Master the ACT Assessment, 2005 e (Master the New Act Assessment)

792 Pages·2004·4.01 MB·English

by  Arco

ARCO
MASTER THE ACT
ASSESSMENT
2005

ARCO
MASTER THE ACT
ASSESSMENT
2005
An ARCO Book
ARCO is a registered trademark of Thomson Learning, Inc., and is used herein
under license by Peterson’s.
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COPYRIGHT © 2004 Peterson’s, a division of Thomson Learning, Inc.
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ISBN (Book Only): 0-7689-1611-9
ISBN (CD-ROM): 0-7689-1463-9
Printed in the United States of America
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 06 05 04
5th Edition
Contents
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Introduction ......................................................................................................xi
PART I MEETING AND MASTERING THE ACT ASSESSMENT
Chapter 1: Get to Know the ACT Assessment ................................................3
Understand the ACT Assessment...................................................3
ACT Assessment Contents and Format.........................................4
The ACT Assessment English Test.................................................5
The Optional Writing Test..............................................................6
The ACT Assessment Math Test.....................................................8
The ACT Assessment Reading Test................................................9
The ACT Assessment Science Reasoning Test.............................10
Nuts and Bolts: The ACT Assessment Test Booklet
and Answer Sheet...................................................................11
How the ACT Assessment Is Scored.............................................12
How College Admissions Offices Use the ACT
Assessment Score ...................................................................13
Registering for the ACT Assessment............................................14
Calculating the Testing Fee..........................................................14
When Should You Take the ACT Assessment? ............................15
Where Should You Take the ACT Assessment?...........................15
A Look Ahead: What You Need to Do the Day
of the ACT Assessment...........................................................15
Special Registration Situations....................................................16
How to Contact the ACT, Inc. Office ............................................17
Summary: What You Need to Know about the ACT Assessment..19
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○ Chapter 2: Diagnostic Test.......................................................................................21
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○ Taking the ACT Assessment Diagnostic Test ..........................................21
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Diagnostic Test..........................................................................................25
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○ Answer Key................................................................................................79
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○ Explanatory Answers................................................................................81
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○ What This First Score Means...................................................................98
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Tracking Your Progress...........................................................................102
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○ Chapter 3: Mastering the ACT Assessment: Your Plan for Success....................103
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○ Creating Your ACT Assessment Study Plan..........................................103
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If You Have Three Months or More to Prepare .....................................104
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○ If You Have Four to Six Weeks to Prepare.............................................105
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○ If You Have Two Weeks to Prepare ........................................................106
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○ Minimizing Test Anxiety........................................................................ 107
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Ten Strategies for Scoring Higher on the ACT Assessment................. 108
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○ Summary: What You Need to Know about Making
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○ Your Study Plan................................................................................111
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○ PART II STRENGTHENING YOUR ACT ASSESSMENT
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○ SUBJECT SKILLS
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○ Chapter 4: The ACT Assessment English Test .......................................................115
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What to Expect on the ACT Assessment English Test..........................115
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○ Strategies for Success on the ACT Assessment English Test ...............118
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○ Success Strategy Roundup: A List of Do's and Don’ts.......................... 124
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○ Practice Exercises .................................................................................. 125
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Exercises: The ACT Assessment English Test...................................... 126
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○ Answer Key and Explanations...............................................................138
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○ Are You Ready to Move On?....................................................................143
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○ Summary: What You Need to Know about the ACT
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○ Assessment English Test................................................................. 144
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Contents vii
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Chapter 5: The ACT Assessment Math Test ..........................................................145 ○
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What to Expect on the ACT Assessment Math Test..............................145 ○
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Strategies for Success on the ACT Assessment Math Test...................147
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Success Strategy Roundup: A List of Do’s and Don’ts.......................... 159 ○
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Practice Exercises .................................................................................. 161 ○
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Exercises: The ACT Assessment Math Test.......................................... 162 ○
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Answer Key and Explanations...............................................................167
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Are You Ready to Move On?....................................................................170 ○
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Summary: What You Need to Know about the ACT ○
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Assessment Math Test......................................................................171 ○
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Chapter 6: The ACT Assessment Reading Test....................................................173
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What to Expect on the ACT Assessment Reading Test........................ 173 ○
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Strategies for Success on the ACT Assessment Reading Test ..............175 ○
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Success Strategy Roundup: A List of Do’s and Don’ts.......................... 184 ○
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Practice Exercises .................................................................................. 185
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Exercises: The ACT Assessment Reading Test......................................186 ○
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Answer Key and Explanations...............................................................197 ○
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Are You Ready to Move On?....................................................................201 ○
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Summary: What You Need to Know about the ACT
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Assessment Reading Test.................................................................202
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Chapter 7: The ACT Assessment Science Reasoning Test..................................203 ○
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What to Expect on the ACT Assessment Science Reasoning Test........203 ○
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Strategies for Success on the ACT Assessment Science
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Reasoning Test..................................................................................208
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Success Strategy Roundup: A List of Do’s and Don’ts.......................... 218 ○
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Practice Exercises .................................................................................. 219 ○
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Exercises: The ACT Assessment Science Reasoning Test.....................220 ○
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Answer Key and Explanations...............................................................228
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○ Are You Ready to Move On?....................................................................231
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○ Summary: What You Need to Know about the ACT
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○ Assessment Science Reasoning Test............................................... 232
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○ PART III MASTER ACT ASSESSMENT SUBJECT REVIEWS
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○ Chapter 8: English Review .....................................................................................235
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○ Mastering Verbs ......................................................................................235
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○ Mastering Modifying Phrases ............................................................... 239
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Mastering Adjectives and Adverbs........................................................ 240
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○ Mastering Pronouns............................................................................... 242
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○ Mastering Connecting Clauses...............................................................244
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○ Mastering Punctuation...........................................................................246
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Mastering Grammar and Logic............................................................. 249
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○ Mastering the Use of Idioms ................................................................. 250
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○ Learn to Distinguish between Easily Confused Words........................ 252
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○ Master the Ability to Identify Wordiness...............................................252
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Writing a High-Scoring Essay............................................................... 254
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○ Practice Exercises .................................................................................. 274
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○ Exercises: The ACT Assessment English Test...................................... 275
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○ Answer Key and Explanations...............................................................293
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Are You Ready to Move On?....................................................................301
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○ Additional Resources for Review............................................................301
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○ Chapter 9: Math Review .......................................................................................303
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Arithmetic............................................................................................... 303
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○ Algebra.................................................................................................... 314
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○ Geometry .................................................................................................335
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○ Coordinate Geometry............................................................................. 354
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Other ACT Assessment Math Topics......................................................363
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Contents ix
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Practice Exercises .................................................................................. 369 ○
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Exercises: The ACT Assessment Math Test.......................................... 370 ○
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Answer Key and Explanations...............................................................379
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Are You Ready to Move On?....................................................................384 ○
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Additional Resources for Review............................................................384 ○
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Chapter 10: Reading Review.................................................................................385
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Master Strategies for Building Your Vocabulary...................................385 ○
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How to Use Your ACT Assessment Word List........................................387 ○
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Words Most Likely to Appear on the ACT Assessment Test.................387 ○
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Prefix and Suffix Tables..........................................................................429
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Practice Exercises .................................................................................. 431 ○
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Exercises: The ACT Assessment Reading Test......................................432 ○
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Answer Key and Explanations...............................................................448 ○
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Are You Ready to Move On?....................................................................454
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Additional Resources for Review............................................................454 ○
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Chapter 11: Science Reasoning Review..............................................................455 ○
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How to Read Tables, Graphs, and Charts............................................. 455
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An In-Depth Review of Tables............................................................... 456 ○
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An In-Depth Review of Graphs ............................................................. 457 ○
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A Simple Guide to the Scientific Method...............................................470 ○
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What You Need to Know about Variables............................................. 474
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How to Read Research Summaries........................................................475 ○
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Understanding How Scientists Compare Conclusions..........................478 ○
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How to Read Conflicting Viewpoints Passages......................................481 ○
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Scientific Terms and Concepts Most Likely to Be on Your
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ACT Assessment...............................................................................483
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Practice Exercises .................................................................................. 499 ○
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Exercises: The ACT Assessment Science Reasoning Test.....................499 ○
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○ Answer Key and Explanations...............................................................514
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○ Are You Ready to Move On?....................................................................518
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Additional Resources for Review............................................................518
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PART IV THREE FULL-LENGTH PRACTICE ACT ASSESSMENT TESTS
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○ Practice Test 1............................................................................................................523
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○ Answer Key............................................................................................. 572
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Explanatory Answers............................................................................. 574
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○ Practice Test 2............................................................................................................595
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○ Answer Key............................................................................................. 644
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Explanatory Answers............................................................................. 646
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○ Practice Test 3............................................................................................................667
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Answer Key............................................................................................. 716
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○ Explanatory Answers............................................................................. 718
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○ PART V LIFE AFTER THE ACT ASSESSMENT
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○ Appendix A: Applying to the College of Your Choice........................................ 739
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○ Appendix B: Finding Financial Aid........................................................................ 749
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○ Appendix C: Choosing the Right College............................................................ 761
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○ Appendix D: Who Are You?.................................................................................... 765
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