High School—Junior EnglishACT Reading Practice Test Mrs. Poggiali—Honors English IIICalamity Day #2

Take the following Practice ACT Reading Test. Put your answers on a piece of paper and bring the answers to class. You DO NOT have to print out the entire test. MAKE SURE YOU COMPLETE BOTH PARTS! WHEN YOU TAKE THE ACTUAL ACT TEST, YOU HAVE JUST 35 MINUTES FOR THIS SECTION SO STAY FOCUSED AND TIME YOURSELF!

ACT Reading Practice Questions

DIRECTIONS: The passage in this test is followed by several questions. After reading the passage, choose the best answer to each question and fill in the corresponding oval on your answer document. You may refer to the passage as often as necessary.

Passage IPROSE FICTION: This passage is adapted from the novel The Men of Brewster Place by Gloria Naylor (©1998 by Gloria Naylor).

Clifford Jackson, or Abshu, as he preferred to beknown in the streets, had committed himself severalyears ago to use his talents as a playwright to broadenthe horizons for the young, gifted, and black—which 5 was how he saw every child milling around that darkstreet. As head of the community center he went afterevery existing grant on the city and state level to bringthem puppet shows with the message to avoid drugsand stay in school; and plays in the park such as actors 10 rapping their way through Shakespeare's A MidsummerNight's Dream. Abshu believed there was something inShakespeare for everyone, even the young of BrewsterPlace, and if he broadened their horizons just a littlebit, there might be enough room for some of them to 15slip through and see what the world had waiting. No, itwould not be a perfect world, but definitely one withmore room than they had now.

The kids who hung around the community centerliked Abshu, because he never preached and it was 20clear that when they spoke he listened; so he could zero

in on the kid who had a real problem. It might be anoffhand remark while shooting a game of pool or a one-on-one out on the basketball court, but he had a way ofmaking them feel special with just a word or two. 25      Abshu wished that his own family could havestayed together. There were four of them who ended upin foster care: him, two younger sisters, and a babybrother. He understood why his mother did what shedid, but he couldn't help wondering if there might have 30been a better way

Abshu was put into a home that already had twoother boys from foster care. The Masons lived in asmall wooden bungalow right on the edge of LindenHills. And Mother Mason insisted that they tell any- 35body who asked that they actually lived in LindenHills, a more prestigious address than Summit Place. Itwas a home that was kept immaculate.

But what he remembered most about the Masonswas that it seemed there was never quite enough to eat. 40She sent them to school with a lunch of exactly one anda half sandwiches—white bread spread with margarineand sprinkled with sugar—and half an apple.

When Abshu dreamed of leaving—which wasevery day—he had his own apartment with a refrigera- 45tor overflowing with food that he gorged himself withday and night. The Masons weren't mean people; heknew he could have ended up with a lot worse.

Abshu lived with these people for nine years, wona scholarship to the local college, and moved out to 50support himself through school by working in a dough-nut shop. By this time his mother was ready to take herchildren back home, but he decided that since he wasalready out on his own he would stay there. One lessmouth for her to worry about feeding. And after he 55graduated with his degree in social work, he might evenbe able to give her a little money to help her along.

One thing he did thank the Masons for was keep-ing him out of gangs. There was a strict curfew in theirhome that was rigidly observed. And church was 60mandatory. “When you're out on your own,” FatherMason always said, “you can do whatever you want,

but in my home you do as I say.” No, they weren'tmean people, but they were stingy—stingy with theirfood and with their affection. Existing that way all the 65time, on the edge of hunger, on the edge of kindness,gave Abshu an appreciation for a life fully lived. Dowhatever job makes you happy, regardless of the cost;and fill your home with love. Well, his home becamethe community center right around the corner from 70Brewster Place and the job that made him most fulfilledwas working with young kids.

The kids who hung out at the community centerweren't all lost yet. They wanted to make use of thetutors for their homework; and they wanted a safe place 75to hang. His motto was: Lose no child to the streets.And on occasion when that happened, he went home tocry. But he never let his emotions show at work. To thekids he was just a big, quiet kind of dude who didn't golooking for trouble, but he wouldn't run from it either. 80He was always challenged by a new set of boys whoshowed up at the center. He made it real clear to themthat this was his territory—his rules—and if theyneeded to flex their muscles, they were welcome to try.And he showed many that just because he was kind, it 85didn't mean he was weak. There had to be rules some-place in their world, some kind of discipline. And ifthey understood that, then he worked with them, longand hard, to let them see that they could make a differ-ence in their own lives.

1. The point of view from which the passage is told can best be described as that of:

1. A. a man looking back on the best years of his life as director of a community center in a strife-ridden neighborhood.

2. B. a narrator describing his experiences as they happen, starting with childhood and continuing through his adult years as an advocate for troubled children.

3. C. an unidentified narrator describing a man who devoted his life to neighborhood children years after his own difficult childhood.

4. D. an admiring relative of a man whose generosity with children was widely respected in the neighborhood where he turned around a declining community center.

2. It can reasonably be inferred from the passage that which of the following is a cherished dream that Abshu expects to make a reality in his lifetime?

1. F. Establishing himself financially so as to be able to bring his original family back under one roof

2. G. Seeing the children at the community center shift their interest from sports to the dramatic arts

3. H. Building on the success of the community center by opening other centers like it throughout the state

4. J. Expanding for some, if not all, of the children the vision they have of themselves and their futures

3. It can reasonably be inferred from the passage that Abshu and the Masons would agree with which of the following statements about the best way to raise a child?

1. A. For a child to be happy, he or she must develop a firm basis in religion at an early age.

2. B. For a child to be fulfilled, he or she must be exposed to great works of art and literature that contain universal themes.

3. C. For a child to thrive and be a responsible member of society, he or she must develop a sense of discipline.

4. D. For a child to achieve greatness, he or she must attach importance to the community and not to the self.

4. The fourth paragraph (lines 31-37) establishes all of the following EXCEPT:

1. F. that Abshu had foster brothers.

2. G. that the Masons maintained a clean house.

3. H. how Mother Mason felt about the location of their house.

4. J. what Abshu remembered most about his years with the Masons.

5. It can reasonably be inferred that which of the following characters from the passage lives according to Abshu's definition of a life fully lived?

1. A. Mother Mason

2. B. Father Mason

3. C. Abshu as a child

4. D. Abshu as an adult

6. Which of the following statements about the children entering the community center is supported by the passage?

1. F. They had unrealistic expectations that Abshu toned down in the course of informal conversations.

2. G. In Abshu's eyes, they were all gifted.

3. H. In Abshu's eyes, the children who were likely to succeed were the ones who gave him the most trouble at the outset.

4. J. They were prepared to believe in each other more than in themselves.

7. It can reasonably be inferred from the first paragraph that in obtaining outside funding for the community center, Abshu could be characterized as:

1. A. thorough in seeking out potential sources for financial backing.

2. B. reluctant to spoil the children with charity.

3. C. excited about having the children write grant applications.

4. D. determined to let the children decide how the money would be spent.

8. Which of the following statements about Abshu's attitude toward his mother's choices early in his life is supported by the passage?

1. F. Abshu wishes he could get over the bitterness he feels toward her for allowing him and his siblings to be placed in foster care.

2. G. Abshu is worried that his mother is troubled by her decision to place her children in foster care and wants to comfort and support her now that he is a grown man.

3. H. Abshu wonders if she might have made a better decision about letting him and his siblings go into foster care, even though he understands why she did it.

4. J. Abshu wants to apologize for having been ungrateful as a child to his mother, who was only doing what she felt was best for her family.

9. As it is used in line 65, the term the edge refers to a place where Abshu felt:

1. A. most alive.

2. B. unfulfilled.

3. C. defeated.

4. D. most competitive.

10. According to the passage, which of the following most closely identifies Abshu's definition of a life fully lived?

1. F. Happiness in your work and love in your house

2. G. The pursuit of your goals and the realization of your dreams

3. H. Togetherness with your family and the sharing of laughter

4. J. Working in the community and striving for equality

Passage IISOCIAL SCIENCE: This passage is adapted from the chapter “Personality Disorders” in Introduction to Psychology, edited by Rita L. Atkinson and Richard C. Atkinson (©1981 by Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Inc.).

How should the law treat a mentally disturbedperson who commits a criminal offense? Should indi-viduals whose mental faculties are impaired be heldresponsible for their actions? These questions are of5concern to social scientists, to members of the legalprofession, and to individuals who work with criminaloffenders.

Over the centuries, an important part of Westernlaw has been the concept that a civilized society should10not punish a person who is mentally incapable of con-trolling his or her conduct. In 1724, an English courtmaintained that a man was not responsible for an act if“he doth not know what he is doing, no more than . . . awild beast.” Modern standards of legal responsibility,15however, have been based on the McNaghten decisionof 1843. McNaghten, a Scotsman, suffered the paranoiddelusion that he was being persecuted by the Englishprime minister, Sir Robert Peel. In an attempt to killPeel, he mistakenly shot Peel’s secretary. Everyone20involved in the trial was convinced by McNaghten’ssenseless ramblings that he was insane. He was judgednot responsible by reason of insanity and sent to amental hospital, where he remained until his death. ButQueen Victoria was not pleased with the verdict—25apparently she felt that political assassinations shouldnot be taken lightly—and called on the House of Lordsto review the decision. The decision was upheld andrules for the legal definition of insanity were put intowriting. The McNaghten Rule states that a defendant30may be found “not guilty by reason of insanity” only ifhe were so severely disturbed at the time of his act thathe did not know what he was doing, or that if he didknow what he was doing, he did not know it waswrong.

35The McNaghten Rule was adopted in the UnitedStates, and the distinction of knowing right from wrongremained the basis of most decisions of legal insanityfor over a century. Some states added to their statutesthe doctrine of “irresistible impulse,” which recognizes

40that some mentally ill individuals may respond cor-rectly when asked if a particular act is morally right orwrong but still be unable to control their behavior.

During the 1970s, a number of state and federalcourts adopted a broader legal definition of insanity45proposed by the American Law Institute, which states:“A person is not responsible for criminal conduct if atthe time of such conduct, as a result of mental diseaseor defect, he lacks substantial capacity either to appre-ciate the wrongfulness of his conduct or to conform his50conduct to the requirements of the law.” The word sub-stantial suggests that “any” incapacity is not enough toavoid criminal responsibility but that “total” incapacityis not required either. The use of the word appreciaterather than know implies that intellectual awareness of55right or wrong is not enough; individuals must havesome understanding of the moral or legal consequencesof their behavior before they can be held criminallyresponsible.

The problem of legal responsibility in the case of60mentally disordered individuals is currently a topic ofintense debate, and a number of legal and mental healthprofessionals have recommended abolishing theinsanity plea as a defense. The reasons for this recom-mendation are varied. Many experts believe that the65current courtroom procedures—in which psychiatristsand psychologists for the prosecution and the defensepresent contradictory evidence as to the defendant’smental state—are confusing to the jury and do little tohelp the cause of justice. Some also argue that the70abuse of the insanity plea by clever lawyers hasallowed too many criminals to escape conviction.Others claim that acquittal by reason of insanity oftenleads to a worse punishment (an indeterminate sentenceto an institution for the criminally insane that may con-75fine a person for life) than being convicted and sent toprison (with the possibility of parole in a few years).

Despite the current controversy, actual cases ofacquittal by reason of insanity are quite rare. Jurorsseem reluctant to believe that people are not morally80responsible for their acts, and lawyers, knowing that aninsanity plea is apt to fail, tend to use it only as a lastresort. In California in 1980, only 259 defendants (out

of approximately 52,000) were successful in pleadingnot guilty by reason of insanity.

1. One of the author’s main points about the legal concept of responsibility in the passage is that:

1. A. the phrase “not guilty by reason of insanity” has made our legal system more efficient.

2. B. responsibility and guilt are legal concepts, and their meanings can be modified.

3. C. knowing right from wrong is a simple matter of admitting the truth to oneself.

4. D. people can become severely disturbed without a word of warning to anyone.

2. Based on the passage, the primary purpose for the 1970s redefinition of insanity proposed by the American Law Institute was to:

1. F. eliminate the insanity defense from American courtrooms.

2. G. more precisely define the concepts of responsibility and intellectual capacity.

3. H. redefine legal insanity so that it might include as many criminals as possible.

4. J. apply the McNaghten Rule only to trials involving cases of mistaken identity.

3. From information in the third and fourth paragraphs (lines 35–58) it can reasonably be inferred that the legal definition of insanity was changed in the 1970s after:

1. A. federal courts won a dispute with state courts over a proposal made by the American Law Institute.

2. B. the doctrine of “irresistible impulse ” was found to contradict accepted notions of justice.

3. C. proponents of the McNaghten Rule had been using the insanity defense in far too many murder trials.

4. D. several courts found that justice was not always best served when the McNaghten Rule was applied.

4. According to the explanation provided in the fourth paragraph (lines 43–58), use of the word appreciate in the phrase “to appreciate the wrongfulness” (lines 48–49) instead of know implies which of the following?

1. F. The difference between right and wrong is something people feel rather than know, which makes deciding legal responsibility difficult.

2. G. To know implies certainty, and distinguishing right from wrong is often a subjective matter in determining legal responsibility.

3. H. The word appreciate suggests that an action and that action’s implications must be understood for there to be legal responsibility.

4. J. An insane person would “know” something the way a sane person would “know” something, and be able to appreciate that knowledge, too.

5. The passage indicates that the McNaghten case became the basis for future decisions about legal insanity because:

1. A. the House of Lords upheld the verdict of the court despite considerable political pressure.

2. B. there had been an increase in cases of murder involving mistaken identity arising from delusions.

3. C. McNaghten was unable to convince the jury at his trial that he was incoherent and insane.

4. D. McNaghten used a gun to commit murder, thus aggravating the crime in the jury’s mind.

6. The passage states that McNaghten wanted to kill the English prime minister because the Scotsman thought that he:

1. F. would establish a confusing legal precedent.

2. G. had been rejected by Peel’s secretary.

3. H. would be better off in a mental hospital.

4. J. had been wronged by the minister.

7. According to the passage, one of the reasons some mental health and legal groups want to abolish the insanity defense is that:

1. A. even clever lawyers are confused about when to use and when not to use it.

2. B. juries that must sort out conflicting testimony become confused, and justice suffers.

3. C. when it is invoked, even if the case is won, the punishment often ends up being too lenient.

4. D. innocent defendants are too often being punished unfairly by unsympathetic juries.

8. The passage suggests that individuals who use the insanity defense:

1. F. are not permitted to do so unless it can be proved beforehand that they are really insane.

2. G. should be tried, convicted, and punished whether or not they are really insane.

3. H. are legally responsible for their actions even if a jury decides they are not guilty.

4. J. might risk a lifelong confinement even if acquitted by a jury, if the acquittal is based on insanity.

9. According to the passage, a lawyer contemplating using insanity as a defense for a client should do which of the following?

1. A. Carefully evaluate using the defense, since in actual practice it rarely works

2. B. Assemble for trial a team of expert witnesses with a wide range of viewpoints on mental illness

3. C. Make sure that the doctrine of “irresistible impulse” is not used by the prosecution in his or her client’s trial

4. D. Recommend that the client be acquitted because he or she has been judged criminally insane by a doctor

10. One of the main points made in the last paragraph is that insanity pleas were:

1. F. unconvincing to most juries in California in 1980.

2. G. used in most cases in California in 1980.

3. H. often successful in California in 1980.

4. J. popular with lawyers in California in 1980.

Passage IIIHUMANITIES: This passage is adapted from “A Poem of One’s Own,“ an essay by Mary Jo Salter in which she discusses feminist literary critics’ recent reappraisal of women’s writing. The essay was taken from Audiences and Intentions: A Book of Arguments (©1994 by Macmillan College Publishing Company, Inc.).

The time is overdue to admit that there is some-thing of a vacuum in women’s poetry, and that weabhor it. For a woman to concede this is not disloyal toher sex; it’s the first step in the creation of an environ-5ment in which women artists will flourish. But whatcan be done about the fact that the list of belovedwomen poets is not as long as the list of beloved poetswho were born male?

The most liberating response to the problem was10the one Elizabeth Bishop chose. As James Merrillwrites, “Lowell called her one of the four best womenpoets ever—which can hardly have pleased MissBishop, who kept her work from appearing in ‘women’santhologies.’ Better, from her point of view, to be one15of the forty, or forty thousand, best poets, and havedone with it.” And he adds, “If I raise the issue at all,it’s to dissociate her from these shopworn polarities.”

For the working poet, moved by the sexless sunset orthe sex-indeterminate beetle, the polarities are indeed20shopworn, but perhaps as readers we may pursue theissue an inch further. For one thing that we can doabout these two unequal lists is to read women poets ofthe past who have never been much read and to dis-cover whether or not they deserve to be.

25Emily Dickinson, after all, would never havebecome one of the most revered poets in the world hadher sister Lavinia not rescued her poems from theobscurity of a dresser drawer; and had her editor MabelLoomis Todd not painstakingly transcribed nearly illeg-30ible scraps using a bizarre typewriter. Helen HuntJackson, that once celebrated, now forgotten poetwhose work Dickinson herself admired, was another“sister” in this story, for she alone fully understoodDickinson’s gifts. Jackson wrote to Dickinson urging35her to publish: “You are a great poet—and it is wrongto the day you live in, that you will not sing aloud,” herletter went. “When you are what men call dead, youwill be sorry you were so stingy.” That has to be one ofthe most moving moments in American literary history.

40And yet, and yet. Another reason many of us aredevoted to Dickinson is that we love the romance of herstory. Dickinson has to be one of the luckiest greatwriters who ever lived. She chose to live in isolation,which meant she was saved from the corruption of the45literary crowd; no husband ever patted her head dismis-sively, no child ever interrupted her, and when her lifewas finished a team of disciples ensured her immor-tality. If we do the necessary work of reappraising theliterary “canon,” and if we add some new women’s50names to the reading list, we will nonetheless have tosettle for discoveries less dramatic than LaviniaDickinson’s, and we can’t expect them to appear withfrequency.

For the fact is that we can’t have it both ways. We55can’t simultaneously espouse the line that womenhaven’t until recently been allowed the depth of educa-tion and experience to become Shakespeare, while alsoclaiming that we really have an abundance ofShakespeares, if anybody would just take the time to60read us.

But what is all this rating and counting and classi-fying of authors about anyway? If we set up one writeragainst another, aren’t we giving in to what some femi-nists tell us is the adversarial mentality of patriarchal65culture? We may think of Matthew Arnold’s view ofthe function of criticism—“to learn and propagate thebest that is known and thought”—and squirm in ourchairs: Who’s to say what is best, who’s to say what isrelevant?

70Theoretically, these questions are of some interest.Practically speaking, most of us who are habitualreaders of poetry already have an answer. Whileacknowledging our profound differences of taste, wenever doubt that there are good poems and terrible75poems, and that the good ones are the only ones wehave time for.

What else can be done about the fact that the list ofthe best women poets is not as long as the men’s list?In addition to looking closely for unjustly neglected80women, one might question whether some men poetshave been overrated. I think, for some reason, of poetswhose names contain double Ws—William Wordsworth,Walt Whitman, William Carlos Williams—and while Iwould be sorry to throw out the entire oeuvre of them, I85confess that each of these poets has at times bored me totears.

The problem with taking men poets down a peg,however, is that it’s hard to do so with discernment.The zeal to undo, immediately, the centuries of neglect90and abuse endured by women poets has resulted in thedevaluation of great poets who were born male and (farworse) in the devaluation of poetry itself.

1. Which of the following most fully lists solutions considered by the author to the problem that the list of beloved women poets is not nearly as long as the list of beloved men poets?

1. A. Reading women poets who have never been read, rejecting the writing of those whose names contain double Ws, and redefining what’s good about the literary canon

2. B. Reappraising the literary canon, adding new women’s names to the list, weighing the importance of some male poets, and reading work by women as yet not widely read

3. C. Questioning the importance of some male poets, encouraging readers to study women’s journals, and creating a world in which women will flourish

4. D. Promoting the best work of current women writers, rediscovering older writers, reappraising Matthew Arnold’s view of criticism, and acknowledging differences in literary taste

2. Which of the following sentences best summarizes the first paragraph?

1. F. It is disloyal to encourage women to write, and to ask: Why do male poets flourish more readily than female poets?

2. G. We must ask why there are so few women writers; perhaps asking this question will help create a women-centered culture.

3. H. It can be liberating to ask questions such as: What can be done about the fact that there are fewer beloved male poets than female poets?

4. J. If we admit that there is not enough quality poetry written by women, it can make it easier to discover why this is so, and help us change the situation.

3. It may reasonably be inferred from lines 10–17 that James Merrill respected Elizabeth Bishop’s poetry:

1. A. and wished that reaction to her poems had not been complicated by gender issues.

2. B. but was disturbed by her refusal to be included in women’s anthologies.

3. C. but felt she should be more concerned with women’s issues.

4. D. and was glad she was one of the four best women poets ever.

4. According to the third paragraph (lines 25–39), Emily Dickinson’s career was helped by Helen Hunt Jackson, who:

1. F. published her; Mabel Loomis Todd, who transcribed her writing; and Lavinia Dickinson, who discovered her poems in a cabinet.

2. G. encouraged her; Mabel Loomis Todd, who transcribed her work using a bizarre machine; and Lavinia Dickinson, who rescued her work from oblivion.

3. H. encouraged her sister to keep writing; Mabel Loomis Todd, who convinced her to use a typewriter; and Lavinia Dickinson, who rescued her poems from a dresser drawer.

4. J. taught her; Mabel Loomis Todd, who translated her writing into English; and Lavinia Dickinson, who introduced her poems to the public.

5. Which of the following most clearly distinguishes between the “two ways” suggested by the author’s assertion that “we can’t have it both ways” (line 54)?

1. A. Women haven’t until recently been allowed to see the depths in Shakespeare, but nobody bothers to read Shakespeare anyway.

2. B. Women haven’t written as well as men because they’ve been too busy being spouses, but nobody takes time to read women writers anyway.

3. C. Women haven’t written as well as men because they have not had the same educational opportunities, yet there are many great women writers no one reads.

4. D. Women have always had an abundance of Shakespeares, yet have not experienced the kind of education it takes to appreciate Shakespeare.

6. The author feels that “all this rating and counting and classifying of authors“ (lines 61–62) is:

1. F. an example of giving in to a competitive approach to literature, which the author feels is counterproductive.

2. G. an example of an approach to literature that feminists have supported and should continue to support.

3. H. at odds with Matthew Arnold’s view of the function of criticism, a view that the author endorses.

4. J. important, especially if it helps eliminate the entire oeuvre of writers whose names contain double Ws.

7. Which of the following best states the author’s response to Matthew Arnold’s view of the function of criticism (lines 65–76)?

1. A. It makes her reflect on why criticism is always so negative, yet she knows that most people don’t read criticism.

2. B. It makes her uncomfortable because so many respect Matthew Arnold, yet she realizes his ideas about poetry are now irrelevant.

3. C. It makes her wonder who decides what is good, yet she knows most readers think they know what good poetry is and don’t have time to read bad poetry.

4. D. It makes her question why more women don’t read Matthew Arnold, yet she realizes that few women today would find Arnold’s views engaging.

8. Which of the following most nearly paraphrases Helen Hunt Jackson’s statement to Emily Dickinson that “it is wrong to the day you live in, that you will not sing aloud” (lines 35–36)?

1. F. It is morally reprehensible of you not to let other poets read your work.

2. G. It is unacceptable for you to continue writing; you should become a singer.

3. H. It is stingy and wrong of you not to read out loud to those who like your work.

4. J. It is unfair to this age that you do not share your poetry with the world.

9. It may reasonably be inferred that the author considers Emily Dickinson “one of the luckiest great writers who ever lived” (lines 42–43) in part because:

1. A. her writing was discovered in such a dramatic way by her editor.

2. B. she lived such a romantic life, dressing in white and enjoying many suitors.

3. C. she was never interrupted by her disciples.

4. D. she lived in isolation, which allowed her much time to write.

10. The last paragraph suggests that those who would reevaluate, and perhaps want to devalue, the work of famous male poets should above all be:

1. F. cautious.

2. G. decisive.

3. H. opinionated.

4. J. zealous.

Passage IVNATURAL SCIENCE: This passage is adapted from the article “How to Build a Baby’s Brain” by Sharon Begley (©1997 by Newsweek, Inc.). In this selection, the term neuron refers to a specialized cell of the nervous system, and tomography refers to a method of producing three-dimensional images of internal structures.

You cannot see what is going on inside your new-born’s brain. You cannot see the electrical activity asher eyes lock onto yours and, almost instantaneously, aneuron in her retina makes a connection to one in her5brain’s visual cortex that will last all her life. Theimage of your face has become an enduring memory inher mind. And you cannot see the explosive release of aneurotransmitter—brain chemical—as a neuron fromyour baby’s ear, carrying the electrically encoded10sound of “ma,” connects to a neuron in her auditorycortex. “Ma” has now commandeered a cluster of cellsin the infant’s brain that will, as long as the child lives,respond to no other sound.

You cannot see any of this. But Dr. Harry Chugani15can come close. With positron-emission tomographyPET), Chugani, a pediatric neurobiologist, watches theregions of a baby’s brain turn on, one after another, likecity neighborhoods having their electricity restoredafter a blackout. He can measure activity in the primi-20tive brain stem and sensory cortex from the moment thebaby is born. He can observe the visual cortex burnwith activity in the second and third months of life. He

can see the frontal cortex light up at 6 to 8 months. Hecan see, in other words, that the brain of a baby is still25forming long after the child has left the womb—notmerely growing bigger, but forming the microscopicconnections responsible for feeling, learning andremembering.

Scientists are just now realizing how experiences30after birth, rather than something innate, determine theactual wiring of the human brain. Only 15 years agoneuroscientists assumed that by the time babies areborn, the structure of their brains had been geneticallydetermined. But by 1996, researchers knew that was35wrong. Instead, early-childhood experiences exert adramatic and precise impact, physically determininghow the intricate neural circuits of the brain are wired.Since then they have been learning how those experi-ences shape the brain’s circuits.

40At birth, the brain’s 100 billion or so neurons formmore than 50 trillion connections (synapses). The genesthe baby carries have already determined his brain’sbasic wiring. They have formed the connections in thebrain stem that will make the heart beat and the lungs45respire. But that’s all. Of a human’s 80,000 differentgenes, fully half are believed to be involved in formingand running the central nervous system. Yet even thatdoesn’t come close to what the brain needs. In the firstmonths of life, the number of synapses will increase 20-50fold—to more than 1,000 trillion. There simply are notenough genes in the human species to specify so manyconnections.

That leaves experience—all the signals that a babyreceives from the world. Experience seems to exert its55effects by strengthening synapses. Just as a memorywill fade if it is not accessed from time to time, sosynapses that are not used will also wither away in aprocess called pruning. The way to reinforce thesewispy connections has come to be known as stimula-60tion. Contrary to the claims of entrepreneurs preying onthe anxieties of new parents, stimulation does not meansubjecting a toddler to flashcards. Rather, it is some-thing much simpler—sorting socks by color or listeningto the soothing cadences of a fairy tale. In the most65extensive study yet of what makes a difference, Craig

Ramey of the University of Alabama found that it wasblocks, beads, peekaboo and other old-fashioned mea-sures that enhance cognitive, motor and languagedevelopment—and, absent traumas, enhance them per-70manently.

The formation of synapses (synaptogenesis) andtheir pruning occurs at different times in different partsof the brain. The sequence seems to coincide with theemergence of various skills. Synaptogenesis begins in75the motor cortex at about 2 months. Around then,infants lose their “startle” and “rooting” reflexes andbegin to master purposeful movements. At 3 months,synapse formation in the visual cortex peaks; the brainis fine-tuning connections allowing the eyes to focus on80an object. At 8 or 9 months the hippocampus, whichindexes and files memories, becomes fully functional;only now can babies form explicit memories of, say,how to move a mobile. In the second half of the firstyear, finds Chugani, the prefrontal cortex, the seat of85forethought and logic, forms synapses at such a ratethat it consumes twice as much energy as an adultbrain. That furious pace continues for the child’s firstdecade of life.

1. The main point of this passage is to:

1. A. illustrate the importance of genetics in the formation of a baby’s brain.

2. B. illustrate the importance of stimulation and experience in the formation of a baby’s brain.

3. C. indicate the great need for conducting further research on babies’ brains.

4. D. compare the latest research on babies’ brains with similar research conducted fifteen years ago.

2. The main point made in the second, third, and fourth paragraphs (lines 14–52) is that the structure of a baby’s brain:

1. F. is genetically determined before the child is born.

2. G. can be seen through positron-emission tomography.

3. H. can be altered through a process known as pruning.

4. J. is still developing after the child is born.

3. According to the passage, one thing PET allows neurobiologists to do is:

1. A. observe activity in the frontal cortex of a baby’s brain.

2. B. determine the number of genes involved in the formation of a baby’s brain.

3. C. control the release of neurotransmitters in a baby’s auditory cortex.

4. D. restore microscopic connections in a baby’s brain.

4. When she compares a baby’s brain to city neighborhoods, the author is most nearly illustrating her point that:

1. F. neurotransmitters are actually brain chemicals.

2. G. regions of the brain are awakened through experience.

3. H. the visual cortex allows a baby to recognize specific images.

4. J. a baby’s brain has about 1,000 trillion synapses.

5. Which of the following would the author of the passage be LEAST likely to recommend as a way to strengthen the synapses of a baby’s brain?

1. A. Reading to a baby

2. B. Playing peekaboo with a baby

3. C. Teaching a baby with flashcards

4. D. Showing a baby how to distinguish red socks from blue blocks

6. The last paragraph suggests that the formation of synapses occurs most rapidly:

1. F. during the first two months of a child’s life.

2. G. during the first nine months of a child’s life.

3. H. from the time a child is about six months old until that child is about ten years old.

4. J. from the time a child is about one year old until that child is well into adolescence.

7. As it is used in line 30, the phrase something innate most nearly means:

1. A. a memory.

2. B. learned behavior.

3. C. physical immaturity.

4. D. an inherited trait.

8. The fifth paragraph (lines 53–70) suggests that one of the main causes of pruning is:

1. F. a lack of stimulation.

2. G. an insufficient number of genes.

3. H. the use of flashcards.

4. J. the strengthening of synapses.

9. When the author refers to “entrepreneurs preying on the anxieties of new parents” (lines 60–61), she is most likely suggesting that new parents should:

1. A. give their babies products such as flashcards only if they have examined these products carefully.

2. B. not be deceived by advertising that claims certain products will increase a baby’s intelligence.

3. C. not worry if their babies’ development is slightly behind that suggested by neurobiologists.

4. D. take their pediatrician’s advice before they listen to the advice given by other family members.

10. The passage states that, in terms of development, the average baby should be able to:

1. F. focus his or her eyes on an object at two months of age.

2. G. develop a “startle” reflex at about two months of age.

3. H. make logical connections between ideas at about four months of age.

4. J. form explicit memories at about nine months of age.