uncertain about the creation of the U.N.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[It shows that Roosevelt was cautious about the creation of the U.N.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[It suggests that Roosevelt was relieved about the creation of the U.N.]]></answer></qa>
<qa name="q28" theta="0.529411764705879" difficulty="0.5" discrimination="0.468807230938495" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="1090" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[It is hard in Kentucky. It is also bad next door in the coalfields of West Virginia.<br><br></em>The term "next door" is used to mean:]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[Kentucky and West Virginia share a border.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[Kentucky and West Virginia are far away from each other.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[The coalfields of West Virginia are not doing too well.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[The coalfields are fairly close to West Virginia.]]></answer></qa>
<qa name="q752" theta="0.941176470588232" difficulty="0.444444444444444" discrimination="0.699825931220448" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="1160" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[The Soviets’ success fed fears that the U.S. military had generally fallen behind in developing new technology. As a result, the launch of Sputnik served to intensify the Cold War.<br><br></em>Which of the following words, if it replaced "intensify" in the sentence above, would CHANGE its meaning?]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[weaken]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[escalate]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[reinforce]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[strengthen]]></answer></qa>
<qa name="q1128" theta="0.41176470588235" difficulty="0.526315789473684" discrimination="0.674960094373053" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="1070" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[Park rangers have recently issued citations to people who cross into prohibited areas, but Orlando said it is nearly impossible to prevent everyone from breaking the rules.<br><br></em>Which of the following conclusions can be drawn from the selection above?]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[No matter what is done, there will always be people who insist on breaking the rules.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[It is certain that a person will die or become injured from crossing into a prohibited area.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[It is not worth the effort or expense to protect people from dangers in parks.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[There are limits to what authorities can do to control the actions of park guests.]]></answer></qa>
<qa name="q655" theta="0.941176470588232" difficulty="0.444444444444444" discrimination="0.237162017447782" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="1160" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[The 4 million people who live in the Arctic will feel the most direct effects of ice loss. Entire communities will be forced to move as the ice along the coast melts.<br><br></em>Which sentence uses "direct" in the SAME way as the selection above?]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[It is wise to have direct contact with voters if you run for office.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[During rush hour, police officers have to direct the traffic.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[His report included several direct quotations from the novel.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[The teacher said he would direct the rocket toward the field.]]></answer></qa>
<qa name="q799" theta="1.76470588235294" difficulty="0.346153846153846" discrimination="0.711723081403409" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="1300" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[Intuition is often invoked to explain how the mind can “see” answers to problems or decisions in the absence of clear reasoning.<br><br></em>Which option is the BEST definition of the word "invoked" as used in this sentence?]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[called upon]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[ignored]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[made possible]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[valued]]></answer></qa>
<qa name="q510" theta="-1.1764705882353" difficulty="0.722222222222222" discrimination="0.628103284419347" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="800" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[An epileptic fit has several stages. First, the person's body stiffens. Then, they pass out and fall to the floor. Next, their body starts jerking. Finally, the jerking stops as the seizure ends.<br><br></em>What does the word "stages" mean in the first sentence?]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[steps]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[actions]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[causes]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[problems]]></answer></qa>
<qa name="q653" theta="-0.882352941176474" difficulty="0.684210526315789" discrimination="0.366097095224289" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="850" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[The viewer gets to see stunning sights across the globe.<br><br></em>Which word could replace "stunning" WITHOUT changing the meaning of the sentence?]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[astonishing]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[challenging]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[entertaining]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[surprising]]></answer></qa>
<qa name="q411" theta="-2.23529411764706" difficulty="0.846153846153846" discrimination="0.513346896384873" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="620" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[Elisabeth Adams is a scientist who studies planets. She said scientists do not really know what makes a planet livable. They only have ideas. The only planet they know with life on it is Earth.<br><br></em>What does the word "livable" mean in this paragraph?]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[able to support life]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[able to enjoy life]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[able to have ideas]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[able to study planets]]></answer></qa>
<qa name="q459" theta="-1.82352941176471" difficulty="0.791666666666667" discrimination="0.523620895761979" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="690" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[The songs came from her album "Lemonade." There was a deeper meaning to her performance, though.<br><br></em>Beyoncé was teaching. The lessons were about African, Hindu and Roman goddesses. The lessons were also about being a woman.<br><br></em>What does the phrase "deeper meaning" refer to?]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[the lessons that Beyoncé wanted to teach]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[the difficulty of Beyoncé's performance]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[the places that Beyoncé has traveled]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[the popularity of Beyoncé's album "Lemonade"]]></answer></qa>
<qa name="q791" theta="-1.41176470588236" difficulty="0.75" discrimination="0.359003090527161" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="760" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[Weather forecasters then lifted blizzard warnings for the two big cities and cut their prediction of a foot or more of snow by over half.<br><br></em>Which of the following sentences uses "lifted" in the SAME way as the sentence above?]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[My teacher lifted the rule against food in the classroom.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[After the team won the game, players lifted the trophy over their heads.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[The Olympic wrestler lifted weights on the weekend.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[Watching a happy movie lifted my spirits.]]></answer></qa>
<qa name="q141" theta="-0.70588235294118" difficulty="0.653846153846154" discrimination="0.378373538884672" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="880" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[But all states will be covered starting this school year.<br><br></em>What is a synonym for the word "covered" as used in the above sentence?]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[included]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[examined]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[invested]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[protected]]></answer></qa>
<qa name="q764" theta="-1.11764705882353" difficulty="0.714285714285714" discrimination="0.373037662825687" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="810" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[When they detect an invader, immune cells sound an alarm. This calls more immune cells to the area.<br><br></em>How does using the phrase "sound an alarm" affect the tone of the first sentence?]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[It conveys the urgent nature of the immune cells' role.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[It conveys the ambitious nature of the immune cells' role.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[It conveys the demanding nature of the immune cells' role.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[It conveys the difficult nature of the immune cells' role.]]></answer></qa>
<qa name="q538" theta="-2.88235294117647" difficulty="0.923076923076923" discrimination="0.353409233935251" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="510" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[He agrees with the teachers who are protesting the changes.<br><br></em>Which answer choice could replace the word "protesting" WITHOUT changing the meaning of the sentence?]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[speaking against]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[agreeing]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[carrying out]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[uncomfortable with]]></answer></qa>
<qa name="q152" theta="1.05882352941176" difficulty="0.423076923076923" discrimination="0.562631594894642" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="1180" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[Into this storm have stepped a few small companies that sell add-on helmet pads, saying they're a way to increase protection.<br><br></em>What does the phrase 'stepping into the storm' mean?]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[taking a chance]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[joining the fight]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[boosting helmet sales]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[offering much protection]]></answer></qa>
<qa name="q895" theta="-0.764705882352944" difficulty="0.666666666666667" discrimination="0.381057843039246" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="870" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney said authorities were doing everything possible to find those "who desecrated this final resting place."<br><br></em>Which sentence gives context for understanding the word "desecrated"?]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[More than 150 headstones there were damaged, many of them tipped over.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[But the fact that there's so many, it leads one to think it could have been targeted, he told a local TV station.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[I'm hoping it was maybe just some drunk kids, said Aaron Mallin.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[Mount Carmel is a Jewish cemetery dating to the late 1800s.]]></answer></qa>
</competency>