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R&E "My Experience with Credit"

Last updated 10 months ago
18 questions
Read the selection and choose the best answer to each question. Then fill in the answer on your answer document.

Veronica wrote this essay to share her opinion about gaining experience with credit. Read Veronica’s essay and look for revisions she needs to make. Then answer the questions that follow.

My Experience with Credit
(1) The summer I turned fourteen, I wanted to buy a new skateboard, but instead of saving the money I earned doing chores for neighbors, I spent it playing arcade games and buying movies and CDs. (2) I asked my parents to loan me the skateboard money. (3) I said I would pay them back later, but my dad told me no. (4) He said he was sorry, but I appeared to be a bad credit risk. (5) Then he started teaching me how to establish good credit. (6) Now, at seventeen, I’m proud to say that I have a good credit score in my own name. (7) All young people can and should start building their credit early. (8) The first step in developing my credit was to earn money and open a savings account at my local bank.

(9) The summer I was fifteen, I got a job carrying boxes and cleaning at a neighborhood grocery store, and I managed to put at least half of my earnings into my savings account. (10) I would recommend a savings account as a first step for everyone—it’s easy to open an account, and if your money is in the bank, you’re less likely to use it on an impulsive purchase.

(11) My next step was to obtain a credit card because my dad said this was a good way to learn how to manage credit. (12) Getting a credit card is not easy when you do not have a long work history. (13) Perhaps the best option is a secured credit card, which requires a certain amount of money as a deposit. (14) I started with a $200 deposit, and when I went to visit my grandparents, I used this introductory-level card for bus fare as well as for incidental expenses. (15) I was careful not to spend more than I could pay off each month. (16) I think this is the best way to begin with a credit card because it helps teach you that you should not use credit for things you can’t really afford. (17) You should use it for convenience while staying within realistic financial limits. (18) Once I had shown that I could manage that first card well, my parents opened a regular credit-card account for me as a trial run. (19) I had to pay off my full balance every month at least two days before it was due; failure to do so would mean that I had to give up the credit card. (20) Having my credit history included on the family credit report, handling my card wisely became very important to me.

(21) I know that good credit will be important to me as I get older. (22) It will make it easier for me to buy a car or to rent an apartment, and when prospective employers check it, they will discover that I am a responsible person. (23) Later, when I am ready to buy a house or start a business, I will be able to get loans more easily.

(24) My parents are very happy with the way I have managed my money in the past three years. (25) By getting a credit card and then paying off the balance each month, I was able to create good credit for myself, establish reasonable spending habits, and prepare for future financial needs.
6

What is the most effective way to combine sentences 2 and 3?

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Veronica has not used the most effective word in sentence 10. Which word should replace use to create a more effective sentence?

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What is the most effective transition to add to the beginning of sentence 12?

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Sentence 20 is unclear. How should it be revised?

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Veronica wants to add a call to action to the end of her essay. Which sentence should she insert after sentence 25 to provide an effective call to action?

Read the selection and choose the best answer to each question. Then fill in the answer on your answer document.

Arjun wrote this essay about a tourist attraction he finds interesting. Read Arjun’s essay and look for revisions he needs to make. Then answer the questions that follow


Garden for Surrealists
(1) In 1945, Englishman Edward James traveled into the jungles of Mexico. (2) He was not searching for ancient ruins or hidden treasure; rather, he was looking for a suitable location for growing a specific type of flower. (3) What he found, with the help of his friend Plutarco Gastelum, was a coffee plantation just outside the town of Xilitla. (4) With its warm, humid environment and stunning waterfalls and pools, the plantation proved to be the perfect place for James to grow orchids, one of his passions.

(5) Two years later James bought the plantation, now known as Las Pozas, and began cultivating a wide variety of orchids. (6) With Gastelum’s help James acquired and tended thousands of orchids, making Las Pozas a truly extraordinary garden.

(7) The orchid garden of Las Pozas was in question. (8) In the early 1960s, a rare and unexpected frost destroyed many of James’s prized orchids. (9) After assessing the damage, James decided not to rebuild his orchid collection. (10) Instead, he decided to construct a different kind of garden, one that would reflect his interest in designing sculptures. (11) Although James loved tending to natural beauty, he also wanted to create his own art. (12) He was especially drawn to the work of Salvador Dalí, a Spanish painter associated with surrealism, an early-twentieth-century artistic movement that blended realism with dreamlike or fantastical elements. (13) Confronted with the loss of his beloved orchids, a surrealist sculpture garden was what James decided to build.

(14) Construction began almost immediately on the new sculpture garden at Las Pozas and would continue for the next two decades. (15) Huge concrete sculptures became the centerpieces of the new attraction. (16) Gastelum oversaw the construction of pieces such as The House With Three Stories That Could Be Five and The Temple of the Ducks. (17) Reflecting James’s enthusiasm for surrealism, the new sculptures were highly fanciful. (18) Over the years, Gastelum employed hundreds of workers to help build concrete structures, including staircases that ended abruptly in midair, totem poles, and cathedral-type screens. (19) Although each structure may have been strange in and of itself, the combination of the different structures was truly astounding. (20) James began calling Las Pozas his “Surrealist Xanadu,” and the site attracted fans of surrealism from around the world.

(21) After James’s death in the mid-1980s, Gastelum’s children tried to maintain the sculpture garden. (22) Las Pozas fell into disrepair as the gardens became overgrown and the sculptures mildewed, and eventually tourists stopped visiting. (23) But in 2007 Las Pozas was given yet another chance. (24) Recognizing its historical significance and its unique artistic merit, a charitable organization bought Las Pozas, hired Gastelum’s son as part of the management team, and began restoring both the gardens and the concrete structures. (25) The organization hopes to once again make Las Pozas a popular destination for fans of surrealism and for those seeking to honor the legacy of Edward James and Plutarco Gastelum.
5.5

Arjun needs to establish the thesis of his paper. Which sentence should be added after sentence 4 to create an effective thesis statement?

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Arjun wants to strengthen the transition between the second paragraph (sentences 5–6) and the third paragraph (sentences 7–13). Which sentence should replace sentence 7 to provide a better transition?

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How should sentence 13 be revised?

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Arjun wants to add this sentence to his fifth paragraph (sentences 21–25).
"Unfortunately there was not enough revenue from tourism to finance the constant maintenance that the site required."

Where is the most effective place to insert this sentence?

Read the selection and choose the best answer to each question. Then fill in the answer on your answer document.

Tamara wrote about an exotic location she researched for an English class assignment. Read her paper and think about any corrections she needs to make. When you finish reading, answer the questions that follow.

Uros Floating Reed Islands
(1) On South America’s Lake Titicaca, the night sky glitters with stars that seem close enough to touch. (2) Majestic mountains canvas the background, and no city buildings or street lights interfere with the view. (3) However, there are people who live here in a unique little town. (4) The town, a cluster of man-made, floating islands, sits on the lake itself.

(5) The Uros people have florished on these islands for thousands of years. (6) An indigenous tribe, the Uros created the floating reed islands as a refuge for themselves from neighboring tribes. (7) In building the “giant lily pads,” the people used the plentiful totora reeds that grow along the nearby marsh. (8) The reeds not only provide the material for the floating islands but also for the people’s huts and homes.

(9) Approximately 60 floating islands make up the Uros civilization. (10) Each island is about 2,500 square feet in area and supports several thatched houses, usually inhabited by members of the same family. (11) Furniture is simple and is also made of the totora reeds. (12) Even boats are constructed from this natural material. (13) A house on a floating island costs nothing; the homeowner simply invests his time in drying and weaving the totoras into a home. (14) R. Tucker Muth, a former student at the university of Iowa, notes that maintaining the floating islands has historically played a large role in the culture of the Uros. (15) He wrote that the Uros youth “are trained in practicing the methods of constructing the islands and how to harvest reeds responsibly in order to protect the natural resources the community relies upon.”

(16) Once an isolated group of people, the Uros were now being affected by the popularity and novelty of their culture. (17) The impact of tourists and the recent availability of power, including electricity, have transformed aspects of the Uros’ primitive way of life. (18) The lure of conveniences on the mainland has caused some Uros to move to the mainland, the island-dwelling population to dwindle. (19) Fortunately, some people are still holding on to the traditions of the Uros culture and continue to make the floating islands a special place that offers a glimpse into the history of the Uros people.
5.5

What change should be made in sentence 5?

5.5

What change should be made in sentence 14?

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What change needs to be made in sentence 16?

5.5

What is the correct way to write sentence 18?

Read the selection and choose the best answer to each question. Then fill in the answer on your answer document.

Noah wrote the following essay about an issue he noticed with his peers and himself. Read Noah’s essay and think about any corrections he needs to make. When you finish reading, answer the questions that follow.

No Reason to “LOL”
(1) When my dad got a new smartphone, he was excited, and I was excited for him. (2) What I didn’t realize, however, was that his purchase of a smartphone was going to teach me a lesson about technology. (3) In recent months I have learned that kids in my generation, including me, is using digital slang far too frequently. (4) It is a terrible habit, and it is actually hurting the way we communicate.

(5) At first it was novel for my dad and me to text back and forth. (6) He really enjoyed being able to get in touch with me quickly. (7) Several times, however, he had to ask me what certain expressions meant. (8) After a while he began calling me instead of texting. (9) He said it was faster than trying to decode my texts, I didn’t understand what he meant until a few days later.

(10) It was a typical evening, and Dad asked that I write him a letter describing an enjoyable experience. (11) While I thought it was a strange request, I complied. (12) I must admit I was shocked at what he handed back to me. (13) He had circled each instance in the letter where I had written a phrase like “LOL,” “b4,” and “idk.” (14) My digital slang covered the page, and they raised a red flag for my dad. (15) He owns a small business, and he said he gets cover letters from job applicants who sometimes use these same phrases. (16) He and his colleagues rarely hire a candidate who uses digital slang, so he wanted to warn me about the predicament I might find myself in someday.

(17) I was not too concerned at first, but the next day I received an invitation to a classmate’s party and immediately noticed a few instances of digital slang. (18) As I began to pay more attention, I started to see a trend. (19) When I sat at my computer to do my homework a few nights later, a message from a friend popped up on my screen. (20) It said, “Idk if ur busy atm, but I have a ? 4 u.”

(21) I suddenly realized that this type of language seems normal to me and to most people my age. (22) How, then, are we supposed to communicate effectively in a business setting if we routinely default to this kind of digital slang? (23) It seems that using this shorthand is common for many people my age, and it’s affecting the way we use language in all settings. (24) I now find myself questioning why we even have different languages for casual conversation and professional correspondense. (25) Shouldn’t we write properly all of the time?

(26) My dad pointed out that my use of digital slang had created a barrier between him and me, which resulted in him not understanding much of what I wrote. (27) Is it really saving time and functioning as a shortcut when teenagers have to explain to their parents what each expression means? (28) It seems as though it is encouraging a generation gap. (29) Communicating with people of all ages is important and the use of digital slang is hurting our ability to do that.

(30) Dad also noted that digital slang appears lazy and careless. (31) As I step back and look at all of my communications with my friends, I have to agree. (32) Our conversations seem sloppy at best and disrespectful at worst. (33) Sometimes they barely resemble English at all. (34) Now that my eyes have been opened to this issue, I’d like to suggest that we all put away the shorthand and return to using proper language when writing. (35) Digital slang is negatively influencing everything we write, and that is no reason to “LOL.”
5.5

What change, if any, needs to be made in sentence 3?

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What is the correct way to write sentence 9?

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What correction should be made in sentence 14?

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What change should Noah make in sentence 24?

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What change, if any, needs to be made in sentence 29?