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com

Ex 11: MAIN IDEA

Part A: Excerpt from George Washington's Farewell Address.

su vinh cuu perpetuity
1. To the efficacy and permanency of your Union, 1. What is the central idea of the paragraph?
required
a government for the whole is indispensable. No A. The authority of a government for all people
alliance, however strict, between the parts can be an should be respected.
xung dang
adequate substitute; they must inevitably experience B. The government should meet the needs of a
vat thay the
5 the infractions and interruptions which all alliances in all moral minority.
times have experienced. Respect for its authority, C. Alliances often experience infractions.
compliance with its laws, acquiescence in its measures, D. The Constitution can be altered in specific
are duties enjoined by the fundamental maxims of true circumstances.
liberty. The basis of our political systems is the right of
10 the people to make and to alter their constitutions of
government. But the Constitution which at any time
exists, till changed by an explicit and authentic act of the
whole people, is sacredly obligatory upon all. The very
idea of the power and the right of the people to
15 establish government presupposes the duty of every
individual to obey the established government.

2. All obstructions to the execution of the laws, all 1. What is the central idea of the paragraph?
combinations and associations, under with the real A. Only the unambitious should serve as political
design to direct, control, counteract, or awe the regular leaders.
deliberation and action of the constituted authorities, B. Factions are destructive to the interests of the
5 are destructive of this fundamental principle, and of government.
fatal tendency. They serve to organize faction*, to give C. The will of political parties should override the will
it an artificial and extraordinary force; to put, in the of the general population.
place of the delegated will of the nation the will of a D. Members of factions are often enterprising
party, often a small but artful and enterprising minority individuals.
10 of the community. These factions are likely, in the
course of time and things, to become potent engines, by
which cunning, ambitious, and unprincipled men will be
enabled to subvert the power of the people and to
usurp for themselves the reins of government,
15 destroying afterwards the very engines which have
lifted them to unjust dominion.

*faction: a group of people united for a common

interest.

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Part B:
Experimental scientists occupy themselves with
observing and measuring the cosmos. They work to find
out what stuff exists, no matter how strange that stuff
may be. Theoretical physicists, on the other hand, are
5 not satisfied with observing the universe. They want to
know why. They want to explain all the properties of the
universe in terms of a few fundamental principles and
parameters. These fundamental principles, in turn, lead
to the “laws of nature,” which govern the behavior of all
10 matter and energy.
1. This passage primarily discusses
A) the influence of theoretical physicists on other
kinds of scientists.
B) the fundamental principles of theoretical physics.
C) the differences between two groups of scientists.
D) the conflict between experimental and
theoretical physics.

Part C:
Excerpt from the National Endowment of the Humanities’ article, “The Dilemma of Genetic Testing” by Doris
Zallen.
1. Genetic tests open up many opportunities. 1. Which of the following best expresses the
Prenatal tests can provide information on whether the author’s main point about genetic testing?
fetus has inherited a genetic disorder. Carrier tests can A. Genetic testing has only recently become an
make individuals aware that they have a mutant gene option for individuals.
5 which could, if their partner is also a carrier, cause B. Genetic testing is an innovative development that
problems should the gene appear in double dose in their is associated with both positive and negative
children. Presymptomatic tests can alert individuals that effects.
they may have a mutant gene which will bring on a C. Whether or not to share the results of genetic
disorder, years before any symptom appears. testing with employers is a troubling issue for some
10 Genetic tests provide information that can assist people.
in reproductive planning, in making plans for the future, D. People can make positive lifestyle changes based
and in triggering life-style changes that can improve the on the results of genetic testing.
chances of retaining good health.
Genetic tests can also produce disturbing and
15 difficult consequences. Because genes are shared in
families, finding a flawed gene in one family member will
mean that other family members may also have
inherited it. This feature of genetic testing raises
troubling questions. Is there an obligation to share
20 genetic news about oneself with others in the family?
Or to share with employers and insurance companies?
How should the genetic information that is obtained for
one person be transmitted to others? The strains within
families can be enormous when information is poorly
25 understood or perceived as threatening. Sometimes a
permanent estrangement of one part of the family from
another has resulted as people blame each other for
mutant genes. Even obtaining test results that show one
does not have the mutant gene, rather than producing
30 relief, has led to the distress of survivor guilt.

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Part D:
tuyen bo
Passage 1: Excerpt from Eleanor Roosevelt’s speech, “Adopting the Declaration of Human Rights.”
1. The Declaration has come from the Human
Rights Commission with unanimous acceptance except
for four abstentions -- the U.S.S.R., Yugoslavia, Ukraine,
and Byelorussia. The reason for this is a fundamental
5 difference in the conception of human rights as they
exist in these states and in certain other Member States
in the United Nations. In the discussion before the
Assembly, I think it should be made crystal clear what
these differences are and tonight I want to spend a little
10 time making them clear to you. It seems to me there is
a valid reason for taking the time today to think carefully
and clearly on the subject of human rights, because in
the acceptance and observance of these rights lies the
root, I believe, of our chance of peace in the future, and
15 for the strengthening of the United Nations
organization to the point where it can maintain peace in
the future. We must not be confused about what
freedom is. Basic human rights are simple and easily
understood: freedom of speech and a free press;
20 freedom of religion and worship; freedom of assembly
and the right of petition; the right of men to be secure
in their homes and free from unreasonable search and
seizure and from arbitrary arrest and punishment. We
must not be deluded by the efforts of the forces of
25 reaction to prostitute the great words of our free
tradition and thereby to confuse the struggle.
Democracy, freedom, human rights have come to
have a definite meaning to the people of the world
which we must not allow any nation to so change that
30 they are made synonymous with suppression and
dictatorship. The Charter of the United Nations is a
guiding beacon along the way to the achievement of
human rights and fundamental freedoms throughout
the world. The immediate test is not only to the extent
35 to which human rights and freedoms have already been
achieved, but the direction in which the world is moving.
Is there a faithful compliance with the objectives of the
Charter if some countries continue to curtail human
rights and freedoms instead of to promote the universal
40 respect for an observance of human rights and
freedoms for all as called for by the Charter?
1. According to Roosevelt, the four countries that
did not sign the Charter
A. are to be praised for their courage.
B. did not understand the terms of the charter.
C. have different notions of what constitutes human
rights.
D. believed its provisions were too weak to protect
the global populace.
2. The question in the last sentence of the passage
suggests that
A. each country should be entitled to determine the
rights it awards its citizens.
B. the strength of the Charter is compromised if all
countries do not embrace its goals.
C. the principles advocated in the Charter do not
protect the rights of disenfranchised populations.
D. agreeing to the terms of the Charter is no
guarantee that the spirit of the charter will be
enforced.
3. A controlling idea of the passage is that
A. human rights should be subject to cultural
interpretation.
B. human rights are associated with basic universal
freedoms.
C. dictators are entitled to curtail human rights to
protect national security interests.
D. the extension of universal human rights is
impossible to achieve.
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Passage 2: Excerpt from The Interpretations of Dreams by Sigmund Freud.

1. I suggest that for the present all these questions 1. According to Freud, the dream of drinking
be laid aside, and that a single path be pursued. We have A. is an inconvenient alternative to drinking an
found that the dream represents a wish as fulfilled. It actual glass of water.
will be our next interest to ascertain whether this is a B. eliminates one’s biological need for water.
5 universal characteristic of the dream, or only the C. originates from the sensation of thirst.
accidental content of the dream (“of Irma’s injection”) D. only occurs when one has a glass of water besides
with which we have begun our analysis, for even if we one’s bed.
make up our minds that every dream has a meaning and
psychic value, we must nevertheless allow for the 2. Which quote best conveys the central idea about
10 possibility that this meaning is not the same in every the function of dreams?
dream. The first dream we have considered was the A. “I sleep well, and am not accustomed to be
fulfilment of a wish; another may turn out to be a awakened by a bodily need” (Line 20-22)
realized apprehension; a third may have a reflection as B. “We have found that the dream represents a wish
to its content; a fourth may simply reproduce a as fulfilled” (Line 2-3).
15 reminiscence. Are there then other wish dreams; or are C. “This same dream recently appeared in modified
there possibly nothing but wish dreams? The occasion form” (Lines 29-30).
for this dream is thirst, which I perceive when I awake. D. “It is thus a dream of convenience” (Line 24).
The wish to drink originates from this sensation, and the
dream shows me this wish as fulfilled. It thereby serves
20 a function the nature of which I soon guess. I sleep well,
and am not accustomed to be awakened by a bodily
need. If I succeed in assuaging my thirst by means of the
dream that I am drinking, I need not wake up in order to
satisfy it. It is thus a dream of convenience. The dream
25 substitutes itself for action, as elsewhere in life.
Unfortunately the need of water for quenching thirst
cannot be satisfied with a dream, like my thirst for
revenge upon Otto and Dr. M., but the intention is the
same. This same dream recently appeared in modified
30 form. On this occasion I became thirsty before going to
bed, and emptied the glass of water which stood on the
little chest next to my bed.

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Passage 3: Excerpt from Federalist Paper 51 by James Madison. The paper discusses the separation of powers
between different branches of government under the United States Constitution.
1. To the People of the State of New York: 1. According to the passage, why must each
In order to lay a due foundation for that separate department have “a will of its own” (line 6-7)?
and distinct exercise of the different powers of A. To carry out the functions of government.
government, which to a certain extent is admitted on all B. To effectively limit individual liberties.
5 hands to be essential to the preservation of liberty, it is C. To avoid encroachment from foreign officials.
evident that each department should have a will of its D. To monitor politics at the local level.
own; and consequently should be so constituted that
the members of each should have as little agency as 2. It can be inferred that Madison believes the
possible in the appointment of the members of the election of all magistracies of government by the
10 others. Were this principle rigorously adhered to, it people is
would require that all the appointments for the supreme A. illustrative of the constraining effects of
executive, legislative, and judiciary magistracies should succumbing to popular pressures.
be drawn from the same fountain of authority, the B. necessary to prevent the curtailment of political
people, through channels having no communication liberties.
15 whatever with one another. Perhaps such a plan of C. an impractical means of addressing potential
constructing the several departments would be less abuses of power.
difficult in practice than it may in contemplation appear. D. an enviable alternative only afforded to those in
Some difficulties, however, and some additional representative democracies.
expense would attend the execution of it. Some
20 deviations, therefore, from the principle must be 3. What is the central idea of the passage?
admitted. A. Only people with political ambitions can lead
TO WHAT expedient, then, shall we finally resort, effectively.
for maintaining in practice the necessary partition of B. The different branches of government must be
power among the several departments, as laid down in able to impose checks on each other’s powers.
25 the Constitution? The great security against a gradual C. The least angelic people typically run for office.
concentration of the several powers in the same D. The people themselves must directly prevent
department, consists in giving to those who administer politicians from abusing their authority.
each department the necessary constitutional means
and personal motives to resist encroachments of the
30 others. The provision for defense must in this, as in all
other cases, be made commensurate to the danger of
attack. Ambition must be made to counteract ambition.
The interest of the man must be connected with the
constitutional rights of the place. It may be a reflection
35 on human nature, that such devices should be necessary
to control the abuses of government. But what is
government itself, but the greatest of all reflections on
human nature? If men were angels, no government
would be necessary. If angels were to govern men,
40 neither external nor internal controls on government
would be necessary. In framing a government which is
to be administered by men over men, the great difficulty
lies in this: you must first enable the government to
control the governed; and in the next place oblige it to
45 control itself.

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Passage 4: The following excerpt is adapted from “A Letter from a Birmingham Jail” (the first version, published
in May 1963) by Martin Luther King Jr. King is explaining why he is in Birmingham. King was arrested after
engaging in nonviolent resistance to practices of racial injustice and discrimination.
1. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.
We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality,
tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects
one directly, affects all indirectly. Never again can we
5 afford to live with the narrow, provincial "outside
agitator" idea. Anyone who lives inside the United
States can never be considered an outsider anywhere in
this country. You may well ask, Why direct action? Why
sit-ins, marches, etc.? Isn't negotiation a better path?"
10 You are exactly right in your call for negotiation. Indeed,
this is the purpose of direct action. Nonviolent direct
action seeks to create such a crisis and establish such
creative tension that a community that has constantly
refused to negotiate is forced to confront the issue. It
15 seeks so to dramatize the issue that it can no longer be
ignored. I just referred to the creation of tension as a
part of the work of the nonviolent resister. This may
sound rather shocking.
But I must confess that I am not afraid of the word
20 tension. I have earnestly worked and preached against
violent tension, but there is a type of constructive
nonviolent tension that is necessary for growth. Just as
Socrates felt that it was necessary to create a tension in
the mind so that individuals could rise from the bondage
25 of myths and half-truths to the unfettered realm of
creative analysis and objective appraisal, we must see
the need of having nonviolent gadflies to create the kind
of tension in society that will help men rise from the
dark depths of prejudice and racism to the majestic
30 heights of understanding and brotherhood. So the
purpose of the direct action is to create a situation so
crisis-packed that it will inevitably open the door to
negotiation. We, therefore, concur with you in your call
for negotiation. Too long has our beloved Southland
35 been bogged down in the tragic attempt to live in
monologue rather than dialogue.
1. In the second paragraph, King advances the
values of
A. openness and camaraderie.
B. patriotism and competition.
C. domination and obedience.
D. exclusion and cooperation.
2. According to King, individual instances of injustice
A. are typically isolated to discrete segments of the
population.
B. have farreaching effects.
C. can best be fought with negotiation.
D. represent an inevitable outgrowth of civil society.
3. According to King, “tension”
A. poses a threat to the fight against injustice.
B. is most constructive when it is accompanied with
violence.
C. downplays the most pressing issues facing the
oppressed.
D. is sometimes needed to provoke political action.
4. What is the controlling idea of the letter?
A. Injustice should be fought by any means possible.
B. The ideals of agitation and reconciliation are
mutually exclusive.
C. Nonviolent direct action is a justified technique
for countering discrimination.
D. Meaningful reforms cannot take place unless
tension is minimized.
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Passage 5: Below is Robert La Follette’s 1917 speech, “Senate Address on Free Speech in War Time Title.” In
context, he is discussing the right of citizens to criticize World War I.
1. And, sir, this is the ground on which I stand. I discharge to the last limit whatever obligation the
maintain that Congress has the right and the duty to war lays upon him.
declare the objects of the war and the people have the
right and the obligation to discuss it. 1. According to La Follette an “obnoxious law” (line
5 American citizens may hold all shades of opinion as 15-16)
to the war; one citizen may glory in it another may A. is always constitutional.
deplore it, each has the same right to voice his B. should be criticized freely.
judgment. An American citizen may think and say that C. can be disobeyed with impunity.
we are not justified in prosecuting this war for the D. can never be repealed.
10 purpose of dictating the form of government which shall
be maintained by our enemy or our ally, and not be 2. According to La Follette, the war
subject to punishment at law. A. has been met with unanimous support.
It is the citizen's duty to obey the law until it is B. was rooted in meaningful causes.
repealed or declared unconstitutional. But he has the C. lacks a clear purpose or goal.
15 inalienable right to fight what he deems an obnoxious D. must continue until injustice is eradicated.
law or a wrong policy in the courts and at the ballot box.
It is the suppressed emotion of the masses that breeds 3. Which of the following is a central idea of the
revolution. If the American people are to carry on this passage?
great war, if public opinion is to be enlightened and A. War is inevitable between Western societies.
20 intelligent, there must be free discussion. Congress, as B. Congress should not have the right to authorize
well as the people of the United States, entered the war unpopular wars.
in great confusion of mind and under feverish C. People should be able to voice their honest
excitement. The President's leadership was followed in political opinions.
the faith that he had some big, unrevealed plan by which D. The Constitution permits people to ignore
25 peace that would exalt him before all the world would unfavorable legislation.
soon be achieved.
Gradually, reluctantly, Congress and the country are
beginning to perceive that we are in this terrific world
conflict, not only to right our wrongs, not only to aid the
30 allies, not only to share its awful death toll and its fearful
tax burden, but, perhaps, to bear the brunt of the war.
And so I say, if we are to forestall the danger of being
drawn into years of war, perhaps finally to maintain
imperialism and exploitation, the people must unite in a
35 campaign along constitutional lines for free discussion
of the policy of the war and its conclusion on a just basis.
Permit me, sir, this word in conclusion. It is said by
many persons for whose opinions I have profound
respect and whose motives I know to be sincere that
40 "we are in this war and must go through to the end."
That is true. But it is not true that we must go through
to the end to accomplish an undisclosed purpose, or to
reach an unknown goal.
I believe that whatever there is of honest difference
45 of opinion concerning this war, arises precisely at this
point. There is, and of course can be, no real difference
of opinion concerning the duty of the citizen to

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Passage 6: The excerpt below is adapted from Theodore Roosevelt’s 1906 speech “The Man with the Muckraker.”
Roosevelt is discussing “muckrakers,” journalists who exposed corruption in business and government.
1. There are in the body politic, economic and social,
many and grave evils, and there is urgent necessity for
the sternest war upon them. There should be relentless
exposure of and attack upon every evil man, whether
5 politician or business man, every evil practice, whether
in politics, business, or social life. I hail as a benefactor
every writer or speaker, every man who, on the latform
or in a book, magazine, or newspaper, with merciless
severity makes such attack, provided always that he in
10 his turn remembers that the attack is of use only if it is
absolutely truthful. The liar is no whit better than the
thief, and if his mendacity takes the form of slander he
may be worse than most thieves. It is dishonest to
untruthfully to attack an honest man, or even with
15 hysterical exaggeration to assail a bad man with untruth.
An epidemic of indiscriminate assault upon character
does no good, but very great harm. The soul of every
scoundrel is gladdened whenever an honest man is
assailed, or even when a scoundrel is untruthfully
20 assailed.
One of the chief counts against those who make
indiscriminate assault upon men in business or men in
public life is that they invite a reaction which is sure to
tell powerfully in favor of the unscrupulous scoundrel
25 who really ought to be attacked, who ought to be
exposed, who ought, if possible, to be put in the
penitentiary. If Aristides is praised overmuch as just,
people get tired of hearing it; and over-censure of the
unjust finally and from similar reasons results in their
30 favor. Any excess is almost sure to invite a reaction; and,
unfortunately, the reactions instead of taking the form
of punishment of those guilty of the excess, is apt to
take the form either of punishment of the unoffending
or of giving immunity, and even strength, to offenders.
35 The effort to make financial or political profit out of
the destruction of character can only result in public
calamity. Gross and reckless assaults on character,
whether on the stump or in newspaper, magazine, or
book, create a morbid and vicious public sentiment, and
40 at the same time act as a profound deterrent to able
men of normal sensitiveness and tend to prevent them
from entering the public service at any price.
1. According to Roosevelt, people who are truly
guilty of corruption should be
A. exposed for their actions.
B. forgiven for their misdeeds.
C. entitled to a vigorous defense.
D. imprisoned for life.
2. According to Roosevelt, press attacks on the
characters of people who are innocent of
wrongdoing cause
A. newspaper sales to decline.
B. widespread indifference to scandals to take root.
C. honest people to refrain from entering politics.
D. increased accountability for those who are guilty
of corruption.
3. Roosevelt is critical of journalists who do all of the
following EXCEPT
A. persistently expose truthful corruption instances.
B. exaggerate the wrongdoings of corrupt officials
C. make up stories about the wrongdoings of
corrupt officials.
D. profit from defaming the character of others.
4. Which of the following is a controlling idea of the
passage?
A. Corruption compromises the safety of individuals.
B. Journalists have a responsibility to report
accurate information.
C. Incidences of wrongdoing should be kept secret
from the public.
D. The media should be a nonprofit industry.
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Passage 7: The passage is adapted from The Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens. In the passage Marquis’s
nephew, Charles, explains why he does not wish to inherit Marquis’ title and property.
1. " Sir," said the nephew, "we have done wrong, and "And you?" said the uncle. "Forgive my
are reaping the fruits of wrong...Our family; our curiosity; do you, under your new philosophy,
honorable family, whose honor is of so much account to 50 graciously intend to live?"
both of us, in such different ways. Even in my father's "I must do, to live, what others of my
5 time, we did a world of wrong, injuring every human countrymen, even with nobility at their backs, may
creature who came between us and our pleasure, have to do some day—work.
whatever it was. Why need I speak of my father's time,
when it is equally yours? Can I separate my father's 1. Why does Charles not want to inherit his family’s
twin-brother, joint inheritor, and next successor, from property?
10 himself?" A. The land is too large for Charles to manage.
"Death has done that!" said the Marquis. B. Charles is intimidated by the responsibilities of
"And has left me," answered the nephew, "bound to owning a home.
a system that is frightful to me, responsible for it, but C. Charles harbors guilt for his family’s past
powerless in it; seeking to execute the last request of misdeeds.
15 my dear mother's lips, and obey the last look of my dear D. Charles feels that he cannot be bothered with real
mother's eyes, which implored me to have mercy and to work.
redress; and tortured by seeking assistance and power
in vain." 2. The author characterizes Charles’ uncle as
"Seeking them from me, my nephew," said the A. compassionate.
20 Marquis, touching him on the breast with his B. pensive.
forefinger—they were now standing by the hearth— C. wicked.
"you will for ever seek them in vain, be assured." Every D. honest.
fine straight line in the clear whiteness of his face, was
cruelly, craftily, and closely compressed, while he stood 3. A central idea which Dickens conveys is that
25 looking quietly at his nephew, with his snuff-box in his A. privileges gained at the expense of the suffering
hand. Once again he touched him on the breast, as of others are not worth preserving.
though his finger were the fine point of a small sword, B. people who gain wealth through work are inferior
with which, in delicate finesse, he ran him through the to those who are born into nobility.
body, and said, "My friend, I will die, perpetuating the C. those in power have a responsibility to maintain
30 system under which I have lived. Better to be a rational the systems that preserve the status quo.
creature," he added then, after ringing a small bell on the D. sacrificing one’s own interests for the sake of
table, "and accept your natural destiny. But you are lost, others is irrational.
Monsieur Charles, I see."
"This property and France are lost to me," said the
35 nephew, sadly; "I renounce them."
"Are they both yours to renounce? France may be,
but is the property? It is scarcely worth mentioning; but,
is it yet?"
"I had no intention, in the words I used, to claim it
40 yet. If it passed to me from you, to-morrow —"If it ever
becomes mine, it shall be put into some hands better
qualified to free it slowly (if such a thing is possible) from
the weight that drags it down, so that the miserable
people who cannot leave it and who have been long
45 wrung to the last point of endurance, may, in another
generation, suffer less; but it is not for me. There is a
curse on it, and on all this land."

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Passage 8: The following excerpt is adapted from “A White Heron.” Syliva is nine years old and lives with her
grandmother. A hunter has offered to give a sum of money to anyone who reveals the location of a rare bird (the white
heron), which Sylvia has recently discovered.
"Sylvy, Sylvy!" called the busy old grandmother 1. Sylvia does not reveal the location of the heron because
again and again, but nobody answered, and the small A. money was not important to her.
husk bed was empty and Sylvia had disappeared. B. she was suspicious of the hunter’s motives.
The guest waked from a dream, and C. she felt compelled to protect the heron.
5 remembering his day's pleasure hurried to dress himself D. her grandmother urged her not to compromise her
that it might sooner begin. He was sure from the way principles.
the shy little girl looked once or twice yesterday that she
had at least seen the white heron, and now she must 2. The author implies that after making the decision to keep
really be made to tell. the bird’s location secret, Sylvia
10 Here she comes now, paler than ever, and her A. felt an overwhelming sense of relief.
worn old frock is torn and tattered, and smeared with B. contemplated what she lost by not complying with the
pine pitch. The grandmother and the sportsman stand in hunter’s demands.
the door together and question her, and the splendid C. lost her love for nature.
moment has come to speak of the dead hemlock-tree D. had a guilty conscience for burdening her grandmother.
15 by the green marsh.
But Sylvia does not speak after all, though the 3. One central message of the story is that
old grandmother fretfully rebukes her, and the young A. making choices that align with one’s values often entails
man's kind, appealing eyes are looking straight in her sacrificing material benefits.
own. He can make them rich with money; he has B. a love for nature is compatible with its destruction.
20 promised it, and they are poor now. He is so well worth C. the accumulation of wealth is the key to personal
making happy, and he waits to hear the story she can happiness.
tell. D. maintaining one’s innocence is rarely fraught with
No, she must keep silence! What is it that difficulties.
suddenly forbids her and makes her dumb? Has she
25 been nine years growing and now, when the great world
for the first time puts out a hand to her, must she thrust
it aside for a bird's sake? The murmur of the pine's green
branches is in her ears, she remembers how the white
heron came flying through the golden air and how they
30 watched the sea and the morning together, and Sylvia
cannot speak; she cannot tell the heron's secret and give
its life away.
Dear loyalty, that suffered a sharp pang as the
guest went away disappointed later in the day, that
35 could have served and followed him and loved him as a
dog loves! Many a night Sylvia heard the echo of his
whistle haunting the pasture path as she came home
with the loitering cow. She forgot even her sorrow at
the sharp report of his gun and the sight of thrushes and
40 sparrows dropping silent to the ground, their songs
hushed and their pretty feathers stained and wet with
blood. Were the birds better friends than their hunter
might have been, -- who can tell? Whatever treasures
were lost to her, woodlands and summer-time,
45 remember! Bring your gifts and graces and tell your
secrets to this lonely country child!

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Passage 9: The following excerpt is adapted from Les Miserables by Victor Hugo. The protagonist, Jean Valjean, has been
arrested for stealing a loaf of bread.
Let us try to say it. It is necessary that society
should look at these things, because it is itself which
creates them. He recognized the fact that he was not an
innocent man unjustly punished. He admitted that he
5 had committed an extreme and blameworthy act; that
that loaf of bread would probably not have been
refused to him had he asked for it; that, in any case, it
would have been better to wait until he could get it
through compassion or through work; that it is not an
10 unanswerable argument to say, "Can one wait when one
is hungry?" That, in the first place, it is very rare for
anyone to die of hunger, literally; and next, that,
fortunately or unfortunately, man is so constituted that
he can suffer long and much, both morally and
15 physically, without dying; that it is therefore necessary
to have patience; that that would even have been better
for those poor little children; that it had been an act of
madness for him, a miserable, unfortunate wretch, to
take society at large violently by the collar, and to
20 imagine that one can escape from misery through theft;
that that is in any case a poor door through which to
escape from misery through which infamy enters; in
short, that he was in the wrong.
Then he asked himself — Whether he had been
25 the only one in fault in his fatal history. Whether it was
not a serious thing, that he, a laborer, out of work, that
he, an industrious man, should have lacked bread. And
whether, the fault once committed and confessed, the
chastisement had not been ferocious and
30 disproportioned. Whether there had not been more
abuse on the part of the law, in respect to the penalty,
than there had been on the part of the culprit in respect
to his fault. Whether there had not been an excess of
weights in one balance of the scale, in the one hich
35 contains expiation. Whether the over-weight of the
penalty was not equivalent to the annihilation of the
crime, and did not result in reversing the situation, of
replacing the fault of the delinquent by the fault of the
repression, of converting the guilty man into the victim,
40 and the debtor into the creditor, and of ranging the law
definitely on the side of the man who had violated it.
Whether this penalty, complicated by successive
aggravations for attempts at escape, had not ended in
becoming a sort of outrage perpetrated by the stronger
45 upon the feebler, a crime of society against the
individual, a crime which was being committed afresh
every day, a crime which had lasted nineteen years.
He asked himself whether human society could have
the right to force its members to suffer equally in one case
50 for its own unreasonable lack of foresight, and in the other
case for its pitiless foresight; and to seize a poor man
forever between a defect and an excess, a default of work
and an excess of punishment. Whether it was not
outrageous for society to treat thus precisely those of its
55 members who were the least well-endowed in the division
of goods made by chance, and consequently the most
deserving of consideration. These questions put and
answered, he judged society and condemned it. He
condemned it to his hatred.
1. It can be inferred that Valjean believed that
A. he did not break any law.
B. his crime was justified by his noble motivations.
C. his punishment was too serious in relation to his crime.
D. he did not deserve to receive any punishment.
2. Which choice provides the best evidence for the answer
to the previous question?
A. Lines 1-2 (“It is necessary … creates them”)
B. Line 2 (“He recognized …. unjustly punished”)
C. Lines 14-15 (“Then he asked…fatal history”)
D. Lines 20-24 (“Whether the over-weight … violated it”)
3. Valjean’s attitude toward society was one of
A. righteous indignation.
B. feigned indifference.
C. mild disapproval.
D. begrudging support.
4. Which of the following is a central idea of the passage?
A. The law of morality is equivalent to the law of the land.
B. Society often causes the suffering of its members.
C. Forced confessions are not valid.
D. The underprivileged are usually shown leniency for their
crimes.
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Passage 10: The following excerpt is adapted from the Center for Disease Control’s blog, “Clarity on Cholesterol
Management and Why We Need It” by Jennifer Robinson.
In the winter of 2013, the American College of
Cardiology and the American Heart Association
released new guidelines for treating blood cholesterol.
These new guidelines, which I helped draft, moved away
5 from focusing on a patient’s blood cholesterol level and,
instead, put a focus on a patient’s risk for
atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) to
decide who would benefit from drug treatment. Heart
attacks and strokes are common outcomes of ASCVD
10 caused by cholesterol build-up in the arteries. Its risk
factors include a person’s age, sex, race, smoking and
diabetes status, blood pressure, and blood cholesterol
levels. We felt this focus on atherosclerotic risk was the
best way to determine who would benefit from
15 cholesterol lowering therapy, be it lifestyle changes
and/or statin use, because it focused on the whole
person – as opposed to one piece of the puzzle. In other
words, whether your cholesterol is too high for you
depends on your other risk factors. This 360o view is
20 intended to help people prepare for a heart healthy life,
which includes controlling blood cholesterol (a quick
look at Life’s Simple Seven* provides the other six
guidelines that aid a healthy and happy heart).
Recently, dietary guidelines moved away from
25 limiting cholesterol intake in the diet, and this has
resulted in confusion. The Dietary Guidelines Advisory
Committee recommended removing dietary cholesterol
as a “nutrient of concern” because, it turns out saturated
fat, rather than dietary cholesterol, is the main
30 contributor to blood cholesterol levels. It is extremely
clear that low lipid density protein, or “bad,” cholesterol
(LDL-C), in the blood is a significant risk factor for heart
disease and stroke, the leading causes of death among
Americans. This message was lost in the dietary
35 cholesterol discussion as seen by news headlines and
fellow clinicians’ anecdotes.
I am working with the National Forum for Heart
Disease and Stroke Prevention to raise awareness about
cholesterol and its effect on ASCVD risk. With the help
40 of an expert panel and funding from Sanofi US and
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc., we are creating an
initiative aimed at preventing cardiovascular events,
such as heart attacks and stroke episodes, through
increased awareness about cholesterol management.
45 While this multi-sector initiative is in its early stages (we
had our first meeting in March!), it is welltimed. Most
adults in the US can benefit from lifestyle or drug
therapy to lower their cholesterol level to reduce their
risk of heart attack and stroke. Among people with
50 genetically high cholesterol, who have very high
LDLcholesterol levels of 190 mg/dl or higher, more than
80% are underdiagnosed and, therefore, untreated. And,
sadly, these numbers are estimated to be growing. As a
public health MD focused on cardiovascular prevention, I
55 want people to be armed with the information needed to
live a long healthy life. I also want people to live a good and
happy life. The best way to do that is to start taking care of
oneself now. Keeping yourself healthy is the best way to
prepare for long, happy, healthy life. I urge people to learn
60 more about how cholesterol affects the heart and to talk to
their doctors to find out how they can manage their ASCVD
risk.
* Life’s Simple Seven: a set of guidelines for improving one’s
heart health.
1. Which of the following expresses the central idea of the
passage?
A. Treatment plans for high cholesterol should be more
closely linked to one’s risk for ASCVD.
B. Statin use is just one means of controlling one’s
cholesterol.
C. Most people who live a heart healthy life are familiar
with the Simple Seven.
D. Smoking puts one at risk for ASCVD.
2. According to the second paragraph (lines 14-20), a
purpose of the new guidelines is to
A. cause confusion within the scientific and journalistic
communities.
B. counteract the suggestion that there are drawbacks
associated with high blood cholesterol levels.
C. more precisely identify a specific dietary culprit
responsible for certain health conditions.
D. encourage people to consume large amounts of dietary
cholesterol.
3. According to the final paragraph, what is the main
message that the author wants ordinary people to know?
A. There is a genetic component to high cholesterol.
B. People can take healthful actions to reduce their risk of
developing ASCVD.
C. Treatment options are limited for people with ASCVD.
D. Drug therapy is suitable for all adults concerned about
developing high cholesterol.
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