<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<competency testname="Adaptive Reading Test 16" shuffle_choices="1" shuffle_questions="0" displaytype="list">
<direction><![CDATA[Choose the best answer to each question.]]></direction>
<qa name="q1141" theta="0.41176470588235" difficulty="0.526315789473684" discrimination="0.473065872595776" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="1070" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[The pope’s visit was “very significant” for both Catholic and Orthodox communities, said Angaelos. “It’s a wonderful chance for Francis to practically show support for Christians in Egypt and in the Middle East.”<br><br></em>Which version of this sentence creates a less exuberant tone by replacing the word "wonderful"?]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[The pope’s visit was “very significant” for both Catholic and Orthodox communities, said Angaelos. “It’s a NICE chance for Francis to practically show support for Christians in Egypt and in the Middle East.”]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[The pope’s visit was “very significant” for both Catholic and Orthodox communities, said Angaelos. “It’s a MIRACULOUS chance for Francis to practically show support for Christians in Egypt and in the Middle East.”]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[The pope’s visit was “very significant” for both Catholic and Orthodox communities, said Angaelos. “It’s a PERFECT chance for Francis to practically show support for Christians in Egypt and in the Middle East.”]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[The pope’s visit was “very significant” for both Catholic and Orthodox communities, said Angaelos. “It’s an EXCITING chance for Francis to practically show support for Christians in Egypt and in the Middle East.”]]></answer></qa>
<qa name="q793" theta="-0.764705882352944" difficulty="0.666666666666667" discrimination="0.530355680727212" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="870" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[In either case, the original atom is changed to become a different type of atom. The new atom will have different chemical properties and could act as a poison. Or, for building materials, it can change their physical properties.<br><br></em>Which word, if it replaced "properties" in the paragraph above, would CHANGE its meaning?]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[locations]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[characteristics]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[features]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[qualities]]></answer></qa>
<qa name="q1145" theta="0.588235294117644" difficulty="0.5" discrimination="0.25434713233706" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="1100" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[Energy Transfer Partners maintains that the pipeline is safe and disputes that cultural sites have been affected.<br><br></em>Which version of this sentence creates a less argumentative tone by replacing the word "disputes"?]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[Energy Transfer Partners maintains that the pipeline is safe and DISAGREES that cultural sites have been affected.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[Energy Transfer Partners maintains that the pipeline is safe and DENIES that cultural sites have been affected.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[Energy Transfer Partners maintains that the pipeline is safe and DOUBTS that cultural sites have been affected.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[Energy Transfer Partners maintains that the pipeline is safe and IGNORES that cultural sites have been affected.]]></answer></qa>
<qa name="q414" theta="-1.29411764705883" difficulty="0.730769230769231" discrimination="0.431775325711563" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="780" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[The animal is not actually a worm, though. It is a type of clam.<br><br></em>Which word could replace "actually" without changing the meaning of the first sentence?]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[really]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[completely]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[mostly]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[partly]]></answer></qa>
<qa name="q517" theta="-1.94117647058824" difficulty="0.80952380952381" discrimination="0.561681955648582" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="670" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[Then in Kennedy’s first year as president, Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin went into space.What is the BEST definition of "cosmonaut" based on the information in the sentence?]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[an astronaut]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[a nuclear weapon]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[a pilot]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[a Soviet person]]></answer></qa>
<qa name="q568" theta="-1.76470588235294" difficulty="0.789473684210526" discrimination="0.483220641344624" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="700" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[A beam of light that is more focused and concentrated will give more light than one that is spread out. And light has heat.<br><br></em>Which word could replace "concentrated" WITHOUT changing the meaning of the sentence?]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[direct]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[dim]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[large]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[thin]]></answer></qa>
<qa name="q945" theta="-2.64705882352941" difficulty="0.894736842105263" discrimination="0.30306390602045" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="550" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[Men were never so happy as they were during Saturn’s reign. It was the true Golden Age then. The springtime lasted all the year. The woods and meadows were always full of blossoms, and the music of singing birds was heard every day and every hour. It was summer and autumn, too, at the same time. Apples and figs and oranges always hung ripe from the trees; and there were purple grapes on the vines, and melons and berries of every kind, which the people had but to pick and eat.<br><br></em>What is the meaning of the phrase "Golden Age" as used in this selection?]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[a time of peace and prosperity]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[a time of delicious food]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[a time of immeasurable wealth]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[a time of music and art]]></answer></qa>
<qa name="q1109" theta="1.94117647058823" difficulty="0.315789473684211" discrimination="0.474925918751705" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="1330" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[With summer ice gone, Greenland’s glaciers could contribute more to sea-level rise, and permafrost could release its stores of greenhouse gases such as methane. Such is the vast influence of Arctic ice.<br><br></em>“It is really the tail that wags the dog of global climate,” says Brenda Ekwurzel, director of climate science at the Union of Concerned Scientists in Cambridge, Massachusetts.<br><br></em>Why does Ekwurzel use the idiom "the tail that wags the dog"?]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[to suggest that seemingly small factors control the broader issue of climate change]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[to suggest that Arctic animals are in serious danger of losing their habitats]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[to suggest that global warming is making environments more vulnerable]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[to suggest that northern latitudes will be more affected by sea-level rise than mid-latitudes]]></answer></qa>
<qa name="q916" theta="-3" difficulty="0.944444444444444" discrimination="0.230039736814387" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="490" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[This, along with traditional religious prejudice, prompted several countries and regions to expel, or force out, the Jews.<br><br></em>Which phrase from the sentence BEST helps you understand the meaning of "expel"?]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[force out]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[along with]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[prompted several]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[religious prejudice]]></answer></qa>
<qa name="q41" theta="0.529411764705879" difficulty="0.5" discrimination="0.656330123313893" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="1090" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[First, the brothers, Yaser and Mohamed Jamous, grew up in a refugee camp in the Middle Eastern country of Syria.<br><br></em>What does "refugee camp" refer to in the sentence?]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[a settlement for people who have had to flee from their countries]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[temporary houses for people who need assistance]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[shelter for people who are homeless]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[a place for people who want to move away from home]]></answer></qa>
<qa name="q950" theta="0.352941176470585" difficulty="0.529411764705882" discrimination="0.482898859270171" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="1060" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[Before this, if you wanted to study terrestrial planets, we had only four of them and they were all in our solar system, said lead author Michaël Gillon, a scientist at the University of Liège in Belgium. "Now we have seven Earth-sized planets to expand our understanding. Yes, we have the possibility to find water and life. But even if we don't, whatever we find will be super interesting."<br><br></em>What can be inferred from this paragraph?]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[Gillon believes the discovery of the planets will be valuable to scientific study even if they are not shown to support life.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[Gillon feels that if the planets he helped to discover cannot support life all the time he spent studying them will have been wasted.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[Gillon is certain that if he can get more scientists interested in the planets they will be able to find proof of water and life there.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[Gillon was tired of studying terrestrial planets in our solar system because he had already learned everything about them.]]></answer></qa>
<qa name="q1055" theta="0.941176470588232" difficulty="0.444444444444444" discrimination="0.487850602623572" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="1160" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[Despite these many accomplishments, Watergate's shadow occludes Nixon's legacy.<br><br></em>What is the meaning of the phrase "occludes Nixon's legacy" as used in the sentence above?]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[blocks out the positive aspects]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[becomes one of his accomplishments]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[remains the only important aspect]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[reminds us of his accomplishments]]></answer></qa>
<qa name="q732" theta="-0.647058823529415" difficulty="0.647058823529412" discrimination="0.735816790589407" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="890" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[As of last year, schools could choose the length of the school year based on local conditions.<br><br></em>Which sentence uses "conditions" in the SAME way as the sentence above?]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[After the storm, road conditions were dangerous.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[My mom placed conditions on me wanting to ride my bike in the neighborhood.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[Students are conditioned to raise their hands before speaking.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[When bathing, some people condition their hair after using shampoo.]]></answer></qa>
<qa name="q126" theta="-2.29411764705883" difficulty="0.857142857142857" discrimination="0.245237703075261" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="610" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[Tethered to a cable that could hoist him out if things go wrong, Klefstad lowers himself into the pit.<br><br></em>What does the word "tethered" mean?]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[attached]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[married]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[thrown]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[unattached]]></answer></qa>
<qa name="q529" theta="0.470588235294115" difficulty="0.523809523809524" discrimination="0.437321615236728" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="1080" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[More snow could prevent smaller animals from grazing.<br><br></em>Which word could replace "grazing" WITHOUT changing the meaning of the sentence?]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[eating]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[cutting]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[moving]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[seeding]]></answer></qa>
<qa name="q86" theta="-0.117647058823533" difficulty="0.583333333333333" discrimination="0.558840276869746" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="980" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[Select the sentence that contains a word that is an antonym for "discouraged."]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[When he met Muinos, he weighed nearly 250 pounds. Since then, Sanchez has lost 20 pounds and is motivated to lose more.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[He created a high-endurance and high-cardio class by using hula hoops, sliders, weights and balls.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[The Memorial West program was geared toward keeping children active.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[The parent had to make the commitment.]]></answer></qa>
<qa name="q763" theta="1.64705882352941" difficulty="0.363636363636364" discrimination="0.335954844019373" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="1280" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[The immune system produces many different types of these white blood cells, each with a specific role.<br><br></em>Which of the following words, if it replaced the word "specific" in the sentence, would CHANGE the meaning of the sentence?]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[common]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[distinct]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[particular]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[precise]]></answer></qa>
<qa name="q1112" theta="2.58823529411764" difficulty="0.230769230769231" discrimination="0.66099811798767" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="1440" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[Other stories suggest that Valentine may have been killed for attempting to help Christians escape harsh Roman prisons, where they were often beaten and tortured.<br><br></em>Which version of this sentence creates a more confident tone by replacing the word "suggest"?]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[Other stories assert that Valentine may have been killed for attempting to help Christians escape harsh Roman prisons, where they were often beaten and tortured.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[Other stories hint that Valentine may have been killed for attempting to help Christians escape harsh Roman prisons, where they were often beaten and tortured.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[Other stories imply that Valentine may have been killed for attempting to help Christians escape harsh Roman prisons, where they were often beaten and tortured.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[Other stories propose that Valentine may have been killed for attempting to help Christians escape harsh Roman prisons, where they were often beaten and tortured.]]></answer></qa>
<qa name="q638" theta="0.352941176470585" difficulty="0.529411764705882" discrimination="0.479997432043296" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="1060" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[Emma Lazarus was a New York poet and the descendant of Jewish immigrants. In 1883, she was asked for a favor.<br><br></em>Which word could replace "descendant" without changing the meaning of the sentence?]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[relative]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[associate]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[child]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[friend]]></answer></qa>
<qa name="q699" theta="-1.52941176470589" difficulty="0.764705882352941" discrimination="0.43694596128158" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="740" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[In the 1960s, some states passed laws that forced voters to take a literacy test before they could vote. Voters had to prove they could read and write. These laws took away voting rights from many poor people and non-English speakers.<br><br></em>Based on the paragraph, a "literacy test" tested if a person ____________.]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[had certain reading and writing skills.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[knew enough about local political issues.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[wanted to learn to read and write.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[was really a citizen with voting rights.]]></answer></qa>
<qa name="q4" theta="-1.82352941176471" difficulty="0.791666666666667" discrimination="0.265985524643218" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="690" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[Many teenagers around here skip college or drop out of high school.<br><br></em>What is the correct definition of the phrase "drop out" as used in the sentence above?]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[quit]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[miss]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[join]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[fail]]></answer></qa>
<qa name="q408" theta="-2.41176470588236" difficulty="0.875" discrimination="0.275624834300636" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="590" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[Eventually, people learned how to use fire and make warm clothing.<br><br></em>Which of the following has the SAME meaning as the word "eventually"?]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[after some time]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[before]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[easily]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[right away]]></answer></qa>
<qa name="q632" theta="-2.70588235294118" difficulty="0.904761904761905" discrimination="0.541206422354318" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="540" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[Many countries adopted daylight saving during World War I to conserve coal during the war.<br><br></em>What does the author mean by "conserve"?]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[save]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[afford]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[hide]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[use]]></answer></qa>
<qa name="q609" theta="1.11764705882353" difficulty="0.421052631578947" discrimination="0.670432299077269" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="1190" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[By 1630, over a million and a half pounds of tobacco were being exported from Jamestown to England every year.<br><br></em>Which of the following words, if it replaced the word "exported" in the sentence above, would CHANGE the meaning of the sentence?]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[imported]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[shipped]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[sold]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[traded]]></answer></qa>
<qa name="q707" theta="2.64705882352941" difficulty="0.222222222222222" discrimination="0.504363856981324" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="1450" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[Musk said he does not have permission to release the passengers' names. He was hesitant to even say if they were men, women or even pilots.<br><br></em>Which option is the BEST definition of the word "hesitant" as used in the selection?]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[unwilling]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[confident]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[doubtful]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[unsure]]></answer></qa>
<qa name="q70" theta="0.0588235294117616" difficulty="0.571428571428571" discrimination="0.296911246261047" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="1010" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[And it also is due to individual differences that influence whether someone ends up with a concussion.<br><br></em>What is a synonym for the word 'influence' as in the sentence above?]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[contribute to]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[align with]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[lead to]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[draw from]]></answer></qa>
<qa name="q723" theta="1.47058823529411" difficulty="0.380952380952381" discrimination="0.238454708927149" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="1250" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[There is a severe shortage of women in these fields.<br><br></em>Which of the following phrases, if it replaced the phrase "a severe shortage" in the sentence above, would CHANGE the meaning of the sentence?]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[a temporary shortage]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[a critical shortage]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[an enormous shortage]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[an extreme shortage]]></answer></qa>
<qa name="q599" theta="-0.764705882352944" difficulty="0.666666666666667" discrimination="0.285170523004013" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="870" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[Other ways include alpha decay, which is when the nucleus releases two neutrons and two protons. Beta decay is when the nucleus ejects an electron.<br><br></em>What is the BEST definition of "decay" as it is used in the sentence above?]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[breaking apart]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[becoming extinct]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[sending]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[weakening]]></answer></qa>
</competency>