TEAS-SECTION-1 Online Practice Questions and Answers

Which of the following best describes the purpose of this passage?

Chang-Rae Lee's debut and award-winning novel Native Speaker is about Henry Park, a Korean-American individual who struggles to find his place as an immigrant in a suburb of New York City. This novel addresses the notion that as the individuals who know us best, our family, peers, and lovers are the individuals who direct our lives and end up defining us. Henry Park is confronted with this reality in the very beginning of the novel, which begins: "The day my wife left she gave me a list of who I was." Upon separating from his wife, Park struggles with racial and ethnic identity issues due to his loneliness. Through Parks' work as an undercover operative for a private intelligence agency, the author presents the theme of espionage as metaphor for the internal divide that Park experiences as an immigrant. This dual reality creates two worlds for Park and increases his sense of uncertainty with regard to his place in society. While he constantly feels like an outsider looking in, he also feels like he belongs to neither world. Chang-Rae Lee is also a first-generation Korean American immigrant. He immigrated to America at the early age of three. Themes of identity, race, and cultural alienation pervade his works. His interests in these themes no doubt stem from his first-hand experience as a kid growing up in a Korean household while going to an American school. Lee is also author of A Gesture Life and Aloft. The protagonists are similar in that they deal with labels placed on them based on race, color, and language. Consequently, all of these characters struggle to belong in America. Lee's novels address differences within a nation's mix of race, religion, and history, and the necessity of assimilation between cultures. In his works and through his characters, Lee shows us both the difficulties and the subtleties of the immigrant experience in America. He urges us to consider the role of borders and to consider why the idea of opening up one's borders is so frightening. In an ever-changing world in which cultures are becoming more intermingled, the meaning of identity must be constantly redefined, especially when the security of belonging to a place is becoming increasingly elusive. As our world grows smaller with increasing technological advances, these themes in Lee's novels become even more pertinent.

A. to criticize

B. to entertain

C. to inform

D. to analyze

What is the nature of Eric and Billy's mother's assertion that a car is necessary?

Eric and Billy purchased new bikes to use when they went off to college. Given the rising cost of gas, they felt the purchase was justified and reasoned that, living on campus, they would not require cars. Their mother, however, felt that a car should be shared between them, and presented them with a car as a gift. Following this gift, Eric and Billy returned one bike and determined that they could share both a car and a bike, reasoning that some gas savings was better than nothing.

A. The necessity of having a car at school is an opinion of the school faculty.

B. The necessity of having a car is a fact.

C. The necessity of having a car is the mother's opinion.

D. The necessity of having a car is encouraged by the university.

What type of text structure is used in this passage?

Eric and Billy purchased new bikes to use when they went off to college. Given the rising cost of gas, they felt the purchase was justified and reasoned that, living on campus, they would not require cars. Their mother, however, felt that a car should be shared between them, and presented them with a car as a gift. Following this gift, Eric and Billy returned one bike and determined that they could share both a car and a bike, reasoning that some gas savings was better than nothing.

A. cause and effect

B. sequential structure

C. descriptive structure

D. compare and contrast

What is a suitable synonym for the word "determined" in the context found in the passage?

Eric and Billy purchased new bikes to use when they went off to college. Given the rising cost of gas, they felt the purchase was justified and reasoned that, living on campus, they would not require cars. Their mother, however, felt that a car should be shared between them, and presented them with a car as a gift. Following this gift, Eric and Billy returned one bike and determined that they could share both a car and a bike, reasoning that some gas savings was better than nothing.

A. concluded

B. dissuaded

C. worried

D. realized

Temika purchased a set of blocks for her young son. In the kit, she found three red triangles, six yellow

stars, and five blue circles. Follow the directions below and determine the answer.

Remove two yellow stars and three blue circles.

Replace one star and two circles.

Remove one triangle, and replace the second star.

How many of each color and shape are left?

A. two red triangles, four yellow stars, and two blue circles

B. three red triangles, four yellow stars, and four blue circles

C. two red triangles, six yellow stars, and four blue circles

D. three red triangles, two yellow stars, and one blue circle

What conclusion can be drawn about the family's Christmas traditions?

Andrew, This year, Mom and Dad will be traveling to Hawaii for Christmas. Dylan and I hoped we could still get together at the house for the sake of maintaining tradition for our kids. If you and Susan don't mind, we'd like to arrive two days before Christmas, as always, and uphold our typical schedules. Because Mom and Dad won't be here, we'll need help making Christmas dinner and desserts, and will also need help decorating the house for Christmas. Could you bring lights and ornaments? We will be providing the tree. Finally, we need help transporting all of our presents and decorations this year. Would you mind storing some of our decorations in your car for the drive to Mom and Dad's? Let me know! -Sarah

A. They are family-oriented.

B. They cannot be done without Andrew and Sarah's parents.

C. They are childish.

D. They are designed for solitude.

When looking at a dictionary page, Ellen noticed the words at the top left and top right were "measly" and "melancholy," respectively.

Which of the following words would be located within this page?

A. meadow

B. megalomania

C. meniscus

D. methane

At the top of a dictionary page are the words "pelican" and "perambulate."

Which of the following words does not belong on this page?

A. perigee

B. pepsin

C. pentathlon

D. penance

What writing type is exemplified in the passage?

When faced with a difficult academic task, many students turn to tutors for assistance. Tutors range widely in specialty and cost, including tutors who focus exclusively on reading, and others who work in broad categories such as general math. Tutors may be found in variety of ways, including checking with your local school and seeking out prospective tutors online. When searching for a tutor, however, recognize that different specialties may incur additional fees or charges. When selecting a tutor, consider establishing a trial period to ensure personality types mesh well and services deliver what they promise.

A. narrative

B. cause/effect

C. compare/contrast

D. expository

According to the trends shown by the data on the graph, on which of the following items is California most likely to spend the most money in 2017?

A. state-of-the-art diagnostic equipment in major community hospitals

B. specialized programs for learning-impaired students in the public-school system

C. assistance programs for low-income residents of California D. new rail systems that will allow more California residents to travel without the use of a car

According to the chart, which answer describes the type of U.S. citizen most likely to have earned below $30,000 in 2010?

A. citizens renting their place of residence

B. American citizens of Korean descent

C. citizens residing in secluded small towns

D. citizens over the age of 75

Passage 1 "It is obvious that the legal driving age in the United States needs to be adjusted. Although the driving age has been sixteen for many years, studies show that kids of such a young age are not yet capable of understanding the deep responsibility that comes with operating a motor vehicle. Sixteen-year-olds, while old enough to see R-rated movies, are still children in many ways. Psychologists agree that people of this age do not have the cognitive awareness to make major life decisions, yet operating a vehicle on the road forces them to do just that. If the driving age were to be raised to eighteen, there would be far fewer accidents and casualties on the American roadways. People must understand that sixteen-year-old drivers are a danger to themselves and others when allowed to drive unsupervised."

Passage 2 "The legal driving age in the United States has remained the same for many years for one primary reason: it is fair and reasonable. While young, sixteen-year-olds are certainly old enough to undertake the responsibility of driving alone. Because these teenagers are made to practice for a year with a learner's permit and then to pass a test proving their skills, there is no reason to suggest that they cannot handle a motor vehicle effectively. Those that assume that sixteen is too young to drive often forget to consider the large number of responsibilities teenagers already handle on a day-to-day basis in today's world. Things like homework, after-school activities, family responsibilities, and social events all must be carefully maintained in order to make life work. If a sixteen-year-old can handle these daily responsibilities, they can certainly handle driving a car. The legal driving age is fair and should not be negotiated, now or ever."

Which of the following arguments were not made by the author of the second passage?

A. Teenagers have shown that they can handle responsibility through school and social activities.

B. Teenagers use a learning permit for a year to prepare for driving alone.

C. Teenagers must pass a test before being allowed to drive.

D. Teenagers learn from watching their parents drive for many years.

He was __________ in his vindictiveness, often feigning a disarming camaraderie while __________ his opportunity for revenge.

A. impulsive; gauging

B. harmless; preparing

C. resolute; forgetting

D. brazen; dreading

E. devious; awaiting

Although is seems to have been a fixture of the square since the city's origin, the produce market actually opened only __________.

A. enthusiastically

B. recently

C. frequently

D. illegally

E. graciously

Medieval illuminated manuscripts art too __________ for exhibition except under rigorously controlled conditions of light, temperature, and humidity, and thus are the __________ majority of art lovers.

A. intricate; imperceptible to

B. immaculate; idolized by

C. fragile; available to

D. valuable; scorned by

E. vulnerable; inaccessible to