ACT Practice Questions - Reading, Set 1

The following passage is from "The Biggest Thing in Physics," by Gabrielle Walker (Discover
Magazine, 8/13/07).

1. The passage states that according to the standard model, the interaction between fundamental
particles and the Higgs field is what gives particles:
 A. charge
B. spin
C. mass
D. velocity

2. The main point of the introductory paragraph is that:

A. Switzerland is a nation friendly to cutting-edge physics research.

B. The Large Hadron Collector is unlikely to have practical applications.
C. Physicists are unlocking the secrets of the universe.
D. The Large Hadron Collector is a large, expensive collaborative project.

3. As discussed in the passage, the overall purpose of the LHC is to:

I. Settle the question of the existence of the Higgs boson

II. Further test the standard model
III. Set a new standard for accelerator operations

A. I only
B. II and III
C. I and II
D. I, II and III

4. One useful metaphor for the Higgs field, according to one British theoretician, is to compare the
Higgs field to:

A. a field of snow
B. a sheet of rubber
C. an infinite smooth wall
D. a motionless film of oil

5. The Higgs field differs from electromagnetic or gravitational fields in that the Higgs field:

A. is measurable on the macroscopic scale

B. only is observable between subatomic particles
C. has the same intensity everywhere
D. has a direct correlation to radiant energy output

6. One of the properties of the Higgs boson is that it must be extremely heavy, more so than the
heavier subatomic particles such as:

A. protons and electrons

B. neutrons and photons
C. protons and photons
D. neutrons and protons

7. What unusual hazard is the passage's author warned of when touring the facility?

A. stray particles
B. bicycles
C. falling wrenches
D. scientists
 8. Given the LHC's intended mission and capabilities, what event could the reader infer would have
the farthest reaching implications for physics as a discipline?

A. discovering the Higgs boson

B. discovering a lighter particle
C. not discovering the Higgs boson
D. not discovering a lighter particle

9. In the extended metaphor used to describe the Higgs field, what metaphoric equivalent is used to
describe the fundamental attribute that provides the quality of mass to objects?

I. snowshoes
II. skis
III. skates

A. I only
B. I and II
C. I, II and III
D. II and III

10. In addition to the international nature of CERN, the body that runs the LHC, the multinational
nature of the project is reinforced by the fact that the LHC is physically located in the countries
of:

A. Switzerland and France

B. Switzerland and Italy
C. France and Italy
D. France and Germany

Answer Key - Reading, Set 1

ReQ1-Answer: The best answer is C. Lines 15-17 directly support this answer, and the entire passage
makes reference to the mass of a particle; the Higgs field is in fact defined in those terms. Charge-
essentially, the net amount of positive or negative electric potential- and velocity-the time rate of change
of position of a body in a specified direction- are variable quantities which can be altered without changing
the fundamental nature of the particle, thus making either property an illogical choice in the context of the
passage, and are not mentioned or alluded to in the passage. Spin, or the angular momentum of a
particle, is also not mentioned or alluded to in this passage; thus, only option C is suitable.

ReQ2-Answer: The best answer is D. While CERN, one of the premier European scientific research
consortiums, is based in Switzerland, its presence there is not sufficient evidence to come to the
conclusion in option A; that and the incidental nature of the geographic information indicates that option A
is not correct. No reference is made in the first paragraph to its applications, practical or otherwise, so
option B is incorrect. Lines 2-3 indicate that physicists hope the LHC will unlock the universe's secrets,
not that they had done so, so option C is incorrect. Lines 3-5, however, specifically indicate the cost ($8
billion) and the number of collaborating nations (60) involved in the LHC project, so option D is the correct
answer.

ReQ3-Answer: The best answer is C. Lines 10-11 and 35-37 specifically discuss the stated goal of
discovering whether the Higgs boson exists or not, stating that the LHC is the first accelerator capable of
examining the energy ranges where the Higgs boson is thought to exist. Lines 35-38 specifically discuss
the role of the Higgs boson in the framework of the standard model, and the fact that the standard model
will have to be heavily revised if the Higgs boson is not found to exist. Despite the LHC's stated sweep
and mission, however, how accelerators are run or used will not be materially affected by it, at least not
as described anywhere in this passage. Therefore, III is not applicable to this passage, while I and II are,
and so option C is the correct answer.

ReQ4-Answer: The best answer is A. Lines 23-28 specifically use this analogy, quoted from scientist
John Ellis, to explain the effect of the Higgs field on material objects to explain the quality of mass in
terms of the Higgs boson. None of the other terms are mentioned in the passage, although option B is a
commonly used metaphor to describe the effect of mass on the space-time continuum and explain
concepts such as black holes. However, it does not have any direct relevance on the material in the
passage. Options C and D, neither are common metaphors in physics, nor are they mentioned in the
passage, so option A is the only suitable answer.

ReQ5-Answer: The best answer is C. Lines 13-16 directly state this property of the Higgs field in relation
to the electromagnetic and gravitational fields. The ability to measure any field on a macroscopic scale
(meaning in general parlance the observable universe) is not mentioned anywhere in the passage, so
option A is not relevant. Besides not being mentioned in the passage, option B is redundant, as the
search for the Higgs boson is a search for a subatomic particle, and the field's existence would be
inferred from the boson. Option C is not suitable for the same reasons option A was not. Thus, only option
C is relevant, and therefore the correct answer.

ReQ6-Answer: The best answer is D. Lines 16-20 directly discuss the relative masses of subatomic
particles, while lines 31-34 discuss the mass requirements of the Higgs boson relative to the other
particles. As stated in the passage, photons are massless particles, which automatically eliminate options
B and C from further consideration. As stated in lines 16-20, electrons are relatively light subatomic
particles, compared to protons and neutrons; thus, option A can be eliminated. By dint of elimination,
option D is the only remaining possibility, and as it lists protons and neutrons, which are identified as
being heavy particles from the reading of lines 16-20, option D is assuredly the correct answer.

ReQ7-Answer: The best answer is B. Lines 40-43 specifically discuss the warning and safety material
the author was handed at the beginning of the facility tour, at which point the guide warned the author of
bicycles. Due to the size of the facility as stated in earlier paragraphs, it is reasonable to assume
transportation to various sections of the LHC is done on bicycles. Of the other three options, neither stray
particles nor falling wrenches are mentioned (nor would they reasonably be expected), which eliminates
options A and C. While scientists would reasonably be expected to be seen at an accelerator facility, they
would not be considered an industrial hazard, so option D is eliminated, leaving option B as the correct
answer.

ReQ8-Answer: The best answer is C. Lines 35-39 discuss the ramifications of discovering the Higgs
boson and what it would mean for the standard model, one of the most venerable theories in physics. The
standard model predicts a particle like the Higgs boson, so if it is discovered, it will simply confirm the
present theory; despite answering some other questions, the confirmation will have less of a long-term
impact, which means option A is less likely to be correct. However, if the Higgs boson is not found, then
the standard model will have to be modified extensively, throwing a great deal of work into question over
the last several decades. The discovery of a lighter particle will not have the same effect, making option B
not relevant, and not discovering something that isn't being searched for won't have a long-term effect
either, making D not relevant. Thus, option C is correct.

ReQ9-Answer: The best answer is B. Lines 26-28 explain the attribute as allowing particles to traverse
the Higgs field as if it were a field of snow; particles with snowshoes or skis could slide across the surface
of the field, whereas particles without such attributes-in this sense, heavier-would sink and thus traverse
the field more slowly. Since skates are not mentioned in this metaphor, both options C and D would not
be relevant and can be discarded. Since both snowshoes and skis are mentioned, option A, which only
lists one of those, is incorrect, which means option B is the correct choice, as it is the only one that
correctly lists the two choices mentioned in the metaphoric construction.
ReQ10-Answer: The best answer is A. Line 8 specifically states the Large Hadron Collider traverses the
border of Switzerland and France, near Lake Geneva. The fact that the LHC is near Lake Geneva (which
is where the headquarters of CERN is located) would eliminate the other options even if the specific
identification of the border location was not present, as Lake Geneva is inside the western border of
Switzerland-which would eliminate options C and D, as neither of those mentions Switzerland-and since
Lake Geneva does not touch or approach Italy, option B is therefore eliminated. As a result, only option A
has the relevant information, and therefore is the correct answer.
ACT Practice Questions - Reading, Set 2The following passage is taken from the
short story "2 B R 0 2 B" by Kurt Vonnegut (originally published in Worlds of If, January 1962).
Note:
1. Given the tone of the conversation later in the passage, it could be reasonably inferred the tone of
the first sentence is:

A. exaggerated
B. ironic
C. excited
D. humorous

2. Considering how it is used in line 61, the closest synonym for the word "sobriquets" would likely
be:

A. substitutes
B. acronyms
C. nicknames
D. competitors

3. The title of the story, "2 B R 0 2 B," is a play on a famous line from William Shakespeare's play
Hamlet. This type of reference is commonly known as:

A. allusion
B. entendre
C. quotation
D. metonym

4. It would be reasonable to infer from the conversation in lines 45-56 that the painter has a low
opinion of his commission because:

A. he feels his compensation is inadequate

B. he does not like the hospital administration
C. he feels the mural is a poor representation of life
D. he feels his work is of lesser quality than usual

5. It can be reasonably deduced that the cure for aging has been around for at least:

A. 150 years
B. 155 years
C. 160 years
D. 165 years

6. The passage suggests that one of the major causes of people wanting to commit suicide in the
world described in the passage is:

A. overpopulation
B. diminished resources
C. boredom
D. government pressure

7. As it is used in line 9, the word "stripling" most nearly means:

A. young person
B. expectant father
C. unremarkable
D. thin and reedy
 8. It would be reasonable to infer, based on this passage, that members of the Federal Bureau of
Termination would be most commonly recognized by their:

A. formal badges
B. purple uniforms
C. informal insignia
D. green uniforms

9. Based on the first section of the passage focusing on the expectant father, what conclusion could
be reasonably inferred concerning the birth rate?

A. Unknown
B. High
C. Unchanged
D. Low

10. According to the passage, what nations could be considered as having developed artful
gardening methods?

I. Holland
II. Japan
III. United States

A. I only
B. I and II
C. II and III
D. I and III

Answer Key - Reading, Set 2

ReQ1-Answer: The best answer is B. The phrasing of the first sentence is only four words long, and
doesn't use words with strong emotional content, so option A is not relevant. For the same reason, option
C is not appropriate, as the emotional content and phrasing of the first sentence gives an impression of
being delivered in a straightforward, deadpan fashion. While an argument could be made for option D,
particularly as "swell" is not commonly used, the context of the continuing passage argues against that,
as it depicts a world in which people routinely commit suicide. However, the use of "perfectly swell" to
describe a world in which the inhabitants are unhappy, as evidenced by the conversation on lines 38-57,
is an example of irony-where words or tone are used to create a meaning which is the opposite of the
literal meaning-making option B the correct choice.

ReQ2-Answer: The best answer is C. In the context of the paragraph, it is clear that the list of slang
terms all refer to the same institution, later referred to as the Federal Bureau of Termination, so option A
would not be appropriate. For the same reason, option D would not be correct, as the terms all refer to a
single institution and thus not any other. The terms are all words on their own, borrowed from everyday
speech, and not constructed from initials of any other organization of entity, which means they are not
acronyms. This means option B is not correct. Since the terms are used in various contexts to refer to the
same institution, they would be considered nicknames, and thus option C is correct.

ReQ3-Answer: The best answer is A. The term entendre, taken from the French "to hear," generally
refers to using terms to communicate a hidden meaning, which is not the sense that the author is using in
this passage, so option B is not relevant. As the exact words in their original context are not being utilized,
the author is not quoting from the original play, so option C is not correct. Since the title is not a word that
is actually referring to a related term or object, the definition of metonym is not met, so option D is not
correct. In arranging the letters and numbers to evoke a famous line from Hamlet, the author is alluding to
that previous work and thus creating an allusion, which makes option A the correct choice.

ReQ4-Answer: The best answer is C. The conversation between the orderly and the mural painter
explicitly focuses on the depiction of reality, and the painter's assertion that the mural (commissioned by
the hospital and/or the Federal Bureau of Termination) is not a true picture of life, which in the painter's
expressed opinion is more closely reflected by a dirty, paint-spattered dropcloth. At no time does the
painter refer to his compensation-which eliminates option A-or the officials to be placed in the mural at a
later time-which eliminates option B. The painter also offers no opinion on his work with respect to its
quality, even though the orderly compliments him on his skill, so option D is not correct. Only option C is
an accurate representation of the painter's viewpoint, so C would be the correct choice.

ReQ5-Answer: The best answer is D. Lines 19-21 give the best evidence for this, as the passage first
states that the painter was about two hundred years old, and then gives an estimate for his age at the
time of the cure as being thirty-five or so. Simple subtraction show that the painter has lived roughly 165
years past the time he stopped aging, give or take a few years. Based on the imprecise information given
in the passage, option D is the best choice; while any of the answers could be correct, option D is the only
choice that comes close to the estimates in the passage within what a reader would likely accept as a
margin of error.

ReQ6-Answer: The best answer is C. Line 5 states that the U.S. population in the passage was stable at
40 million people, which is roughly one-seventh of the real U.S. population as of 2007, so overpopulation
is not an issue, which means option A can be rejected. Line 2 states that, among other things, disability
and poverty had been done away with, so option B is also not applicable. While there is a government
department dedicated to assisted suicide, there is much evidence to argue that suicide is not compulsory
in any way, such as the fact the painter is 200 years old. Thus, option D is not applicable. Since many
things, including war and privation, have been eliminated, and the world as outlined in the passage is
bereft of many sources of conflict and engines of change, boredom seems the most likely cause, and thus
option C is correct.

ReQ7-Answer: The best answer is A. In the context of the sentence-the author gives the character's age
as being 56, which is far below the population's average age of 129-the term "stripling" most clearly refers
to age. Since the character is far below average age, the implication is that "stripling" refers to a young
person. While options B and C do appear to describe the character, as demonstrated in later sections of
the passage-and option D might also describe his physical attributes, although there is no particular
sense of his physical nature yet-there is no usage of those concepts in that particular sentence; it only
deals with age. Thus, option A is the correct choice.

ReQ8-Answer: The best answer is B. While there is no direct reference to employees of the FBT in this
passage, there are two indirect references to them. In line 24, the mural is described as having people in
purple uniforms weeding, keeping the garden neat and tossing out the trash, all of which are direct
metaphoric references to the FBT in the mural, symbolically named "The Happy Garden of Life." Also, in
line 32, the lyrics of the popular song the orderly sings references seeing a lady in purple, and then saying
goodbye to the world. Since there is no mention of badges, insignia or green uniforms anywhere in this
passage, these indirect references are the only substantive evidence within the passage for FBT
operatives, so option B is the correct choice.

ReQ9-Answer: The best answer is D. Lines 6-8 state explicitly that births are not a daily event anymore,
which is why the redecoration of the waiting room is going on; its emotional purpose is being changed
from waiting room for births to memorial to someone who had volunteered to die. Because a large
metropolitan area like Chicago can reasonably be expected to have several births a day in reality, the
reader can easily infer the birth rate has dropped precipitously in the world of the story. Since there are no
direct figures listed in the passage, a status of unchanged could not be determined, eliminating option C.
For the reasons already listed, options A and B could be eliminated right away, leaving option D as the
correct answer.
ReQ10-Answer: The best answer is B. Line 26 explicitly gives medieval Holland and old Japan as
exemplars of methods of developing formal, well-tended gardens, to which the author draws comparisons
to the garden being featured in the mural. Although the muralist is a resident of the United States, there is
no mention of the United States in any gardening capacity or capability, which automatically renders both
options C and D irrelevant. Since both nations are mentioned in the passage, and option A only mentions
one nation, option A is not suitable. Only option B references both nations mentioned in the passage, and
as a result, option B is the correct answer.