<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<competency testname="Adaptive Reading Test 8" shuffle_choices="1" shuffle_questions="0" displaytype="list">
<direction><![CDATA[Choose the best answer to each question.]]></direction>
<qa name="q559" theta="0.29411764705882" difficulty="0.538461538461538" discrimination="0.481702844623048" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="1050" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[The nor'easter storm came less than a week before the start of spring. The same area had temperatures in the 60s last week.<br><br></em>What does "the same area" refer to in the paragraph?]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[the area hit by the storm]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[the area that was not hit by the storm]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[the area the storm came from]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[the area where people wanted to travel]]></answer></qa>
<qa name="q80" theta="-0.117647058823533" difficulty="0.583333333333333" discrimination="0.463644496060103" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="980" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[Select the sentence that shows the growing number of non-English speakers in the U.S.]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[Almost 61 million people speak a language other than English at home.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[They believe the government should make it easier for those who don't speak English.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[There are 31 states that have made English their official language.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[She believes asking immigrants to learn English can help them.]]></answer></qa>
<qa name="q634" theta="0.470588235294115" difficulty="0.523809523809524" discrimination="0.447808255140984" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="1080" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[Ever since then, the laurel has been sacred to Apollo.<br><br></em>Which phrase, if it replaced "sacred to," would CHANGE the meaning of the sentence?]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[neglected by]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[important to]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[meaningful to]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[treasured by]]></answer></qa>
<qa name="q698" theta="-1.70588235294118" difficulty="0.777777777777778" discrimination="0.228681998427743" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="710" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[One of the most important photographers of the civil rights movement often has been overlooked. But now, she's finally getting recognition in a U.S. museum.<br><br></em>Which sentence uses the word "overlooked" in the SAME way it is used in this paragraph?]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[The coach overlooked the team's mistakes and said they were a great team.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[The boss overlooked the workers in the factory to make sure they were busy at all times.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[The inspector found everything working properly after he overlooked the place.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[The parking lot for tourists was high enough that it overlooked the canyon.]]></answer></qa>
<qa name="q956" theta="2.8235294117647" difficulty="0.157894736842105" discrimination="0.602032353851434" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="1480" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[Humans have kept wild animals in captivity since ancient times, and that isn’t going to change, they say. If animals are going to be kept, a well-managed zoo is the best place for them.<br><br></em>What is the MAIN purpose of this pro-zoo argument?]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[to appeal to the reader's sense of connection with history]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[to appeal to the reader's sense of concrete moral principles]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[to appeal to the reader's sense of emotionality and empathy]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[to appeal to the reader's sense of logic and practicality]]></answer></qa>
<qa name="q1153" theta="2.76470588235294" difficulty="0.192307692307692" discrimination="0.279891091866123" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="1470" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[It’s a bountiful winter in the snowy Sierra Nevada, with the biggest snowpack in 22 years.<br><br></em>Which version of this sentence creates a more dramatic tone by replacing the word "bountiful"?]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[It's a RELENTLESS winter in the snowy Sierra Nevada, with the biggest snowpack in 22 years.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[It's a GENEROUS winter in the snowy Sierra Nevada, with the biggest snowpack in 22 years.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[It's a PLENTIFUL winter in the snowy Sierra Nevada, with the biggest snowpack in 22 years.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[It's a PROLIFIC winter in the snowy Sierra Nevada, with the biggest snowpack in 22 years.]]></answer></qa>
<qa name="q1154" theta="0.588235294117644" difficulty="0.5" discrimination="0.267212940587572" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="1100" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[The technology holds promise for preventing fatalities, according to experts, but it’s in its infancy.<br><br></em>What does the phrase "in its infancy" convey in the sentence?]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[a sense that the technology still has a long way to go]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[a sense that the technology is capable of improving public safety]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[a sense that the technology is new and exciting]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[a sense that the technology is very difficult to use]]></answer></qa>
<qa name="q804" theta="-0.176470588235297" difficulty="0.588235294117647" discrimination="0.369570997386079" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="970" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[One Hundred Years of Solitude is often referred to as the typical magic realist text. It was written by a novelist and Nobel prize winner from Colombia named Gabriel García Marquez. The book was published in 1967. "One Hundred Years of Solitude" triggered a "boom" in Latin American literature. By the 1980s, its success had prompted a wave of magical realist novels internationally.<br><br></em>Which phrase from the paragraph helps explain what kind of "boom" is being referred to?]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[a wave of magical realist novels]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[book was published in 1967]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[novelist and Nobel prize winner]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[typical magic realist text]]></answer></qa>
<qa name="q630" theta="0.941176470588232" difficulty="0.444444444444444" discrimination="0.400390936338968" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="1160" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[They actually feared democracy. Democracy is rule of a nation by the people. One of the Founders, James Madison, expressed this feeling in Federalist #10: "... instability, injustice and confusion ... have in truth been the mortal disease under which popular governments everywhere perished ..."<br><br></em>Which word would CHANGE the meaning of the last sentence by replacing the word "perished"?]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[thrived]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[collapsed]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[declined]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[ended]]></answer></qa>
<qa name="q20" theta="0" difficulty="0.576923076923077" discrimination="0.294210119220774" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="1000" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[For the first time, Spanish-language electronic books, or e-books, can be found easily in the U.S.<br><br></em>Which sentence BEST supports the sentence above?]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[There are nearly 65,000 e-books in Spanish on Barnes & Noble's website.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[Importing books printed in Spain and Latin America was expensive.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[It has seen sales of Spanish-language print books go way up.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[Before 2010, there were only about 10,000 Spanish-language books offered online.]]></answer></qa>
<qa name="q433" theta="1.23529411764706" difficulty="0.411764705882353" discrimination="0.29743654244472" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="1210" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[Chess experts can identify promising moves very rapidly.<br><br></em>Which word could replace "promising" in this sentence WITHOUT changing its meaning?]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[helpful]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[impossible]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[lucky]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[poor]]></answer></qa>
<qa name="q77" theta="1.8235294117647" difficulty="0.333333333333333" discrimination="0.633381528916151" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="1310" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[Select the sentence that contains a word that means "enjoyable."]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[At first, the situation provided an amusing photo opportunity.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[For generations, that beautiful view has been preserved.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[Most of the 5 million yearly visitors stop at the rim, look out and move on without ever venturing into the canyon.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[At the rim of the Grand Canyon, a crowd of national park visitors looks for a good viewing spot.]]></answer></qa>
<qa name="q343" theta="2.58823529411764" difficulty="0.230769230769231" discrimination="0.472844732231188" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="1440" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[<em>Regardless of whether AKHAN delivers, the idea of using diamonds to solve the widespread problem of cracked smartphone screens bears scrutiny.<br><br></em>What does the author mean by the phrase "bears scrutiny" in the sentence?]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[AKHAN's idea of developing more durable smartphone screens is worth watching closely.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[AKHAN's idea of developing more durable smartphone screens is completely unrealistic.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[AKHAN's idea of developing more durable smartphone screens is impossible to fulfill.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[AKHAN's idea of developing more durable smartphone screens is clearly a success.]]></answer></qa>
<qa name="q1031" theta="2.17647058823529" difficulty="0.285714285714286" discrimination="0.301176330815055" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="1370" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[Earlier population estimates were educated guesses at best. Scientists would survey an area for signs of snow leopards, such as paw prints. They would use this data to make an estimate of how many lived in that area. But this method is prone to error. The camera traps allow them to identify individuals by the unique pattern of rosettes, or black and brown spots, found on each leopard’s thick coat of white, grey or pale tan fur.<br><br></em>Which idea is BEST supported by this paragraph?]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[The new camera traps will be the first time scientists are able to accurately estimate the number of snow leopards in the wild.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[The new camera traps are a nice addition to a series of strategies that have worked well to estimate snow leopard populations.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[The new camera traps do not work as well as surveying an area for markings like paw prints to mark the presence of snow leopards.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[The new camera traps have allowed scientists to see snow leopards for the first time and learn that their patterns are unique.]]></answer></qa>
<qa name="q170" theta="-0.882352941176474" difficulty="0.684210526315789" discrimination="0.261338072146511" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="850" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[While the test is a good predictor of a helmet's power to prevent catastrophic damage to the head, it doesn't correlate with the probability of getting a concussion.<br><br></em>What is the meaning of 'correlate' as mentioned in the sentence above?]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[connect]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[contrast]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[disassociate]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[assess]]></answer></qa>
<qa name="q700" theta="0.352941176470585" difficulty="0.529411764705882" discrimination="0.211694322368505" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="1060" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[Parts of Syria are controlled by the Islamic State, a violent group. But there is no evidence to suggest that Syrian refugees pose a threat to people in the United States.<br><br></em>Which of the following could replace the word "pose" WITHOUT changing its meaning?]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[present]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[conceal]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[contain]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[delay]]></answer></qa>
<qa name="q110" theta="2.58823529411764" difficulty="0.230769230769231" discrimination="0.533913035851989" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="1440" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[<em>The U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, meanwhile warned both sides against targeting civilians and said war crimes may have been committed.<br><br></em>What can you infer about "war crimes?"]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[targeting of soldiers is allowed in war]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[targeting of civilians is allowed in war]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[war crimes are allowed during wars]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[only one side is allowed to commit war crimes]]></answer></qa>
<qa name="q417" theta="-2.88235294117647" difficulty="0.923076923076923" discrimination="0.452259923991761" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="510" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[The leak could have broken the robot. The team thought quickly. They came up with a last-minute solution. Luckily, it worked.<br><br></em>Which word could replace "solution" WITHOUT changing the meaning of the sentence?]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[fix]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[dream]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[problem]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[question]]></answer></qa>
<qa name="q180" theta="0.235294117647056" difficulty="0.541666666666667" discrimination="0.608550394521421" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="1040" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[But the system Maheswaran and Chang have licensed to four NBA teams through their start-up company, Second Spectrum, could influence the way their clients play and even construct their rosters.<br><br></em>Which sentence BEST supports the fact that the system could help influence the way the NBA constructs its rosters?]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[I think what you're going to find, said Brian Kopp, senior vice president of sports solutions for STATS, "is teams that say, 'This is the type of player we"re looking for and I want to find the guy who's on a $5 million contract instead of a $15 million contract that gets to 90 percent of that output.'"]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[The NBA recently decided to pay for every team to have the system so that a complete data set would be available league-wide and selected information could be distributed to fans via NBA TV and NBA.com.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[Although many of the numbers will be available to all 30 teams, customized reports generated by specialized providers such as STATS and Second Spectrum can be viewed only by the teams requesting them.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[The Lakers will be able to track Kobe Bryant's accelerations and decelerations upon his return from a torn Achilles tendon, as well as how much load he's putting on his legs during games.]]></answer></qa>
<qa name="q404" theta="-1.58823529411765" difficulty="0.769230769230769" discrimination="0.281916998875223" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="730" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[Many work fields need computer coders.<br><br></em>What does "work fields" mean in the sentence?]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[types of jobs]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[types of computers]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[types of problems]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[types of workers]]></answer></qa>
<qa name="q938" theta="-1.41176470588236" difficulty="0.75" discrimination="0.460387122553582" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="760" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[Doug Wead, who wrote a book about the children of presidents, said it's the "ultimate hurt" when the offspring become the vehicle for the ire that some grownups wish they could direct toward the president.<br><br></em>Which phrase helps explain what "offspring" means?]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[children of presidents]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[presidents and first ladies]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[standing up for kids]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[vehicle for the ire]]></answer></qa>
<qa name="q541" theta="-1.41176470588236" difficulty="0.75" discrimination="0.589742148996839" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="760" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[What is the BEST way to explain "conservation"?]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[Conservation means any effort to protect animals from harm.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[Conservation means putting animals in zoos.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[Conservation means leaving animals alone.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[Conservation means any effort to use animals to teach people about nature.]]></answer></qa>
<qa name="q1023" theta="-0.235294117647062" difficulty="0.590909090909091" discrimination="0.415927484626862" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="960" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[Another point of confusion is that "Allah," which means God in Arabic, is a different God than the one Christians worship. "We don't pray to any new God. It's the same God as the Jewish God or the Christian God."<br><br></em>Which word helps explain what "point of confusion" means?]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[misunderstandings]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[decision]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[ideas]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[view]]></answer></qa>
<qa name="q578" theta="0.529411764705879" difficulty="0.5" discrimination="0.231265296050369" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="1090" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[A group of young goat herders stumbled upon a cave in the desert of Israel. Inside, the teenagers found something odd. They stumbled upon a bunch of old jars, organized into rows.<br><br></em>What does the author mean by "stumbled upon"?]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[discovered]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[fell onto]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[misplaced]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[tripped over]]></answer></qa>
<qa name="q69" theta="3" difficulty="0.0476190476190476" discrimination="0.397796126479078" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="1510" category="5324" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA["It gets rid of those little small hits you get in practice," said player Nick Spracklen, 20. "It keeps your head fresh, keeps those headaches away. You leave practice without a headache, your whole day is better."<br><br></em>What does the word 'fresh' mean as in the paragraph above?]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[undamaged]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[clear]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[cool]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[repaired]]></answer></qa>
<qa name="q127" theta="2.76470588235294" difficulty="0.192307692307692" discrimination="0.578875043305558" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="1470" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[Select the sentence that contains a word that means "very difficult to deal with."]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[Those who did make the trip had a formidable task ahead of them.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[While England continued to generate scoring chance after scoring chance, Borghi, a former baseball player, was up to the task.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[Even former U.S. defender and ESPN analyst Alexi Lalas, with the entire team sitting about 10 feet away from him last week at a send-off event, predicted that the team would not make it out of the group stage.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[There was little ado when they left and when the players came home after having pulled off one of the greatest upsets in World Cup history, they were hardly greeted as returning heroes.]]></answer></qa>
<qa name="q896" theta="-0.882352941176474" difficulty="0.684210526315789" discrimination="0.575098818411766" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="850" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[There's plenty of people who are scared, Rosenberg said. He called those behind the threats "an embarrassment to civilized society."<br><br></em>How does the word "embarrassment" affect the TONE of the sentence?]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[It conveys the sense that those responsible should feel shame.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[It conveys the sense that those responsible are awkward.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[It conveys the sense that those responsible feel shy.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[It conveys the sense that those responsible may be injured.]]></answer></qa>
<qa name="q586" theta="2" difficulty="0.307692307692308" discrimination="0.555538236835542" guessing="0.25" distraction="1.702" group="1340" category="" correct_goto="" incorrect_goto="" branch_using=""><question><![CDATA[Lately, water districts added water recycling programs and encouraged people to save water at home. That kept a lid on water use even as the population grew.<br><br></em>Which sentence uses the phrase "kept a lid on" in the SAME way as the paragraph above?]]></question><answer goto="" value="1"><![CDATA[The principal kept a lid on cell phone use in school by collecting the students' phones.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[Mrs. Green kept a lid on the cookie jar so the cookies would not get stale.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[The chef kept a lid on the flour container so it would not spill all over the kitchen.]]></answer><answer goto="" value="0"><![CDATA[The pet shop kept a lid on the fish tank because some of the fish were good jumpers.]]></answer></qa>
</competency>