For All Answers

Read the excerpt from “Politics and the English Language” by George Orwell.I said earlier that the decadence of our language is probably curable. Those who deny this would argue, if they produced an argument at all, that language merely reflects existing social conditions, and that we cannot influence its development by any direct tinkering with words and constructions. So far as the general tone or spirit of a language goes, this may be true, but it is not true in detail. Silly words and expressions have often disappeared, not through any evolutionary process but owing to the conscious action of a minority. Two recent examples were explore every avenue and leave no stone unturned, which were killed by the jeers of a few journalists.

Answer: How does Orwell use evidence to support the underlined claim?D) He gives an example of two phrases that lost popularity with writers.

Read the excerpt from “Politics and the English Language” by George Orwell.What is above all needed is to let the meaning choose the word, and not the other way about. In prose, the worst thing one can do with words is to surrender them. When you think of a concrete object, you think wordlessly, and then, if you want to describe the thing you have been visualizing, you probably hunt about till you find the exact words that seem to fit it. When you think of something abstract you are more inclined to use words from the start, and unless you make a conscious effort to prevent it, the existing dialect will come rushing in and do the job for you, at the expense of blurring or even changing your meaning.

Answer: George Orwell’s purpose is to persuade readers to use simple language in political writing. How does he achieve this purpose in the excerpt?A)He gives an example of finding words to describe concrete items and abstract ideas.

Read the excerpt from “Politics and the English Language” by George Orwell.Probably it is better to put off using words as long as possible and get one’s meaning as clear as one can through pictures or sensations. Afterwards one can choose—not simply accept—the phrases that will best cover the meaning, and then switch round and decide what impressions one’s words are likely to make on another person. This last effort of the mind cuts out all stale or mixed images, all prefabricated phrases, needless repetitions, and humbug and vagueness generally.

Answer: Which best describes George Orwell’s purpose and the way he achieves it in this excerpt?C) Orwell’s purpose is to persuade his readers to use simple language in political writing. He achieves this by suggesting steps writers can take to choose their words carefully.

Which is an example of hypothetical evidence?

Answer: D) Imagine how politics would change if leaders wrote their own speeches.

Read the paragraph.School administrators should be encouraged to increase funding for music education. Many feel that school music programs are expensive and time-consuming. However, participating in band, orchestra, or chorus has been shown to improve student learning. Studies show that children who participate in school music programs achieve higher grades than students who do not. They also perform better on standardized tests.

Answer: What counterclaim is presented in the paragraph?A) School music programs are expensive and time-consuming.