Introduction

READING TEST A

Below is a reading comprehension practice test, followed by a link to an answer key. To get the best sense of how you would do on the actual exam, we suggest that you do your best to simulate test conditions. It is also a good idea to print out the practice test so you can circle key words and underline main points at you read. Allow no more than four hours to complete a practice test. Experienced MTEL test takers discourage taking both the reading and writing sections on the same morning

Reading Comprehension Passage 1

[The Federalist Papers, originally published as letters to the editor under the pseudonym Publius, were the work of Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Gay. They argue that the state of New York, and by extension all of the thirteen former colonies, should adopt the system of government embodied in the US Constitution.]

A republic, by which I mean a government in which the scheme of representation takes place, opens a different prospect [from the evils of faction], and promises the cure for which we are seeking. Let us examine the points in which it varies from pure democracy, and we shall comprehend both the nature of the cure and the efficacy which it must derive from the Union.

The two great points of difference between a democracy and a republic are: first, the delegation of the government, in the latter, to a small number of citizens elected by the rest; secondly, the greater number of citizens, and greater sphere of the country, over which the latter may be extended.

The effect of the first difference is, on the one hand, to refine and enlarge the public views, by passing them through the medium of a chosen body of citizens, whose wisdom may best discern the true interest of their country, and whose patriotism and love of justice will be least likely to sacrifice it to temporary or partial considerations. Under such a regulation, it may well happen that the public voice, pronounced by the representatives of the people, will be more consonant to the public good than if pronounced by the people themselves, convened for the purpose. On the other hand, the effect may be inverted. Men of factious tempers, of local prejudices, or of sinister designs, may, by intrigue, by corruption, or by other means, first obtain the suffrages, and then betray the interests, of the people. The question resulting is, whether small or extensive republics are more favorable to the election of proper guardians of the public weal; and it is clearly decided in favor of the latter by two obvious considerations:

In the first place, it is to be remarked that, however large it may be, they must be limited to a certain number, in order to guard against the confusion of a multitude. Hence, the number of representatives in the two cases not being in proportion to that of the two constituents and being proportionally greater in the small republic, it follows that, if the proportion of fit characters be not less in the large than in the small republic, the former will present a greater option, and consequently a greater probability of a fit choice.

In the next place, as each representative will be chosen by a greater number of citizens in the large than in the small republic, it will be more difficult for unworthy candidates to practice with success the vicious arts by which elections are too often carried; and the suffrages of the people being more free, will be more likely to center in men who possess the most attractive merit and the most diffusive and established characters.

It must be confessed that in this, as in most other cases, there is a mean, on both sides of which inconveniences will be found to lie. By enlarging too much the number of electors, you render the representative too little acquainted with all their local circumstances and lesser interests; as by reducing it too much, you render him unduly attached to these and too little fit to comprehend and pursue great national objects. The federal Constitution forms a happy combination in this respect; the great and aggregate interests being referred to the national, the local and particular to the State legislatures.

From James Madison, “The Federalist, No. 10,” November 23, 1787.

1. Which of the following are main ideas in the passage?

1. A republican form of government is more likely to result in the public good than a democracy.

2 .Corrupt representatives betray the interest of the people.

3. The US Constitution separates representation into national and state legislatures.

4. Republics must be neither too large nor too small in order to succeed.

a. 2 and 3 only.

b. 1 and 2 only.

c. 1 and 4 only

d. All of the above.

 

2. The writer’s purpose in this passage is

a. to discuss pure democracy as a form of government.

b. to describe the US Constitution.

c. to persuade the audience that the republican form of government should be adopted.

d. to persuade the reader to become a Republican.

 

3.  According to arguments presented in the passage, which of the following is not a difference between a republic and a democracy?

a. Republics choose leaders rather than people representing themselves.

b. Republics can be larger than democracies.

c. In democracies, the people elect their own representatives, while in republics, they are chosen by a delegation.

d. Democracies are more easily swayed by mob sentiment than republics.

 

4.  Which of the following best represents the conclusion the author draws from paragraphs 3-5 of the passage?

a. A large republic is most likely to find representatives who represent the best interests of their constituents.

b. A large republic must be limited to avoid confusion.

c. Societies must guard against vicious and corrupt politicians.

d. A republic chooses the best of its citizens to represent itself.

 

5.  Which of the following represents the best summary of this passage?

a. Faction is bad. Democracy is good.

b. When we favor a republican over a democratic form of government, having the right number of elected representatives becomes especially important.

c. Republics safeguard representative government by encouraging the best representation.

d. Each form of a government has its pluses and minuses.

 

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Reading Comprehension Passage 2

A “HAZARD TO THE COMMONWEALTH”—
Colonial Baptist Preaching

One of the pleasant pastimes of Americans is to luxuriate in the myth that early settlers came to the New World to enjoy religious freedom and that once they arrived on the blessed shores of America they could worship as they pleased with total freedom of conscience in religious matters. There is only a grain of truth in that idea, but that grain has grown into a great harvest of sermons and political speeches that totally ignore the fact that until the American Revolution most of the colonies practiced a certain level of religious intolerance, and sometimes persecution, that made even Old England blush. Rhode Island, the earliest “safe” place for dissenters, was established precisely because Roger Williams was kicked out of Salem, Massachusetts, on the heels of religious intolerance. John Clarke and others were forced from Boston for the same reason. Rhode Island became a refuge from the dominant persecution, but not even Rhode Island was free of all problems, for Roger Williams could hardly abide the presence of the Quakers. During the seventeenth century, America was, for many dissenters, hardly a place of religious freedom.

The Puritans in Massachusetts were particularly oppressive. Those with Baptist sentiments who kept quiet and attended the nearest Congregational church were safe enough, but any who dared express their Baptist beliefs and dissent from the established church were dealt with so severely that a modern person can hardly keep from gawking in disbelief. How could the very ones who left England to escape religious oppression establish a stronghold in New England that persecuted any who disagreed with them? And how could something so simple and personal as a commitment to believer’s baptism threaten the establishment to such an extent that in 1644 the Massachusetts General Court passed a law banishing all “Anabaptists,” labeling them “the incendiaries of the commonwealths, and the infectors of persons in matters of religion, and the troublers of churches in all places”?

The answer to those questions lies in an understanding of the Puritans themselves. The early settlers of New England were indeed leaving what they believed to be a corrupt Anglican church. Their answer to a corrupt church was to set up a “New England” based on a pure church. There was not the slightest thought of a separation of church and state. Civil government and church government were virtually one and the same. The principle on which their new society was founded can be seen in infant baptism, for it was there that their sense of being God’s chosen people—the new Israel—was symbolized. Just as Moses and Aaron had symbolized God’s covenant by the act of circumcision, so the Puritans baptized infants as a picture of God’s new covenant in a new land. Infant baptism was loaded with all kinds of emotional baggage. It was more to them than a religious rite; it was the foundation on which their whole society stood. To question the practice was to question their raison d’être. To challenge the practice was treason! Thus John Cotton, the leading Puritan minister in Boston, could logically refer to the Baptists in charging that “the mischiefe of a blind Pharisee’s blind guidance, is greater than if he acted treasons, murders, etc. And the losse of one soule by his seduction, is a greater mischiefe, than if he blew up Parliaments, or cut the throats of Kings and Emperours.”

From “A Hazard to the Commonwealth: Colonial Baptist Preaching.” In T.R. McKibbens, The Forgotten Heritage: A Lineage of Great Baptist Preaching. Macon, Georgia: Mercer, 1986. Reprinted by permission.

6.  The main idea of the passage is:

a. Seventeenth century America was full of religious intolerance.

b. The separation of church and state was fundamental in early American society.

c. The Puritans established a new, pure church in New England.

d. Baptists were seen as treasonous by the Puritans.

 

7.  What is the best description of the intended audience for this passage?

a. Americans who live in New England.

b. American Baptists.

c. Fundamentalist Baptist preachers.

d. Americans who believe in the separation of church and state.

 

8.  According to the passage, Roger Williams went to Rhode Island because:

a. There are more beaches there.

b. Rhode Island had more Baptist churches.

c. He was a victim of Puritan intolerance of his religious beliefs.

d. He was intolerant of the Quakers.

 

9.  What can be inferred from the passage about the differences between Puritans and Anabaptists?

a. Anabaptists believed that believers should choose to be baptized, while Puritans believed that children should be baptized in infancy.

b. Anabaptists believed in the separation of church and state, while the Puritans believed in a society based on a pure church.

c. Puritans believed in theocracy, while Anabaptists believed in anarchy.

d. Puritans were intolerant of dissent, but Anabaptists believed in tolerance of other religious beliefs.

 

10.  The ideas presented in this passage can best be outlined by which of the following:

a.

I.   Most of the American colonies persecuted dissenters.
II.  Rhode Island was a refuge from this.
III. Infant baptism was the foundation of Puritan society.

b.

I.   Roger Williams had to go to Rhode Island because of religious intolerance.
II.  Baptists were treated badly by the Puritans in Massachusetts.
III. The Puritans saw the Baptists’ beliefs in believer’s baptism as treasonous.

c.

I.   The usual notion that people came to America for religious freedom is a myth.
II.  The Puritans were particularly intolerant.
III. Their intolerance came from their beliefs in the purity of their own faith.

d.

I.   Roger Williams.
II.  The Massachusetts General Court.
III. John Cotton.

 

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Reading Comprehension Passage 3

RALPH ELLISON’S JAZZ—
“A wild star-burst of metamorphosis”

[The following passage is part of a larger argument that the actions of human beings are motivated not only by their political or ideological positions, nor only by their free will, but by a complex mix of both of these: that is, both history (tradition) and individual action (agency) work together to cause our actions in the world. In this section, the author explores the use of jazz in Ralph Ellison’s novel Invisible Man. Invisible Man is the story of an unnamed African-American who describes himself as invisible because all anyone can see about him is his black skin.]

The narrator first achieves a glimpse of the complex agency of jazz as he listens to Louis Armstrong while his inhibitions have been loosened by the influence of “reefer.” He starts to see Armstrong’s ability to make “poetry out of being invisible” (8) in terms of the syncopation implicit in the jazz beat:

It was a strange evening. Invisibility, let me explain, gives one a slightly different sense of time, you’re never quite on the beat. Sometimes you’re ahead and sometimes behind. Instead of the swift and imperceptible flowing of time, you are aware of its nodes, those points where time stands still or from which it leaps ahead. And you slip into the breaks and look around. That’s what you hear vaguely in Louis’ music (8).

Invisibility, here positive and expressive, is an ability to take what is given—history, tradition, or here the beat—and make it new, make it one’s own. Moreover, invisibility here is synonymous with jazz itself, which can be defined as that same creative process of taking musical materials and reinventing them through creative ornamentation and improvisation. Gunther Schuller, whose scholarly work on jazz will provide a counterpoint to Ellison’s treatment of jazz here, describes jazz rhythm in quite comparable ways to what the narrator claims for the invisibility he both feels in himself and hears in Louis Armstrong: “The basis of jazz rhythm, as opposed to that of ‘classical’ music, is an embellishment, an anticipation, delay, or other ornamentation of the beat. In essence, jazz inflection rotates around a central axis, the beat” (Schuller 293). Jazz then both reinforces and problematizes the beat, pushing ahead or falling behind, but always with the beat underlying the ornamentation of the improvised playing. Schuller emphasizes the engagement of styles and underlying European and African musical cultures in the musical makeup of jazz:

This new music developed from a multi-colored variety of musical traditions brought to the new world in part from Africa, in part from Europe. It seems in retrospect almost inevitable that America, the great ethnic melting pot, would procreate a music compounded of African rhythmic, formal, sonoric, and expressive elements and European rhythmic and harmonic practices (Schuller 3).

Once again, this engagement of variation, this juxtaposition of different traditions to form a new dynamic system is a good example of what I’m calling complex agency: the interstices of traditions are exactly where reflective decisions must be made, hence agency, and they are both orderly, since they all stem from traditions, and chaotic, since the juxtaposition makes new circumstances. Moreover, it is quite specifically the complex agency of the African-American tradition, as Ellison also points out. Jazz is a form of expression which African-Americans form from the juxtaposition of their American experiences and their African heritage.

From “A COMPETENT KEYLESS CITIZEN”: Complex Agency in James Joyce’s Ulysses, Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man, and Philip Roth’s Operation Shylock” by C.T. Loschen . © 1996 by Christopher T. Loschen. Reprinted by permission.

11.  The main idea of the last paragraph can be best expressed by:

a. The juxtaposition of tradition and free will form complex agency.

b. Jazz is a model through which one can understand the making of meaning in Invisible Man.

c. The complex agency of the African-American tradition is expressed through the jazz beat.

d. Jazz turns invisibility into poetry.

 

12.  What purpose does Gunther Schuller serve in the author’s argument?

a. His scholarly manner provides a balance to the emotional tone of the narrator of Invisible Man.

b. Schuller is an expert on musical counterpoint.

c. Schuller provides authoritative support for the author’s arguments about jazz.

d. Schuller compares jazz rhythm to classical rhythm.

 

13.  According to information presented in the passage, which of the following is the best description of the jazz beat?

a. The jazz beat emphasizes the back beat rather than the down beat.

b. The jazz beat either precedes or delays the classical beat rather than occurring directly on time.

c. "The jazz beat is an African rhythmical practice."

d. The jazz beat is ornamental.

 

14.  All but which of the following is a conclusion which can be inferred from the above passage?

a. Diversity of cultures can be a powerful source for artistic creativity.

b. The invisibility forced on the narrator of Invisible Man by racism has its positive side as well as its negative side.

c. Gunther Schuller believes that jazz is a form of complex agency for the African-American community.

d. Human beings are often made up of more than one set of experiences, not limited to a single culture.

 

15.  What would be the best way to study further the ideas presented in this passage?

a. Reread Invisible Man with extra attention to Ellison’s treatment of jazz.

b. Read more of Gunther Schuller’s research on the jazz beat.

c. Look up “complex agency” in the dictionary.

d. Read Richard Wright’s novel Native Son for an alternate discussion of racism.

 

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Reading Comprehension Passage 4

[The following passage is from Edgar Allan Poe’s attempt to explain all the choices he made as he wrote his most famous poem “The Raven.” For example, the raven’s refrain “Nevermore!” stemmed from Poe’s belief that the “r” sounds of the word conveyed a strong sense of melancholy. In this section, Poe discusses the appropriate length for his poem and the overall effect he wants it to convey.]

 

The initial consideration [in composing “The Raven”] was that of extent. If any literary work is too long to be read in one sitting, we must be content to dispense with the immensely important effect derivable from unity of impression—for, if two sittings be required, the affairs of the world interfere, and every thing like totality is at once destroyed. But since, ceretus paribus, no poet can afford to dispense with any thing which may advance his design, it but remains to be seen whether there is, in extent, any advantage to counterbalance the loss of unity which attends it. Here I say no, at once. What we term a long poem is, in fact, merely a succession of brief ones—that is to say, of brief poetical effects. It is needless to demonstrate that a poem is such, only inasmuch as it intensely excites, by elevating, the soul; and all intense excitements are, through a psychical necessity, brief. For this reason, at least one half of the “Paradise Lost” is essentially prose—a succession of poetical excitements interspersed, inevitably, with corresponding depression—the whole being deprived, through the extremeness of its length, of the vastly important artistic element, totality, or unity, of effect.

It appears evident, then, that there is a distinct limit, as regards length, to all works of literary art—the limit of a single sitting—and that, although in certain classes of prose composition, such as “Robinson Crusoe,” (demanding no unity,) this limit may be advantageously overpassed, it can never properly be overpassed in a poem. Within this limit, the extent of a poem may be made to bear mathematical relation to its merit—in other words, to the excitement or elevation—again in other words, to the degree of the true poetical effect which it is capable of inducing; for it is clear that the brevity must be in direct ratio of the intensity of the intended effect—this, with one more proviso—that a certain degree of duration is absolutely requisite for the production of any effect at all.

Holding in view these considerations, as well as that degree of excitement which I deemed not above the popular, while not below the critical, taste, I reached at once what I conceived the proper length of my poem—a length of about one hundred lines. It is, in fact, a hundred and eight.

My next thought concerned the choice of an impression, or effect, to be conveyed: and here I may as well observe that, throughout the construction, I kept steadily in view the design of rendering the work universally appreciable. I should be carried too far out of my immediate topic were I to demonstrate a point upon which I have repeatedly insisted, and which, with the poetical, stands not in the slightest need of demonstration—the point, I mean, that Beauty is the sole legitimate province of the poem. A few words, however, in elucidation of my real meaning, which some of my friends have evinced a disposition to misrepresent. That pleasure which is at once the most intense, the most elevating, and the most pure, is, I believe, found in the contemplation of the beautiful. When, indeed, men speak of Beauty, they mean, precisely, not a quality, as is supposed, but an effect—they refer, in short, just to that intense and pure elevation of soul—not of intellect, or of heart—upon which I have commented, and which is experienced in consequence of contemplating “the beautiful.” Now I designate Beauty as the province of the poem, merely because it is an obvious rule of Art that effects should be made to spring from direct causes—that objects should be attained through means best adapted for their attainment—no one as yet having been weak enough to deny that the peculiar elevation alluded to, is most readily attained in the poem. Now the object, Truth, or the satisfaction of the intellect, and the object, Passion, or the excitement of the heart, are, although attainable, to a certain extent, in poetry, far more readily attainable in prose. Truth, in fact, demands a precision, and Passion, a homeliness (the truly passionate will comprehend me) which are absolutely antagonistic to the Beauty which, I maintain, is the excitement, or pleasurable elevation, of the soul. It by no means follows from any thing here said, that passion, or even truth, may not be introduced, and even profitably introduced, into a poem—for they may serve in elucidation, or aid the general effect, as do discords in music, by contrast—but the true artist will always contrive, first, to tone them into proper subservience to the predominant aim, and, secondly, to enveil them, as far as possible, in that Beauty which is the atmosphere and essence of the poem.

Regarding, then, Beauty as my province, my next question referred to the tone of its highest manifestation—and all experience has shown that this tone is one of sadness. Beauty of whatever kind, in its supreme development, invariably excites the sensitive soul to tears. Melancholy is thus the most legitimate of all the poetical tones.

From Edgar Allan Poe, “The Philosophy of Composition,” Graham’s Magazine 28 (April 1846), 163-167.

16. All of the following are main ideas in this passage except.

a. A poem must be within a certain range of lengths in order to achieve

a unity of effect.

b. Poets must use every tool they can to improve their poem.

c. Beauty must be distinguished from Truth and Passion.

d. Unity of effect is desirable for poetry.

 

17.  What is the writer’s purpose in designating Beauty as the ultimate goal of the poem?

a. To separate Beauty as a quality from Beauty as an effect.

b. To separate Beauty from Truth and from Passion.

c. To distinguish the effect of the poem from the effect of other forms of literary art.

d. To claim that effects should spring from direct causes.

 

18.  According to the passage, why does Poe reject Milton’s Paradise Lost?

a. Paradise Lost is half written in prose.

b. Paradise Lost is too long, and so sacrifices a unified poetic effect.

c. Paradise Lost cannot be read in one sitting.

d. Paradise Lost is depressing rather than elevating.

 

19.  What can be inferred from the passage about Poe's likely response to Japanese haiku?
 

a. The length of a haiku (17 syllables) is too short to produce a poetic effect.

b. Haiku tends to be static rather than active.

c. Haiku elevates the notion of Truth rather than the notion of Beauty.

d. Haiku produces inferior poetic effects because it is not melancholy.

 

20.  The argument of the last two paragraphs can be best summarized by which of the following?

a. “Beauty is truth, truth beauty,— that is all
Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know.”

b. Beauty is the sole province of the poem.

c. Beauty, as opposed to Truth or Passion, is the proper goal of the poem, and melancholy is the best way to express Beauty.

d. Melancholy is the most legitimate poetic tone.

 

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Reading Comprehension Passage 5

These are the times that try men’s souls: The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of his country; but he that stands it NOW, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: ’Tis dearness only that gives every thing its value. Heaven knows how to put a proper price upon its goods, and it should be strange indeed, if so celestial an article as FREEDOM should not be highly rated. Britain, with an army to enforce her tyrrany, has declared that she has a right (not only to TAX) but “to BIND us in ALL CASES WHATSOEVER,” and if being bound in that manner, is not slavery, then is there not such a thing as slavery upon earth. Even the expression is impious, for so unlimited a power can belong only to GOD.

From Thomas Paine, The Crisis Number 1, December 23, 1776.

21.  What is the main idea of the passage?

a. God has unlimited power.

b. These are the times that try men’s souls.

c. Now is the time to rise up against tyranny.

d. Taxation is theft.

 

22.  What is the writer’s purpose in referring to the “summer soldier and the sunshine patriot”?

a. To emphasize that the patriotic cause must be fought for in hard time as well as easy times.

b. To criticize part-time soldiers.

c. To priase the warmth and light of patriotism.

d. To claim that they deserve “the love and thanks of man and woman.”

 

23.  What is implied by the writer’s discussion of the value of freedom?

a. Freedom is priceless.

b. Freedom is dear to us because it is valuable.

c. The difficulty of obtaining freedom makes it more valuable to us.

d. Only heaven knows how to properly value goods.

 

24.  Which of the following is not one of the assumptions made by the author in this passage?

a. The American colonies should free themselves from England.

b. A just cause is worth fighting for.

c. Slavery is wrong.

d. Only God has power over human beings.

 

25.  Which of the following is the best strategy for understanding this passage better?

a. Find out more details about the historical context in England at the time.

b. Read Common Sense by the same author.

c. Look up definitions for the words in the passage that are unclear.

d. Study theology to determine the value of freedom in God’s eyes.

 

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Reading Comprehension Passage 6

Because of the serious and long-term consequences of children’s adverse emotional reactions to hospitalization and other medical encounters, health care facilities throughout North America have developed deliberate interventions to minimize the stress and anxiety experienced by children and to assure optimal growth and development. These interventions often comprise what are called child life programs (but which also may carry the names children’s activity programs, play therapy, pediatric recreation, and child development programs).

The importance of such programming is underscored by the fact that child life services are now mandated by the American Academy of Pediatrics (1971):

There is a large and scientifically respectable body of literature which bears directly on this problem. Almost all of this literature supports the idea that the hospital experience is upsetting and that this upset extends into the post-hospital period. Therefore, it is mandatory that each pediatric service concern itself with this problem and institute specific programs to ameliorate or prevent psychologic upset in the child (p. 51).

Administrators of hospitals that are members of the National Association of Children’s Hospitals and Related Institutions (NACHRI), when surveyed by McCue et al. (1978), also indicated the importance of child life programming. Eighty percent of the administrators said they consider such programs “essential” to the institution, 20 percent said they are “significant,” and none marked the other response, “irrelevant.”

Play programs for children were operating in hospitals as early as 1917, 1922, and 1932 (Rutkowski, 1978), but the child life movement gained its greatest momentum in the 1950s and 1960s with the pioneering work of Emma Plank in Cleveland and Mary Brooks in Philadelphia. Thus, child life programming is a relatively new phenomenon. Rutkowski (1978) in a survey of 120 child life programs in the United States found that only 18 percent of the programs had been founded prior to 1959 and that the average age of the programs surveyed was 11.35 years. The first organization of personnel engaged in child life work, the Association for the Care of Children in Hospitals (now known as the Association for the Care of Children’s Health), was founded in 1967. Its Directory of Child Life Activity Programs in North America (1979) lists over 270 programs in the United States and Canada.

Staff for these programs come from a variety of disciplines. In surveying child life programs in the United States, Rutkowski (1978) found that 30 percent of the directors had a background in child development, 29 percent had a background in education, 15 percent in recreation, and the remainder in psychology, pediatrics, nursing, and other fields. McCue et al. (1978), in their survey of NACHRI members, found that most programs had staff with a background in recreational therapy, followed by child development and education. Mather and Glasrud (1980) surveyed programs in the U.S. and Canada and found that 20 percent of the child life workers had a background in child development, 21 percent had a background in education, and 23 percent had a background in recreational therapy, with the remainder distributed among a variety of other disciplines. They found that 59 percent of child life workers held the Bachelor’s degree. McCue et al. (1978) also found that most paid staff in NACHRI institutions held the Bachelor’s degree. Some held the A.A. degree, but most of these personnel were working toward the Bachelor’s. In approximately one-fourth of the programs, one or more of the staff held the Master’s degree, and two programs had staff members with doctoral degrees.

Although these studies reveal a wide diversity of professional preparation among child life personnel, it is possible to discern a certain amount of commonality; child development seems to be at the core, with important contributions from recreation and education. Movement toward increasing standardization of the training of child life personnel is taking place (Stanford, 1980), spurred in part by the establishment of degree-granting preparation programs in colleges and universities, such as Wheelock College (Boston), Mills College (Oakland, California), Utica College (Utica, New York), Northeastern Illinois University (Chicago), Bowling Green University (Ohio), Edgewood College (Madison, Wisconsin), and elsewhere.

From “What is a Child Life Program?” in Child Life in Hospitals: Theory and Practice, © 1981 by Richard H. Thompson and Gene Stafford. Reprinted by permission.

26.  What is the main idea of the second-to-last paragraph of the selection?

a. Staff for these programs come from a variety of disciplines.

b. Statistics vary significantly in regards to the backgrounds of staff of child life programs.

c. Most staff members of child life programs hold the Bachelor’s degree.

d. Child development is the most common background for child life personnel.

 

27.  What is the writers’ purpose in this passage?

a. To persuade hospitals to institute child life programs at their facilities.

b. To inform the reader about the importance of play in work with young children.

c. To inform the reader about the makeup of child life programs.

d. To summarize the current conclusions of statistical research about child life programs.

 

28.  According to the passage, why are child life services required by the American Academy of Pediatrics?

a. Scientific studies have been done on child life services.

b. The hospital experience is traumatic for children, and this trauma extends into the period after their stay in the hospital.

c. Eighty percent of NACHRI administrators consider child life programs to be essential.

d. Movement toward increasing standardization of the training of child life personnel is taking place.

 

29.  According to the data presented in the passage, what is the approximate percentage of child life personnel with an education background?

a. Between 20 and 30 percent.

b. Between 10 and 20 percent.

c. Between 30 and 40 percent.

d. Between 40 and 50 percent.

 

30.  Which of the following is the best outline for this passage?

a.

I.   Introduction
II.  Research Findings
III. Conclusion

b.

I.   Importance of Child Life Programs
II.  History of Child Life Programs
III. Staffing of Child Life Programs

c.

I.   Emotional Reactions of Children to Hospitals
II.  Adult Responses to Help Hospitalized Children Play
III. Conclusion

d.

I.   Problem
II.  Research Findings
III. Solution

 

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Word Definitions

1.  inherent
2.  allegiance
3.  persuade
4.  monarchy
5.  inferior
6.  ephemeral

Answers to Practice Reading Subtest